Hi Mike, While speculating, you may not have considered a setup such as I have. I believe it may allay some of your fears. My single Lugger drives a 165A Balmar and a hydraulic pump for the steering gear. The Yanmar pony engine has an identical alternator, and I will be retrofitting a second alternator to it soon. The Yanmar is used, once a day, when at anchor to make and heat water and to charge the batteries. This useage assures the pony is well-loaded and isn't neglected. In the finest tradition of PNW fishing boats, it's a very simple setup. There is no genset. Everything is DC, except the nav computer and the microwave. Naturally, there is no AC, which is patently silly anyway. Before anyone flames me for that, consider that despite living most of my life in Vermont, I adapted easily, years ago at the tender age of 50, to sailing in the tropics for 3-5 month per year without AC. Funny how humans lived in the tropics for centuries without it, and how it's such an expensive and PITA "must" for trawler owners. What would you propose as an alternative to the pony engine and its "fragile" stern gear? My boat sailed in the Bahamas, Central America, Canadian Maritimes, the US East coast, the PNW, Alaska, the entire West coast of the Americas, the Chilean canals, around the Horn, the Falklands, Brazil, and Caribbean over the 10 years the PO had her and never had a problem with the pony's stern gear. I'd say that's a pretty good record. Regards, John "Seahorse" Mike Maurice writes: I had a long talk with an acquaintance over the weekend about get home engines, versus twins, versus singles. Considering the cost of a wing engine, I conclude that one would be better off with a heavier duty single with redundant accessories. I suggest that it is an amateur notion that for the same amount of expense that the wing engine is the better investment. Small engines with small shafts outboard of the centerline are vulnerable and weak. I am sympathetic to the get home concept, but would rather have the main working than any wing engine filling in. I am suspicious that the wing engine leads to complacency about maintenance of the main engine. This complacency is subtle and may be a problem even for owners who are nominally pretty rigorous about maintenance. You can buy a heck of a lot of spare parts, spares kits, tools and pre installed parts for the price of a wing engine with shaft, transmission, propeller, strut and all of it's combined maintenance. The wing engine requires less thought and experience and in a sense is a no brainer. But...well, you've heard by observations. Mike Reply to: John@Camm.us

Truelove39@aol.com At 12:45 PM 1/12/05 -0500, you wrote: >Canadian Maritimes, the US East coast, the PNW, Alaska, the entire West >coast of the Americas, the Chilean canals, around the Horn, the Falklands, >Brazil, and Caribbean over the 10 years the PO had her and never had a >problem with the pony's stern gear. I'd say that's a pretty good record. I think many of you have misinterpreted my comments. But, here is some clarification. I do not think that any single configuration of engine, wing, etc. is the solution in all cases. Every single decision has it's advantages and disadvantages. If you put in a wing engine and don't maintain the main because of complacency and the main fails, you will have been confirmed in your conclusion to have put in the wing in the first place. It is difficult to tell whether the wing engine is more or less to susceptible to damage, than the main is to a catastrophic failure. I have 40 years of professional experience with all of this. My conclusions are that a single main may be preferable to a main and a wing. At the very least, those who have less experience are less in a position to make the argument one way or the other. But, they are entitled to their opinion. I consider my role in all this to challenge the assumptions that a wing engine is the solution in all cases. Since I have the experience to back up my argument and since I believe in that experience, it would be intellectually dishonest on my part to argue otherwise. What anyone else does with the information and my opinion is their affair. But, I make it a point to be frank. By the way, I use my own advise. This is not one of those cases where you should do as I say, rather than what I do in practice. After all, I end up with single screw boats that almost never have wing engines or any get home device. Regards, Mike Capt. Mike Maurice Tualatin(Portland), Oregon