Are outboards a luxury?

[Graham W]

A quote from another forum:
“I never plan my passages assuming that the engine will work. It's a relatively new and reliable one, but anything can happen with engines. My ethos is that engines are a luxury, which can speed the journey up; they aren't a "primary" means of propulsion I can plan on. If they were, then I'd carry some kind of spare - like how almost all motorboats (should) carry a little spare outboard. I believe secondary propulsion should be as effective at getting you to safety as your primary propulsion, so that a primary propulsion failure wouldn't exacerbate any bad situation.”

Discuss.

[jonno]

Yes, a great topic for debate, Graham.  I'm not sure about the second half of the comments – ‘I believe secondary propulsion should be as effective at getting you to safety as your primary propulsion’.  Sailing (primary propulsion) seems a particularly ineffective way of getting anywhere – the wind’s too strong or there isn’t enough of it or, if there is the right amount of it, it’s blowing in the wrong direction.

But I agree outboards are a worryingly risky back-up.  And I’ve been in too many situations where I’ve depended wholly on the outboard.

There are currently other threads open on choice of Swallow Boat and how to stow aboard a BR20.  Not secondary, but tertiary propulsion is relevant to all these threads.  For me, a strong advantage of a small, relatively low windage boat like the BR20 is its handiness under oars.  And, however much a nuisance underfoot, I reckon a decent pair should be stowed.

John

[Julian Merson]

I think outboards, properly maintained, are pretty reliable these days.  The key thing on our sorts of boats is that they can certainly help extend the length of a day's passage, but it's always good to have a plan B. 
A few summers ago, I set off from Southwold Harbour at 0430 in the summer, bound for Blakeney by that evening on the north Norfolk coast, reaching port at around 1930.  Without the outboard, I'd have never made it in the daylight, particularly punching into the tide past Great Yarmouth, but once the tide had turned, and the wind got going, had a brilliant sail round the Norfolk coast until around Cromer, when the outboard was once again used to punch into the tide which once again had turned. 
By the logic from this person's quotation, I should never have made the trip.  I would say - what's life without an element of risk?  Forecast was absolutely fine, the worst that could have happened was a night at anchor off the coast in gentle seas.  Sometimes, life has to be lived!

[Graham W]

John, Julian,

I deliberately didn’t quote the whole of the post from the other forum.  He went on to say that in his opinion, oars were more reliable than outboards and that everyone should carry a pair of suitable length and be ready to use them.  Like Julian, he also thought that if the worst came to the worst, finding somewhere to anchor to sit it out was the best solution.

My experience with outboards has been mixed.  My Suzuki 2.5hp was always playing up and my Mariner 6hp misbehaved on occasion until I discovered Aspen 4.  My Torqeedo suffered from faulty battery connections and would sometimes go dead and display E (for error) numbers.  I’ve got rid of all of them.  Their latest replacement, an eProp Spirit, doesn’t have a huge battery range and lacks the punch of the Mariner, so I don’t feel that I can rely wholly on that either.  On the other hand, I have a pair of magnificent handmade wooden oars of a good length that I rely on and use regularly, with a paddle as backup.

[garethrow]

I guess it rather depends on what sort of saling you plan to do. If your normal patch is freshwater / UK lake based - then a substantial outboard could well be classed as a luxury. For me, sailing alone out of the Teifi Estuary, my outboard is my lifeline fall back - along with a quality handheld digital VHF. Regular professional maintenance and, as Graham says, Aspen type fuel, will help to reduce instances of failure.  I have oars, but they are not effective in a 4 knot tidal flow!

Gareth Rowlands
BR20 Halen Y Mor
ex Gwennol Teifi S17

[Sea Simon]

I appreciate this debate is something of a way to pass a dull evening, but...."Luxury", honestly?

Imho outboards have not been a "luxury" for maybe 50 years or more?
In this part of the world, there are/were a lot of ex War Dept British Seagull motors that freed many a professional seafarer from the drudgery/limitations of human and/or wind power.

When I go boating I don't pack a "hair shirt"!
I do pack an outboard, together with (on this boat) oars and sails. Three means of propulsion.
...and a radio, and a phone, and a plb....just in case....and a tow rope....That way I can get home, if worst comes.

