Are two engines better than one?

Jodles123

Jodles123

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On our trip back from Bembridge on Sunday we suffered engine failure in the middle of the Solent, and were drifting fairly rapidly into the shipping lane with two little children on board screaming in terror, and me as their mum trying to hold it all together as best I could until the lifeboat arrived. It was not a good situation.

Hubby is a marine engineer so if it could have been fixed at sea, he would have fixed it. So in a nutshell, one of my worst case scenarios came true and it's left me pretty much petrified to get back on the boat. (I'm a nervous boater anyway - the camel's back is now well and truly broken.) The engine is only 6 years old, and was serviced just a couple of months ago.

I have thrown my toys out the pram and am insisting we get a) a bigger boat - I don't think a 21 ft sports cuddy for a family of four with no kitchen facilities is adequate for boating holidays anyway, but don't get me started on that. And b) I want two engines.

Hubby is saying that twin engines might not have prevented the problem - apparently it was a problem with the fuel pipe from the tank to the engine rather than the engine itself, and he says that if twin engines share the same fuel pipe, we would still have been in the same situation. Can anyone shed any light on this? Is getting a twin engined boat really not going to make a difference?

I'd like to be looking at something like a 1999-2000 twin engine Sea Ray 270, but hubby doesn't want to spend that much (he doesn't want to spend any more than £20k). But I think we need to be seriously upping the budget in order to be safe out there or I'm done with boating.

Opinions very much welcomed....marriage guidance too. :rolleyes:

Thank you.
 
If you had completely seperate systems then two engines might have helped. Thing is most twin engine boats of that size still only have 1 fuel tank. In the situation where fuel contamination or blockage is the reason for the failure then having a second engine wouldn't help you.

I understand your concern about going back out on the boat. Was it not posdible to drop the anchor to halt your drift? We're you carrying enough chain? Could you have a mounting bracket on the stern of your boat to fit an auxiliary outboard in the case of failure again?

Twin engines do offer you a bit more redundancy for sure, but it doesn't guarantee the same thing won't happen so you should also review what to do better in that situation and ensure you are also carrying the correct equipment to handle it.
 
Jodles123 said:
On our trip back from Bembridge on Sunday we suffered engine failure in the middle of the Solent, and were drifting fairly rapidly into the shipping lane with two little children on board screaming in terror, and me as their mum trying to hold it all together as best I could until the lifeboat arrived. It was not a good situation.

Hubby is a marine engineer so if it could have been fixed at sea, he would have fixed it. So in a nutshell, one of my worst case scenarios came true and it's left me pretty much petrified to get back on the boat. (I'm a nervous boater anyway - the camel's back is now well and truly broken.) The engine is only 6 years old, and was serviced just a couple of months ago.

I have thrown my toys out the pram and am insisting we get a) a bigger boat - I don't think a 21 ft sports cuddy for a family of four with no kitchen facilities is adequate for boating holidays anyway, but don't get me started on that. And b) I want two engines.

Hubby is saying that twin engines might not have prevented the problem - apparently it was a problem with the fuel pipe from the tank to the engine rather than the engine itself, and he says that if twin engines share the same fuel pipe, we would still have been in the same situation. Can anyone shed any light on this? Is getting a twin engined boat really not going to make a difference?

I'd like to be looking at something like a 1999-2000 twin engine Sea Ray 270, but hubby doesn't want to spend that much (he doesn't want to spend any more than £20k). But I think we need to be seriously upping the budget in order to be safe out there or I'm done with boating.

Opinions very much welcomed....marriage guidance too. :rolleyes:

Thank you.
Click to expand...

I had the same worries so we went for a twin engine but we have 2 fuel tanks and everything is independent. Beneteau Antares 980 We also have 2 chartplotters powered from different sources, I'm taking no chances :) My opinion is you need a much bigger budget and if he really loved you he'd agree :encouragement:
 
Thanks for your reply, that's what hubby was pretty much saying too. Apparently he was about to drop the anchor when the lifeboat appeared (it had seen us on the offchance and come over to see if all was OK - just as I was about to call coastguard).
Am going to explore the possibility of a mounting bracket.... but if we're running to the expense of another outboard perhaps we'd do better just to upgrade the boat anyway...
 
Thank you Cathy!! :) I don't think we're in the ballpark for something with two fuel tanks. Unless it was REALLY old and then it would probably need other areas spent on....
But am going to start looking anyway.....
 
