Back-up Engine?

So here am I'm learning this new sailing adventure while trying to stay dry and safe while not running into anyone. Last week was solo trip #5 in the open area of Oceanside Harbor which started out like the previous trips but with some additional time getting the boat set up. So many dang lines (haylards) to deal with just to raise the mast while still on the trailer but I finally figured it all out. As usual I motor down the main channel to the small open bay near the jetty which opens to the ocean and look for a safe place to raise the sails before the wind pushes me someplace I don't want to be. Doing all this solo is a little more challenging as I start out pointing into the wind to prevent the sail from catching the breeze before I'm ready.

While the small 1103 Torqeedo electric motor does a great job pushing the boat along I remain aware of currents especially near the inlet. On this trip out I found myself a little closer than usual to one jetty and changed course to starboard for more clearance to raise the sail. Just as luck would have it the motor dies as I began my turned. This happened twice before and I thought the recalibration fixed this problem but not so.

My choices were either power down and restart while praying the motor reset while drifting towards the jetty or raise the sail and hope the wind direction was in my favor. Third option (honestly I did not even think about) was to drop the small anchor but that would not be a guarantee due to the type (mushroom) and small size against the current. So I chose to raise the sail and hope I could make the turn. As I pulled on the haylards the sail started to raise then "nothing" something was caught someplace and I had no time to figure it out as the jetty was now within about 50 -75 feet. So with about 60% of the sail up I returned to the tiller and made a hard turn to starboard praying I could catch the wind. Someone was looking out for me and the wind filled the partially set sail which allowed me to clear the jetty and move to a safer location.

Once I knew I was safe I reset the motor which came back on line then worked on the sail which took a few minutes to bring down and reset with the lines in their correct position. Dang, this is work.

So the funny thing about all this is my ongoing notion that possibly a motorsailer should be the best type of boat for long distance cruising since you have two independent power sources was somewhat proven. I always thought if engine power was lost I have the sail. Never did I think I would actually experience anything close on the Sandpiper "but" it did happen and theory appears to have worked.

I'm not saying I'm ready to ditch the little boat and buy a Nordhavn 56MS or even larger sailboat "but" this little incident did reinforce my thinking a little more about back up power and something to think about "if" another boat was to come into play in the future.

On a side note the wing engine on one of our N40's did save us once when the main engine died in a busy harbor and from that day forward I was became a big fan of back-up power.

Hopefully solo trip #6 is a little less eventful .

John T. - still lurking around TF.

John:

Congrats on the safe outcome.

But what's this about a power loss and reset on the motor? I have not heard of that before.

Reset

FWT said:

John:

Congrats on the safe outcome.

But what's this about a power loss and reset on the motor? I have not heard of that before.

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These electric motors have an LED display screen that shows error messages E22 as an example. There is a process you go through to correct some issues including the one I'm dealing with which is a throttle calibration issue and possibly due to the custom installation we have on the boat. Still not sure and will see what happens next time I go out (while staying clear of the jetty). If it happens again I will be talking with the local shop representative. Always something with even the smallest and simplest boats. A kayak is starting to look good if this continues.....

I think you just made the argument for twin engines.

I had a Torqeedo in the past. I found that periodically spraying WD40 on the battery and control connectors really cut down on the error codes. Might want to give it a try.

FWIW, a second engine is cheaper than a sailing rig. But, since the rig shares nothing at all with the engine, better redundancy.

Thanks John

Nothing like the comforting sound of a diesel!

OldDan1943 said:

Nothing like the comforting sound of a diesel!

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In a sailing dinghy??

heysteve said:

I had a Torqeedo in the past. I found that periodically spraying WD40 on the battery and control connectors really cut down on the error codes. Might want to give it a try.

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I have a eProp and use dielectric grease on the connectors. They are subject to corrosion, but never had this problem. One of the benefits of an electric SHOULD be reliability and trouble-free operation. I'd get that sorted first. BTW the newest eProps are designed to recharge under sail from the spinning prop if you don't mind the extra drag.

Secondly, you should not feel at the mercy of the wind direction pushing you somewhere you don't want to go. I know you're still a novice but try to practice other points of sail than just the easiest ones. When the winds are favroable, try sailing in and out of the harbor under sail with the motor ready just in case. This will increase your skills and confidence.

Turn bow into the wind. move the boom to center of the boat. This shall help you easily raise the sail.

Thanks

Thanks for everyone's responses and input. I have to agree a twin engine set-up provides nice redundancy / margin of safety and something I would consider "if" I was to look at larger trawler (over 55"). Anything smaller should have a single main with a wing engine (IMO) assuming your plans require backup power.

I still like the idea of dual use (power and sail) for various reasons discussed many times here on TF. Not sure if I will ever need to make this decision since any larger new boat plans are on hold, but its fun to experience things on a smaller scale.

John

Sails

OldDan1943 said:

Turn bow into the wind. move the boom to center of the boat. This shall help you easily raise the sail.

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This was one of the first rules I was taught and continue to follow every time I'm out. Trick for me is raising the sail quick enough and before the wind or current starts turning me sideways. Practice, practice, practice. Thanks

John

OldDan1943 said:

Turn bow into the wind. move the boom to center of the boat. This shall help you easily raise the sail.

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Holding a course into the the wind while raising the main single handed can be difficult if the halyard isn't led all the way back to the helm.

When single handing a small sloop rigged keelboat, a handy trick is deploying the jib first, heave to, then raise the main sail. This provides a stable platform and relatively steady heading to raise the main sail. This is the textbook technique for taking in a reef singlehanded and it works just as well for raising and lowering the main short handed. An added benefit is you don't have to worry about the auxiliary (although you do need a good clear space to leeward).

.

Gdavid said:

Holding a course into the the wind while raising the main single handed can be difficult if the halyard isn't led all the way back to the helm.

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But you really don't need to keep the bow into the wind as long as the boom can move freely and its angle is into the wind. It's not critical to have the boat pointed directly into the wind. In fact it might be better to have the the boat at about 45 degrees because if the boom is free and you can quickly raise the sail, you can then sheet in the sail and you are off on a good point of sail. Good thing to practice if you want to sail on and off a mooring for example with no motor. Pointing the bow directly into the wind doesn't give you control under sail power.

First ditch the mushroom, my opinion they are worthless unless deeply buried in mud. Get a good anchor, your first line of defense. Then pick up on the many good suggestions above.

RickyD said:

First ditch the mushroom, my opinion they are worthless unless deeply buried in mud. Get a good anchor, your first line of defense. Then pick up on the many good suggestions above.

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Good point, a small danforth is light and easy to stow and will hold much better. I have one kicking around my basement you could have.

RickyD said:

First ditch the mushroom, my opinion they are worthless unless deeply buried in mud. Get a good anchor, your first line of defense. Then pick up on the many good suggestions above.

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For a boat weighing a few hundred pounds and unlikely to ever ride out a
big blow, a mushroom works fairly well. I have one in my dinghy.
They also are a bit more friendly to the boat's interior while underway.

Check with the Torqueedo service center. They did a software update for mine that seemed to make it much better. I had a pretty old one so it may not apply to yours but it was the same symptom.

Jim