VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: [1], 2, 3, 4 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 22:26:17 02/02/09 Mon
Author: Bill
Subject: Re: Engineless Sailing Motto
In reply to: robert 's message, "Re: Engineless Sailing Motto" on 12:12:24 02/01/09 Sun

Robert,

It is interesting that you mentioned schedule and being able to sail more often because you have an engine. What you probably meant is that you get to go boating more often.

My first year of sailing without an engine I probably rowed home from day sails (because I botched the wind or current) maybe 10 times. Now I went sailing probably four or five days a week. In light wind, strong wind you name it. The next year I rowed home half as often. And now I almost never row home. Two things have happened. First I have actually had to learn to sail. And second, with each oar stroke (did I mention I hate rowing) I thought of ways to make my boat a better sailor.

Your engine removes this relationship with sailing, your boat and the environment. I don't think I would ever have really appreciated currents, or wind shifts or weather or wind cycles if my shoulders and back weren't on the line. Way to easy to just fire up the engine. I know rowing home in the cold I would have started it up. Because its safer? Hell no! Because I would get complacent and lazy.

All to often I hear other boaters say "I could easily sail up to the mooring, I just choose to use the engine". Well my experience is this. Just about every time I start to get cocky and show off just how masterful I can come up to the mooring, grab my pendant and drop the sails. Something just a little different happens and I learn something new to go with some humility.

That's sailing. The engine doesn't allow you to sail more often it takes your sailing away.

When I hear people talk about why sailboats should have engines I always wonder why they don't just get a proper motorboat. I can hardly think of a more uncomfortable experience than a loud, slow, stinky boat that has no room below with a cramped engine compartment. I put up with the space limits in my sailboat for one reason. I really love to sail. I don't mean go out in a sailboat. I mean sail.

As often happens, you brought up currents an how if I can't row at 5 kts then there are conditions that I should stay ashore. Well that is a very time honored seamanship piece of advise. But hull speed is hull speed. You would need a pretty big sailboat with a good size engine to be "safe" in that condition. And then what you have done is set up a system with a single point failure. You loose any part of your engine and your boat and crew are in danger.

I don't think it is reasonable to put someone else at risk in the pursuit of a hobby or pastime. When I hear these sailboats calling for a rescue I am shocked.

In my mind, in the San Juan Islands, the engines in sailboats allow too many people to take boats out without the proper sailing skill needed in the event the engine dies. Which is not uncommon as shown in my original post.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT-8
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.