Small sailboat questions - portable engines? How far can you go?

Question

I was looking into sailing lessons and was thinking of a Vanguard 15 or something similar. My question is about use.. How far can you really go in a boat this small? Up and down the coast? Also, can you use a small (2 hp) portable engine on something like this? Is it common or not?

Answer 1

A Vanguard 15's not really designed for an outboard, but it is also a very good sailboat for coastal/river/lake sailing. It's a fun boat, and how far you can go on a boat like that is somewhat limited by your physical condition because your weight keeps the boat flat, and the mainsheet is usually never actually cleated. If you look at the profile of the vanguard, the stern is so low it'd be hard to mount an outboard, and it would probably drag the stern under (even a 2 hp). If you're looking for something that you can do a little more crusing in, can handle an outboard, and is more forgiving in a sea (the vanguard is very wet to sail), then you might look at an Ensign or a Hunter 14, 147, or something that is designed to take an outboard.

Answer 2

My husband and I own a Sea Perl 21, great small boat which also takes a small outboard.  We have taken her on several trips, very nice to camp from, you can run it right up on the beach.  If you want to know more about small boat sailing check out our podcast at www.furledsails.com

Answer 3

It sounds like you're on the right track.  Sailing is just as much a skill as it is an art.  A small boat is not very forgiving and will make you a better sailor in the long term.  When I say they're not forgiving, I mean they will "tell" you when you are not trimmed right and so forth.  If you want something to hang a small motor on, look into something with a swing keel.  Easily trailerable and you can sail right up to the beach.  If it has no ballast you don't want to try to hang a motor on it.  If you capsize, the motor is ruined.  Small sailboats with no ballast besides the crew will, eventually, capsize.  

The smallest boat to ever sail around the world (to date) was about 13 feet.  It's all about the design.  There are several people now considering and planning to circumnavigate the globe in 10 foot boats.  It's all about what you are comfortable in.

Good luck!

Answer 4

The vanguard 15 is a day-sailer/club-racer and not really designed for making any extended trips.  With a hull speed of around 6-8 knots, you aren't going to cover much ground.

The 2hp motor will help you manuvering around the marinas and into shore, but good seamanship and sailing skill will make it unecessary.  Up and down the coast in a boat this size will be a very wet and extremely grueling experience.

Look into a used 25-foot-plus pocket cruiser for coastal cruising.

Answer 5

Every thing depends on the weather & your seamanship>2hp not much if you get into wind or current>