Not a nice experience at all and feel with you, but please let me try to be a bit objective in my initial resopnse;

1) it does appear that the engine was OK, but you had a problem with the fuel pipe (from the tank to the engine). A twin engine boat should have two fuel pick-up lines, so in all probability would have reduced the stress level on-board. However, the first question i have is ... "do you carry a VHF radio?" ... if not, please ensure that one of you get a license and buy one ... this is the single, lowest cost, safety measure you can get. With a VHF, you can transmit a message to the coastguard and all boats (commercial and leisure) around you will hear your predicament and will be able to come to your swift assistance. A mobile phone will not do that for you and as such is inadequate as a primary device to call for help at sea. If you do carry a VHF, then my apologies for the "lecture".

2) Bigger boat is lovely, but you need to decide on how you intend to use the boat, keep it in a marina or trailer etc., first ... and it is not just the cost of buying a bigger boat ... it does come with bigger bills as well, so may be more than just the purchase cost. There are loads of single engine boats out there, and some are crossing the Atlantic, so there are arguments for and against twin engines.... Saying that, we have two engines, but on a boat our age (30 years) with the size and speed we wanted, we did not have any choice...
 
Thanks Alf, I appreciate your thoughts. We do indeed have a VHF radio (and licence) - was literally about to make the call when the lifeboat popped up out of nowhere. (And no need to apologise for lecturing!)
The cost is definitely going to be a deciding factor....but safety is my biggest "thing" so if we can't get a boat that myself and the kids feel safe in, I think we may as well abandon the whole thing.
Thank you again for your honest response. :-)
 
Almost without exception, 2 engines = 2 independent fuel systems with only the fuel tank possibly being common to both. With a twin engine boat your issue of being stranded due to a fuel pipe would not have happened as the other engine would have carried on working, you'd just go slower.
 
I'm all for bigger boats, but I do miss my cuddy. I miss being able to put her on a trailer and do repairs and maintenance at whim without having to fork out over £500 quid just for a quick lift and hull wash, forget the hard. I miss being able to service the engine for the same price as I'd expect for a car, or being able to replace the entire outrive leg for the price it now costs me to just to do a seasonal bellows change on twins. The cost between running and maintaining a 21 foot cuddy and running and maintaining a twin engined cruiser is significant and that needs to be factored in over and above initial purchase. I went bigger for a family of 4 too, but it's a gamble, because if the engines pop I'm stuffed. The previous owner put in 46k of engine rebuild, more than the boat is worth. That puts a lot of stress on the boating experience, and takes a bit of the joy out of it. Carefree out, obsessively anal about every hiccup, in. The comment about if he loves you he would could just as easily read if he loves you he wouldn't. How good are you with the ropes? A bigger boat needs a crew. Everytime we berth my wife threatens to leave me. It's comical, but stressful. So that's just the otherside of the coin and you may want to settle for an auxiliary motor that can be strapped to a transom bracket.
 
BruceK said:
I'm all for bigger boats, but I do miss my cuddy. I miss being able to put her on a trailer and do repairs and maintenance at whim without having to fork out over £500 quid just for a quick lift and hull wash, forget the hard. I miss being able to service the engine for the same price as I'd expect for a car, or being able to replace the entire outrive leg for the price it now costs me to just to do a seasonal bellows change on twins. The cost between running and maintaining a 21 foot cuddy and running and maintaining a twin engined cruiser is significant and that needs to be factored in over and above initial purchase. I went bigger for a family of 4 too, but it's a gamble, because if the engines pop I'm stuffed. The previous owner put in 46k of engine rebuild, more than the boat is worth. That puts a lot of stress on the boating experience, and takes a bit of the joy out of it. Carefree out, obsessively anal about every hiccup, in. The comment about if he loves you he would could just as easily read if he loves you he wouldn't. How good are you with the ropes? A bigger boat needs a crew. Everytime we berth my wife threatens to leave me. It's comical, but stressful. So that's just the otherside of the coin and you may want to settle for an auxiliary motor that can be strapped to a transom bracket.
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Kev - thank you, you've hit the nail on the head there. It's the annual costs that are really going to be the dealbreaker here I think. And in answer to your question about the ropes, I am with your wife on this. I am pretty useless in fact, and hubby has said so many times - and in fact has cited it as being a primary reason for NOT getting a bigger boat. (I managed to get a Masters degree from Cambridge but can't do ropes.) It always ends in swearing, sometimes tears, and generally puts a downer on the whole trip. (I am secretly glad to see by your post that it's not just me!) Hubby has been sailing all his life and doesn't get why I would find it so hard! So - am I just compounding the problem by even considering something bigger?
 
