The Danger of being underpowered.

[Dolphin]

There is a Farr 40 that regularly goes to sea and it is towed by a small Tinnie and heeled over by a bigger boat to get down the channel because the channel is too shallow.
Read your engine manual first because most engines are only specified to run at up to 18degress, well my Volvo is anyway.

[Democritus]

A later comment looking for answers.

"Don't try it seems to me to be the better mindset"....and had the 'tilt failed' the damage would have been worse than the 'bull at a gate' attempt...now to the "answers"

The chat began with 'underpower' and stalled. So....what IS adequate power for a Tophat25...sails up? ((which invites numerous comments on 'conditions' and sails down? . thinking of inboard and outboard. Yes one can get long shaft outboard n high Hp but are they as effective in propulsion as an inboard motor.

That seems to me to raise the question about design. To what criteria should a designer include motor power in a sail-boat? There's a limit on hull speed but speed is a secondary consideration in this discussion...it is (though it sounds the same case) 'making headway'...which, once more invites numerous scenarios...so what are looking for in terms of power (and prop) ...an optimum?...a safe margin?...what's practical?....both inboard and outboard engine. It's likely that design of a sailboat might be to reingforce to enable an outboard but if inboard space is a consideration. A 4 bolt mains chev my have more than enough power, an olds engine from a Buick skylark also...and a smaller physical size...but more likely is an 8, 10 or higher, say 18 Hp Yanmar or other Diesel. Some sail-boats around the Tophat25 type were fitted with 8Hp diesel ...I think the design criteria seems then to either 'after thought and rally just give it an engine adequate to run it in good sea conditions or to be maneuvering the boat for short distances with sails down or puttering along hoping to strike wind...of course other situations can be experienced or 'hypothetical'...

So...underpower warning noted...ut what engineering-common sense alternatives are available?..What IS adequate power?..is there such a thing as "Optmum" and "realistic".