We have fickle winds here November - February. Been thinking about getting auxiliary power to make sure I can get back to the harbor if I become becalmed offshore. What auxiliary power have any of you used and, based on your experience with it, would you recommend it?
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Thanks Glenn. This is exactly the kind of critique I was hoping for.
Bob,
I've used the Torqeedo Ultralight for the past 6 seasons. The pros are that it's light, quiet, easily mounted, and easy to deploy underway. The biggest con is that at ~1HP it's not powerful enough to make upwind progress in anything but a light breeze. It also requires weight aft on the motor side to keep the prop deep enough to avoid cavitation. Despite these limitations, the outboard works for me because I only use it to get home when the wind dies or to dock. I've also found Torqeedo to be a stand-up company should you have an issue.
The unit is pricey, but significantly increases my sailing range on the Chesapeake--where our wind is fickle most of the season.
I suspect the Travel model, advertised at 3HP equivalent, does much better upwind and doesn't have the cavitation issue.
Glenn
Weta #545