"Motor kings"--don't we sail any more?

[ccriders]

Don't be too harsh. A lot of going down the ICW is about schedules, marinas and anchorages so I think many people take the question out of the schedule and motor away. I personally would not do that when winds are favorable, but then I don't have to worry about where I'm going to park a large boat when it gets dark and there are no marinas readily available.
Once when heading home, my engine died in the ICW with a nose-on wind, so I put up the main and tacked back and forth 'til I exited the ICW. I was a little nervous about meeting a barge and push boat, especially a double wide. But I didn't and it was good to know that I could make way and keep a schedule tacking is such a tight area.
John

[Capt.aaron]

I work in Government Cut in Miami on a Tug and I see Cruiser's, all day everyday motoring down wind!!! I don't get it. One out of a hundred is sailing down wind!! It drives me nut's because I just want to be out sailing when I'm at work! It is real easy for me to sail those boat's while sitting in the wheel house, what do I know, guess they have fuel to burn and places to be.

[PBzeer]

It's their boat, their trip, their decision. They have their reasons, which are valid to them, and that's the only person they have to be valid to.

It's one thing, to go out for a day, a weekend or even a couple of weeks. It's something else when it's what you do every day.

[Capt.aaron]

Originally Posted by PBzeer

It's their boat, their trip, their decision. They have their reasons, which are valid to them, and that's the only person they have to be valid to.

It's one thing, to go out for a day, a weekend or even a couple of weeks. It's something else when it's what you do every day.

TRUE. I've Deliverd boat's all over the world, and I motor sail as much as I can. Time is money in those situation's. If I have enough fuel, that engine is on.

[hellosailor]

nola, its the ICW. Step away from the coffee and get a grip on yourself! Intoxication is mandatory on the ICW in Florida, so as long as you have to run the engine to cool the drinks, you might as well move the boat with it. And it is way easier to hold your drinks and motor at the same time, than to try fussing with sails whilst holding those same drinks.

Then if you're in a no-wake zone, or manatee waters, or shorthanded because the other crew are down below mixing mai-tai's...You know, lots of good reasons to use the iron genny.

[smallboatlover]

i like to use my motor when sailing a lot. when i didn't have a motor i didn't use it because i didn't have it but now i have it i motor off the mooring put the sails away start cleaing up a bit while motoring in to the mooring. the winds to light and i wanna get some were i just turn on the motor and go.

[Rockter]

Even a little sail up really does save a lot of fuel.
The stuff is like £1.35 a litre here, too (about $2 a litre).

[RealityCheck]

I lived in Palm Beach and Brevard County for more than 30 years and have used the ICW from North of Titusville to the Keys on a number of occasions in a mix of boat types. For the largest part of that time I had a C26 in the Rockledge area in Brevard County. That part of the ICW is also known as the Indian River or Indian River Lagoon and for the most part is one of the few locations along the ICW where it is usually reasonably good sailing, with depths for much larger widths along the Indian River than most of the ICW which is often no more than a narrow ditch where anyone sailing would not be normally advisable due to traffic and and lack of space to do much of anything... basically it would often be just a stupid thing to do as the winds can not get to you through the heavy growth that surrounds much of the ICW when it is a simple ditch. It is often not worth the effort to get sails up for an hour or so only to have to take them down again. When traffic is heavy it is illogical to attempt it in many locatons.... probably most locations within the state of Florida.

Even Lake Worth, in Palm Beach, has spoil areas that are easy to miss in what other wise appears to be deep water and inbetween you have many narrow bridges such as the one near Hobe Sound which at the time I used it was still a swing bridge with a clearance of about 15 feet in the closed position. Not all ICW bridges are of sufficient height to get a sail boat under and at night some remain poorly marked.

Unless you are on a pleasure trip for a few hours or the day, most seasonal traffic is attempting to get some place other than where they are. Often with short crew and very often with one or two people aboard in the under 50 foot group. While sailing may be a nice thing to consider, getting to a place on scheduel is generally the overriding rule.

[smallboatlover]

well gas isn't a issue with a 3hp lol

[ArcherBowman]

Originally Posted by smallboatlover

well gas isn't a issue with a 3hp lol

Well, now. That depends how long you're out. It's five hours from Knoxville to Concord, and I run dry about 15 minutes short of the refueling station.