Auxiliary engine or auxiliary sails?

[Michael Doran]

Dredged Channel

Mostly just use the outboard to motor to/from the marina to deep water. The marina is located upriver from Lake Mendota, and a narrow channel has been dredged. A keelboat would ground outside the channel and the channel is not wide enough to maneuver under sail. There have been a few days out on the lake when I used the "Iron Jenny" to get back to the channel and marina during becalmed conditions (no telltale motion at all) and avoid serious baking and sunburn. I like to avoid this however, and the O'Day 25 ghosts along pretty good in very light breeze.

 

[David Dobbins]

Keep all systems working

I use the engine 45min. - 1 hr each time I sail, because a) keep batteries charged and b) to keep the engine (deisel) free from debree, rust, contaminants, etc.

 

[Patrick Booth]

Canyon sailing

Why motor when you have a yacht? Due to the lack of large water we are confined to inland lakes, and sometimes race up a canyon with 60-90 second tacks. Great fun. When we haul to the ocean we get bored and drink too much.......

 

[Larry Long]

Use the correct tool

I learned to sail on an inland lake where there were a lot of purists who even sailed in and out of their slips. I have had to run to the end of the finger pier to fend them off of other boats becauase they were attempting to sail when they should have been motoring.In Panama City I have watched many times as a die-hard sailer tacked a dozen times back and forth across a busy channel to get out of the pass. He may have had the right-of-way, but he sure didn't make any many friends. Five minutes of motoring could have made all of the difference in the world.I estimate that the inboard diesel added about $10K to the original cost of my boat. I would hate to have that kind of investment go unused. I believe in using the right tool for the job. I sail when it is practical and I motor when motoring makes more sense. Like a previous poster, I sometimes motor to keep the 1st Mate happy. It is a small price to pay for all of the other pleasures I get from my sailboat.

 

[Eric M14704]

Pragmatic Putt'g

When wine & cheese cruising probably 60% motor 40%, whatever makes the 1st Mate & guests comfortable.The rest of the time 10% for entering and leaving port or for prudent safety reasons. I vote the person not the party and I use the engine when it makes the most sense. Philosophy is great for college credit and conversation but seamanship calls for pragmatism.

 

[Julio]

Use the iron jenny little as possible!

I typically use my engine for less than 20 minutes, just to get out of the harbor and out the short channel into SF bay. As soon as the sails go up, the engine is shut down.I typically sail back into my slip, requiring only two tacks in the harbor. Of course, if it's a busy day, I use the engine so as not to inconvience others. I feel it is important to keep my skill in close quaters sailing honed for the day when the engine doesn't start...

 

[Herb Parsons]

As little as possible

I have two boats, a Coronado 35 that I just recently purchased and keep in a slip about 9 hours away, and an O'Day 25 locally that I sail 3-4 times a week.The O'Day has a 9.9 outboard, and I use that ONLY when I "have to". I pull start it, and run it to get out of the marina, and start putting up sails as soon as I'm out of the area with slips. We usually sail it back into the slip (I haven't mastered getting out of the slip underway). If we're sailing, we only start the outboard back up if we have to get somewhere to soon to wait on wind, or if manuvering into the marina makes it impossible to go without starting the motor. If we have to start the motor to get into the slip, we go ahead and drop sails and motor in.The Cornado had a 30 HP inboard diesel, and I understand that's a whole different "set of rules," with the need to charge the battery, run fuel through the motor, etc., so I suspect that my motoring habits on that boat will be different. I'm sure that raising and lowering sails on the bigger boat will be more trouble as well. Add to that, the marina it's in does not allow sailing in or out of the marina, motor only. All that said, I regulary say "it's a sailboat, not a motorboat" on my O'Day, so I suspect we'll be sailing as much as possible, and motoring only as needed.

 

[Rich]

Pretending won't make it go away...

