No Engine Sailing .. thoughts ..

[tager]

Yea, sell the A4, and then go sink your anchor in a couple nice gunkholes for those satisfying bubbles.

[celenoglu]

but I am not living with another Atomic 4 engine, no way. Those aren't engines, they are diseases. I hate the ... things. Had three cruising boats with the AT4, big pain in the ass..

This means that you tried to use engines even they are not working. Although it is possible to use a sailing boat without an engine, you should be used to do so.

[Dirtboy]

I've had both: with and without.

Lived in Finland in the 50's and had a sweet little 24 footer with no engine. Had her for three years and sailed her just about every day in the summer (ice boating in the winter!) We kept her on a mooring right out back of the house. Sailing in the Baltic was easy with no engine and I don't ever recall wishing I had one.

Fast forward 50 years and I'm sailing in Florida now. It's 6 miles and two fixed bridges up the ICW to Gulf access. There is one very narrow section, about half mile long and 100 yards wide and very shallow on either side. I don't like to use the engine but I always warm it up before leaving the dock (diesel's should be warmed before use) and if the wind's on the nose I'm not too proud to motor up the ICW to open water.

I think the local conditions should fingure in to your decision.

As a semi-retired service manager I can tell you (and I have no experience with the A4) timely preventative maintenance would have forewarned or prevented many major problems we've dealt with.

DB

[tommays]

On long Island Sound you will have a motor OR a really good anchor and not have the need to get home on sunday night



I am fixing the freshwater cooled A4 in this CAL 29 BUT a 4HP outboard got it home if it turns into to big a deal i can get the Beta for 6K


And the A4 would sill be fine BUT the PO got lazy changing the water pump which happens on diesels all the time and just happened on a two year old Beta in my friends boat this summer

[deniseO30]

Tommays! I love that motor mount!!!!

[nolatom]

You all are ruining my mostly pleasant memories of the Atomic and Utility Fours.

These memories go back a while, when gas was more common than diesel, even in the fiberglass hulls. In the average 30-footer (think Cheoy Lee, Morgan, Islander, Seafarer) they were way too much power (idle, 900 rpm, hull speed, 1400) and ran way cold on raw New England salt water. I did some deliveries then, so the engines were mostly new, and worked okay. They instilled in me the practice of *always* sniffing the bilge before lighting off anything electrical, and closing up everything while refueling.

Now I teach sailing in the OPBC, on sport boats with 4-horse outboard, occasionally we'll have one of those "Motor?? We don't need no stinkin' Motor!!" moments, and will sail down the narrow, shadowy canal and into the slip under sail. But for most close-quarters harbor work, and flat-ass calms (lessons run on a schedule), and just-in-case, I'm happy to have the semi-reliable outboard on hand.

I admire those who are true "purists". But I've also given them a tow in a few times too.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by wind_magic

I just can't let all of this go by without poking a stick at it.

YA ..I read His book...

For me it boils down to the risk of liability of my actions...there are just too many expensive things to bump into out there anymore....I doubt he has insurance nor any tangible wealth to loose if he did ding the wrong guys boat so his way works for him...I would not touch it with a 10' pole.

To each his own.

He is right about one thing..you do have to be in tune with your boat and your surrounding to go engine less...rather that makes you a better sailor or an eccentric is the argument...as most of us when pushed can put our boats where we want them to go....just not when....niether can he.

It has its place no question..but so does an engine in our busy marina's and harbors now-a-days...with others afloat that will not respect you decision to go engine-less causing them to take evasive actions to avoid you.

You choose your path and your liability risk levels and go from there with your choices...its a personal thing for every one of us....I would rather have the A4 headache myself...

Rip it out and hang on an outboard...

[wind_magic]

Great post and observations Stillraining.

[tommays]

Well

I have boated and kept boats pretty much everwere on Long Island

Way back in 1981 me and my race dingy had a water front apartment on the patchogue river and lived motor free

When i went to a 18' boat to please the wife in the same place NO motor sort of did not work out that well as the patchogue river is kind of narrow

When we moved the 18' boat to South Jamesport you sort of took and ass kicking trying to get home some days without a motor.

Which was a good thing becasue i bought my first J24 and did not get anymore ass kickings

Then we moved the J24 out to greenport/orient point and while the motor was rarely needed there were times you would have had to have packed a lot of food and water as sometimes the wind did not blow for 3 days

And now i am in Northport even when the winds blowing you better be ready to sail for 3 hours just to make Long Issland sound when the currents is in full flood and the wind is west

[sarafinadh]

Wish I could remember where I read about a young solo sailor with no engine who was wrecked on the coast of Nova Scotia in a storm because He couldn't back off the reef. He was really, in hindsight, wishing he had had an engine.

We can NOT get in and out of our marina with out an engine, and I don't think our dock neighbours would look kindly on us trying to sail out, no matter how good we were (which we aren't).

I would hate to be limited by no engine as to where I could and couldn't go... and I would really hate to wish I had an engine after the fact...

maybe no engine is ok in some places, but I would say that in most cases, just as you don't NEED radar, Radio or GPS to sail... most folks think it a good idea to carry them in case.

You only have to use the engine when you want to.

Himself has a wonderful memory of a honeymoon with one of his starter wives back in the day when he was perfecting his abilities as ballast and scotch containment. The 44 Bene they chartered for 2 weeks in the BVI was skippered by an amazing Swede who never turned the engine on. Sailed into and out of every port with out motor assist. That guy seemed god like. Something to aspire to, but still, we have an engine, even if it's a little 6hp Johnston Sailmaster...