Jodles123 said:
Hubby is saying that twin engines might not have prevented the problem - apparently it was a problem with the fuel pipe from the tank to the engine rather than the engine itself, and he says that if twin engines share the same fuel pipe, we would still have been in the same situation. Can anyone shed any light on this? Is getting a twin engined boat really not going to make a difference?
Click to expand...
In nearly 25 yrs of boating (touch wood), I have never experienced a fuel related problem which has disabled an engine but I have experienced a prop fouling on a number of occasions which has disabled an engine and other electrical/mechanical problems which have done the same, all of which have made me very thankful that I have had a 2nd engine to get me home. I have also experienced a major steering problem on one occasion and without two engines, I wouldn't have got home either

Fuel is only one of a range of issues which can disable an engine and IMHO whilst the argument that 2 engines share the same fuel tank is valid, it is not nearly enough to convince me that 2 engines are no safer than 1. Your HWMBO is quite right though as regards costs. It will cost you more to buy a twin engined boat and it will cost you more to maintain it and it will very likely cost you more in fuel
 
Jodles123 said:
Kev - thank you, you've hit the nail on the head there. It's the annual costs that are really going to be the dealbreaker here I think. And in answer to your question about the ropes, I am with your wife on this. I am pretty useless in fact, and hubby has said so many times - and in fact has cited it as being a primary reason for NOT getting a bigger boat. (I managed to get a Masters degree from Cambridge but can't do ropes.) It always ends in swearing, sometimes tears, and generally puts a downer on the whole trip. (I am secretly glad to see by your post that it's not just me!) Hubby has been sailing all his life and doesn't get why I would find it so hard! So - am I just compounding the problem by even considering something bigger?
Click to expand...


For me, boating has become a lifestyle. I'm on every weekend regardless of weather. If that life is for you then the sacrifice and finance is worth it. If it's just for thrills and spills on the water it most definitely is not. There are a few wealthy people who can afford that, I'm not one. So really it's in your mind what you want out of the boat. But the luxury of a galley and twin engines to cook an odd meal and save on having an auxiliary engine is never worth the plus 10k per annum it's going to cost. Having a boat that you overnight on regularly and need a bit of space to enjoy it, then absolutely. As for the ropes, we're learning, slowly. Me more than the wife. One day we will get there :)
 
The simplest and cheapest way to mitigate against single engine failure is some form of outboard mounted on the transom. But you need to regularly check it works ok etc .

A twin engined bigger boat will be significantly more expensive to run, and still is no guarantee you won't end up stranded.

I had a twin engined sealine where one engine failed, no problem I thought I'll just motor home on the remaining engine, all was fine until the steering failed on the remaining engine.

You cannot eliminate all risks, if you go boating often enough at some point you'll fine yourself in an uncomfortable situation that needs dealing with.

It sounds like gaining confidence would go along way to helping out in these sort of situation,not sure how to increase confidence though without just doing it all more.
 
Firstly of course, thank goodness you are all safe.
Secondly , can we please give some thought and praise to all those brave lifeboat crews out there. To all boatowners, please consider joining the RNLI and making regular donations, however small.
 
JT57 said:
Firstly of course, thank goodness you are all safe.
Secondly , can we please give some thought and praise to all those brave lifeboat crews out there. To all boatowners, please consider joining the RNLI and making regular donations, however small.
Click to expand...

Or you could donate to one of the myriad of independent inshore lifeboat stations that don't enjoy anywhere near the massive funding of the RNLI but do an equally important and courageous job.
 
I don't know if this is true or not, but I always felt that outboards are more reliable than inboard engines of any description. Certainly a lot of the fishing cats seem to be outboard powered these days.

We have a family of 5 on our 21ft Merry Fisher 645 which inside has a small galley, inside seating for 5 to face forwards, a dinette and berths for 4. Outside there is a cockpit bench that seats all 5 of us, plus the foredeck to sunbathe on. It also has a mounting bracket for an auxiliary outboard, which you can plug into the main tank or use a separate tank. I actually choose not to bother, because with petrol from garage forecourts, I think the risks are pretty low.

Might be worth investigating these type of boats as an alternative that does not escalate the costs.
 
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