What is your "self-sufficient" emergency procedure for a dead engine at sea?

[cardude01]

Raise the sails. [emoji51]

 

[cardude01]

Actually when offshore the sails are almost always already raised.

I also have a 15 HP Suzuki mounted on an outboard bracket on the stern. If I built an “extender” for that bracket so It would clear the swim step it could be used in an emergency I suppose.

View attachment 72820

 

[diver dave]

but what if the boat is on coral

I took a bad turn once inside the Devils Backbone due to bad timing on a cloud pass. Our 32' landed square on top of coral, being slightly bashed by small seas.
Our dink was being towed, luckily, and pressed into service fairly fast.
One thing that makes it easy for tiny to pull giant is to use the BOW eye of the small boat to attach the tow line. Doesn't work great for full inflatables, but rigid hulls much better.

 

[markpierce]

My only engine break-down was the loss of forward gear on a 5 HP Seagull on a small cutter sailboat. Solution: motor in reverse t in a short estuary into home port.

 

[cardude01]

Ha! Had to google a seagull outboard. Pretty dang cool!

Were those old outboards pretty finicky ?

 

[jimisbell]

If you take care of them NO. But if you believe the masses, yes. Dont believe the massesthey dont have one and are only parroting. I have two.

 

[jimisbell]

Has anyone ever put sails on an MS 34?

 

[cardude01]

Has anyone ever put sails on an MS 34?

I don’t recall ever seeing or hearing about a MS 34 with sails. I do remember an article years ago about a guy who put sails in his Grand Banks. Here it is.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.soundingsonline.com/.amp/boats/a-grand-banks-with-a-hybrid-twist

So it obviously can be done. I put sails on my “trawler”, but it was pretty much already designed for a mast, had a nice long keel with ballast and a big rudder, and it has a rounded sailboat style hull.

Do you want sails for “get home” ability, for stability, both? I can tell you that my small sail rig has reduced roll tremendously when there is just a bit of wind, and with enough wind (12-15 knots and from the right direction) the sails will get me about 3 knots for get home, but it doesn’t point to the wind very well.

I really only use the sails while motoring however. They give a little boost so I can pull the throttle back for less noise and better efficiency and most importantly, roll reduction.

 

[jimisbell]

Yes, all of the above. I have been a sailor all my life, Bruce Roberts 44 CC Ketch, Gulfstar 36 CC Sloop the latest. But we are 80 and 81 and neither of us belong on the foredeck in any but the calmest weather. So are moving toward a Trawler.

But as a sailor, I just dont trust those modern engine thingies and want a way home when something fails.

Havent bought the MS 34 yet, but are going aboard her for the first time this afternoon.

 

[diver dave]

The trawler might be capable of a more robust dink than the sailboats you mentioned. I've used a soft dink for all kinds of critical tasks when cruising.
Towing due to loss of propulsion.
Pushing the bow around in tite spots; coral, narrow channels, etc
Delivery and recovery of critical engine items. My last case was a heat exhanger to/from a rad shop in the islands.
Admittedly, these are close to shore examples.

 

[Wxx3]

Open Ocean, the only option is to have enough provisions for the time it will take for the prevailing winds to push you within reach of local fishermen, who you can pay to tow you the rest of the way.
I estimated in the middle of the North Atlantic, if past Iceland already, worst case is 1000 nm at 1 to 2 knots. 40 days worse case.

Coming back west, those winds would have pushed me all the way to the PC at 2 to 3 knots.

I always have a plan.

 

[sunchaser]

Curious to hear everyone's procedure, if you have one, in the unfortunate instance where you have a dead engine, at sea, and you are unable to diagnose the problem and get it running again.

No help to your single engine scenario, but---

Six years ago this exact scenario presented itself to us. No sea tow or similar within hundreds of miles. We were at least two days cruising from "repair facilities" with no easy at sea remedies. Yes, twins saved the day. A decent get home is second choice.

The shutdown was due to a failed after cooler. When finally at a NAPA store plumbing parts were purchased and installed to bypass the cooler. Smooth sailing for the next 4 months. Those bypass connections remain onboard.

I have encountered many long distance cruisers who have similar stories, backup systems get used. A sizeable outboard for emergency is not a bad idea for a Camano. Great for trolling too.

 

[jimisbell]

Open Ocean, the only option is to have enough provisions for the time it will take for the prevailing winds to push you within reach of local fishermen, who you can pay to tow you the rest of the way.
I estimated in the middle of the North Atlantic, if past Iceland already, worst case is 1000 nm at 1 to 2 knots. 40 days worse case.

Coming back west, those winds would have pushed me all the way to the PC at 2 to 3 knots.

I always have a plan.

This is the ONLY sure way because all other things can and will fail. But I always have an EPIRB on board if blue water cruising. It might reduce the time.

 

[jhance]

No help to your single engine scenario, but---

Six years ago this exact scenario presented itself to us. No sea tow or similar within hundreds of miles. We were at least two days cruising from "repair facilities" with no easy at sea remedies. Yes, twins saved the day. A decent get home is second choice.

