How slow can you go?

[burgundyben]

I have idle set a bit lower on one engine, just that engine in gear gives me 4.8 knots.

Both in gear gives me about 6.5 knots.

Last week following a boat down the river at Lymington I was having trouble keeping back, I reckon he must have been doing about 3 knots.

How slow can you go?

 

[crazy4557]

I have same problem in the river too. Always having to flick into gear for a quick burst and then neutral for a while to keep within the speed limit. Not too big an issue but some boats with sticks on can be a little slower than us, in fact I wonder if some of them are actually going anywhere or just going for a quick 'float' and then back to the berth.

 

[volvopaul]

Not slow enough , 6.5 knots at idle speed. One engine throws it too much so you have to increase speed to straighten up.

 

[epervier]

both donks at idle about 4-4.5 kts, but then again wot is only 15kts:encouragement:

 

[Firefly625]

slower than my Hardy, now a leisurely 3 knots..... nice

 

[benjenbav]

Happily for me, when I had my Aquastar at Berthon, idle on one engine gave me 4 knots (and the keel ensured progress in a straight(ish!) line) and idle on both engines took things up to an eye-watering six knots. So, berth to harbour limit on one, then second lever forward for the haul out to the end of the channel.

 

[jfm]

Around 6.8 knots with both engines in gear at idle RPM. But one engine in gear and rudders nearly hard over gives 4.5 knots and a straight line course. And if I want less than 4.5 knots I just flick in and out of gear. The cat engines also have a "slow run" switch on the dash which lowers idle speed from 650 to 500 rpm iirc, so flicking this drops speed to about 6 knots/4knots at the "cost" of engines running below official idle rpm. The slow run function self cancels once you leave harbour (ie once the ECU sees that an engine speed higher than idle has been selected)

But none of this is ever a problem - you just flick in and out of gear to get any slow speed you want

 

[whisper]

2.5-3kts. Very handy until the wind makes its presence known.

 

[Trundlebug]

How the other half live!

Idle speeds of 6.5 knots, that's our comfortable cruising speed! I'm flat out at 7.5!!

Since I've had the props repitched over the winter I've found my idle speed is now down from 3.1 to 2.6kn, and although the engines now rev more freely at the top end it's all a bit noisier at cruising speed, so I'll probably tweak them back a bit again next time.
I'm learning that propping displacement boats is a bit more of an art than the normal rule of max rated revs=max speed.

 

[CX54WEK]

Min speed, somewhere around 3 knots on a good day.

Even this can be a bit quick if we get stuck behind a narrowboat!

 

[lisilou]

I can pootle quite happily along the river at 3.5 knts if needs be.
L

 

[MYAG]

6.6 knots at idle RPM, nudging in and out of gear as needed to reduce speed.

 

[Jurgen]

TAMD 75P idle is 6.5 ish, the harbour master hasn't waved is fist at me yet on the Hamble but its only a matter of time

 

[Elessar]

But none of this is ever a problem - you just flick in and out of gear to get any slow speed you want

exactly

 

[CharlieAlpha]

TAMD 75P idle is 6.5 ish, the harbour master hasn't waved is fist at me yet on the Hamble but its only a matter of time

Andy Its the wake he shouts at had a moan at me for 5knts but the old boat kicked out a wash at that speed (seemed better at 8)

 

[julians]

About 6knts for me, and it's a bit of a problem. Because the boat is single engined and relatively small and light weight knocking it in and out of gear results in a very sudden jerk/ jolt motion which makes close quarters manuevering quite challenging.

 

[Bandit]

Mine (Aquastar 48) is about 4.5 on one engine and 5.5 on two, she has a reasonable keel so she is steerable on one if there is not too much wind.

 

[Greg2]

IIRC we do around 4 to 4.5 in tick over (Broom 41). Plenty of torque and that is all that is needed for manoeuvring in all but the windiest of conditions. Often run on one engine on the river (halves the hours and makes them work a little harder)