Beelzebub the Diesel

[Robert The Gray]

The search for purity is a noble pursuit. In avoiding the trite and the easy one can begin to cleanse oneself from the mental clogs of unconscious assumptions, and hone our ability to percieve Truth. But there is always the edge where the holding onto the purity of an idea can lead to fundementalist perspectives.

I find some classic cars, especially hand made Ferrari's of the early fifties, to be some of the most soulful objects ever made. They have a purity of line as well as an emotional resonance. If I was to hold to the idea that the only pure way to move across the landscape is by horse and buggy, then it would be right to reject the Ferrari as being less than pure. This seems to me to be an arbitrary line dividing two levels of technology. The aesthetic experience of being in a horse and buggy versus a motor car is clear, no noisy engine vibration, no oil, etc. And the aesthetic experience of being under sail versus motoring along is also very clear, but as objects in themselves I am unsure as to why one machine; spars, stays, sails, sheets, is judged to be more pure than another machine; block, piston, shaft, prop. I myself am unsure as to whether an old engineless wooden sailboat has more soul that a classic Ferrari. Where is the devil? Can an engine be evil and sap your soul of light? If so, then it is right to reject them as unpure. If not, then what is the problem with motors? It is the whole "more pure less pure thing that confuses me.

The old days without engines were a time of many ship wrecks. Often these were not due high winds and waves but due to calm and adverse currents running ships onto shoals and rocks. We have a great deal of commercial traffic here on the bay. In many area the shipping lanes pass behind the lee of an island or bluff. I have many times been becalmed bobbing around waiting for wind, smack in the path of container ships. I feel that to sail enginless one must also accept the limitations that this style of sailing entails. I now keep out of the shipping lanes unless I am certain of being able to cross. Of course local conditions vary, and there may be nothing better for some than to drift around for a couple of hours on a lake. I have a set of oars mounted on my boat as well.

I feel that Robert Prisig had an exellent discussion of this in his book Zen and the art of motercycle maintenance. It is my hope that this is not thought of as a rant, more like lobbing a couple of tennis balls gently over the net hoping for a bit of a rally, and at least no over head slams at my body. I am presenting it in somewhat moral terms because it seems that at times it is a moral objection that is raised about engines. They are just wrong and bad. What is it about motors that is so evil and ugly that we feel ok about judging them and those who use them? Are sailors inherently more moral than people who own motor boats? If I get tired of bobbing around in no wind and turn on the diesel have I given up some possible personal growth because I bailed out into some less pure activity? If that's the case perhaps I should begin to have my dental work done without anasthetic, I will be holy in no time, or just in pain. Perhaps the moral purity or impurity is within me and not the objects around me.

r

[keelbolts]

Firstly, let me say that I do not dislike internal combustion engines in all situations. I have a ?63 Studebaker Avanti and I shower care and paint and chrome cleaner and time and "rocket fuel" on its engine. To me, it is inseparable from the rest of the car ? it just belongs there. It has a wonderful rumble as I roll down the highway. You can?t really have a civilized conversation with the passenger for the sound of that high compression, 8 cylinder Studebaker R1. My radio?s been out for years and I haven?t had it fixed because the sound really is music to my ears ? my experience of driving a classic automobile would be lessened without that sweet rumble. It?s about the experience.

Likewise, sailing, for me, is about the experience. Do to job and family responsibilities, I haven?t sailed as much as I?d like, but I play around on the bay regularly, as well as doing several trips up and down the East Coast and a trip to Bermuda. I don?t sail to get to my destination, rather my destination gives me a place to sail to. While I?m not such a purist that my boat is engineless, to me, the engine is a necessary evil. I wish I didn?t have to have one as having it lessens my sailing experience.

