LESSON 9: USING THE ENGINE

Easy Wind and almost every other sailboat that is her size has an auxiliary engine - an inboard engine mounted deep in the bilge (inside bottom) of the boat, or an outboard motor mounted on the stern. These engines are used for getting under way, for maneuvering in crowded areas, or for coming into a dock or mooring. They might also be used in situations where the wind is too light for sailing.

Inboard engines are either gasoline powered or diesel powered. This refers to the kinds of fuel they use. Easy Wind's engine is gasoline powered, and we have to take some extra precautions against fire because gasoline is much more volatile than diesel oil. Before starting the engine we run an electric blower fan that sucks all the old air out of the bilge and allows new air to replace it. This is because gasoline fumes are heavier than air. If any fumes happen to be present, they would sink to the bottom of the hull (the bilge) and be trapped there. Any stray spark resulting from starting or running the engine could ignite these fumes. The practice called "blowing the bilge" is a standard safety procedure on all boats powered by inboard gasoline engines.

Another danger in running the engine is the possibility that a line from the boat could become wrapped around the propeller shaft. For this reason, it is especially important that all lines used for the sails or mooring be secured on deck or put away so that they don't fall into the water and trail under the boat while the engine is in use. One precaution used to prevent lines from straying overboard is the simple figure 8 knot. Tying a figure 8 in the end of each jib sheet and the main sheet will help keep these lines in the boat and easy to reach. When sailing, the windward jib sheet is always loose, but the figure eight knot keeps the line on board. When not sailing, both jib sheets need to be pulled snug and cleated. (The jib itself will be rolled up like a window shade on the forestay of the boat).

The engine is started in neutral and put into gear when the boat is ready to get under way. Always look to see that water is flowing through the newly started engine because this water cools the engine. Without such cooling the engine would soon overheat and stall. Overheating can cause permanent damage to an engine. You can see water squirting down from the back of most outboard motors and, on inboard engines, it comes out the tail pipe with the exhaust.

Once the engine is in gear and the boat is under way the speed can be adjusted with the throttle lever until a comfortable rate has been reached. However, the Easy Wind will only travel 6 or 7 knots (nautical miles per hour) no matter how fast we run the engine. This maximum speed is called the "hull speed". The longer the boat, the greater the hull speed. So it is important to run the engine just fast enough to reach hull speed and not to try to run it any faster - it just wastes fuel and wears out the engine faster.

When coming into a dock or a mooring under power it is important to approach very slowly. When we have almost reached the final destination (dock or mooring) we shift the engine into reverse. This makes the propeller turn backward and acts like a brake, stopping the boat. With skill and practice, we can bring the boat alongside the dock and stop it in place before we tie up. However, just in case we have misjudged our speed, have a docking line available that stops the boat and draws it in closer to the dock. We need to have our docking lines ready and choose the right knot to tie up the boat. There may be cleats on the dock or pilings (posts) to tie to. A bowline will work on either a cleat or a piling, but you may want to use your cleating skills instead (this will allow you to adjust the length of the line even if the line is loaded (tight). On a piling you use a clove hitch for the same reason. As soon as the boat is safely secured to the dock or the mooring, turn the engine off.



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