rhys wrote:
On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 00:20:33 GMT, "Falky foo"
wrote:

I think that sailors use power as little as they can, but as little
as they
can turns out to, unfortunately, be quite a bit of the time.

Exactly. You either have that time, or you don't.

Or you make that time because it is a better way of living.

Damn it, I'm channeling Moitessier again.

R.

Sailing is good for those days when the wind is right and you really
have nowhere to go. However, I have found that when cruising, I have
to engine on over 75% of the time. Think about it. Around here (N.
Florida) we have wind over 5 kts about 60% of the time. A sailboat
cannot sail into +-45 degrees of the wind so that is only 75% she can
sail into. Most of us do not have enough time or patience doing long
tacks back and forth to get where we want to go so .6X.75=.45. So, you
will motor 55% of the time. If you count the amount of time the wind
is very light and the boat only goes about 3 kts under sail alone but
will go over 6 kts under sail and power, that accounts for the other
20%. This does not even count the times you are going down the ICW
because it is actually shorter than going on the outside and you really
cannot sail in the ditch due to its numerous turns and so many
drawbridges sailing is pointless (You really should drop your sails
going under drawbridges). So, in the ICW, I normally use the roller
furling jib only.
All of this argues that a motorsailor is the answer as it can motor and
sorta sail. However, it doesnt sail well enough to really get th
efeeling on those days when the wind is good and you are really going
nowhere. My solution to this problem was to take the old 6.5 hp Yanmar
1GM out of my 28' S2 and replace it with a 13 hp 2GM with 3 bladed prop
for better long term motoring but to keep sailing performance. Even
cruising under continuous power and sail, I burn very little fuel. I
actually considered a 3GM engine but decided it was too heavy and the
2GM was a direct replacement. It might have been better to replace
with a 2GM20 but one was not available.
In conclusion, I think most shorter distance sail cruisers probably
should realize they will motor most of the time and plan for it while
using sail whenever they can.