E.G. Martin, owner for many years of Jolie Brise, touched on it when he said, ?From a sailor?s point of view, motors have a demoralizing effect. ?it is seldom that one now sees what a fisherman or a pilot would call a smart bit of seamanship. Unless conditions are perfectly simple, it is the rarest thing ?to see a cruising boat of any size get under way, or come to anchor, except under power. Thanks to motors, there is no longer any necessity for smart handling under sail in harbour, and year by year methods become more slovenly.?

Yes, I fire up my diesel when I have to, but to me it often seems an admission of failure. Like Robert The Gray's statement, this is not intended as a put down to anybody. It?s simply the way I see it. A motor on a sailboat, to me, is much like a sail on a motorboat.

[Duncan]

Nice lob!
I've been re-reading Tom Colvin's "Cruising as a Way of Life", and came to this passage last night before dropping off to sleep.

My preference was always 100% sail...
Oh well, I have an engine in K'ung Fu-tse - 20 horsepower - and it does everything it is supposed to do - turns the propeller, uses fuel and lube oil, and occupies a space that would otherwise have been a small cargo hold. It is convenient; it more than satisfies my requirements, and I have enjoyed using it. But, this does not make K'ung Fu-tse a motorsailer.

I smiled, because that's about the way I think of it. You don't need an engine, and if you have one, you give up other things (such as the time it takes to look after it, and the money). It's convenient in some ways, and inconvenient in others, but basically it's just not the most important issue.

I bought an engineless 25' full-keel boat last year, and mulled over the options. It originally had an inboard diesel, and still had all the fittings except the engine itself (which had been removed). I could replace the diesel, hobby around with an electric setup, row the boat, mount an outboard, etc. Each had their virtues, and I'd be learning something or getting some benefit, whichever I chose.

In the end, I found a nice old diesel, same model as the original, so (with a lot of help from a friend) I rebuilt it and got it running. I'd never done anything remotely like it, and I felt about ten years old when I spun the crank and the engine I rebuilt started right up! It was very Pirsig-like, I know that engine fairly well now, and I am actually looking forward to fine-tuning and maintaining it.

Anyway, as you can probably tell, I'm having fun, learning about things, and doing them myself, with some help from knowledgeable friends. It never even occurred to me to worry about purity - when I considered the prospect of getting the boat up the Hudson and through a dozen locks without an engine, I just bolted an outboard on for the trip. Could have learned how to scull the boat, I suppose...

Someone might say I squandered an opportunity to be a simple engine-less sailor, or an electric boat pioneer-type, or I should have "opened my wallet" for a brand-new diesel instead of an old clunker, or I should wise up and just sail with the outboard on it. They'd all have a point one way or another, but so what?

All that to say that purity can mean not giving up things that are important, and it's our values that signal what matters. Someone with different values would make different choices. I don't worry much about that kind of thing, because values aren't things I can change in myself or in anyone else. The best we can do is try to make choices that are in line with them, then we feel happy?

I think the more we get to understand ourselves and others, the "purer" our choices and interactions can be. A corollary, just to try and wind back around to your lob, would be that the less we try to convince someone else that our "best" or our "good" should be theirs, too, the sooner we see that we can learn something from what they value, as well?

This is not an effort I make regarding SeaRay idiots, but we all have our limits : )

[Robert The Gray]

nice thoughtful posts, guys.
thanks
r

[keelbolts]

Thank you for allowing us to think aloud about our feelings. By the way, Pirsig's book Lila, while not as good I think as Zen... is still worth a read and has a boat in place of the motorcycle.

[Duncan]

Yes, thanks here, too. By the way, I heartily agree that engines do distract from sailing - I give myself a star in the logbook every time I make it a whole day without using it!

[Tim]

Some would say that today, a purist isn't a sailor who goes without an engine; rather, it's a sailor who has an engine, but chooses to avoid using it.

