Updated on March 9th, 2025
Motorsailers are usually classified as motor vessels, not sailing yachts. A motorsailer is a compromise, and like any compromise, it has its advantages and disadvantages. Today, in the light of environmental and climate marathons, interest in them seems to be returning.
We can say that this is an intermediate class of yachts, but basically these are displacement vessels, often of the trawler type, supplemented by simple sailing equipment, which is sometimes rightly considered as an emergency option, in case of failure of the main engine. Sometimes the location of the mast (behind the superstructure) allows only the mainsail to be carried, but some options also provide for the installation of a staysail. Two-masted designs are also common.
Due to their design, motorsailers are very poor under sail. They do not have a ballast keel, the lateral resistance of the hull is low, and its windage together with the superstructure is too large. You can forget about sailing steeply upwind under one sail. In addition, the sail area is much smaller than on a regular sailing yacht.
However, there are exceptions, such as the Nordhavn 56MS, which has a full mast capable of carrying not only a large mainsail with a furling staysail, but also a spinnaker. And although its efficiency is still far from that of a true keel sailboat, the plans show that special attention was paid to the boat’s ability to sail well.
It is worth noting that two owners of these boats that we knew of eventually switched to full-fledged trawlers from Selene and Nordhavn.
Technically, traditional Turkish wooden gulets are motorsailers, which partly explains their popularity in the charter business. They can carry two masts, but the sails are mostly raised only for guests to take their holiday photos. In fact, many of them do not have any sails on board at all.
There have been many different attempts to create experimental motorsailers, including even semi-planing hulls with lifting keels, but most of them were unsuccessful and did not find any response in the hearts of yachtsmen, who, after many years of experimentation, came to the conclusion that the most versatile option is still a trawler with a mast. A large percentage of them have a steel hull – mainly old boats from the Netherlands. But fiberglass, which allows you to create any hull contours, you are much more likely to find on more modern models.
The perfect boat for cruising
They say that a motor sailer offers the best of both worlds. And indeed, some designs are close to being the perfect yacht for long cruising. The sail is very often raised when going under the motor in favorable winds, which allows you to save a lot of fuel. In addition, in strong waves, with the right setting, the sail can act as a stabilizer.
Usually, on sailing yachts, maintenance and especially regular replacement of all rigging is not a cheap pleasure. But for a typical motorsailer, this is not so important, since the load on the sailing rig in this case is much less and the wear is not so strong.
Why do you need a motorsailer?
We can say that for many former sailors, this becomes an alternative option in old age, when it is already difficult to manage a full-fledged sailing rig, the constant heel is tiring, and purely motor yachts cause rejection for some personal beliefs. Yes, most of the time you now go under the motor (however, as before, on your sailboat), but you know that you have a small mast and a sail on board, so it’s like you haven’t gone completely over to the dark side.
A motorsailer is very well suited for travel, since it is not too gluttonous, very comfortable, habitable, and a shallow draft allows you to approach close to unequipped shores and go deep into the continents along inland waters. In combination with a folding mast, allowing you to pass under any bridge, a motorsailer is an ideal option for many.
Inferior to sailboats in performance when sailing, and also inferior to planing cabin cruisers in speed under the motor, a motorsailer far surpasses them all in reliability, safety, habitability, economy and seaworthiness. After all, in fact, this is a trawler that has a backup and can be controlled with one hand. It allows you to preserve the romance of sailing, even if the sail on it will be raised only a couple of times per season.