For the kind of short day cruise use, many boats are actually involved in,
it is considerably quicker to get the boat ready and underway in a trawler
than a sailboat, and much more easily done by just 1 or 2 people.
Single handing a trawler, is significantly quicker and easier than most
comparably sized sailboats.
(No sails to raise and lower.)
Makes those short cruises much more time effective, for those of us with
still busy schedules.
Related thought, I'm surprised there aren't more motorsailors (like a Fisher
as just one example), in use. <<
Sorry to disagree,
But as one who has done a lot of "single handed" sailing--including while
my mate was sleeping, cooking or taking care of the kids, one can start the
engine on a sailboat and cast off just as quickly and then hoist the sails as
the boat goes out the channel to where you want to sail on auto pilot, (I
always had a hand held remote to take forward if I had to go there to remove
sail covers or ties) or before auto pilot just locking the tiller. One
person can both hoist and lower the sails easily if the boat is set up
correctly.
Frankly the Fisher is a poor example of a motor sailer, it motors fairly
well but sails poorly. There are much better examples of true 50/50
motorsailors: boats that sail well and motor well. For example the Cal 46
that I had before I was no longer able to sail and had to got to a trawler
would motor well at 8 knots and sail equally. The sails could be raised and
lowered from the cockpit. We had a number of days on passage of 200 miles;
certainly a good trawlerly speed. Yes we always had ice cubes! We would step
aboard, no more preparation than in the trawler, cast off and I would remove
the sail cover and hoist the sails by the time we were in open water, be
sailing.
Bob Austin
Symbol 42
Pensacolal, FL
JH says:
>>For the kind of short day cruise use, many boats are actually involved in,
it is considerably quicker to get the boat ready and underway in a trawler
than a sailboat, and much more easily done by just 1 or 2 people.
Single handing a trawler, is significantly quicker and easier than most
comparably sized sailboats.
(No sails to raise and lower.)
Makes those short cruises much more time effective, for those of us with
still busy schedules.
Related thought, I'm surprised there aren't more motorsailors (like a Fisher
as just one example), in use. <<
Sorry to disagree,
But as one who has done a lot of "single handed" sailing--including while
my mate was sleeping, cooking or taking care of the kids, one can start the
engine on a sailboat and cast off just as quickly and then hoist the sails as
the boat goes out the channel to where you want to sail on auto pilot, (I
always had a hand held remote to take forward if I had to go there to remove
sail covers or ties) or before auto pilot just locking the tiller. One
person can both hoist and lower the sails easily if the boat is set up
correctly.
Frankly the Fisher is a poor example of a motor sailer, it motors fairly
well but sails poorly. There are much better examples of true 50/50
motorsailors: boats that sail well and motor well. For example the Cal 46
that I had before I was no longer able to sail and had to got to a trawler
would motor well at 8 knots and sail equally. The sails could be raised and
lowered from the cockpit. We had a number of days on passage of 200 miles;
certainly a good trawlerly speed. Yes we always had ice cubes! We would step
aboard, no more preparation than in the trawler, cast off and I would remove
the sail cover and hoist the sails by the time we were in open water, be
sailing.
Bob Austin
Symbol 42
Pensacolal, FL