I wholeheartedly agree that too many of today's sailors look upon the engine as their savoir, the way out of trouble, and that by virtue of this the general quality of boathandling under sail has dramatically decreased. Of course, many people can't handle their boats under power either, so I think the overall degradation of the quality of sailors has a lot less to do with engines, and far more to do with the ease with which people today can buy sailboats that might have been beyond the reach of the average household only a couple decades ago. The more people you bring into any pursuit, so must the overall quality of that pursuit be diluted.

Recreational boating has changed so much in the past 20 or 30 years. For that matter, all of life has changed in that time. It's a more complicated era, with less time for leisure than there used to be. I believe this correlates directly to the change in the way people approach boating in general, and sailing specifically. With firm schedules, too many structured activities rather than simply family time, and a host of other distractions, people can't afford the time to wait for the wind. People wouldn't sail at all if there was the possibility that they might not get back to work till Tuesdaymorning. Perhaps the engine enables them to enjoy shorter periods under sail, rather than none at all. Is it wrong? No. Should people always know how to handle their boats under sail in any situation? Absolutely. Having an engine should never relieve one of that responsibility.

In any event, auxiliary engines should be looked upon as a convenience, not a necessity--much in the same way that today's electronics and navigation devices should be looked upon as convenient helpers, but never completely relied upon. But choosing to use an engine in a sailboat as a convenience doesn't by itself make anyone less of a sailor or seaman.

[A30_John]

In any event, auxiliary engines should be looked upon as a convenience, not a necessity--much in the same way that today's electronics and navigation devices should be looked upon as convenient helpers, but never completely relied upon.

I wonder about this every time a big Bayliner roars past and "wakes" me. Then I ask myself, what is their fallback position? If so many owners of single engine powerboats out there are content to rely on their engine as the sole means of propulsion why shouldn't we? What's different about a sailboat? I maintain my engine to the same standards as a powerboat owner.

[Figment]

I maintain my engine to far BETTER standards than most powerboat owners I know. I positively detest using it, but hey if I'm going to lug all that weight around everywhere I sail it damned well better WORK when I push the button. Once free of my windlocked, narrow, bendy river (in which I must dock cross-current by the way), I very seldom use my engine. Unless I'm on some strange schedule, I'm quite happy to ghost along and milk every last drop of mojo from a light breeze. I routinely pick up and leave moorings under sail, anchor and retrieve likewise. For me, these maneuvers are half the fun of sailing.

There certainly is something to this issue of "purity" though.
Conducting oneself toward this ideal entails a certain element of competence, that competence is recognized by those who share it, and a certain fraternity exists.
Elitist? yeah, probably. Welcome to sailing.

I recently sailed into a mooring field, sidled up to a green boat whose occupants were putting it to bed for the day, hove-to a half boatlength away, and asked if they knew the harbormaster's radio channel so that I could ask about picking up a mooring for the night. I was informed that the process was simply to pick up an unlabeled mooring and slip some money under a certain door, etc.
After we picked up the mooring (under sail, of course), the guy from the green boat passed in his dinghy, complimented the boathandling, and told me that I needn't bother with the money, have a nice weekend. Turns out he IS the harbormaster.

[A30_John]

Picked up a mooring? I thought real sailors anchored! ;-)

(Great story, BTW.)

[Rachel]

What a great thread!

Thanks Robert - for starting it - and everyone else for writing so well in response. Each of your posts has given me something to think about, and it's been very enjoyable to read.

--- Rachel

[Figment]

For some reason, I posted that last without making my point. (shocking, eh?)

My point was that this was a moment in a journey of sailing "purity". This pursuit of purity is of course a point of pride, and yes I do think that it occasionally tickles the edge of moral fundamentalism as Robert alluded to in his initial post. These occasional moments and the consequent fundamentalism are important to have as touchstones in a much larger picture. That much larger picture, however, does include the fact that most of us live in a world that requires arrival at work monday morning regardless of wind velocity on sunday.

Sailing is more fun when you're not worried about making landfall at a reasonable hour, ergo engines make sailing more fun.
Life is weird.

