Electric Motor?

[InertBert]

The old ships that were "engineless" pulled in and out of port with the assistance of a steam launch or tug.  They had an engine... it just happened to be in a different boat that was on hire from the port.  The Pardeys are a step or two beyond.  Maybe I should buck up and just go with oars.  It'll make for a better story next time I'm stuck in a storm.

[capt_nemo]

Bob23,

Engineless. Now that's an interesting concept that I've toyed with for many years, including those early years when Lin and Larry Pardey cruised extensively without an engine.

My interest in manual propulsion for small boats, as primary or alternate means, continues to present day as I have been toying with a few ideas for my Sun Cat.

With a little effort, most of our small trailerable sailboats could be moved in close quarters or dead calm with either rowing oars, single sculling oar, or Yuloh.

However, for various reasons there appear to be very few sailors who are interested in, or inclined to try, potential manual propulsion methods for their boats.

Just food for thought.

capt_nemo

[Jon898]

Don't underestimate the use of manual propulsion!

It seems that we are obsessed in the US with keeping to a schedule and thus insist on (usually overpowered) motors.  It's only in the last 300 or so years that engines were even available, and before that when the wind didn't serve you rowed, sculled, drudged or just waited at anchor for the tide.  A good read on this is Charlie Stock's book "In Shoal Waters" where he describes cruising extensively in an engineless boat predominantly in the strong currents and tides of the english Thames estuary.  That is probably even more relevant to us than the example of the Pardeys, who were more blue-water sailors than coastal.

I wrote in a post on this last year http://cpyoa.geekworkshosting.com/forum/index.php?topic=6805.15 where I commented on the continuing French tradition of sculling quite large boats in challenging waters (30 foot tides and 7-knot currents).

[Bob23]

  Remember about a year or so ago Sean designed and built a sculling oar for his 23? I believe it worked but was ineffective in the tides he sailed in. Connecticut, me thinks. In the tides we have here in Barnegat Bay, NJ, I don't think oars of any type would move the boat into a 2 or 3 knot current. Add a headwind and no way it would work.
  But when I had my old Seapearl  21, before I got my outboard, I did just fine with 9 1/2' fir oars. But then, I like to row!
  We've all had occurances where our motors failed and we had to resort to sailing back. I have and I seemed to have survived just fine. If your'e one of those guys who haven't experienced the above, just wait: you will.
Bob23

[brackish]

  Remember about a year or so ago Sean designed and built a sculling oar for his 23? I believe it worked but was ineffective in the tides he sailed in. Connecticut, me thinks. In the tides we have here in Barnegat Bay, NJ, I don't think oars of any type would move the boat into a 2 or 3 knot current. Add a headwind and no way it would work.
  But when I had my old Seapearl  21, before I got my outboard, I did just fine with 9 1/2' fir oars. But then, I like to row!
  We've all had occurances where our motors failed and we had to resort to sailing back. I have and I seemed to have survived just fine. If your'e one of those guys who haven't experienced the above, just wait: you will.
Bob23

It was Curtis V the thread is here:  http://cpyoa.geekworkshosting.com/forum/index.php?topic=6705.0  Not sure it worked all that well.

When I first got my Columbia 8.7 the inboard motor was somewhat unreliable and for the first six months I owned her I returned to dock under sail more often than not.  Got fairly good at it but there was adequate room to tack in the harbor and between the finger piers  Additionally my slip was fairly wide giving me some wiggle room tacking in there, flagging the sails and catching lines.  Going motorless with my 23 would be much more difficult.  The finger in is only about fifty feet wide, usually with wind on the nose and one side is the fuel dock and often there is a boat refueling there.   The slip is often shared and when it is and it happens to be a pontoon boat there is only about a foot on each side of the boat to bring it in.  And I single hand as often as not.  Don't plan to go motorless unless the spectators are willing to pay for the comedy act.

[Craig]

The romance of sailing engineless is a wonderful thing! I mean c'mon my heros, the Pardeys sailed around the world engineless! Unfortunately, the world most of live in has that parameter called "time available"driven by things called commitments (jobs, family, home maintainence,etc,etc). With limited time available we don't have the luxury of heaving to and waiting an hour or more for the tide to turn favorable (if the wind isn't) so that we can row/scull our way to our dock or mooring. Don't even mention guests who may be less enthusiastic about the romance of sail! Then too there is the issue of safety or a real emergency and many marinas prohibit sailing to a slip or dock. Therefore, pragmatist that I am I will cherish my reliable engine and hence maximize my enjoyment of the time I have to be on the water. All that being said some of my most satisfying sailing moments have been sailing into a slip or dock singlehanded, gliding up to the dock, stepping off the boat and tying up with about the same effort needed to park my car in the driveway! Try it if you have the opportunity!