So why won't you hoist your sails????

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Gypsyjoss

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Just spent 6 weeks in the Cyclades - weather varying from F0 to F9 with a lot of Meltemi.

We were struck by the number (most that we saw) of yachts which were motoring with bare poles in any weather. This applied to all yachts, not just those chartered by inexperienced landlubbers for the first time.

Are you all scared? Does SWMBO refuse to allow you to tip?

I hate using my engine. It's difficult to express my joy at shutting the thing down and going with the wind.

Yachts aren't designed to motor comfortably - if that's what you want get a stinkpot! It's far more comfortable to sail..

If I've got the wind on the nose, I at least have the mainsail up, very close hauled, which steadies the boat and may provide an extra half knot. And what about tacking!!(a sailing term which describes a method of going against the wind without motor).
With a bit of wind, I sail faster than I can motor. Ok, so the pleasure may only last until lunchtime, but it's worth it.

If there's no wind at all, it may provide shade and it's there ready for those short periods that a breeze occurs.

I look forward to your answers!

Pete (currently in yard looking for any excuse not to start major scrape of hull)
 
Agree.
I was taught to always keep a scrap of jib unfurled even when coming alongside in case engine failed - have to admit that I rarely bother...

But even in flat calm always keep main hoisted until close to harbour...

My most embarrassing sailing experience ever was when approaching Port St Mary in IoM in a bit of a blow and decided to start engine and drop all sail as crew "just wanted to get in".

Ran engine for 5 minutes, dropped main & furled jib. Of course the engine cut out a few minutes later due to air getting into fuel line (as we later learned)...

Non-fatal unhappiness ensued... Lesson learned.
 
Gypsyjoss said:
If I've got the wind on the nose, I at least have the mainsail up, very close hauled, which steadies the boat and may provide an extra half knot.
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I think that you are more likely to lose a half-knot due to drag if the wind is genuinely "on the nose". Unless, perhaps, the wind direction has switched, leaving a beam-ish sea which is making you roll. In which case maybe you can get a "rowing" effect in which the sail fills on each roll and gives some propulsion? (I have heard that dinghy sailors do "roll tacking" for that effect.)

Mike.
 
In my case, if I don't put the sails up it will because I don't want to get cold & wet beating into wind & tide, getting nowhere when I can motor dead into the wind & tide from under cover & in a narrow channel between sandbanks..

Might be different if I was in the med without tides, narrow channels & strict "no go" tidal gates.
 
It's a well known 'fact' that Sunsail boats don't carry a mainsail under their sailcover. Maybe everybody you saw learnt to 'sail' with them and can't break the habit.:D
 
Depends on crew. I'm perfectly happy to beat into a cold wind but many I sail with are not so we don't. With the wind is an altogether different matter.
 
Agree with Searush. It does seem to me to be a little too purist to insist on battling wind and tide if you have to get somewhere.

Mind you when you don't have a deadline you can wait for better weather. It's a lot simpler now I've retired but even so, sometimes SWMBO wants to be back for something!
 
With specific reference to Greece if it is blowing hard (F6 or above) many flotilla skippers will strongly advise completely furling the mainsail at least to avoid damage to the sails - especially if the boat has in-mast furling and with inexperienced flot sailors being likely to let the sails flog.

That being said I have noted very much the same phenomenon myself in the Ionian in all types of wind (and not just flot boats either). Always amazes me when you are sailing happily along at 3-4 knots and you see people motoring to achieve a top speed of 5-6 at best.
 
There's an old and very true saying:

"There are two types of mobo in the Med. those that have masts and those that don't.

To be fair, it can be a bloody awful bit of water for sailing to windward in and I wouldn't criticise anyone who did, but we've often noted the same phenomenom on many occassions when in the eastern Med, here in the Balearics too to be honest of boats motoring in conditions/direction conducive to sailing. With the Charter yachts, we usually assume that they were trying to squeeze as many harbours/anchorages as they could into their week's holiday, so hadn't the time to 'sail' between them; one of the joys of long term cruising is the time to sail along at 2.5 knots, knowing that if you don't reach your originally planned destination, well provided there's somewhere suitable to drop an anchor for the night, we can just go there tomorrow instead.

That said, some people do seem to get into the 'habit' of motoring; I remember sailing down the Patras Gulf last September, beam/broad reaching in F4/5, with flat seas, we were having a great sail and making 6-7 knots, in near perfect conditions, yet in the 20M between Oxia Island and Missalonghi, we must've overtaken a dozen boats that were motoring, despite our proving that it was actuall faster - and a lot more fun! - to sail.
 
Gypsyjoss said:
Just spent 6 weeks in the Cyclades - weather varying from F0 to F9 with a lot of Meltemi.

We were struck by the number (most that we saw) of yachts which were motoring with bare poles in any weather. This applied to all yachts, not just those chartered by inexperienced landlubbers for the first time.

Are you all scared? Does SWMBO refuse to allow you to tip?

I hate using my engine. It's difficult to express my joy at shutting the thing down and going with the wind.

Yachts aren't designed to motor comfortably - if that's what you want get a stinkpot! It's far more comfortable to sail..

If I've got the wind on the nose, I at least have the mainsail up, very close hauled, which steadies the boat and may provide an extra half knot. And what about tacking!!(a sailing term which describes a method of going against the wind without motor).
With a bit of wind, I sail faster than I can motor. Ok, so the pleasure may only last until lunchtime, but it's worth it.

If there's no wind at all, it may provide shade and it's there ready for those short periods that a breeze occurs.

I look forward to your answers!

Pete (currently in yard looking for any excuse not to start major scrape of hull)
Click to expand...

In that case your boat is different to ours. If we dont have at least eight knots of wind, apart from the steadying action of the mainsail which you refer to, it is not worth hoisting sail. Our boat is a heavy long keel cutter approaching twelve tons with the tanks full and all the cruising gear aboard. On the other hand we dont reef early-24 kts is ok on a reach-and she can be balanced by sail trim to keep a fair course . At a wind speed of eight knots she is slow. fifteen and she gets going. Our motor gives up to 7.5kts. depending on the sea state. I cant answer your question about other craft, but that is our situation.
 
My auxiliary sailing yacht is a vehicle with two alternative sources of power and I'll use whichever suits me best. If I choose to motor when conditions are suitable for sailing why shouldn't I? I may not be in the mood for pulling ropes and heeling over. Does that make me a bad person?
 
Why not?

JimC said:
My auxiliary sailing yacht is a vehicle with two alternative sources of power and I'll use whichever suits me best. If I choose to motor when conditions are suitable for sailing why shouldn't I? I may not be in the mood for pulling ropes and heeling over. Does that make me a bad person?
Click to expand...

+1

Why do so many concern themselves with what others wish to do when it's legal and doesn't affect what they want to do?
 
I didn't hoist my sails crossing Christchurch and Poole Bay on Tues. The wind was on the nose and the waves large enough to knock my boat sideways, I wanted to take them on the nose too, the thought of being beam on to the wind and waves for a long protracted beat just didn't appeal. A much larger boat was beating across though, but had to be doing 9 knots against my 3.5. So for me fear is the main factor deciding if the sails go up or not.
 
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