Why We sWitched to motorboating

The decision to sell our 35ft wooden sloop Selene was one of the toughest of our lives. Did we do the right thing when we switched from sail to power?

We certainly don’t miss being wet and cold under way, fighting with reluctant sails, trying to control wet sheets and heaving on winches. We now travel from port to port in comfort, maybe with the heater on. Sea state allowing, we can travel regardless of other weather conditions.

With respect to the use of fuel, purist sailors may not use their engines but most cruising boats do. We only have a 35hp engine in

Thea and her motorboat hull is more easily driven under engine than a similar size yacht would be. Consequently the cost of diesel over the season is little more than that for a sailboat.

The shallow draught is a joy, not only because we can explore little-known creeks and harbours, but also because we’re always the closest boat to the shore. I don’t miss crowded anchorages, worrying that other boats might drag through us in the dark.

If I had to identify two things I miss about sail the first would be the ability to take on the challenge of really heavy weather. We had intended to take Thea to Ireland this summer but were beaten back by a big Atlantic swell meeting an unforecast moderate easterly wind. They wouldn’t have stopped us in

Selene, but we weren’t prepared to endure a 26-hour beating in our relatively small motorboat.

The second issue is the lack of another form of propulsion if the prop becomes fouled. We hope to overcome this over the winter by fitting a prop inspection well.

I’ll never forget the very memorable sails we’ve had over the years but I think the fun/terror balance has been heaped in favour of the move to a motorboat. And I’m pretty sure we’ve extended our cruising life by making the change now.