It doesn't surprise me that 99% of the people responding to this are ignoring engine maintenance issues; most of us take the same approach to our cars, preferring not to know more until it conks out. That would be a very expensive problem, however, in a boat; if you could afford to replace the engine you may still never love your boat again after the wear and tear a motor replacement will impose.So my point is: don't treat this as a question of character! Practicing maneuvers under sail in close quarters is an admirable skill, but once you've bought a boat with an auxiliary motor you have a responsibility for maintaining your investment. Motors require regular running at minimum rpm's for certain periods of time to hold off problems such as dried gaskets, leakage, corrosion, and deposit buildup. Read your engine manual and work the running of your engine into your routine; you already made your deal with the devil when you bought it, you won't recover your virtue by ignoring it! When you get to know the iron giant a little better you will actually enjoy using it when its turn comes...

 

[Tom]

I hate the noise

Yup we love our Mac,she follos us home from wherever we go,from the Great lakes to the Pacific.We only run the motor to get out marinas or trouble ie lightning oooh scary stuff I added 2 more house batteries to minimize run time& save fuel,although our Honda 50 is a mizer anyway Its no loud but anoying.

 

[Bill]

Motor when it makes sense

Most of my motoring is in out of the marina, If traveling and weather seems to be going the wrong direction of if sailing is going to result in getting me into an unfamiliar place approaching sunset or very low tides, I use the motor with pride. I apply the same philosophy that I used in many years as a professional aviator in my new (going on year 3) sailing adventures (not an orginal quote, but one well worth living by): "A superior pilot (replace with captain) is one who uses his superior knowledge to avoid using his superior skills." By all means hone those skills and become great at learning how to make the boat do what needs to be done, make sure you can handle the boat in emergency conditions to get it where it needs to be, but to purposely put yourself in situations (such as sailing boat in unfamiliar marinas under strong winds or strong tides or in situations which warrant the use of a motor (except when there is no other choice) do not make you one to be admired. Another applicable saying from my flying days: There are old pilots and bold pilots but no old bold pilots.

 

[pelican17816]

The two best sounds

The two best sounds when sailing are when you turn that diesel off....and when the #%@# thing starts back up!Catalina 30

 

[Steve Hunter]

I Huff and I Puff

But the truth is more than I care to admit. I've never docked under sail...I am terrified enough using the engine. I have a healthy respect for a diesel engine given its reliability and durability. As many people here have commented, they need to be run to stay healthy. One of the main reasons I was attracted to a sailboat was the sound of only the wind and the waves. What a great rush from Mother Nature. I started on a power boat...fast but who can honestly say that they enjoy the drone and smell of the engine. Like many peope today, my life is fast enough (well except for rush hour traffic). My first taste of sail power came aboard an incredibly beautifull Cheoy Lee owned by a couple from Canada I encountered in Desolation Sound, British Columbia. They had sailed her up from the Cayman Islands through the Panama Canal. I wanted to burn my power boat down to the waterline.Winds are unpredictable here in the Pacific Northwest. Take a turn around an island and conditions can change in mere seconds. It can be a lot of work on an aging body to have to react to shifting winds or lack thereof. But few things can compare to cruising along at 8 or 9 knots and smelling nothing but the chill of an early autumnal sea. And you can actually here those stereo speakers and the VHF! I don't think that I have ever seen an ugly boat under sail. I hope that I never have to become trawler trash.

 

[Derek Edwards]

Best of Both?

I live and play in Wales, UK where we are "blessed" with very changeable wether, I also work here so time for the boat is limited. So what do you do on a still day with no wind. You drop the prop and go play. I love to sail my mac but if it's a choice of drifting or shifting I know mine, which is why the 26x is so cool. Passing Sulking Yachties at 20knts with the mast up always brings a smile, to my face at least, even if i have to face endless ribbing in the club because my boat isn't a "real" yacht. So "best of both" maybe not , but at least it is both. May the fair winds move you but if not there is always "Mac Power" ;-)

 

[Brian]

IF I WANTED A POWER BOAT................

