a minimal propulsion system…

A must-read, some science death spiral, and in the “just in case you have not been paying attention” department…

I’ve been thinking a lot about sailboat propulsion systems of late. I’ll be honest and say that the whole auxiliary propulsion thing makes my head hurt.

The big issue is I only want a minimal propulsion system that allows one to get in or out of tight spaces at maneuvering speed which is dead slow. Where it gets problematic is that everyone’s idea of an auxiliary propulsion is something entirely different than that. Popular wisdom tells me that I need a 40HP engine with a huge battery bank and all the expensive bits to make it work.

Apparently, popular wisdom is not on the same page that I am…

Now, from where I sit, my want list for a simple minimal propulsion system is pretty spartan.

• A small motor able to push the boat at about a knot or so
• An hours’ worth of power storage

Like I said, spartan. Actually, my research tells me that a 12 or 24-volt motor with a single 12 or 24-volt 100 AH lithium battery or a 200 AH in lead acid would do the trick. The advantage of a small propulsion battery bank is that it is a lot easier to charge and could easily be kept charged with a single dedicated solar panel. So, no solar farm needed.

It might help if you think of this minimal propulsion system more as filling the same sort of need or niche as a bow thruster or electric windlass does.

The important thing to keep in mind is that our main propulsion is sails. Our travels are powered by the wind. Sure, it’s not a system for everyone but it will work for us.