[redstripesailor]

I just acquired a Pearson Triton that's had the engine removed and the prop aperture glassed over. A friend of mine is going to let me use his mooring in Wood's Hole for the summer. I'm not that familiar with the area but I've heard that the currents there can be dangerous. My friend (a motorboat guy) seems to think I will run into issues sailing around there without an engine. If I play the tides right is getting in and out of there possible without an engine?

 

[redstripesailor]

Well you guys have confirmed my suspicions. I used to drive 30' sprit rigged cat ketches around Maine for Outward Bound. They didn't have an auxiliary, and I never had any trouble if I used proper planning. But I agree that the current will become an issue if I encounter it with any regularity.

I really don't like outboards are engines at all and I've always had more problems with them than with the rest of the boat combined. Do y'all think something like this: torqeedo: Produktbeschreibung will provide enough power for my Triton?

 

[redstripesailor]

The mooring is in Great Harbor.

 

[redstripesailor]

Well I made it in and out of Woods Hole about ten times before I ran into a problem. Went out for a sail on Saturday with my girlfriend and sister. Everything was going great until the wind pooched around 1300. I dropped the hook off Falmouth, had a sandwich and waited for the wind to finish clocking and fill in. I wasn't in a hurry as slack water in WH wasn't until around 1530. I felt the air start to stir around 1430 so I started making my way toward the channel going into WH. Then the wind completely died. I mean force 0 died. I was lined up perfectly for the channel but the current in Vineyard Sound had me and was pulling me SW at about 3 knots. It was no biggie, there was plenty of water around me and I could have just dropped the hook again once clear of the channel. However, my sister had somewhere to be so I got a tow back into great harbor from a nice guy in a Bene. Of course the second I climbed back in the tender to row ashore the wind filled back in at around 10kts. Damn.

Is the lesson here that one needs an engine to sail here? Nah. I think the lesson is to leave one's sister on shore!

I will say that that's the first tow I've ever gotten in 16 years of sailing, several of those professionally with no engine. Somehow I think I'll end up having another one or two before the season's over....