I recall seeing a survey article in the past year about Pacific crossings from the west coast of North and Central America. As I recall, the average cruiser used his engine about 50 hours during the passage.
I sailed from Tahiti to Hawaii without an engine, but only because it wasn't working, and it took 30 days. We could have done it in considerably less time if we had had an engine to help us through the doldrums; one day we made 20 miles, and not much more on several other days. Further, when we got to the Ala Wai (sp?) Marina at Oahu, we didn't want to try sailing in, and couldn't raise a commercial tow service on the radio, so asked the Coast Guard for a tow, which was more than somewhat embarassing.
Sure you can cruise without an engine, but it is a heck of a lot safer and more convenient to have one. Picking up or leaving a mooring in a crowded anchorage takes more skill than I claim after 45 plus years of sailing. I have been through a number of inlets I wouldn't have chanced under sail, but I do admire those who did it and survived.
Mort[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I sailed from Tahiti to Hawaii without an engine, but only because it wasn't working, and it took 30 days. We could have done it in considerably less time if we had had an engine to help us through the doldrums; one day we made 20 miles, and not much more on several other days. Further, when we got to the Ala Wai (sp?) Marina at Oahu, we didn't want to try sailing in, and couldn't raise a commercial tow service on the radio, so asked the Coast Guard for a tow, which was more than somewhat embarassing.
Sure you can cruise without an engine, but it is a heck of a lot safer and more convenient to have one. Picking up or leaving a mooring in a crowded anchorage takes more skill than I claim after 45 plus years of sailing. I have been through a number of inlets I wouldn't have chanced under sail, but I do admire those who did it and survived.
Mort[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]