The shutdown was due to a failed after cooler. When finally at a NAPA store plumbing parts were purchased and installed to bypass the cooler. Smooth sailing for the next 4 months. Those bypass connections remain onboard.

I have encountered many long distance cruisers who have similar stories, backup systems get used. A sizeable outboard for emergency is not a bad idea for a Camano. Great for trolling too.

I have seen a few other Camanos with an outboard motor mount on the swim step. I think it's a good way to go so long as the motor mount doesn't get in the way of the dinghy when tipped up on my Seawise. It would be a bit awkward moving my 9.9 Honda to the motor bracket, but doable. I suppose I would lower the dinghy to the water, take off the motor (trying not to drop it in the water in the process!), and move to the motor bracket. But then I would have to tow the dinghy as I couldn't put it back up on the davits because the motor would be in the way. And if a bad sea state... that process might be downright dangerous. A bit awkward all around for sure but probably the best option to have the best control of the boat with a loss of power. Another option is leave the dinghy on the dock/buoy and leave the motor permanently mounted to the bracket on the swim step. Great until I need the dinghy!

 

[Simi 60]

This is the ONLY sure way because all other things can and will fail. But I always have an EPIRB on board if blue water cruising. It might reduce the time.

A rescue helicopter won't be towing you in.

 

[South of Heaven]

I have seen a few other Camanos with an outboard motor mount on the swim step. I think it's a good way to go so long as the motor mount doesn't get in the way of the dinghy when tipped up on my Seawise. It would be a bit awkward moving my 9.9 Honda to the motor bracket, but doable. I suppose I would lower the dinghy to the water, take off the motor (trying not to drop it in the water in the process!), and move to the motor bracket. But then I would have to tow the dinghy as I couldn't put it back up on the davits because the motor would be in the way. And if a bad sea state... that process might be downright dangerous. A bit awkward all around for sure but probably the best option to have the best control of the boat with a loss of power. Another option is leave the dinghy on the dock/buoy and leave the motor permanently mounted to the bracket on the swim step. Great until I need the dinghy!

If you're gonna go the outboard route, then I would say that a permanent mount would be the best way to go. Having to fiddle around with the dinghy and moving the outboard when you need it seems like a total PITA. Maybe you could get those davits where the dinghy is flat and hanging above the transom.

But another question: How would steer the outboard?? Using the tiller from the swim platform? Or would you keep it straight and then still steer using the boats rudder (that wouldn't work, right??). One of the benefits from mounting it permanently would be that you could add a 2nd station with controls. That would be pretty cool actually!! If you go with a 15hp then maybe you could actually make decent headway.

 

[jimisbell]

A rescue helicopter won't be towing you in.

I am not worried about the boat if I am so far from shore I need emergency rescue.

 

[jhance]

If you're gonna go the outboard route, then I would say that a permanent mount would be the best way to go. Having to fiddle around with the dinghy and moving the outboard when you need it seems like a total PITA. Maybe you could get those davits where the dinghy is flat and hanging above the transom.

But another question: How would steer the outboard?? Using the tiller from the swim platform? Or would you keep it straight and then still steer using the boats rudder (that wouldn't work, right??). One of the benefits from mounting it permanently would be that you could add a 2nd station with controls. That would be pretty cool actually!! If you go with a 15hp then maybe you could actually make decent headway.

I have a dinghy and Honda 9.9 on a Seawise davit system. I don't see a way to have a permanent motor mounted to the swim step. I don't want/need two motors, the whole setup would be in the way of the dinghy on the Seawise, and it'd take up way too much room. That's why I was thinking of just having a motor mount and moving the motor if needed. Yes a pain, but if I'm in that desperate situation, moving a motor isn't that big of a deal.
I just don't see any other configurations that would be logical unless I left the dinghy at home and did a permanent mount but I'd rather not do that as I use the dinghy!

I could lock the motor going straight and just steer from the main helm... I don't see why that wouldn't work. Worst case is just steer from the stern with a lookout at the helm.

 

[jhance]

Sorry no pictures, but happy to report a successful test of dinghy with 9.9 hip tow of our Camano, Audrey Grace. Our 9.9 is more than enough power to putt Audrey Grace along at a pretty good clip. Manueverability was actually pretty impressive - I could turn the boat, stop, reverse, etc. Any direction worked. Dinghy and motor just have to be positioned as far to the stern as possible. My tow line was running from the bow hook (inside the boat) on the dinghy to the starboard stern cleat of Audrey Grace, and I had another line on the stern of the dinghy to the stern cleat on the swim step. An additional line ran from the bow hook of the dinghy (outside the boat) to the starboard cleat amidships. My test of locking the motor in one position and steering from the main helm also went well. For a longer haul, that would be the preferred method. No problems turning if you aren't trying to turn tight circles.

So in a pinch, hip tow works very well on a Camano. I have found that Camano boats are relatively easy to move around in the water (be it from tide, wind, pushing off the dock, etc). A 9.9 outboard is more than enough power for directional and headway control should you need it in an emergency situation.

 

[healhustler]

Excellent report. I’ll be doing similar tests with my Manatee. Data to come.