New build Sanlorenzo SL96A 2024

[jfm]

That’s a lovely thing but with the separate driver’s compartment it’s more suitable for fully crewed ops where the tender is only ever driven by staff. Suspect jfm wants to do a bit of driving plus letting friends and families have a go - hence the ultra deep vee hull on the Ribeye and the very forgiving and non-marking tubes, plus the uber-reliable Yam o/b with easy to clear prop.

100% bjb

 

[jfm]

Very nice RIB - it sure does look very high quality from the pictures. I imagine that the U-seating at the bow is intended for 4 people. If that is the case, then I thought the second set of hand rails at the bow seems to be placed a bit far aft (see red oval in the picture below). Wouldn't it be more comfortable for passengers with a few more (or wider) hand rails? This is a genuine questions as I have never been onboard a RIB of this caliber, so I don't know if it's needed (or if the hand rails are actually cleats? )

I know some people in the Med prefer Williams or other jet tenders because they are concerned about outboard propellers and potential accidents if there's people swimming near the boat. This is probably more relevant for your Novurania/tender, but do you share that concern and are you planning to cage the prop somehow?

View attachment 154952

Thanks Roa123.
You're right about those handles (they are soft handles, not cleats). I have just aksed Ribeye to put 3 each side one extra in the middle of each pair shown on the render - that will be no problem as a spec change.

As for propeller, no it won't be caged. While this boat will be driven by crew and friends, it won't be driven by anyone not suitable experienced, and if there are going to be swimmers in the water the drivers will only be very extra careful/trusted people. We are religious about switching the engine off, not merely putting it in neutral, if there are swimmers. I go crazy if I'm the swimmer/water skier and the tender driver doesn't switch the engine off. I don't want it in neutral, I want it off! Over the years a few people have said "it wears the starter motor out" but that's just garbage.

By the way, no-one should think jet drives are safe when you have women/girls with long hair. I always switch them off too and that will be the religion followed with the Williams tender on this new project.

 

[jfm]

Presumably fitted wit YCOP (if that still exists).
I fitted my 70 on the Novurania with YCOP after a discussion with you.

We are trying "YCop version 2" on this new boat, Hurricane, called EKS

Be very careful with YCop version 1, that you have and that I had on the 70hp. It's unreliable. Mine failed, and the engine ran fine till 2500rpm then stuttered. I fiddled for ages trying to fix it, then finally realised it was YCop. My (100% excellent) local dealer had to fit a whole new ECU, for something like €1,500, and a lot of mid-season hassle. I didn't refit the YCop or a new YCop and that dealer told me they never fit YCop version 1 because so many of them fail.

FWIW, the new ECU also zero-ed the engine hours.

Sorry to be bearer of (slightly) bad news, though if yours has worked fine for a few years it should be ok. But if the engine starts fine then stutters at about 2500rpm, think YCop!

 

[Commercial Dave]

I find the neutral lock very useful for situations where you don't want there to be any chance of the propellers spinning without having to turn the engines off, e.g. when removing the kill cord to change drivers, or when there are people nearby in the water.

The neutral lock is engaged with a button that is very difficult to press by accident - much more difficult than accidentally engaging the throttles which can be easily done by someone tripping over or even trying to squeeze between another person and the console.

For an added layer of security you can engage the neutral lock and then push the throttle levers into the forward idle detent. Nothing will happen and you have to bring both throttles back into the neutral position to disengage the neutral lock, so three positive actions are required to make the propellers turn.

 

[Hurricane]

We are trying "YCop version 2" on this new boat, Hurricane, called EKS

Be very careful with YCop version 1, that you have and that I had on the 70hp. It's unreliable. Mine failed, and the engine ran fine till 2500rpm then stuttered. I fiddled for ages trying to fix it, then finally realised it was YCop. My (100% excellent) local dealer had to fit a whole new ECU, for something like €1,500, and a lot of mid-season hassle. I didn't refit the YCop or a new YCop and that dealer told me they never fit YCop version 1 because so many of them fail.

FWIW, the new ECU also zero-ed the engine hours.

Sorry to be bearer of (slightly) bad news, though if yours has worked fine for a few years it should be ok. But if the engine starts fine then stutters at about 2500rpm, think YCop!

Oh dear
Do you know if there is a way to remove the YCOP before it fails?

 

[jfm]

Absolutely - in the unlocked mode, just remove it. It's mostly a plug in and play device, so easily removed.

 

[jfm]

I find the neutral lock very useful for situations where you don't want there to be any chance of the propellers spinning without having to turn the engines off, e.g. when removing the kill cord to change drivers, or when there are people nearby in the water.

The neutral lock is engaged with a button that is very difficult to press by accident - much more difficult than accidentally engaging the throttles which can be easily done by someone tripping over or even trying to squeeze between another person and the console.

For an added layer of security you can engage the neutral lock and then push the throttle levers into the forward idle detent. Nothing will happen and you have to bring both throttles back into the neutral position to disengage the neutral lock, so three positive actions are required to make the propellers turn.

Ah, thank you, that's very good to hear. I wasn't aware that Helm Master EX had this neutral lock function.

 

[Elessar]

Ah, thank you, that's very good to hear. I wasn't aware that Helm Master EX had this neutral lock function.

The religion of engine off still best for the inexperienced though.
Because the action is visible from the mothership and they know they will risk your wrath.

 

[Commercial Dave]

Ah, thank you, that's very good to hear. I wasn't aware that Helm Master EX had this neutral lock function.

