I was hoping to be able to "click" on more than one. Oars, Electric Trolling and Gas Motors are my backups... I chose oars first as I'll never own a boat that can't be rowed, even if poorly so! AllthebestRoy
I've been using a Lehr propane outboard for several years now. Less odor, no fuel going bad, no clogged carburetor. Starts easily and no choke/flooding worries. Too bad they went out of business
I've got 12' sweeps and a e-propulsion charged by solar panels. All together it works great. The quick access to the sweeps also allow me to pull the bow through a bungled tack in an instant.
Oars; I do not hold with the kerfuffle of having to recharge batteries and the expense and light-fingered vulnerability of any electrical gubbins. Pretty much the same applies to (petrol) 'gas' engines though I did start with one until it began overheating.
Taking it to my professional outboardist perhaps half a dozen times, he took it into his care and returned it saying it was now running fine. Each time I tried again and it overheated until I gave it to him in disgust, 'for spares'. Some months later he phoned and said he had found the cause of the problem - the exhaust had rusted out within the shaft; 'Now you tell me!' I declined it, as by then I had learnt to fully appreciate sail and oar. I didn't mention to him what I later worked out - I used to store it on its side in the cockpit locker immediately forward of the O/B well and was never too careful about making sure it had been drained out, and/or run through with fresh water.
'What a sausage, Christopher!'
Anyway, I had another smaller one and used it for some while until it also failed, whereupon I took it to an engineering chum who discovered, without ever resorting to the shear-pin - it had cracked the crankshaft immediately under the flywheel and wasn't worth the spares to repair.
Well bother
For my (one and a quarter ton) pocket gaff cruiser, I have a pair of home-made, jointed oars. Home-made? Well I was working in a naval base in the Middle East and some young trainees had jumped into Drascombe Longboats, often enough to snap the looms of the oars lying on the floor boards. Two good-looking halves for Christopher. Close by at the sailing centre, someone had also bent a Laser mast top-section. Well, I'll have that too. To cut a nine-foot long story short, I measured a while and end up with two top sections with wooden handles plugged into one end and two bottom bladed sections with those silvery pop-headed latches at their loom ends, to click into the handley bits.
They work a treat.
'Tit Willow', for it is she; has small hatches, like a Viking longboat, that the oars can be run through and in still water I can get a couple of knots out of her. More often I scull over the stern, where she has a plate for a rowlock toward each side of the rim of the transom. Less holey, hatchey messing around and moves her comfortably about in a harbour or such.
I also row my everyday backup-boat, see: 'Berth of an Eccentric mini-raid Boat' here on SCA. She slips along very well under oar - due to an enforced limitation on the (waterline) beam. Just as a last thought, there is a rumour that before long you will be enthralled, (well a mere moment's distraction then), to see 'Polly Wee' slipping along under sail and pedal yuloh - 'Pedyuloh', on the Thames river here. I've offered this one as there should be another more explicit version in the Pedyuloh write up, coming in its turn and this gives a feel good factor for those who like pottering down rivers in a heap -
Of course I'm now a retiree of over a dozen years standing and as my Darling Doll went to the arms of the angels not so very long ago, I'm at liberty to indulge my whims; that includes waiting for the wind and tide to assist my puny efforts. This is actually about fishermen, but it applies to sailors too -
My two-stroke, two horsepower Suzuki gets me 16 miles per gallon. Hull speed reached at 1/2 throttle, and the motor weighs about 15 lb. I long for an electric motor, and am encouraged by the improved mileage and power afforded by new batteries, but the practicality of the little gas motor is hard to give up for now.
I'm the odd duck here but *the sails* the auxiliary power source for my boat. They're there as a "get home" option or a way to increase range if the wind is strong enough and blowing in the required direction.
A Travell 1103 with an extra battery and their solar panel (and 110v charger). I held out on the Torqeedo purchase until they came out with their direct drive motor. It propels my Rhodes 19 well. It was great to replace my old Nissan 3.5hp 2-stroke with no reverse.
On SpongeBob I use a single blade paddle. The boat is basically a kayak sailing trimaran anyway. Unfortunately a twin blade paddle hits the beam about every stroke. I have paddled the boat continuously for over 24 hours a couple times in the Everglades Challenge.
Like Roy, I have a pair of oars (also good as push poles) and an ancient 3 horse Air Cooled Tanaka, but it's been a long time since I've had a failure in the eight horse Mercury primary mover.
I was going to write something snappy about horses for courses and the like, but honestly, it's been done. I went with a ePropulsion Spirit on my Montgomery 17. I can't stand the smell of gas fumes and exhaust, they bother my IBD. I also hate the jarring noise both before and after a quiet sail. Most of all, I really hate the anxiety that comes with hoping the engine starts when you need it.
With the electric outboard, I turn it on, choose the direction, and go. No muss, no fuss, and certainly no worries about starting. Even at full throttle, it has enough power and run time to get me from inlet to dock against the tide, though, I rarely use the motor until I am about to enter the basin and tie her up for the night.
I was hoping to be able to "click" on more than one. Oars, Electric Trolling and Gas Motors are my backups... I chose oars first as I'll never own a boat that can't be rowed, even if poorly so! AllthebestRoy
I've been using a Lehr propane outboard for several years now. Less odor, no fuel going bad, no clogged carburetor. Starts easily and no choke/flooding worries. Too bad they went out of business
There's more talk about propane now for cars, so maybe morevfor OBs?
