[Rhodes22-list] Merc 2 stroke 6hp

[Richard Smith]

Speaking from experience... Motoring (even slowly) with no wind but with the sails set produces nothing but slatting. Annoying and perhaps dangerous to the rig  In my opinion the aerodynamic drag of the set sails slows the boat (for a given throttle setting)

It is possible that you might find yourself temporally becalmed because of a frontal passage.  In such an event the wind will shortly reestablish itself and my remarks below do not apply.

Watch out for chop formed by current eddies.  Under some lighting conditions it looks just like a wind shadow.    In my mania to catch the wind  I have chased down to many of the dammed things only to sit rolling unpleasantly in a confused sea.

In a light wind.  If the wind is not in the nature of a thermal gradient event (a sea breeze) it will be convectively driven.  In general a sea breeze will blow on the same quarter in a relatively constant manner and if it's coming from the appropriate compass point will add a measurable increase in speed when motoring. If you are sailing in an area where a sea-breeze is likely to form keep an eye out towards the lee shore for its development and once sighted set your headsail.   In the middle of LI Sound it may be evident 20 minutes before it reaches your boat.

On the other hand a very light convectively driven wind can come from any direction and is generally short lived.  Under these conditions I have found myself sailing in circles!

The long and short of it;  If you are making a passage in calm/very_light winds motor at your most economic speed.  If you set a sail make it the main and sheet it in (helps minimize rolling)  

 If you are just day sailing, a drifter (very light sheets) is the only way to go but expect to more or less sail in circles.

Richard Smith
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Bill Effros 
  To: Richard Smith ; The Rhodes 22 mail list 
  Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 3:35 PM
  Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Merc 2 stroke 6hp


  Thanks, Richard,

  That was my question.  I knew wind on the nose was useless, but I thought that a small electric motor coupled with a large headsail could make a "no-wind" day interesting.

  Bill