(yes, real sailors prefer anchors to moorings of course. YARRRRR!! Sailors with a dog on board, however, are willing to suffer such indignity in order to row a 100yard vs rowing a 1000yard distance to a public access shore.)

[Tim]

I wonder about this every time a big Bayliner roars past and "wakes" me. Then I ask myself, what is their fallback position?

They call SeaTow and bob helplessly in the meantime.

If so many owners of single engine powerboats out there are content to rely on their engine as the sole means of propulsion why shouldn't we? What's different about a sailboat?

It's a sailboat....sails being the primary source of propulsion. By "rely" on the engine, I don't mean that one should be nervous somehow about the engine failing when using it, but that any sailor should know first how to sail their boat in any situation, whether or not they choose to use their engines to help. I've seen sailboats call SeaTow on a nice day, and only because their engines have failed. This is what I mean by not "relying" on the engine.

Even if, say, one didn't have the capability or competency to sail their engine-disabled boat up a (for example) windless river or tight harbor, they should at least have the ability to sail away from trouble and find some other source of help or refuge. Everyone doesn't have to be Joe Sail Handler in order to succeed as a sailor; expert sailing, like the highest level of any sport or trade, requires a certain indefinable "touch" or "feel" that not all people possess, and that isn't necessarily a learned quality either, but everyone should have some basic competency under sail in a more stressful situation.

I love my engine, use it frequently for convenience when cruising, and wouldn't go without on a cruising boat. I don't feel there's any diminshment of my sailing enjoyment or ability as a result. I choose not to use it when daysailing, when sailing is the only point of the day. I normally sail on and off the mooring for daysails, and don't fire up the engine at all.

When cruising, I often use it because I choose not to remain locked in a harbor should the wind fail to come up, or to make distance passages when there's no or little wind. I like to go certain specific places when cruising, not just however far the wind might carry me on a given day. I sail when I can sail, but if I can't sail and am ready to go somewhere, I'll use the engine without hesitation. Maybe having destinations in mind is counter to the pureness of sailing, but I don't think that wanting to be in a nice or different place is a bad thing.

Whenever I do use the engine, though, I'm always thinking about what I'll do if for some reason it quits. To me, that avoids the "reliance" thing that I was talking about. I'd do the same thing in a powerboat, for that matter. Being prepared for any possibility or eventuality on their own is what sets a self-sufficient mariner apart from the rest of the crowd.

[Duncan]

My point was that this was a moment in a journey of sailing "purity". This pursuit of purity is of course a point of pride, and yes I do think that it occasionally tickles the edge of moral fundamentalism as Robert alluded to in his initial post.

That sounded like a nice manoeuver. I'd normally be chicken to sail in a (close) mooring field, but when I was out for a daysail in a friend's boat last summer, we sailed all up and down the rows. It was a blast: here you can see me trying to miss one boat without hitting another ;)



I think "balance" is a good concept, too, to keep away from that edge you refer to tickling. The pursuit of "purity" (absence of contaminants) is good, but there are diminishing returns. It's the same for anything - for "skill" or "experience", more is usually better, but you get to a point where you have to work awfully hard to get just a little bit better, and the whole thing seems to have gone too far.

I like looking for that "sweet spot" somewhere in the middle.

[grampianman]

I like to be on the water, under sail. Where I live is 40 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. The river I sail on is the Caloosa and is about 100 yards wide. This river sailing has been, and continues to be, one of the biggest learning experiences of sailing I have had. Being down below the wind (the river has 50 - 60 ft live oak trees right up to the river bank) and then learning where the eddies occur and with what wind direction is frustrating. I have had my sails trimmed and filled and with no rudder input, been taken in a full circle by the wind.
The current can be negligible or can be 2 - 3 knots, depending on Lake Okeechobee's depth and the need to de-stress the levee.
My point is that many afternoons will find me and my family on the boat drifting downriver, enjoying being on the water, and if I don't use the engine I might find myself still there 3 or 4 days later! (Hmmm, may not be a bad thing).
I will sail whenever I can and I will dock under sail whenever the conditions allow. It's practice and I simply like doing it (My show-offy side).
But there are times, especially with family, where one simply, absolutely and positively, must get back home at a time certain.
Maintain the engine and you will maintain your schedule.
But, I will always try to sail whenever possible.

