T&T: cheap fuel

[Robert Phillips]

< Sails anyone?

Larry Z >

Being a sailmaker, I can speak for the relative values of sails  
versus fuel; fuel is cheaper in an economical boat like mine.  If she  
was a sailboat, a suit of sails would run well north of $20K, last  
five to six years down here.  In eight years of ownership I haven't  
used $7K in fuel, so am well ahead.  Sails deteriorate when they  
aren't in use, whereas the costs of not operating my machinery are  
fixed at near zero.  Every sailboat I know of a like size puts on  
almost as many hours and seems to motor more than they sail.   
Certainly the gens are running just as much.

Mirabella V, the largest sloop in the world, isn't allowed to use any  
of the sails other than the staysail (smallest headsail) unless on  
charter or with the owner.  Trans-Atlantic deliveries are done  
motoring with the staysail as a steadying sail.  Why?  The mainsail  
alone is almost a million dollars, the engine a quarter of that.

By the time you have paid for the rig, rigging, keel to offset the  
rig, and sails, you could have had some really really nice engines  
and fuel for life.

Bob Phillips,
Doyle Sailmakers BVI, Ltd
Another Asylum, Tortola, BVI