Does anyone sail now or have sailed before without a motor

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Estrellita,

In your shoes, it is not that overnight that would bother me, it would be the entry at the other end. Where you have swirly water, you have to watch your being set, like a hungry hawk. Have your anchor ready to go. With only a kayak, your ability to carry out another hook to kedge yourself off will be limited. You might consider borrowing or buying a fortress anchor (or an old Danforth HT) for just the purpose of rescuing yourself.

Plan the shortest route to your destination port, and more wind is better than less. Your boat probably displaces quite a lot, and will be more nimble if she has a breeze to play in. You're likely to find that your best tacking will be done with staysail and main, in 20+ knots.

We have no idea of the condition of your sails. Test them before leaving. Try and drive a sharpened #2 pencil through the fabric. If it goes through, don't go with those sails. It's a little early to head south, anyway. The better the sails, the better off you'll be in short tacking conditions.

At any rate, if you fill in your avatar with more details about your boat, and her design, folks will be able to help you better.

Ann

[Estrellita]

Thanks Ann,
I just filled out my profile. I still haven't been able to post a picture tho? I have 2 extra Danforths, extra chain and extra 100 ft anchor line. I agree with you. The end of the passage will be the hardest, but as long as I write down the tides. I just wait out in the ocean maybe heave to if I have to wait for the in going tide. I think it's all about that in going tide.
I also agree with its too early to head south but I feel like Fernandina is a better spot than where I am now and I have more resources and help there than I do in Charleston. I have. More of a chance Of getting the motor fixed too. I've been thru that inlet before so I already have that going for me.
Thank you

[SecondBase]

Originally Posted by Estrellita

Ben

It's a new boat, lucky number 7. I'm working on the boat as I sail it down the coast. This is the maiden voyage.

It's a yawl rig with a mizzen maast. I have a self tending jib but I'm hanging the front sail on for this first passage.

No mizzen for this first passage either. I'm planning on fixing the mizzen at my next port (Fernandina) I have a smaller main sail on with a storm jib and Genoa each front sail has its own tracks. That's all I have going on at the moment, work in progress. It's a custom 41 steel blue water boat. Made for heavy weather

Fernandina is a (my words) Class A inlet. You'll do well there. All FL inlets - let another boat go first as a test run. And beware the hard to see standing wave which may be facing away from you. Binos are your friend. If too bad to go in some contentions you can shelter in the lee of the breakwater while you wait.

Fair winds and a Weather eye.

[Alberg30Shill]

I can't recommend this guy's video enough. Nice chap, I met him when he was anchored opposite my slip in Baltimore last summer. https://youtu.be/QqUG6Fpdfps

[Snowpetrel]

Wind is your friend when you have no engine. Light airs can be dangerous in tidal conditions. Have an anchor ready at all tines near shore with a very long warp for deep water.

Does the boat tack and gybe reliably shorthanded in all condition with all resonable sail combinations? Find her limitations in a safe area first.

Anchor offshore and row in first to scout it out, rather than sail into a tight space you don't know.

[anacapaisland42]

We've sailed thousands of miles with a very unreliable motor. Now I have an outboard on the back. Also previously we rafted our inflatable with a 9.9 Yamaha alongside and that worked just fine.
Getting in/out of harbour is a big issue.
I feel that having a motor is a safety issue not a luxury
Bill

Originally Posted by Estrellita

I was wondering if anyone out there has much experience sailing without a motor, beside a little one that wouldn't have a motor in the first place? Thoughts, experiences, lessons learned. Anything you might think would be useful.
I've had times when my motor failed during an ocean passage and a few times going down a river, but I've never truly sailed without one. I just got a new 41 foot sailboat and having some motor problems and am getting ready to just sail off and deal with the motor another day when ever I get to my destination.
I understand checking weather and wind direction. Also making sure I have a incoming tide when I get to the inlet I need to enter. I know how to heave to. I haven't done it in this boat but I'll figure it out once I'm out in the ocean. I know I need to know this boat which is new and I think a great way is to just take it out in the ocean where it belongs. My destination is the keys. I think it would be great not to rely on a motor.

[taxwizz]

Read Sir Francis Chichester's books.
He sailed around the world without a motor.

[foufou]

Alexandra, you must be very strong to scull against 15 knot wind. What speed do you make? Sculling a 15 ton boat years ago we only made 1/2 k knot against no wind

[hamburking]

I don't know if this counts, but I used to sail and race a Kirby 23 with no motor. Sometimes it took us a long time to get to the race course, or to get home after. During races we didn't miss it at all. The only time it was a concern, was the few times the wind was very light. Then we would beg a tow from a bigger boat. We kept a 6 pack of beer in a deep locker to pay for the tow. The same drunk sailor would always come check on us when there was no wind, eager to get our warm beer into his icebox.

