Do you carry a Paddle on your boat?

[pgandw]

What I found is that most small sailboats can be "sculled" moving the rudder back and forth with a slow to medium methodical motion.  The racing rules I learned forbid sculling with the rudder because it was pretty effective in extremely light airs.  Our dinghy sailing team occasionally practiced sculling as a way to get to the dock.

When I had my motor issues, I found my 19ft Stuart (ODay) Mariner sculls pretty nicely.  Tends to get old after 100yds or so, but it worked to get me back to the dock when the motor failed.

Fred W
Stuart Mariner #4133  Sweet P
Yeopim Creek, Albemarle Sound, NC

[Brian N.]

Tried sculling with the P165 a couple of times when there was no wind. Not too effective; very little forward motion for the effort involved. But I guess if there is nothing else it could work for a short distance, without wind or current.

[noelH]

Vela is a Sage 15 sloop @~800# of displacement. Relatively large rudder blade allows sculling, but not the most effective if any chop or breeze. Plus even in the calm cannot break the 2 kt mark.  Do carry an inexpensive 2 piece SUP paddle.  Much more efficient than rudder sculling in terms of speed.  In dead calm and flat seas can push Vela easily up to +2 kts. One day paddled ~1 nm for ~30 minutes before dropping the Torqueedo electric motor.  No sweating cruising at 3.5kts:).

After being bumped twice while tied up waiting in line at the ramp pier I now keep a boat hook in the cockpit when leaving and entering the marina. 2# dingy anchor is the "lunch hook" and  emergency brake.  But I have always forget to pull it out of the cockpit storage compartment. So far, lucky enough not to need it.