Good discussions, all.

Cheers,
Ian

[Tim]

Speaking of sweet spots, what exactly is the boat you're sailing in the photo?

[Robert The Gray]

One of the attractions I have to water is it's otherness and it's risk. We do not belong there for long, our species needs land to sleep. For humans to go out on the water for any time we must take a bit of the earth with us. We untie the tether and step off into a suspended state. This earth bit is the vessel, shaped by experience and imagination. A wind vessel is special indeed. Our sails catch the local tendrils of grand global events. The spinning masses of atmosphere and land are infused with the power of the sun, and I, in my little chip of plastic, pull on a rope, brush the breeze with an idea, and begin to fly across the heavy wet sky of the sea.

I have often had the experience sailing to windward at night, with the look of the waves and wind patterns on the water giving me the impression that I am moving at great speed, when the whole entirety of it all reminds me of some heavenly choir, or a killer driving song by AC/DC. I am caught in both the glory of the present, as well as a feeling the connection to all others who have looked upon the waters as a second place to dwell. There must be some part of us all that is fed by time in this second place, away from the thoughts and patterns of everyday existence. I know that part of this place is the absence of disturbing sounds, like the motor. The hull she parts her sister the water with an ease and a thoughtful concern, guided by my own hand and capacity for understanding. That thin film of fabric, high and white in the moonlight. slices the breeze in ever cascading arcs of force and geometry. A priest of tweak, I attempt to acceive great sail trim as if in part to help me on my way to a state of grace. Of course, then the wind shifts, and the tea spills, and the hose disconnects, etc........Ah life.
Nice responses everybody, I wondered if this particular view of my own navel should have been set aside for the dark times in January but it has been great to read them all.

r

[dmairspotter]

We untie the tether and step off into a suspended state.

On one of my first solo sails years ago I pointed out of Casco Bay, headed out to sea. Being somewhat nervous, I was keeping a sharp eye all around and I watched the depth sounder numbers increase, deeper and deeper, until they passed 200 and started flashing.

I immediately had a vision as from a distance of myself in my little boat floating 200' above the ground, suspended at the insubstantial boundary of air and water. I felt very small and vulnerable. I now knew what "off soundings" meant, in the head and in the gut. I also learned a great truth of the sea...we travel there by the grace of whatever powers that be, the little strength of our little boats, and whatever skill we can muster.

No wonder sailors love their boats ....

[keelbolts]

I have jumped over the side for a bath when off soundings and, while I know I could drown in any depth of water over my head, I find jumping into deep water to have a terribly high pucker factor.

Robert The Gray,
Your "narrative" reminded me of one of my favorite nights sailing. It was a full moon summer evening, blowing about 15 out of the north, but the wind had come up so fast that the southern bay was like a pond. Favona heeled over and went like train. Nobody onboard would make a sound for fear of breaking the spell so all you heard was the sound of the bubbles going past. One of the guys on board that night started looking for a boat the next day. That was the best part of 15 years ago and the people who experienced that evening still talk about it. You won't be suprised to hear that reality reared its ugly head on the return leg and we had to limp in with a damaged main...

[Duncan]

Speaking of sweet spots, what exactly is the boat you're sailing in the photo?

Ain't she a honey? She's a (Nathaniel G.) Herreshoff 15 , 25' Loa.
Sails like a dream, hardly even makes a wake.



I think the original was 1903, but it was impossible to keep up, so they used it to cold-mold this version.
There's a wonderful photo-essay of how they did it (here), including some gorgeous sailing pictures.

[keelbolts]

Oooooooh...