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

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

In my early boating years, my depth sounder was one of those " flasher" units, it would give you an "approximation" of the water depth, so I rarely used it. A digital sounder didn't come later, until I had found some more $$$.

I depended on charts as it was my only option. Yah, seriously

Without a depth sounder, navigating the ICW and other shallow areas, I never knew what the water depth was...it could have been 6" or 6'.....but as I didn't know, I also didn't much worry about it. This resulted in numerous groundings, but I became quite proficient at getting of...most of the time. I kept a lead line on the boat, which saw quite a bit of use.

When I finally installed a digital sounder, I couldn't keep my eyes off the damned thing. I started to get real nervous, when the readings went less than 6' under the keel. That $%!$%!$% digital sounder added years to my life.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

I still have the ancient flasher and it works fine! As an added bonus, I can see schools of fish along the way! Hardly ever use it though.

[MicHughV]

Interestingly, I have a "portable" flasher unit. It is powered by two big 6v batteries. I have on occasion used it on my dink. The sounder unit attaches to the stern with a big suction cup. Back in the old days, If I was dubious about getting in somewhere tight, I would rig this on the dink and set forth. I didn't find the readings to be too reliable though and finally, like you, gave up on using it, using instead a long pvc pole I had marked off with electrical tape in 12" increments.

[Cadence]

A question for those saying it can be done using a 6HP OB to maneuver a boat of that size in a marina. Yes it probably could, with ideal conditions, but would it be smart?

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Cadence

A question for those saying it can be done using a 6HP OB to maneuver a boat of that size in a marina. Yes it probably could, with ideal conditions, but would it be smart?

Since when was messing about on boats smart to begin with?

One presumes that most marinas will have limited currents and be moderately protected from winds.

[MicHughV]

Don Street of Iolaire fame used to move his 48' yawl with a seagull engine..around 4 hp, I think...did so for years....

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Since when was messing about on boats smart to begin with?

One presumes that most marinas will have limited currents and be moderately protected from winds.

That would be quite an assumption.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Cadence

A question for those saying it can be done using a 6HP OB to maneuver a boat of that size in a marina. Yes it probably could, with ideal conditions, but would it be smart?

Depends on the circumstances.


As I posted way upthread, it will work fine if you can choose your weather. Really it will. So you have to plan your navigation in such a way that you can choose your weather whenever you need to motor.


If there is the time, the money, the parts, and the facilities to fix the motor then it would be wiser to fix the motor. Some people sail on a budget or face genuine schedule constraints e.g. visa durations or weather/season windows. Or they may wish to reach a destination where mechanics are more trustworthy or rates are lower, or defer maintenance to an upcoming broader refit or the sale of the boat. I don't judge.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Cadence

A question for those saying it can be done using a 6HP OB to maneuver a boat of that size in a marina. Yes it probably could, with ideal conditions, but would it be smart?

IF it had to be done, it is best to be able to steer with the engine, not the rudder. If you can rig it that way, it is at least doable with 6hp in calm conditions. I might consider a sweep oar on the stern to kick the stern around when needed in a jam.

[Oeanda]

Originally Posted by Cadence

A question for those saying it can be done using a 6HP OB to maneuver a boat of that size in a marina. Yes it probably could, with ideal conditions, but would it be smart?

Done it lots with a 9.9 and with no issues. Sometimes when we had engine problems. Moved the boat just fine in decent weather conditions.

Another common reason for it is that the tidal grid here is a little ways away from the docks. When people want to put their boats up on the grid w/o running the main engine for whatever reasons, they will move the boat by tying the dinghy alongside and running the OB.
In that situation you get to pick your weather so obviously you’re going to go when it’s not really windy. I’ve never tried to break any speed records, but never had any issues moving or steering, or felt out of control moving the boat this way. There were always two of us though. Easy to come in slow and have one person handle the lines upon arrival. Sometimes I’ve detached and zipped around to give the boat a directional shove when docking. Really it’s always been painless- a non event. We never felt stupider after. YMMV

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Oeanda

Done it lots with a 9.9 and with no issues. Sometimes when we had engine problems. Moved the boat just fine in decent weather conditions...

I think we are all forgetting that it is rare (long narrow channels excepted) that we can't sail where we want to go, even into the slip. On those really light air (calm) days when the 6hp would be most capable are also the days when a breath of wind is all you need to get into the slip under sail.

We actually sail into the marina after racing all the time. With the jib already off, we drop the main at the entrance to the fairway and coast in. If we lose too much speed we can scull with the rudder. If we are too fast we swerve back and forth which quickly slows us. The engine is always ready.

The calmer days are easier than the windy days when the boat gains speed quickly as we turn down wind to gain the slip. The stern spring line must always be ready to set.

When it is just Judy and I we still sail into the marina but we start the engine before "the point of no return".

And just to note, we also sail up the entrance channel, which is pretty narrow and always upwind, tacking slowly with the mainsail.

This habit constitutes "practice" and we stay prepared for those times when the motor fails us (it has).

[captsundancer]

Since it appears you are embarking on an extended voyage. Feel free to contact me and I will help you better prepare, to avoid a disaster as you travel through areas that have NO assistance available if you have a serious problem.

[Noisykate]

We've moved our 42' Moody, 15000kg, just pushing it with the rubber dinghy, fitted with a 6hp outboard. ' (Engine failure; sailed close to the marina, then 'towed' it.) Works ok; choose your weather, as others have said.

Just thought I'd mention: beware stopping! Getting it up to 2-3 knots was easy enough, but stopping was an issue - momentum is relentless. Best to get somebody with a second dinghy to be the 'brakes'.

We were unprepared, and did not expect reversing the dinghy engine to be so utterly ineffectual - left some gel-coat on the pontoon. Heavy old girl, took a LOT of stopping.

[Happ]

Ou may want to go on YouTube and search Atomvoyager. There is a video where he is running a 6hp Tohatsu xtra long shaft (25”) on an Alberg 30. He run as around 5 kts at half throttle. He has retrofitted about 10 boats with his cabin well he builds for the boats.

[YellowBoat]

Just did a bit calculation over the thumb . Your 15600 pound boat will be able to reach about 3.5 knots in flat water and no headwind . Only it will take several minutes to actually reach that speed. Questions like these calso can be calculated quite accurate ( and betetr than my thumb) with : https://vicprop.com/displacement_size_new.php . You just need a it more data for your boat .

[dbraymer]

An outboard can easily move your vessel a reasonable speed.

Your prime safety considerations might well be how low the outboard would be attached to your stern. A single little cresting whitecap might snuff your outboard out.

Maybe you know a good diesel mechanic in Cuba or something, I assume that your plan is rational. In which case, you might consider having two outboards which are identical...

I once bought a vessel with an offending engine. It HAD to be moved within a day from a government auction site facility. You were NOT allowed to work on anything at the government facility. So we just measured the width of the stern, built a giant bracket that crossed the stern, and had an outboard mounting plate, and tied everything down... Of course I was just going accross the harbor, on a nice calm day...