If i wanted a power boat I would own one.But a sailboat is a sailboat.I recently purchased another sailboat (no.4 at the same time)and sailed it,a 23ft kittywake 7 miles from its anchorage to our sailing club. we didnt even take a motor along for the trip.3 tall bridges and 2 drawbridges between point a to b.At the club we sail off the beach and off the dock and on the beach and on the dock,and yes,most of us do laugh under our breath at mac 26s.I SAIL!

 

[David]

We motor

when we need to get somewhere, back home, to a destination to meet people etc. We motor in and out of our marina and enough to warm the engine to operating temp.Agree its a sailboat but reality also sets in. If the boat were on a mooring and we had NO restrictions on our time then we would probably motor less.David

 

[Joseph Springer]

Every Time We Go Out

We got one of the first MacGregor 19-ft power cruisers with a 40-Horse outboard, traded it for the 26X, but kept the same motor.Prior to that we had a 16-ft day sailor with an electric motor. I sail for the quite, and an having an electric motor kept the quiet in tact. My wife wanted the larger boat and I balked at the loud, smelly motor, but eventually gave in.Now I am so glad I did. Still don't like the noise or the smell. But there have been so many days during the last 3 summers in Nebraska that we could not have sailed at all with the big motor. Too much wind (> 20 knots) a lot of the time.So we motor into the wind, shut off the motor, then boom-sail with the wind to the end of the lake. We still get to be out on the water, listen to each other and mellow music, and have a good time. Often, we have been the only boat on the lake: no sailors, no skiers, no jet skis, and no fishermen either.Now we're saving up to get a 4-stroke motor that will be far quieter and far less smelly (no oil in the gasoline). And maybe 50 horse power. When a thunderstorm kicks up while out in the middle of the lake, it's good to be able to get back to the slips quickly.

 

[Joseph Springer]

Forgot to mention

My wife purchased a transformer for the Mac 26X that attaches to the 12-volt battery, into which we can plug any AC device up to 600 Watts. That includes a CD player, but also a television/VCR, a vacuum cleaner, and even a small microwave -- not all at once, of course.But they do drain the battery, so we have to run the motor in order to recharge it. So, even when it's not too windy, we run the engine for about 15 minutes at the start just to juice up the battery for the rest of the day.

 

[Rick]

No Choice

I also motor when I have to but there are times when you cannot. some friends of mine were in the Bahamas when there engine went away they are very novice sailors I flew down and brought their 38 ft Irwin back from Nasaua to St Petersburg under sail only most of my friends thaught I was nuts to attempt such a venture but my response was always sailors have been moving with wind only for hundreds of years the motor is a recent invention and as sailors we should be able to operate our vessels under all circumstances I own and live aboard a csy 44 fair winds and smooth sailing to all

 

[Bob]

Try to be practical

This will be our last sailing season with out home port at the top of the Chesapeake Bay because 90% of the time we have to motor almost an hour to get to good sailing waters off Turkey Point. Those of you from the north part of the bay know what I mean. Next season we'll be calling Annapolis, MD our "home" because most sailors down there only have to motor (when the wind is up) maybe five minutes and thet're in the bay with lots of sailing room. After all there is a reason it's called a sailboat - right?

 

[Dave Pedersen]

Engineless is best

I have a DS1 and a Lancer 25' When on the Lancer I run the stinkpot (9.9 Johnrude) for maybe 3 min if I have to go against the tide on the way up, or down the bayou. I feel much better and more free in the daysailor with NO motor, or gas onboard, and no numbers on the hull. Sometimes I will bring a large paddle, but thats all the engine the old rhoads has ever had, and it is always fun. If you start the stinkpot every time you encounter a problem it becomes an addiction. You never learn to cope, and one day you might just think why the hell do I need this pole? http://groups.yahoo.com/group/engineless_sailing/