A reader’s proposal. A second engine to avoid accidents. Why not?

Alfonso Paci is an avid reader of the Journal of Sailing and decided to send us this article in which he makes an interesting reflection, which we offer you pending comments…

The recent accident to thebeached Oceanis 473 in Caorle has much in common with what happened in April 2017 to the 15-meter Bavaria that crashed into the reef in Rimini harbor. In both cases, during the maneuver to approach the harbor, the skipper lost the help of the engine and could no longer maneuver the boat safely and complete the landing maneuver.

Fortunately, no fatalities were reported in the Caorle accident, unlike the Rimini accident where the four crew members lost their lives.

Any sailboat, at least those under 24 meters, are equipped with a single engine for propulsion. Working in a very aggressive environment, wear and tear on mechanical parts is very important, and in order to maintain an acceptable level of reliability and efficiency, it is important to carry out preventive maintenance activities with some regularity, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Precisely because of the difficult conditions in which the engine operates, despite the fact that it is well maintained, it may happen that it shuts down due to causes related to the weather conditions of the moment: for example, think of the wave motion of the boat, which may result in the improper draught of fuel or the movement of any deposit in the fuel tank obstructing the fuel pathway.

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Since a single engine is in charge of propulsion, when it shuts down there is no possibility of maneuvering and the boat will be at the mercy of the sea.

Considering the untold damage that would be incurred in this scenario, e.g., loss of life, why not provide for an additional engine that can be used in case of failure of the main one? The power of such an engine may be of less than the main engine, sufficient to maneuver the boat while realizing sufficient speeds to allow the rudder to function.

In the case of axle-line transmission, an electric motor, equipped with variable RPM, could be connected to the diesel engine through in a single transmission box.

The technology is already available on the market (one example: https://www.brunvoll.no/products/automation-systems) and its application in the field of boating could decrease accidents, avoiding the possible loss of life that could occur in the case of more unfortunate accidents. It would be like applying current hybrid car technology to boats, greatly increasing the safety of boating.

The same technology could be applied to S-drive transmissions.

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It is clear that the whole system would increase the cost of the boat but still tolerable considering the consistent increase in safety and the reduced risk of the loss of the boat as a result of an accident.

Alfonso Paci

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