Star-Lord
Well-known member
From power to sail to power again.
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Tempted to swap my yacht for a motor boat or cash - 90 days easier with power imo
- Thread starter Star-Lord
- Start date
reefknot
New member
The wind in the sails and the peace with a gin & tonic.
greeny
Well-known member
Go on then, I'll ask the question.
Why is 90 days easier with power than sail in your opinion?
Why is 90 days easier with power than sail in your opinion?
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nortada
Well-known member
We have both (about the same size) - horses for courses.
Star-Lord
Well-known member
Really!? It is obv easier to depart the Algarve or Italy for Africa or Bodrum to Greece or from Greece to Montenegro etc etc at the drop of a hat with power rather than sail if you only get 90 days stay in EU every 180. What happens if you plan to leave a week early to be on the stateside and there is 3 weeks of bad weather? I would rather steam through in a suitable power boat - also you weather window decreases significantly when going 20- 25kn.Go on then, I'll ask the question.
Why is 90 days easier with power than sail in your opinion?
Star-Lord
Well-known member
Agree but I only drink max 1 beer when sailing (maybe 2
Sailfree
Well-known member
What's the fuel bill?
Star-Lord
Well-known member
When I had my first motor boat I was surprised how little fuel I used. Most normal motor 10-14m boats have a range of about 250nm. So I could go to France and back and back again - twice. But why would you want to leave France once you arrived! I like to find a good spot and just anchor there till winter.... I imagine you could mosey around all the best anchorages in Mallorca from Palma to Polensa on one tank and you could I could certainly find my favourite hideways in Sardinia on one tank and in the Algarve it is hard to travel more than 100nm imho and Galicia - my two or three favourite spots are for moving to when the wind dictates moving and they are not that far apart! Which Brexit I would be using more fuel for sure! But you will be having to leave Europe every 90 days to places like Morocco and Tunisia and Montenegro where fuel is cheap as chips. Gib has cheap fuel - not sure if it will remain so after it joins Shenghen? Turkey must have cheap fuel?
sailaboutvic
Well-known member
Its going to be a bigger problem 90/180 rule for them who want to stay put then for cruisers, who move around any way even in slow sailing boat three days will see you out of the EU most of the time , Eastern Greece and you in Turkey within 24 hour Western Greece the same , Spain you can reach North Africa again in 24 to 36 hours and in east Italy or out of the EU in no time , its more of a problem if your in the south of France or say Portugal but then again it just take a little planning.
BurnitBlue
Well-known member
My neighbor and I were chatting about how much stuff sailboats leave behind when launched. There were many that had quite large plywood dockboxes including us. We were actually discussing how much these dock boxes caused us to be chained to the boatyard within reach of the dockboxes. I did recall that I haad returned to pick up stuff I needed while sailing. My neighbour in fact has two dockboxes.
We did notice that the power boats did not leave anything behind. A clear haul-out space. No doubt more storage aboard and lack of necessity for trim was the reason. They obviously had more freedom to haul out wherever they ended up at the close of the seaason.
We did notice that the power boats did not leave anything behind. A clear haul-out space. No doubt more storage aboard and lack of necessity for trim was the reason. They obviously had more freedom to haul out wherever they ended up at the close of the seaason.
Star-Lord
Well-known member
Yes! That is what I miss about motor boat - more space. A motor boat can be minimalist. On my motor boat I never even used a bucket!
Star-Lord
Well-known member
The problem is.... for example... impossible spending 90 days in Galicia (my favourite spots) unless you return to UK and who wants to cross Biscay every 90 days. Also Algarve to Morocco is really easy and less than 24hrs - but imagine having bad weather and not being able to move? With a motorboat I get to go 6 times faster so a 24 hour trip takes 4 hours at 30kn! I now only need a 4 hour window. I can now spend 85 days in Galicia and be in Tangier Marina in 48 hours (if travelling at 20kn).
