Mobo bridge, What does that bit do?

[WindermereColvic]

Just poped in here from my rag-and-stick-mobile to ask what the 4 morse type (2 red, 2 black) levers do on this Grand Banks 42

You know, just in case i ever have to pinch one..
Matt

 

[RIN]

One set will operate the throttles, ones set will operate the gears F/N/R No problem as long as you remember which is which

 

[Renegade_Master]

mines got them never mixed em up yet as it happens

 

[WindermereColvic]

Thanks, So fancy berthing requires four hands?
Over on saily boats we've combined the gear selection and throttles..maybe mobos will catch up soon? Hehe sorry about that last comment, im just being annoying now.

 

[sarabande]

that's the problem with Eastern European imports. Traditionally the two engines on the left have red knobs, and the two engines on the right have green ones/ The autopilot is executing a quick turn to port. erm, I mean, to starboard

 

[timbartlett]

Thanks, So fancy berthing requires four hands?
Over on saily boats we've combined the gear selection and throttles..maybe mobos will catch up soon? Hehe sorry about that last comment, im just being annoying now.

Er, No.
Most motor boats have single-lever controls like the ones you're used to -- so for twin-engined boats, you have two levers (one for each engine).
And more and more now have electronic controls, which you don't have to push as hard, and which incorporate all sorts of other gizmos like automatic rev-matching.
But the old single lever controls were a bit unsubtle in their operation -- it was too easy to apply too much force to get out of neutral, so you ended up giving it heaps of power that you never intended. There was also the snag that with cable systems, unless both controls in the wheelhouse were in neutral, you couldn't take control on the flybridge, and vice versa.
For that reason, many older/more conservative owners of biggish motor boats preferred twin levers -- especially in the USA.
So on a boat that is designed and built to appeal to older, conservative owners, and mainly for the US market, twin-lever controls aren't a surprise.
Actually, I like them, too: they are simple, reliable, and precise. And you can swop control from upstairs to downstairs (or vice versa) without throttling back and changin into neutral. And as you seldom need more than tickover when manoeuvring, you only need one hand to operate them, because you're only using the gear shifts (the black knobs, in your pic), while leaving the throttles at tickover.
Much easier than most sailing boat engine controls, which may only have one lever, but often seem to need both hands and a hefty kick -D)

 

[RIN]

Well my boat has just the one lever per engine which put the gear into forward and increase revs as you push forward or engage reverse and increase revs as you pull backwards. So the lever is doing two things. Quite a lot of boats have the arrangement above. You put the throttles on tickover then get a more precise gear engagement as the gear lever only does one thing

 

[mikehibb]

WindermereColvic:

They are having you on a bit with their replies, please do not be easily fooled.
See that hatch on the side in the picture, well inside there are two very small people with some pedals. Those controls that you mention are attached to little bits of string attached to their ears and hands, a tug on the lever tells them what to do.

International convention states left ear forward, right ear astern, left hand peddle quicker, right hand peddle slower.

I was however wondering what the little grey joystick was, then realised that it was an older more conservative boat, so it controls the PS2 . Modern cruisers will have neat little holders for the Wii controllers.

The brown paper bag and box of tissues do not need any further explanation, these can be found on any vessel mobo or raggy.

 

[Divemaster1]

We have seperate controls similar to this setup.... Allows throttles to be operated seperately to gears...

Nice calm weather manouvering at 450 RPM, but in more windy conditions set RPM a bit higher and you have more responsive (known power) wihout having inconsistent approach by variable RPM...... of course your gearboxes needs to be capable of handling the higher RPM shifts .......

 

[David_Jersey]

I've got the twin set up on my (saily) boat - only one engine though ..........was high on my list to update to single lever, but I actually prefer the set up for slow speed manouevering - especially simply putting her into gear gives me an instant, known and certain speed (slow walking pace).

