Motor Sailers by Philip Rhodes & John Alden

[juiceclark]

This subject keeps coming up...but it's not redundant. I think we just know the market is guiding us toward a new design.

In my post about the Hawksbill, I posted this pic of Nordhavn's world cruising sportfishing yacht.
http://www.nordhavn.com/75/drawings.php
There's quite a departure from their usual keel design:
http://www.nordhavn.com/68/drawings.php4

To not have any sail power for this design seems a shame...and kind of dangerous. I wonder how many of these they've sold anyway? For what that baby costs, a telescoping mast or two should be standard. You could hang some serious cloth off those outriggers!

Alden could really have helped add some beauty and utility to this and so many new designs.

[bntii]

I spent a summer living on a wood Alden 63 some time back.
'Endless Summer' was found loaded to the deck beams with bales of cigarette quality hay off the coast of NJ. After languishing in impound, she was purchased to do relief work among the islands south of Porte Montt which is where I joined her to provide some much needed repairs.
She was a lovely vessel. She had the lines of a clipper and sailed like one. 63 on deck with a large salon over the twin engines, stateroom aft, galley and cabins abaft of the mainmast. Crew quarters forward. Cockpit midships for quests and a large cockpit aft for the wheel and winches. If I am remembering correctly- she was 15 on the beam, 11 board up and 17 down. A fast and capable sailer. I and a couple of Chileans lived and sailed with her through a beautiful southern Chile summer while we did repairs.
Last I heard she had gone on the rocks and holed during one of the wind storms the region is known for. Floated but languishing again with dead engines and systems shot.
Beautiful country- lovely people. For anyone who gets the chance it's a place to see.

Edit- I always felt she was a 'motor sailer' but looking at the numbers perhaps not? Is having large twin diesels in a capable sailer of this type enough put her in this category?

[brian eiland]

Originally Posted by bntii

Edit- I always felt she was a 'motor sailer' but looking at the numbers perhaps not? Is having large twin diesels in a capable sailer of this type enough put her in this category?

I think twin (TWO) engines in a 63 footer would likely classifier as a motorsailer.

Do you have any photos of Endless Summer ??

[bntii]

I have some photos somewhere- I will look them up and post some Brian.

[brian eiland]

I'm sorry I have to add such a negative comment here, but the Nordhavn 'motorsailer' appears to me as an attempt to make their trawler poweryachts more appealing to the boating market in this fuel crazy enviroment, rather than a serious attempt at a motorsailer vessel. And to me it is an unappealing design....rather like trying to put lipstick on a pig. ..sorry just my opinion

[juiceclark]

You are quite correct about the expensive pig. I rambled in that post a bit...but my point was if Nordhavn thinks there's a market for a long-range sportfishing vessel there probably is! Moreover, their boat pales in utility to a good motorsailer. Thus, my outcry for a newly designed version of the Hawksbill.

[brian eiland]

Originally Posted by juiceclark

You are quite correct about the expensive ... Thus, my outcry for a newly designed version of the Hawksbill.

All boats have gotten expensive to build, particularly composite ones, and even alum will with the rising energy prices...takes lot of electricity to make alum.

[Guillermo]

Excellent thread, Brian. I'll use its info it for my Motorsailers & Motorsailing web pages (duly quoting you, of course!).

Cheers.

[brian eiland]

I have some more...just haven't had time to post it

[lazeyjack]

Aluminium has hardly moved at all
When i started in bizz on my own in 85 it was 5000 a tonne, now I just go quoted 6000 , Au a tonne, whereas SS HAS GONE TO 50000!!
Wonder how the authorities would view a saling yacht say 60 feet without a motor, in other words so you really needed skills to enter and leave a port, river, dock
♠

[lazeyjack]

in the sketch a brig leaves on the ebb
she fill both tops and moves ahead to keep in the channel, backing the main yard stops her and she drifts on then in 3 she backs both which makes her take a stern board,, and in 4 she points both yards to the breeze and stands with the ebb, she then fill the fore top and moves ahead, then fills all and goes ahead faster, she then falls off to make way, she rounds up and makes sail and trims to the wind, she then is clear, makes sail and off on starboard
think would be nice to go back to kero lights, or solar power for lighting pumps etc, and throw out the iron topsail
comments please

[brian eiland]

Originally Posted by lazeyjack

Aluminium has hardly moved at all
When i started in bizz on my own in 85 it was 5000 a tonne, now I just go quoted 6000 , Au a tonne, whereas SS HAS GONE TO 50000!!

That's interesting. I don't expect that pricing to hold for long as it talks LOTS of electric ENERGY to produce alum...and we all know what's happening with energy prices these days.

[lazeyjack]

Originally Posted by brian eiland

That's interesting. I don't expect that pricing to hold for long as it talks LOTS of electric ENERGY to produce alum...and we all know what's happening with energy prices these days.

yes but the smelters are situated whrre there is cheap power, fr, nuke, can hydro, , aust coal, a tonne of alu goes one long way

[brian eiland]

Originally Posted by lazeyjack

Wonder how the authorities would view a saling yacht say 60 feet without a motor, in other words so you really needed skills to enter and leave a port, river, dock ♠

I imagined being able to do that as well with my 65 catamaran with a single masted ketch rig...see this posting

Interestingly the 290' Maltese Falcon with its modern square-rigged "Dynarig" has manage to sail off, and back to its mooring.

[brian eiland]

....referred to as a 'Full Powered Auxiliary', the beautiful 47' Windsong
..with a 100HP engine for long passages under power