V1701
Well-known member
Haven't there been a few motor vs. sail threads in the past where it's been argued that fuel costs of mobos are a bit of a red herring, i.e. if you factor in costs of maintaining & replacing when necessary sails, standing & running rigging, canvas work, buckets, etc. then the costs become much more even?
greeny
Well-known member
My last power boat tanks took 2000 ltrs at circa 1.50 euros a ltr = 3000 euro. At 2 gallons a mile at 35 knots that took me 200 + a bit miles. I could burn that in a good day out. Princess V50.
My last biggish sailboat Beneteau 473. New set of sails just over 6000 euros. They would maybe last me 10 years or maybe more. I used maybe 1 tank of fuel a year, maybe 200 euros.
Engine servicing on Volvo engines on V50 almost 2000 euros.
On the Beneteau 473 it was less than 200 euros.
Obviously depends on what the power boat is, but in my experience sailing is far more economical in everything but time.
My last biggish sailboat Beneteau 473. New set of sails just over 6000 euros. They would maybe last me 10 years or maybe more. I used maybe 1 tank of fuel a year, maybe 200 euros.
Engine servicing on Volvo engines on V50 almost 2000 euros.
On the Beneteau 473 it was less than 200 euros.
Obviously depends on what the power boat is, but in my experience sailing is far more economical in everything but time.
Yngmar
Well-known member
I dunno how much people spend on buckets, but other than that I came to the same conclusion - motoring around the med at 5-6 knots in a mast-less sailboat would've cost us the same or less than sailing around over the last couple years (after the costs of new standing rigging, new sails, replacing lines as needed, etc.).
However, the costs for doing the same in a much less fuel efficient displacement motorboat would probably be much worse. ?
BurnitBlue
Well-known member
For me the disadvantage of a power boat is the relience on an engine system. There is no alternate to get home without assistance if a mechanical problem occurred. Twin engines and a seperate fuel systems are vulnerable to fuel amount and quality. I would be in constant stress. There is also a massive difference in range and go anywhere factor between power boats. I mean a power boat capable of crossing the Atlantic is a different beast altogether from a power boat used for local day trips. Not to mention crossing the Pacific to get to the South Seas and sex under a palm tree. I think I have mentioned this aspect before .
I know a comparison is subjective but I cannot resist the temptation to point out that an 18 foot Caprice and upwards can circumnavigate the world. And float outside the breakwater for just fishing.
Reasonable cost for my number one hobby fades to insignificance when I recall how much my ex wife cost (per mile). Fashion, hairdressing, cosmetics, and the ridiculous obsession to match her handbag to her shoes etc. If you can justify and survive that for 18 years, anything can make sense even flopping from power to sail then back to power.
. I know a comparison is subjective but I cannot resist the temptation to point out that an 18 foot Caprice and upwards can circumnavigate the world. And float outside the breakwater for just fishing.
Reasonable cost for my number one hobby fades to insignificance when I recall how much my ex wife cost (per mile). Fashion, hairdressing, cosmetics, and the ridiculous obsession to match her handbag to her shoes etc. If you can justify and survive that for 18 years, anything can make sense even flopping from power to sail then back to power.
reefknot
New member
Yahties talk to one another not many smokies talk to yahties. and vice versa.
V1701
Well-known member
Understandably a sailor will likely have more in common with another sailor than a mobo'er and vice versa. I am a sailor but I live on a Colvic Watson 34 (motor sailer) with no masts & do feel the need to point out that I am a sailor if I'm chatting to one. If I'm chatting to a mobo'er (and I do, the ignominy of it!) I of course don't feel the need to do that. But then I'm also a biker who waves to scooter riders. Is there no hope for me?
Star-Lord
Well-known member
I think at anchor everyone has something in common and I will say hello to everyone and on the dock as well. As to power v sail... my motorboat was brand new and made in Finland so nothing went wrong. My sail boat is 20 years old and I have had to replace almost everything. I would have saved money buying a motorboat imho!