 

[Renegade_Master]

Quote from Tim
"And you can swop control from upstairs to downstairs (or vice versa) without throttling back and changing into neutral. And as you seldom need more than tickover when manoeuvring, you only need one hand to operate them, because you're only using the gear shifts (the black knobs, in your pic), while leaving the throttles at tickover


Agree 100% only yesterday I went from fly to helm to check on something so left her on autopilot, went to inner helm and just took over from there.
Came in to berth stern too, just need tickover with big old props on mine a doddle with just the gears.

 

[jfm]

Quote from Tim
"And you can swop control from upstairs to downstairs (or vice versa) without throttling back and changing into neutral. And as you seldom need more than tickover when manoeuvring, you only need one hand to operate them, because you're only using the gear shifts (the black knobs, in your pic), while leaving the throttles at tickover


Agree 100% only yesterday I went from fly to helm to check on something so left her on autopilot, went to inner helm and just took over from there.
Came in to berth stern too, just need tickover with big old props on mine a doddle with just the gears.

Though, there's no intrinsic reason why single-lever controls do not allow hotswapping. Manufs just chose to make them that way

Mechanically a single lever box is just a bunch of cams that operate the black then red. Engine end is the same as twin lever

Also electronic controls can hot swap but in most retail sales this isn't enabled in the software

There is obviously more product liability risk for builders if hot swapping is enabled. Personally I would only want it if it can be switched on/off, cos of the risks with children aboard, and the bigger the boat the worse it is cos you can't keep an eye on them!

 

[MapisM]

maybe mobos will catch up soon?

Ah, but!
Have you ever tried using that kind of throttles?
It takes a while, but once you get used to it, you'll hate single levers forever.
Btw, where throttle handling is really important - i.e. in performance boats - such arrangement is standard, though I must say that my preferred setup for twin screws is the other way round compared to the one you posted (see examples below)

 

[jfm]

Wehey Mapis! I love the Fountain dashboard - have you got a picture of the whole thing? And that's a GPS speedo that goes up to 100mph - sheesh! Lovely stuff

 

[MapisM]

Spot the location

LOL, and that's not the most peculiar gauge!
Did you see the smaller one just below? That's hard to find pretty much on any boat.

Anyway, here she is, in a fairly unusual place for a boat. Good for a "spot the location", maybe?
No pics or clips at speed (yet), they would be far more interesting, I'll see what I can do....

Oh, and in reply also to AndieMac from another thread: she's a pretty standard Fever 27 with Mercury 496HO.
Though "standard" for Fountains means Latham hydraulic steering, Mercury Racing K-Plane trim tabs, electric bolster seats, mechanical trim & tabs indicators, and so forth...

 

[oceanfroggie]

American system is a pain in the neck (ie separate gear lever)

 

[Renegade_Master]

Just be driving one of them (well to lift out and back) we are teaching the owner today, has lovely double stepped hull, this one is 37 or 38ft OA I think, 50 plus knts I believe

 

[MapisM]

Just be driving one of them...
...has lovely double stepped hull, this one is 37 or 38ft OA I think, 50 plus knts I believe

By one of them, do you mean a Fountain?
If so, I don't think there's any around which are good for JUST 50 kts.
A 38 footer can reach at least 90 mph, which might well become 110+ with the most powerful, staggered engines and #6 outdrives.

 

[MapisM]

American system is a pain in the neck (ie separate gear lever)

Same question I already made to WindermereColvic: have you actually ever used it? And if yes, for how long?
I had 4 different boats with single levers, both mono and dual engines, before the one with the black and red sticks shown above.
Admittedly, the first few moorings were a nightmare, but nowadays when I helm a boat with single levers I honestly feel it as a downgrade, in terms of control - even more so if electronic.

 

[oceanfroggie]

Yes about six months and while I did adjust to it, I personally found it less direct and basically a rather clumsy set up. It's a bit like the Windows/Apple UI v's Linux KDE/Gnome, or the iPhone v's the rest.