Yes, FT, when I say "totally useless" you should interpret that as "I recommend it."

The one boat I sailed often that had a transom hung outboard suffered from this problem.
It was a very heavy 26' wooden boat built in the 30's (or earlier) along the lines of a
Stone Horse. On one of my first overnights, I was awakened at 3AM by the owner - our
secure anchorage had turned into a very nasty lee shore - about 50 feet to the rocks. We
started the outboard but it was lifting out on every bounce. We hauled the anchor and
worked off under sail. Two important lessons learned - don't rely on a transom hung
outboard because it might not work when you really want it; but more importantly, the
skills my buddy & I had acquired from years of dinghy sailing are invaluable when you have
only one chance to do a clean tack in the dark!

However, in a more general sense, I would say yes, I do expect a proper engine to be able
to push a boat out of harm's way when needed. There may be better strategies in some
situations, but to imply that an engine can't be expected to take a boat straight into a
chop is a very limited point of view. Some people chose a minimal engine, which is OK, but
its good that you appreciate the limitations inherent in such a setup.

Neal claims that a "proper sailboat" has a transom hung outboard. This may be true, but a
"proper auxiliary sailboat" has an engine that can be relied on to handle the worst
situations.




Flying Tadpole wrote:
I use a transom hung outboard in nasty chop. The hobbyhorsing and
the prop lifting only occurs if one is stupid enough to be
relying on the motor and attempting to drive straight into the
chop. If the motor is being used sanely, as an "iron jib" assist
to some sail area, the boat is actually sailing, at an angle to
the chop, and heeled with the motion damped. Are you recommending
relying on your motor to drive you straight into a nasty chop to
get you off a lee shore?


Jeff Morris wrote:

A transome hung outboard becomes totally useless in a nasty chop.

With the Banana Boat loaded for cuising, she'll start hobby-horsing
if a fly lands on the bow. The propeller on that outboard will lift
out on every bounce, turning a lee shore into a death trap. Neal is
wise not to leave his sheltered waters.

Simple Simon wrote:
Otnbrd is wrong and stupid as usual.
He's a motor boater so what else do you expect?

A real sailboat like mine has the propeller abaft the
rudder and the rudder swings through 360 degrees.

It reverse my yacht is just as steerable as it is in forward
because in reverse the prop wash involves the rudder
directly.

Lady Sailor is stuck with a boat that will be difficult to
steer in reverse and unless she goes with counter-rotating
props there is NOTHING that can be done about it.

S.Simon.


"Thom Stewart" wrote in message
...
Barb,

otn is on the right track. Some vessels are real pigs in reverse. I
have problems when I have the Folding prop because I have to hit
high RPM to get the blades to open.

When I back out of the Slip, I hold the stern in place with the
stern line until I start to make sternway then I throtle back.
Remember You have a neutral gear. Use it to correct sternwalk,
once you get some way. Use reverse in short pulses and correct in
neutral allowing for the next stern walk under power. KEEP RPM
LOW, correct in neutal, curse that cut away stern and prop and
keep trying

Ole Thom