Is It Cheaper To Motor Or Sail

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Boston, Mar 20, 2010.

  1. Boston

    Boston Previous Member



    kayaks have their drawbacks
     
  2. ancient kayaker
    Joined: Aug 2006
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    Location: Alliston, Ontario, Canada

    ancient kayaker aka Terry Haines

    I dunno Boston. The guy survived, stayed in his boat and got back up to paddle on. Few boats would have been usable after that encounter!

    I have picture of a seal painted on the bottom of my kayak with a red circle around it and a red line through it, to prevent this sort of thing. I rent it out to blondes.
     
  3. Boston

    Boston Previous Member

    now that is a coincidence
    I have a blond with a picture of a seal pup on her
    but I dont rent her out
     
  4. WestVanHan
    Joined: Aug 2009
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    Location: Vancouver

    WestVanHan Not a Senior Member

    Skira-read his first post.

    What don't you understand??

    If you want to start a thread on $200 masts and cruising Maine,go ahead.



    Tad I like your designs....and I'd bet very few of those sailboats out your front window have been further north than Desolation.

    As for the engineless couple on the boat,admire their gumption but I wish them good luck with that.

    Boston a sailboat can be used,but power gives you much more space,views, options,time,and opens up many more areas.

    My other coastal cruiser,could cruise at a reasonable consumption at 15 knots...1 mpg.
    A friend's 50' sailboat,max speed 8.5 knots.
    From Vancouver to Gulf islands and Pender Harbour is about 50 miles.

    When I worked, I could leave Vancouver at 5PM and have the margs and BBQ going just after 8:00 at either place.
    My friend had to leave work at noon (cost $$$),to leave at 2PM to get there at the same time,or the next morning at 6 am to get there at noon.

    Coming back,I'd leave at 4Pm Sunday,he'd have left just after noon-so he'd motor or sail for ~13 hours just to spend a day there.

    Desolation Sound at ~100 miles away-took him 12 hours one way-depending if he could get a favourable tide.
    He only ever made it there once on a long weekend-motored all day saturday,spent sunday...then motored back all day monday.

    Yes,I spent more on fuel but he spent more on maintenance and moorage than I did.

    He sold it,bought a power boat and has never been happier.

    That's what worked for him
     
  5. Boston

    Boston Previous Member

    although I have great respect for Tads opinion I think in the Ketchikan area I'm going to be happiest in a motor yacht
    diesel although
    I still like the idea of going steam and with a hybrid electric system
    that way I can take advantage of the wind and keep the convenience of power
    but the batteries are expensive as all hell

    I have a flat top version of that same design that would be perfect for solar or a few pop up wind turbines

    so what was the big deal about getting back home when you had 50' under you
    I'd have set up the barbie on the back 9 and sat back to enjoy the sights and sounds of the bay right were I was
    beer in hand
     
  6. ancient kayaker
    Joined: Aug 2006
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    Location: Alliston, Ontario, Canada

    ancient kayaker aka Terry Haines

    I have a dream of steam-driven paddle-wheels for my kayak, but it goes away when my wife makes me take the medication ...
     
  7. WestVanHan
    Joined: Aug 2009
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    Location: Vancouver

    WestVanHan Not a Senior Member

    Well I was not yet retired and had to get back to the office.....and at the time it was 39'..my friend had the 50' sail.
    Got size-itis....then went back down to 50' to stay.

    Great thing is,the 39 got the same mpg at 15 knots as it did at 22.
    But at 22 knots it's really hard to see & react to seals,orcas,or logs.

    I've kayaked all over the coast and had great times.
    Has it's good and bad points-two of the bad being woken up at 4am by a grizzly sniffing my feet.....and the wolves howling all bloody night.
     
  8. Boston

    Boston Previous Member

    ok then
    so I suppose a few of you think Im nuts for wanting a steam engine
    Im ok with that

    Ill be fitting the engine out of my truck into it at first and then if things go my way maybe Ill have a chance to change over

    West I was thinking of raising the wheel house floor a bit to help in visibility
    is there really that much crap in the water up there ?

    oh
    the wolves I can handle its bears that make me nervous

    here's baby bear

    [​IMG]

    and here's mama bear coming to find out who I was

    [​IMG]

    needless to say I didn't stick around to get a better shot of her

    even baby bear ran when he heard her coming

    [​IMG]
     
  9. CDN-CUCV
    Joined: Mar 2010
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    Location: Vancouver Islander

    CDN-CUCV Junior Member

    Having made the trip dozens and dozens of times with the CCG in the past, I've always thought a motor sailor would be best suited for that trip; aluminum-hulled preferred.

    A couple friends and I are looking to do the run from Victoria B.C. to Prince Rupert B.C.(just south of the Alaskan pan handle) by 28 foot aluminum RHIB, camping and shacking-up at a few lighthouses along the way. We circ'ed Vancouver Island in a 20' Bombard Explorer over ten years ago, camping for the most part. That was relatively inexpensive and a hoot.
     
  10. CDN-CUCV
    Joined: Mar 2010
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    Location: Vancouver Islander

    CDN-CUCV Junior Member

    Oh yes, plenty of 'crap' You'll see I mentioned aluminum as my choice of hull material in my last post.

    (pardon for the interruption btw)
     
  11. Boston

    Boston Previous Member

    no worries

    I am planning on wood build because its within my skill range and cheap at least for me.
    with my luck christ only knows what will happen
     
  12. WestVanHan
    Joined: Aug 2009
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    Location: Vancouver

    WestVanHan Not a Senior Member

    Drying rocks,uncharted stuff...and yes,lots of logs in the water.
    Lots.

    Wolves aren't a health problem-but they can keep you up all night,in certain areas,with all that dam howling.

    There's only been one doc'd attack in BC on humans by wolves.
    Because they were fed by other idiots and became habituated to humans.
     
  13. CDN-CUCV
    Joined: Mar 2010
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    Location: Vancouver Islander

    CDN-CUCV Junior Member

    I was working as a whale-watching guide in Tofino when that happened. Kayakers on the north end of Vargas Island were attacked and one wolf nearly scalped a guy. It was a shame considering there were only two wolves left on Vargas. The black one did the damage apparently. Watched him feed on a Stellar's sealion carcass before all that. now, back on track...
     
  14. Boston

    Boston Previous Member

    sounds like what its boiling down to is that given the cost savings of the build process motoring can be cheaper assuming your not doing great distances. and given the sporadic nature of the winds there the pay back time on sails is being extended to pretty much the service life of the sails

    ok this is just a rough estimate but

    IE if a sail rig costs say 20~40K then thats average of 30k which represents 10,000 gallons of fuel or about 40,000 miles of cruising ( 2gph at 8knots is my estimate on that boat )
    If I go 10,000 a year I'd be really surprised

    basically for the cost of the rig I can motor for about 4 years and considering at best I could only sail say half the time in that area then Im looking at an 8 year break even point and even thats kinda optimistic. Probably more like ten.

    so it seems to make sense that I be thinking of a motor cruiser being the most economical for the inside passage
     

  15. FAST FRED
    Joined: Oct 2002
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    Location: Conn in summers , Ortona FL in winter , with big d

    FAST FRED Senior Member

    I have a dream of steam-driven paddle-wheels for my kayak,

    I always thought a steam motorcycle with the fuel/water and boiler in a sidecar would be the Greatest!

    Imagine how befuddled the Harley guys would be with a fast , SILENT creation?
     
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