What speed makes you fire up your motor?

[john6206]

Of course there are a lot of variables, out daysailing I’m likely to keep the motor out of the water even if I’m completely becalmed, if I am trying to make it to a particular port, I’m likely to do the math about “how late will I arrive at my current snail’s pace” and make decisions based on that.

with an previous boat, I had a “dragonfly / butterfly” rule. If a dragonfly passed me I was still ok with my sailing, if a butterfly passed me it was time to start the motor.

what about you? At what speed to you fire up the loud and stinky?

 

[WayneH]

On my previous AMF Sunbird, I had a trolling motor for an auxiliary. So the question was "If I start the motor now, will the battery last to the ramp? But usually, at 1 knot, the Admiral would "suggest" starting the motor.

 

[shemandr]

I think sailing is a kinetic activity. It is the movement that I enjoy. If no movement - no joy. I would say under a knot. But it's variable based on the likely length of the becalming, the intensity of the Sun, planned activities for the day, the time to 5 o'clock and of course The Admiral. But sitting out there roasting in the Sun with the sails slatting is not fun. Anchoring and swimming is an option too.

 

[David in Sandusky]

While cruising to another port we like to maintain 4 knots. We will fire up the engine on persistent speeds between 2 and 4 knots. Day sailing it’s around 2 knots unless we can see wind coming across the water. Our Asymetric Spinnaker keeps us moving even in light winds, decreasing engine time by about 20%.

 

[Joe]

I turn it on if I can't rely on the wind to get me out of trouble. It's never about the boatspeed. It's about time or security. The less wind the greater the challenge.... but I don't normally sail with a timetable guiding me. Making a drawbridge would be an exception, or negotiating a crowded harbor entrance with a dying breeze. I guess... it depends. heh, heh.

 

[Kings Gambit]

If the boat is making less than 3 kt SOG toward destination if heading to one, then using the auxiliary is a consideration. It gets a bit more complicated when evaluating the velocity made good (VGM). For example you might be averaging 3 kt SOG tacking toward an up-wind destination but your VMG would be less than that, etc.

 

[shemandr]

I'll add to my post that if sailing in LI Sound upwind against the current you might not be going anywhere. So, I would likely fire up the auxiliary and point the bow at the destination even at 4 knots STW.

 

[john6206]

I'll add to my post that if sailing in LI Sound upwind against the current you might not be going anywhere. So, I would likely fire up the auxiliary and point the bow at the destination even at 4 knots STW.

I‘ve never sailed anywhere with salt of tides, and only rarely with currents of any kind.

 

[john6206]

If the boat is making less than 3 kt SOG toward destination if heading to one, then using the auxiliary is a consideration. It gets a bit more complicated when evaluating the velocity made good (VGM). For example you might be averaging 3 kt SOG tacking toward an up-wind destination but your VMG would be less than that, etc.

Yes, I’ve fired up the motor because of wind direction.

 

[john6206]

When I had my Hunter 170 I used to avoid packing the motor if possible.

on the Great Lakes, or venturing far from shore, I considered it a safety feature, but on a lake measured In acres it was a heavy, smelly inconvenience.

Honestly it wasn’t a boat built for the Great Lakes or being far from shore, but it motored better than most sailboats.

(Note so you don’t all scold my stupidity, “far from shore” is relative. I wasn’t crossing Lake Michigan in my 400lb daysailer. Crossing a large bay was the grand adventure on that boat).

 

[LloydB]

Motor due to time, wind or weather and to avoid congestion such as when coming to the ramp otherwise it's a sailboat that's what it's meant to do.

 

[WayneH]

Short story: We were on Lake Texoma one summer and doing the bake and bob. I put on a life jacket and tied a line from the bow to my waist. And for a little while, we made progress and I wasn't sweating.

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

I use 6 knots as planning speed. Our flat water sailing speed is 0-10 knots depending in conditions, and we cruise under power at 6.5-7.5. We sail as slow as 4 knots but usually turn on the engine below that, which is around what I consider the "speed floor". It‘s always a moving scale based on weather, time of day, distance to destination, etc.

 

[capta]

That question was completely dependent on the circumstances. As a charter boat with a schedule to keep, the engine went on when needed. Most of the time we would sail to anchor, but it was completely lost on most on our customers, except for the inconvenience of moving about the cockpit while tacking.
On the other hand, we sailed some 2000k nautical miles around the Windwards and Leewards (no ocean sailing) one year. We were not chartering that year. We used the engine less than 20 hours, to enter harbors which were imprudent to do so under sail. We sailed every island's lee, taking advantage of even the lightest puff, no matter how much sail handling it took. We even slid into North Sound in Antigua under sail, probably one of the most fun days sailing we ever had in the E. Caribbean.

 

[Kings Gambit]

The basic stimulation to go to power is the wish or need to arrive at destination before dark especially if intending to anchor upon arrival. A wish to arrive to an anchorage early might also be to avoid attempting to anchor in a crowded anchorage, etc. Depart early; arrive early.

 

[patbratton]

A motor is required by the marina to move in and out of the harbor. It makes for sloppy sailing as I leave in on to keep pointed into the wind to raise and lower sails. I am trying to break the habit. Lake Lanier has 700 miles of shoreline and there is no current. I have spent some of my best times with no wind just floating and firing up the grill. I have a Mercury Sail Pro Propane outboard.