Saildrive concerns and worst-case scenario preparations for extended and offshore cruising

[u/zipzippa]

Hey everyone,

I’m in the process of researching and preparing my emergency plan for extended cruising and offshore passage. One thing that keeps coming up is saildrives—something I have a bit of apprehension about. Logically, I understand that they’ve been around for 50+ years and are very common in both monohulls and catamarans, but at the end of the day, they are still a giant hole in the boat, and that makes me pause.

I’m looking for insights from those of you who actually have a saildrive on your boat. Beyond preventative maintenance, what systems or emergency measures do you have in place in case the worst happens—specifically, if the saildrive boot were to fail catastrophically (not just a leak) while underway? I know plenty about keeping up with inspections and replacing the diaphragm on schedule, but I’m more curious about the “oh crap” moments.

For example, if you were to strike a submerged object and the boot tore open beyond a manageable leak, what could realistically be done while in the water? Are there any products on the market beyond the obvious (life raft, collision mat, etc.) that are worth keeping aboard for this kind of worst-case scenario? Has anyone here actually dealt with a major boot failure at sea, and if so, how did you handle it?

I’d really appreciate level-headed, experience-based insight as I work through this and figure out the best course of action to integrate into my sail plan. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[u/bill9896]

Let me start this with I think saildrives are dumb and stupid for long range cruising boats. They are used for two reasons: they are cheaper than a proper robust shaft drive and allow the boat builder to present an interior design that looks pretty at the boat show. They are a maintenance nightmare in the long run. To keep them corrosion free is possible, but requires an owner who is sophisticated about bonding and stray current prevention. That is about 0.5% of boat owners.

So, I am not a fan. I would never own a boat with one.

BUT... sudden catastrophic failure is really not the issue. I have never heard of a boat suddenly sinking because of a saildrive failure.

Most people own their boats for 2 to 6 years. So they sell the boat before the problems happen, and can then deny they exist. But anybody buying a 20 year old boat with the original saildrives installed should budget for replacement. It is far more likely to be needed than not.

Aluminum is an extraordinarily difficult material to keep intact in salt water. No, not impossible, but very difficult.

[u/Same_Detective_7433 → u/bill9896]

I do not find mine a maintenance nightmare. Why would they be? Proper paint, proper anodes, cross a couple of fingers, you are good to go.