I wanted to like the Lehr, but all the bad press and reviews kept me far away.
I've got 12' sweeps and a e-propulsion charged by solar panels. All together it works great. The quick access to the sweeps also allow me to pull the bow through a bungled tack in an instant.
Oars; I do not hold with the kerfuffle of having to recharge batteries and the expense and light-fingered vulnerability of any electrical gubbins. Pretty much the same applies to (petrol) 'gas' engines though I did start with one until it began overheating.
Taking it to my professional outboardist perhaps half a dozen times, he took it into his care and returned it saying it was now running fine. Each time I tried again and it overheated until I gave it to him in disgust, 'for spares'. Some months later he phoned and said he had found the cause of the problem - the exhaust had rusted out within the shaft; 'Now you tell me!' I declined it, as by then I had learnt to fully appreciate sail and oar. I didn't mention to him what I later worked out - I used to store it on its side in the cockpit locker immediately forward of the O/B well and was never too careful about making sure it had been drained out, and/or run through with fresh water.
'What a sausage, Christopher!'
Anyway, I had another smaller one and used it for some while until it also failed, whereupon I took it to an engineering chum who discovered, without ever resorting to the shear-pin - it had cracked the crankshaft immediately under the flywheel and wasn't worth the spares to repair.
Well bother
For my (one and a quarter ton) pocket gaff cruiser, I have a pair of home-made, jointed oars. Home-made? Well I was working in a naval base in the Middle East and some young trainees had jumped into Drascombe Longboats, often enough to snap the looms of the oars lying on the floor boards. Two good-looking halves for Christopher. Close by at the sailing centre, someone had also bent a Laser mast top-section. Well, I'll have that too. To cut a nine-foot long story short, I measured a while and end up with two top sections with wooden handles plugged into one end and two bottom bladed sections with those silvery pop-headed latches at their loom ends, to click into the handley bits.
They work a treat.
'Tit Willow', for it is she; has small hatches, like a Viking longboat, that the oars can be run through and in still water I can get a couple of knots out of her. More often I scull over the stern, where she has a plate for a rowlock toward each side of the rim of the transom. Less holey, hatchey messing around and moves her comfortably about in a harbour or such.
I also row my everyday backup-boat, see: 'Berth of an Eccentric mini-raid Boat' here on SCA. She slips along very well under oar - due to an enforced limitation on the (waterline) beam. Just as a last thought, there is a rumour that before long you will be enthralled, (well a mere moment's distraction then), to see 'Polly Wee' slipping along under sail and pedal yuloh - 'Pedyuloh', on the Thames river here. I've offered this one as there should be another more explicit version in the Pedyuloh write up, coming in its turn and this gives a feel good factor for those who like pottering down rivers in a heap -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzV0vDlmstE
Of course I'm now a retiree of over a dozen years standing and as my Darling Doll went to the arms of the angels not so very long ago, I'm at liberty to indulge my whims; that includes waiting for the wind and tide to assist my puny efforts. This is actually about fishermen, but it applies to sailors too -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zviVCHO2_8k
I wonder if she's sitting in a deck-chair, on the green there, watching?
My two-stroke, two horsepower Suzuki gets me 16 miles per gallon. Hull speed reached at 1/2 throttle, and the motor weighs about 15 lb. I long for an electric motor, and am encouraged by the improved mileage and power afforded by new batteries, but the practicality of the little gas motor is hard to give up for now.
I'm the odd duck here but *the sails* the auxiliary power source for my boat. They're there as a "get home" option or a way to increase range if the wind is strong enough and blowing in the required direction.
Dreaming of having sweeps someday. 1-2 knot tidal currents where I sail. Torqeedo travel, charged on-board by house battery via solar panel.
I use a 1kw electric pod drive.
Photos please...
A Travell 1103 with an extra battery and their solar panel (and 110v charger). I held out on the Torqeedo purchase until they came out with their direct drive motor. It propels my Rhodes 19 well. It was great to replace my old Nissan 3.5hp 2-stroke with no reverse.
On SpongeBob I use a single blade paddle. The boat is basically a kayak sailing trimaran anyway. Unfortunately a twin blade paddle hits the beam about every stroke. I have paddled the boat continuously for over 24 hours a couple times in the Everglades Challenge.
Propane
I have gas, oars, and electric. Each one has it’s best use, but gas outboard still the most reliable and important
Like Roy, I have a pair of oars (also good as push poles) and an ancient 3 horse Air Cooled Tanaka, but it's been a long time since I've had a failure in the eight horse Mercury primary mover.
Currently gas outboard, but electric outboard on my wishlist.
Sailboat has been converted to powerboat. Main propulsion is ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 plus,
Back up is ePropulsion eLite motor, third is paddle, fourth is angle the bimini to catch wind and sail downwind.
I was going to write something snappy about horses for courses and the like, but honestly, it's been done. I went with a ePropulsion Spirit on my Montgomery 17. I can't stand the smell of gas fumes and exhaust, they bother my IBD. I also hate the jarring noise both before and after a quiet sail. Most of all, I really hate the anxiety that comes with hoping the engine starts when you need it.
With the electric outboard, I turn it on, choose the direction, and go. No muss, no fuss, and certainly no worries about starting. Even at full throttle, it has enough power and run time to get me from inlet to dock against the tide, though, I rarely use the motor until I am about to enter the basin and tie her up for the night.
All true!