[Public-list] re: "let me race?"was another outboard discussion

Sat Oct 1 06:59:50 PDT 2005

I live in annapolis. The longest cruise I have ever taken was to Tangier in
July. Mostly I use my boat for going to Thomas Point Light (or equivalent)
and back. And I like to race (though as mentioned, my participation numbers
for this year are abysmal). 

In 3 years of usage, I have been caught in 2 squalls where I needed the
engine. I could have avoided both with more careful attention to the
weather. 

On my boat, the motor is an auxiliary. I think a lot of folks tend to forget
that these are SAILboats. 

What did people do in 1900 when small craft auxiliaries were not in general
use? They went sailing. 

I have heard the stories, and I know what it means to be caught on a lee
shore. I know what a crutch an inboard motor can be. 

As I said before, if I wanted a motorboat, I would have bought a chris
craft. 

In this month's mainsheet (which I received yesterday), I read two anecdotes
about boats that did not participate in cruising events because of motor
problems. 

How many motor problems do we need to have before y'all start to concede
that maybe I have a point here? 

J

-----Original Message-----
From: public-list-bounces at alberg30.org
[mailto:public-list-bounces at alberg30.org] On Behalf Of JohnI
Sent: Saturday, October 01, 2005 3:40 AM
To: Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all
Subject: Re: [Public-list] re: "let me race?"was another outboard discussion

"The world is full of sailboats powered by outboard auxiliaries."
 I think it depends on your intended sailing program. If you regularly sail
from a well sheltered marina and if you don't motor in rough conditions, an
outboard could be just the ticket. But, if, as Gord alluded to in an earlier
post, you eventually find yourself in a potentially serious lee shore
situation on a rough day, you'll quickly appreciate why the outboard is not
a good choice and understand at a very deep level why most serious cruising
boats are still being equipped with inboard engines despite the cost, smell,
hassles, etc.
  On 9/30/05, J Bergquist <JOHN.R.BERGQUIST at saic.com> wrote:
>
> George,
>
> Right you are, and I will definitely admit that my racing participation
> has
> been abysmal this year. Beyond abysmal, in fact. I have participated in
> not
> a single race. And the person in the world who is most disappointed about
> that is me.
>
> I'm not going to make excuses.
>
> But a well-functioning, reliable AUXILIARY propulsion system will be a big
> factor in helping me get out to the race course next season.
>
> And I don't want to repower in such a way that would preclude me from
> racing
> in the future! But I also don't want to break the bank.
>
> As I said before, if I'm going to go to the trouble of hauling the boat
> out
> of the water and investing my winter in a repower job, I want to make sure
> that I get a system which will work reliably. I'm sorry but a $1000 Atom
> Bomb just doesn't sound like a reliable solution. I DON'T WANT to spend my
> available free time wrenching around with the motor. I have done it for 3
> years and I have HAD IT. I am sick of those stupid motors and I want
> something that will run well, start every time, and serve its purpose as
> an
> AUXILIARY rather than the thing I spend all my time working on.
>
> I like going sailing. If I had wanted a motorboat, I would have bought a
> Chris Craft.
>
> I hate motors. I just want them to work. That's it. It's that simple. I
> want
> something cheap and easy that will work every time. Such things exist.
> They're called 4-stroke outboards. And when they're busted, you unbolt
> them,
> take them home, fix them, and bolt them back on. Nice, simple, clean, not
> smelly, and very effective.
>
> Maybe I'll come to my senses by tomorrow. Maybe not. The fact is I am sick
> of disagreeing with people about this. Why can't you people just
> understand
> that this is not an unreasonable thing to want to do. The world is full of
> sailboats powered by outboard auxiliaries. I have had at least 15 friends
> say to me "why don't you just get an outboard?"
>
> Finally, I said to myself...why DON'T I just get an outboard?
>
> Sheesh,
>
> J
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gdinwiddie at alberg30.org [mailto:gdinwiddie at alberg30.org]
> Sent: Friday, September 30, 2005 5:24 PM
> To: j at ship.saic.com; Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all
> Subject: Re: [Public-list] re: "let me race?"was another outboard
> discussion
>
> J Bergquist wrote:
> > I told Tim Williams this morning that there's much more difference
> between
> > my results and Towney's than a couple of hundred pounds displacement and
> a
> > missing propeller. The winners win chiefly because they're good sailors,
> not
> > because their equipment is advantageous. At least, that's my opinion.
>
> You're right. No one will protest you until you beat them. ;-) But
> isn't this all a bit academic? Or have you been out racing?
>
> Anyway, you can always leave a nonfunctional engine in place.
>
> - George
>
> P.S. When you come to your senses, you'll realize that you can re-power
> with an Atomic 4 for a lot less than $4K. Don Moyer's prices are on the
> top end of the scale--probably worth it for an essentially brand new
> engine. You can pick up a running Atomic 4 for around $1k, I think, and
> probably less if you're in the right place at the right time.
>
> For that matter, I've got a very rusty and jerry-rigged Atomic 4 in the
> boat that runs like a top, and another in better shape in the basement
> that needs rebuilding. If I can get that swap made this winter, I'll
> give you the old one.
>
> --
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> When I remember bygone days George Dinwiddie
> I think how evening follows morn; gdinwiddie at alberg30.org
> So many I loved were not yet dead, http://www.Alberg30.org
> So many I love were not yet born.
> 'The Middle' by Ogden Nash
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
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