What's the perfect wind for an AWB?

Re: What\'s the perfect wind for an AWB?

Mine (Gib'sea 302) is happiest between F2 & F5...at 30' LOA, sea state is as relevant as wind speed!!

<hr width=100% size=1>"I am a bear of very little brain and long words bother me" - A A Milne.
 
Re: What\'s the perfect wind for an AWB?

F 1-2: boring
F 3: OK
F 4-5: Nice
F 6-7: "sporting"
F 8-9: OTT + hang on
F 10: been lucky - never experienced it in a yacht

As mentioned elsewhere - seastate almost as important as wind

<hr width=100% size=1>Experience is a good teacher, but she sends in terrific bills.
 
Re: What\'s the perfect wind for an AWB?

I can reach top hull speed in a F3 without undue heeling. Who needs more? OTOH, off the wind, F4 - 5 is great for fun and 10 + knts on a surf.

John;

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Re: What\'s the perfect wind for an AWB?

That's what I thought.

The reason I ask was because at the weekend I went on my first cruise in company with the local club, 38 miles out on Saturday, downwind in a F3-F4, back on Sunday, upwind in a F4-F5. There were 2 motorsailors, about 8 AWBs (mostly Beneteaux from 331 to 475), and me on my toy boat.

I sailed all the way there, and all the way back. Every other boat motored all the way there, and then motored back again. I don't understand why (apart from the motorsailors). Baffled, me.

<hr width=100% size=1>One day, I want to be a real sailor. In the mean time I'll just keep tri-ing.
 
Re: What\'s the perfect wind for an AWB?

Could it be the way a modern sailor is taught?

Friend of mine did a Sunsail villa/flotilla in Greece, caught the bug and did coastal skipper with Sunsail back here.

The next year he bareboated, as did I, travelled in company. Two hours into a F6 beat down from Corfu I had to stop because I'd lost sight of him. When I finally got him on the radio it turned out that he'd thought it better to motor...... we've been having a moderately enjoyable beat, but slowing down for two hours to let him catch up was tedious.

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.
 
Re: What\'s the perfect wind for an AWB?

It absolutely amazes me the amount of people that motor sail when they'd be faster & quieter just sailing.

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\"What oft was thought, but ne\'er so well expressed!\"

They do motor very well. Flat afterbody, low displacement and ample hp.

<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?
 
Re: What\'s the perfect wind for an AWB?

When I saw your question my first thought was Force 0 so they can turn the engine. Then when I opened the thread I find you've beat me to it.

kim

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Re: What\'s the perfect wind for an AWB?

It has almost become a ritual now that whenever he is helming to windward in anything like a blow, a certain crew member of mine will ask if it is ok for him to put the engine on. He can never tell me how the prop is supposed to keep up with a boat doing 6kts+ though, and what benefit it would be to us if it did. Thing is he's a YM and I'm still a wannabe.

I did have one instance in my old Dehler 25, trying to thrash our way home into the teeth of a genuine F9, when the boat was beginning to stall out in the troughs and a blast of engine did carry us up the face of the next wave. Might well have been in the S**t without the engine then

<hr width=100% size=1>Semper Bufo
 
Re: What\'s the perfect wind for an AWB?

It isn't an AWB thing especially, just that a high percentage of people overall will motor or motorsail and a high percentage of all boats out are AWBs. You could argue that downwind the apparent wind you had (in a F3-4) is too light without a spinnaker for some people and similarly upwind in a F4-5 the apparent wind is too much for some people, but I agree because we still see them doing it on a beam reach in F3- F4, sometimes without even a sail set. I suspect in your quoted case though the distance involved of 38mls was a contributory factor as downwind and upwind boatspeeds would have made the passage times longer for some than they would like, maybe in the region of 8 or 9 hours each way. Did you ask any of them to comment?



<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>
 
Re: What\'s the perfect wind for an AWB?

We met a boat in Guernsey a few years back and ended up sort of in company from there going downwind to Cherbourg in F5/6. We did the entire trip under sail with mizzen and jib only with our old W33 doing hull speed most of the time and with a lot of tide assisting too. They did the entire trip motorsailing with a reefed main and part rolled genoa, when I asked why they used the engine they said it helped to keep the boat steady on course better in the waves, it was a Moody 346 I think maybe a bilge keel version. I didn't ask if he was a YM...

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>
 
Because they wanted to, that\'s why.

Its just a hobby for Pete's sake, a way of relaxing from the usual grind. Do it your own way! What is it about sailing and horse-riding, that so brings out the anal-retentive in people?


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Re: Because they wanted to, that\'s why.

Don't get me started on horse riding!

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.
 
Re: What\'s the perfect wind for an AWB?

They were probably all "trying" to keep up with you /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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Re: What\'s the perfect wind for an AWB?

Mine doesn't get much more average.

Saturday - came back from Newtown Creek wind on starboard qtr, turned left up Soton Water, beam reach and at times close hauled (kept veering and backing) - VTS reporting F6. 1 reef in the main, postage stamp for a genoa - no problem - quite nicely balanced with a bit of weather helm in the gusts.

Even SWMBO enjoyed it.

Magic

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://practical-business.co.uk>Click for website!</A>
 
Re: What\'s the perfect wind for an AWB?

A F4 especially on the beam makes for excellent sailing a F% even better. But a F5 on the nose and the AWB isn't the happiest of boats.

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Re: What\'s the perfect wind for an AWB?

Personally if I can sail I do. I fitted both my engines and when running I am paranoid about every change of note, constantly checking over the side for exhaust water etc.

Presently my props are wrong for the engines and cruising I only manage about 4.5 kts when calm, dropping to 4 or less if pushing into wind. This is probably a good thing as it means I know we sail much faster than motoring in most breezes.

Last month when I was motoring with the breeze behind the port engine conked by St Tudwalls, I was motoring because the windy was showing 0kts and all the flags were drooping, well they would be, we had 4-5kts of wind. The port fuel pick up is set higher in the shared tank which I had allowed to empty (my fault). We stopped both engines and found the breeze. Goose-winged we managed a respectable 3-3.5 kts all the way back to Pwllheli, much more relaxed with silence.

It is worth crazy ivan (red october) to check for wind as I was convinced it was still. I hate the engines, but, I will use them rather than be stuck like a sitting duck 2 miles from an anchorage.

Another problem though, if I was sailing with Fly Fly there is no way we could keep up, so we would either depart earlier, wave goodbye at the start and see you when we get there, or, motorsail so we can arrive at the same time in order to enjoy the point of the occasion, cruising in company. John has a quick boat, we don't all have that privilege.

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

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