Handling with twin outdrives......

[ari]

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Why are engines closer together??

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I think it's to get the legs deeper in the water.

If you think about it, due to the V of the hull the nearer the centreline they are, the lower you can cut the holes that the transom shields go through.

Bearing in mind they're hung out the back, keeping them deep to keep them in the water in rough conditions is more relevent than shafts where they're further forward in the boat, and the shafts exit under the boat, not out the back.

 

[Renegade_Master]

are you a body guard Mike?

 

[dog]

Thanks to all who have posted- not been near a computer all weekend, but has just made very interesting reading. I have been doing as you suggest Julie and have just been playing about. She is very easy and predictable in no wind and tide- managed to turn and berth her easy on just engines alone on Sat morning in another marina (no one I know looking!!) Then coming back into my own marina Sat afternoon turned her perfectly toward berth on just engines then got blown sideways before I had a chance to correct it (guess what- huge audience on shore and pontoons and looked a right prat!!) Give me back my single outdrive- I was much better with that!!!!

 

[ari]

Drive it like your single outdrive boat, but use the outside engine in a turn to give it more leverage.

Engines alone with helm central a non starter in any kind of wind.

You should find it easier with twin outdrive than single once you get used to it.

Good luck!

 

[PhilF]

I would agree with that, just having changed from outdrives to shafts, quite different, more bite, more response

 

[powerskipper]

when you are out side the marina it's worth if your not sure what wind and tide are doing , to just stop the boat for a min or 30 sec and see what happens to her, if the wind/tide is/can be different near your berth , try stopping in a safe bit and see what she does, if you can use this to help you berth.

 

[terryw]

I am going back to outdrives from shafts. Personally I could not get on with shafts as well as outdrives

 

[dog]

Thanks for that info- very useful. I have been playing around with engines and steering- and she seems to be very similar to the other boat as she is only slightly larger. I had been led to believe that steering as well as engines was a big no-no with twins and that I was doing something terribly wrong by trying to do so. I definately discovered at the weekend that engines alone in the wind are certainly not enough on my boat. I will just have to keep playing around until I get the hang of it I guess. To date have only been making a mess of it going slowly- and am starting to get the hang of handling using just the engines. I am used to being able to handle the old boat without even thinking about it- so its rather depressing to be cr*p at it again!!!