Its a hobby, and besides we're not crossing the Atlantic are we? Its a day out....
Plenty of commercial vessels regularly cross the Pacific with one means of propulsion. One engine.
Plenty of people still operate commercially, and make a living with just an outboard motor, in boats that can't be rowed, or sailed.
Plenty of "classic"  yachts/boats have managed for a 100 years or more, with no oars, nor engine.
Some here in Cornwall still fish commercially under sail alone; I don't think you'd row a Falmouth working boat very far?

Perhaps it's more of a matter of pragmatism and personal choice, depending upon many, many variables?

Row, motor, sail, punt...whatever...relax and enjoy!
Just don't irritate, nor interfere with other people's enjoyment.
Especially mine! ?

Ps sat here in covid quarantine, watching a TOTP from 1990, that i wouldn't have watched thirty years ago.
Nowt on tv, and too cold for the shed!

[PYoung]

I must say, being a novice sailor, the idea of being without an outboard is terrifying! I did my day skipper course recently based out of Hamble marina where spring tides are very strong. The thought of trying to moor a boat in 4-5 knots of cross tide into a cramped marina under sail alone makes blood run cold.

I just hope I never run into outboard troubles when i moor into a fancy marina. Don't fancy the conversation after skewering someones million quid gin palace!

Do people find they have many issues with the reliability of outboards?

[Graham W]

Here’s a thread that suggests ways of managing one of the biggest issues https://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/smf/index.php/topic,1499.0.html.

And another https://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/smf/index.php/topic,1316.0.html

[Ged]

I'm in a bit of a quandary with this one.
Carrying an outboard on my Storm 17, on the very back, where there is no buoyancy to support it, completely ruins the trim of the boat and makes her sail like a pig   
Especially when singlehanded.

So I declared that I was becoming a sail and oar purist and put my motor in the shed where it has stayed.

A Storm 17 rows reasonably well with 10 foot oars (even better with 2 sets) which I have always stored along the centreboard case and up under the foredeck.

My recent capsize and inversion drill has meant that the space under the foredeck where the oars used to go will now be full of 200 litres of buoyancy bag. The longest oars I can get along the floor are 9 foot which will be usable but far from optimal.

So I am thinking that I need to get my motor back out again 

I can't help but feel that there isn't any nobility in motoring.

[Matthew P]

Very interesting discussion on Tally Ho video about the necessity for an engine - or not - with a description of hybrid systems relevant to larger boats but pointing towards the future for smaller ones.

https://youtu.be/xohxmwPfctg

At the other end of the technology spectrum I find a large simple canoe paddle useful for maneuvering in tight spaces.   

Matthew
BR20 Gladys

[Tim Riley]

Purism is ok and it has its place but where safety and a concerned and if you are any distance from that safe haven then you can’t beat having a good solid outboard and a spare gallon of fuel in the locker. Electric has its place but with petrol having something like 100x the fuel density of Lithium batteries electric power is a long way off for me. (Whatever I am sailing!)

[MarkDarley]

Ged,

I have done the same with my Salterns Tela but I use it in less tidal conditions than the Swallow.  In my opinion the Swallow has such good sailing characteristics that I seldom row or use the electric out board, though I will say it comes in very handy when wind and tide are against me as I come home to my mooring up the Dart.

I would say the only time I feel I am really cheating (no nobility) is when I am motor sailing with the electric engine up the river and people I pass exclaim: "wow, that boat goes well to windward!". I nod and smile!

[Graham W]

So, how about this for our smaller boats?  If you encounter (and can’t or don’t want to avoid) sustained tidal currents of greater than 2 knots and/or regularly need to make passages of more than 10 nautical miles, then you may need a moderate-sized petrol outboard.  Simply because, taking into account Tim’s point about fuel density, the current state of battery technology is less likely to be good enough to keep you out of trouble.  Below this, an electric or smaller petrol outboard may be sufficient.  If you don’t encounter currents, don’t make long passages and don’t go out in strong winds, then oars of a decent length may be sufficient and an outboard of any type is just nice to have.

Translate this into some specific examples:
Extensive tidal estuary, tidal narrows and tidal gate sailing, as described by others above:  a petrol outboard of moderate size is needed to blast your way through the big currents that you will regularly encounter.  The same with distance cruising along a tidal coast.  But take oars as well.
Day sailing away from areas with big currents: an electric motor is a suitable back up if you prefer and can afford the peace and quiet that this brings.  Otherwise a small petrol outboard (and a pair of oars) ought to be sufficient.
Messing about on lakes and slow rivers: decent oars should suffice and while it may be nice to have, an outboard is not essential.