Later, I had outboard engine trouble on my C&C25. I took it in to a repair shop, but being high season there was quite a wait. With such a short sailing season, I wasn't going to miss any sailing because of the engine. Besides, for the previous weeks, the outboard had been pretty much useless anyway. It felt wonderful and free to sail with no engine. The transom was clean and light. No gasoline. No fussing with the outboard. No exhaust fumes. No noise. To depart my marina, I would swivel around the end of my finger dock so I was facing out, then give a mighty push. Once aboard I would unroll the jib and tack out of the harbour. My home marina at the time was Portsmouth Olympic Harbour. My dock was near the entrance. As home to CORK, there are often dozens of small boats sailing into and out of the harbour, so it did not seem out of place. And I enjoyed the right of way over the powered vessels.

I really enjoyed sailing with no engine. Made me feel like a real sailor. My only concern was running out of wind, and getting stuck someplace...but this is Kingston...its windy here every day. Even with an engine, I prefer to sail onto and off of anchorages. With my bigger boats, I used the engine in the marina, for safety, but was prepared and would have liked to sail on and off.

A big part of sailing on and off is having a good dock. Good with respect to the wind direction and lee.

As for the actual sailing...not a problem. The only issue is if you have time commitments.

I recommend taking off the training wheels, save your money, and sail with no engine.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Estrellita

Thanks Ann,
I just filled out my profile. I still haven't been able to post a picture tho? I have 2 extra Danforths, extra chain and extra 100 ft anchor line. I agree with you. The end of the passage will be the hardest, but as long as I write down the tides. I just wait out in the ocean maybe heave to if I have to wait for the in going tide. I think it's all about that in going tide.
I also agree with its too early to head south but I feel like Fernandina is a better spot than where I am now and I have more resources and help there than I do in Charleston. I have. More of a chance Of getting the motor fixed too. I've been thru that inlet before so I already have that going for me.
Thank you

Photos do help.
I will send you a PM with my tips for posting photos here on CF so you can
show us your new to you boat.
Good luck. Bon Voyage.

[jmschmidt]

Interesting, nobody mentioned the ready anchor. I sailed my Newport 41 in and out of the slip for six months while the engine was in pieces in my garage undergoing the world's slowest overhaul. My slip was up-wind in normal trades which are 90% of the time. Coming in with the occasional strong tailwind I had instructed my crew on the stern anchor to drop in the middle of the yacht basin when the boat was lined up with the slip. My plan was to have the anchor line on a winch and just ease it off and lower the boat into the slip. By that time a crowd had gather on the dock hoping to see me crash and burn. Just then the wind went dead calm. “Hold the anchor” I yelled. We ghosted into the slip and came to a stop six inches from the pier. Jaws dropped and people muttered “How in hell did he do that.” I just smiled knowing full well that I probably couldn’t do that again in a thousand years but the stern anchor at the ready and my competent crew gave me the confidence to try.

My advice: When without a reliable engine have ready anchors, bow and stern, and crew that can deploy them when maneuvering in all close quarters conditions. Sneak up on mooring balls. Use the mainsail as a break.

[roland stockham]

Hi, Interesting post. I sailed engineless in a 26ft for a few years and dont se why it shold not be doable in a bigger boat. Thr issues I would say you need to think about are;
1 Modern harbours and especially marinas are set up on the assumption that you have a motor, in some cases they are closed to enginless boats. You need to plan on being much more independent
2 Everything takes longer. I had time when it took several hours to beat a few miles into a river to anchor or had to anchor and wait for a tide change.
3 You will probably need a small genset for battery charging
4 In terms of reading take a look at accounts from workboats in the days of sail, how did they do it?
5 If feasible set up something that enables you to move the boat at about 1-2kn, a trolling motor may be quite sufficient.
6 Make sure you ground tackle is good. The scariest moment I had was being becalmed a couple of miles off a rocky headland with a strong tidal set towards the rocks and deep water. You need to be able to set (and retrieve!) an anchor in 20-30m

Have fun and it will make you a better seaman!

[Steadman Uhlich]

A few tips:

1. Get Towing insurance before you make the trip.

2. When approaching an inlet, call your towing company via VHF, and ask about local conditions at your chosen inlet.

[zeehag]

i learned to sail engineless in an estuarial situation from age 7. it is not difficult but you must mind your currents and winds carefully.
have fun!

[Estrellita]

Here is a pic from a few months ago when I finished painting. It's looks nice but I still have so much more work to do