Can I move my 38-foot boat with an outboard?

[Stewie12]

Make sure that the shaft on your outboard will get the prop sufficiently under the water whilst still allowing you to put it in gear. If it is successful take out your diesel engine and your boat will sail even better !

[OS2Dude]

Is there a reason you don't want to rebuild/replace your current engine? From what I've seen the BETA diesels look good. (We have a Universal M25). You could even think about going electric.

I would not bet my life and those of any crew/passengers on a blue water voyage with a 6hp outboard as my only emergency propulsion.

[Dave Lochner]

Originally Posted by Bluenoserumlvr

Thanks for the info! I don't see any reason why I can't, but I don't see people doing it. I bought the boat to sail it, not motor.
That's a pretty boat you have there. I considered one of those before I bought my sabre.

Yep, I bought my boat to sail not motor, however, the reality of cruising long distances is that a lot of time is spent motoring especially on the east coast. Some places, like the C&D canal do not allow sailing and much of the ICW is not suitable for sailing.

With a motor under 10 HP the boat will be woefully underpowered in anything but dead calm, current free waters. In any kind of a seaway, the prop will not be deep enough to bite and will often come out of the water.

The Sabre 38 is a great boat and they have sailed long distances and crossed oceans. If you have an old Westerbeke, consider repowering with a Beta. In the long run you will be better off.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Bluenoserumlvr

I have a troubled diesel on my Sabre 38, which covid has kept from me for too long. I will shortly be reunited with it, and want to head south from Florida. It sails well and I only plan to use a motor for marinas. Here's my question: What is stopping me from using an outboard just to move around marinas? I have a 6hp. How fast would that move a 15,600-pound boat. How do you rig an outboard on a big sailboat like that? Am I totally mad to even think about this?

My humble opinion is that 6HP not be enough. Also consider you will need to steer with the outboard since you probably won't have any prop. wash on the rudder. Leaning over the transom for the OB tiller and seeing to maneuver in a marine, pay your insurance premium.
Best wishes.

[Clivevon]

Originally Posted by Bluenoserumlvr

I have a troubled diesel on my Sabre 38, which covid has kept from me for too long. I will shortly be reunited with it, and want to head south from Florida. It sails well and I only plan to use a motor for marinas. Here's my question: What is stopping me from using an outboard just to move around marinas? I have a 6hp. How fast would that move a 15,600-pound boat. How do you rig an outboard on a big sailboat like that? Am I totally mad to even think about this?

I think its a crazy idea. In days long ago all sailboats were engineless BUT in those days there were no such thing as modern marinas & harbours allowed room for manoeuvres under sail.
FWIW IMHO I think that using your outboard or towing with a dinghy is an emergency solution to an unexpected problem. Your situation is neither unexpected nor an emergency.
Using a 6hp outboard on a 38 ft boat when you dont have to means you will be woefully underpowered, with inadequate directional control & stopping ability. How easily will you be able to reach the lever to put the motor into forward or reverse, for example? You may well be endangering your own boat & others around you causing damage & inconvenience to others. Apart from which, outboards can break down too - some maybe more likely than others...
I think many marinas would not welcome or allow such a lashup anyway & might insist towing you in with their workboats as an emergency solution.
I think your solution is to fix your engine.

[Clivevon]

What does your insurance company think about the idea? You DO have insurance...? at least 3rd party?

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by Chotu

People aren’t doing it because it’s easier and more reliable to just fix what you already have (the diesel) than to rig up an outboard.

And safer for other boats and boaters?

I always wonder when I see stuff like “can I do this instead of doing it right?”

[canyonbat]

Looking at the profile of the Sabre 38, the outboard, even the long shaft version, will have to be mounted low on the transom and will have to be tilted backward to get it vertical. This will make for a very long reach from the cockpit. Think about trying to reach way over like that to shift from reverse to forward while maneuvering out of a slip in a bit of a crosswind…..I would fix the engine.

[Oeanda]

Originally Posted by Bluenoserumlvr

Here's my question: What is stopping me from using an outboard just to move around marinas? I have a 6hp. How fast would that move a 15,600-pound boat.

I still think it would be fine for your stated purpose. What people are saying is that at some point you’re likely to end up wishing you had a better motor setup -for situations other than just docking.

[captstu]

I had a 15 hp merc on my 34’ cat for years. Up and down the East coast, dc to Florida.

[Adelie]

6hp should get you right around 5kt.

[JPA Cate]

Bluenosermlvr,

Really, this is much better done with the dinghy cum motor hip tied on the quarter, side that will be outside when you enter the slip. You'll have to find out what side tie up as well as location, and have all your lines ready. Works fine, even with very small dinghies and o/bs.

Mostly, ime, marinas have work boats and they will come tow you in with one. Where we've been, this has been a free service, don't know about your area.

Why not simply repair the mother ship's engine and enjoy your cruise instead of spending all that money to have a mount made for the dinghy o/b?

Boatman 61 mentioned using one with a long shaft: that will work best.

Adelie mentioned a top speed of perhaps 5 kn. Your problem will be stopping the boat once it gets into the slip. The outboard will not have equal thrust in reverse.

On Edit:
I would like to add that this is what we would if we couldln't sail into the slip, and had had a failure under way. Not an emergency in the life threatening category, but not planning it as a modus operendi for every day. There are too many conditions that can suddenly arise to make it too hard for the outboard, and too easy for you to get in way more trouble than you want. Consider and inconvenient wind burst, or an unexpected current and how quickly it can carry one off track. Six hp compared to the 40 or so you may be used to. The laws of physics just don't change because we have something we want to do.

Ann

[CarinaPDX]

As a temporary solution the outboard on your dinghy, lashed to the quarter, will move the boat in calm conditions at a low speed. If the wind picks up the 6hp will be quickly overpowered so great care is needed before committing to this - have the anchor ready to go. Rigging an outboard engine mount and acquiring a long shaft outboard is just a bad solution - it won't do anything the dinghy wouldn't do, will cost more, and risks dunking the motor.

Quite a few cruisers have had to resort to pushing their boats with a dinghy, and a few have mounted an outboard on the boat, so this is nothing new. But you should consider that this is not without risk: the boat will not be nearly as maneuverable, especially if a crew is not available to operate the outboard while the skipper is at the helm. And while a dinghy can eventually get the boat to 5-6 knots it takes time to build momentum, and (a long) time to reverse and slow down.

The only real answer is to fix or replace your engine. If it can be fixed then just get it done - you will be far better off with a functioning auxiliary than with the outboard. Replacing it can be a job, and easily cost $20k or more for a new engine with install, but convenience, safety, and resale value argue for doing it if needed.

BTW one of the reasons I switched from a hard dinghy with a 2hp outboard to a RIB with a 15hp was so that I would have a backup (albeit with a short range) should I need one to get into port. I have pushed a 50ft yacht up a river (IoW) when the tide had stopped the current - at a whopping 1kn and dangerously overloading the motor. Just because it can be done doesn't mean it is a good idea...

Greg

[MultiCountryDon]

Originally Posted by BillKny

I once saw somebody moving a 27 foot sailboat by towing it while swimming.

So CAN you make a Sabre 38 MOVE with a 6hp outboard? Sure.

Is it a realistic option for a long distance cruise? Not so much--unless your sailing chops are such that you don't need an engine at all.

But, honestly, if you were that good a sailor, you probably wouldn't need to ask the question...

Correct!

[Mara Mae]

Originally Posted by MultiCountryDon

Correct!

Comments like that of BillK should not be encouraged.