It's a fairly standard thing on digital engine control now and replaces the old mechanical shift disconnect which was usually achieved by pushing some sort of button on the side of the remote box which would mechanically decouple the shift cable from the throttle levers. The main advantages of the digital system being that the throttles retain the idle detent rather than just flopping around since there is no mechanical disconnection, and a positive action is required to disengage the neutral lock rather than just pushing the throttles back through the neutral position.

On Helm Master the button is labelled "Neutral Hold". Suzuki call it "Throttle Only" mode.

 

[jfm]

Ah ok, got it. Yes I see, it's just the electronic equivalent of the mechanical device of old, and you're saying it usefully serves as a safety device when swimmers are in the water. Excellent stuff, thanks

 

[jfm]

Thanks Roa123.
You're right about those handles (they are soft handles, not cleats). I have just aksed Ribeye to put 3 each side - one extra in the middle of each pair shown on the render - that will be no problem as a spec change.

@roa123, Ribeye have already this morning updated the build spec to include your extra handles on the tubes near the bow seating, and sent me this drawing

 

[Elessar]

It's a fairly standard thing on digital engine control now and replaces the old mechanical shift disconnect which was usually achieved by pushing some sort of button on the side of the remote box which would mechanically decouple the shift cable from the throttle levers. The main advantages of the digital system being that the throttles retain the idle detent rather than just flopping around since there is no mechanical disconnection, and a positive action is required to disengage the neutral lock rather than just pushing the throttles back through the neutral position.

On Helm Master the button is labelled "Neutral Hold". Suzuki call it "Throttle Only" mode.

So if

You press throttle only
You go into the forward gear indent on the throttle lever

Then you stay in neutral and if the lever is knocked forward the engine revs and no harm is done.

This I get.

But if you return to neutral position on the lever, on my boat this cancels the neutral hold.

Are you sure you have to press to un-cancel the hold?

Because on mine if you were at the forward indent and knocked it full astern, it would cancel the neutral hold as the lever passes through the neutral position.

Just as the old mechanical levers used to do.

 

[jfm]

Ellesar, for Yamaha, I'll tell you in June, on delivery
I agree everything you say in post 388 btw.
But useful to hear Commercial Dave's info too, imho.

 

[Commercial Dave]

So if

You press throttle only
You go into the forward gear indent on the throttle lever

Then you stay in neutral and if the lever is knocked forward the engine revs and no harm is done.

This I get.

But if you return to neutral position on the lever, on my boat this cancels the neutral hold.

Are you sure you have to press to un-cancel the hold?

Because on mine if you were at the forward indent and knocked it full astern, it would cancel the neutral hold as the lever passes through the neutral position.

Just as the old mechanical levers used to do.

In my limited experience of fly-by-wire boats (which is mainly Suzuki), yes. It won't come out of throttle only until you are in neutral and press the button, regardless of whether you move the throttle levers between neutral and forward/astern position. In fact I'm pretty sure that if you do select forward/reverse gear while you are in throttle only you get a warning beep to remind you.

From the Helm Master EX DEC manual:

Neutral hold switch​

When activated, the neutral hold switch allows opening the throttles of all engines, without engaging
forward or reverse gear.
How to operate
1. Move the remote control levers to the N position.
2. When the “NEUTRAL HOLD” switch is pressed, the beep sounds and the LED turns on.
3. Moving the remote control levers forward or reverse allows you to open and close the throttles.
How to release
1. Move the remote control levers to the N position.
2. When the “NEUTRAL HOLD” switch is pressed, the beep sounds and the LED turn off.

So it sounds like it works exactly the same way as Suzuki's system.

 

[jfm]

Sounds good. Thank you C'Dave

 

[Alicatt]

The religion of engine off still best for the inexperienced though.
Because the action is visible from the mothership and they know they will risk your wrath.

Out diving in Wick Bay and returning to the surface, watching the lovely white stripes getting put along the ceiling along with the noise of the Johnson outboard going full chat drawing said lines. That was the last time we let that lad be boatman, we had to swim to the shore to get him to stop zooming around on my dory. 'Twas quite scary at first seeing the propellor going round and the bubbles coming out the back of it from about 3 meters below it.
Sometimes the most innocuous seeming lad can turn out to be a demon when he gets behind the helm. I suppose it was our fault too in not briefing him properly, certainly after that a full no nonsense briefing was given to whomever was acting as top cover/boatman/person.

 

[Whopper]

Amazing rib. Does it have some form of gps cruise control with the fly by wire? Very handy for water sports and particularly for beginners at lower speeds.

 

[jfm]

Amazing rib. Does it have some form of gps cruise control with the fly by wire? Very handy for water sports and particularly for beginners at lower speeds.

Yup the Yamaha EX throttle box has cruise control.

You select on the touch screen display whether you want the cruise control to maintain a constant rpm or constant gps speed.

Then there is a rocker switch on the side of the throttle lever, allowing you to lock and hold your current rpm or speed, and to dial the held rpm or speed up or down.

 

[jfm]

Ribeye just fitted the engine and sent me these pics today. Looks quite decent
The engine is correctly not centred- its an inch or so offset to starboard.

 

[Elessar]

Ribeye just fitted the engine and sent me these pics today. Looks quite decent
The engine is correctly not centred- its an inch or so offset to starboard.

Ok I’m confused by the offset.

With a RH prop and a centred engine, the boat has a tendency to go left. Offset to the left to counteract. Your offset is the wrong way in my simple mind.

I don’t doubt that ribeye have it right so please explain why my thinking is flawed!

Are the engine decals and paint custom BTW? It does indeed look decent. In Wales it would be “half tidy”.