Stuck in neutral

Rappey said:
I can't speak for how it is around Conwy. Maybe it is different ?
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Conwy estuary tidal currents run in excess of 4knts. If you dont have an aux and you have a problem you can get yourself into a heap of trouble real quick. The currents out in Conwy Bay and Liverpool Bay run to 2 and in places 3knts plus. Again you can get into a lot of trouble quite quickly. Not having a kicker on standby is imo placing reliance on rescue when in difficulty and you could get yourself into trouble quicker than the rescue response time which to be fair is excellent but the conditions potentially challenging.

JayCbee said:
Thanks all I’ll report back. Just out of interest. How many hps should an aux have. Mainly Conwy river but we do local little sea trips if calm sea. I don’t want to spend loads but don’t want to undercook it. Speed not an issue you know just limp to safety. 16foot microplus 501 Explorer. Hence not much in the sea Unless conditions ok mainly sticking to river.
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As I said in a previous thread the river may appear safer but the truth is otherwise. If the sea conditions allow get out to sea. A 4hp should be enough to give you a modicum of control of your boat and a 2 stroke of that size will weigh about 12 kilo and can be found for about £400. Just remember a kicker is worse than useless if it doesnt run and will complicate your situation if it isnt immediately available so get in the habit of running it once each trip. A drop down bracket for it so it can be carried and deployed immediately will be another 100 or so quid. Have a look at the other small craft in the marina with this solution to get an idea of whats available to you.
 
BruceK said:
Conwy estuary tidal currents run in excess of 4knts. If you dont have an aux and you have a problem you can get yourself into a heap of trouble real quick. The currents out in Conwy Bay and Liverpool Bay run to 2 and in places 3knts plus. Again you can get into a lot of trouble quite quickly. Not having a kicker on standby is imo placing reliance on rescue when in difficulty and you could get yourself into trouble quicker than the rescue response time which to be fair is excellent but the conditions potentially challenging.



As I said in a previous thread the river may appear safer but the truth is otherwise. If the sea conditions allow get out to sea. A 4hp should be enough to give you a modicum of control of your boat and a 2 stroke of that size will weigh about 12 kilo and can be found for about £400. Just remember a kicker is worse than useless if it doesnt run and will complicate your situation if it isnt immediately available so get in the habit of running it once each trip. A drop down bracket for it so it can be carried and deployed immediately will be another 100 or so quid. Have a look at the other small craft in the marina with this solution to get an idea of whats available to you.
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Hi. I’m seeing some New 2 and 4 stroke 4hps Outboard’s for Around 200 to 300. As an auxiliary assume it’s the hps that’s important. I’ve see the transom attachment for around 80. I’d like to get it sorted for 300 max. Looking to upgrade boat next year. So as long as have min 4 hps and appropriate shaft assume will be ok?
 
New 4hp outboards for £2-300, dont bother seriously. No point is putting half assed safety equipment on and finding it lets you down when you need it most.
 
A little 4 hp is never a waste of money. Great for a future tender and if you buy the one I showed above if still available it will resell for more than you bought it for. 2 strokes are banned from new now and getting a diddy 12 kilo jobbie will soon be harder to find than hens teeth and much sought after. 8 to 10hp engines second hand are now fetching more than when they were bought.
 
Do you all really think it necessary to have a backup engine on a (normally) single engined boat?

I've had a fair few single engined boats and never felt the need for a backup engine.


I've had a few mechanical issues with them but never failed to get back under my own steam. In fact the only time I had to be towed back to the marina was in a boat with two engines .
 
See post 21.

I believe in self sufficiency first, rescue second. If you're happy being helpless knock yourself out and wait for somebody to rescue your sorry butt.

Did the OP need rescuing in the marina? Yes. In the marina mind. The estuary in full spate is not to be trifled with. It's claimed more boaty folk lives than the surrounding sea has.
 
julians said:
Do you all really think it necessary to have a backup engine on a (normally) single engined boat?

I've had a fair few single engined boats and never felt the need for a backup engine
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I thought that way but I'm in the solent area so you're never really far away from a tow if you ever needed it.
Getting swept away in a more remote area , then I can see the safety aspect of having an auxiliary
 
BruceK said:
Conwy estuary tidal currents run in excess of 4knts. If you dont have an aux and you have a problem you can get



As I said in a previous thread the river may appear safer but the truth is otherwise. If the sea conditions allow get out to sea. A 4hp should be enough to give you a modicum of control of your boat and a 2 stroke of that size will weigh about 12 kilo and can be found for about £400. Just remember a kicker is worse than useless if it doesnt run and will complicate your situation if it isnt immediately available so get in the habit of running it once each trip. A drop down bracket for it so it can be carried and deployed immediately will be another 100 or so quid. Have a look at the other small craft in the marina with this solution to get an idea of whats available to you.
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JayCbee said:
Thanks all I’ll report back. Just out of interest. How many hps should an aux have. Mainly Conwy river but we do local little sea trips if calm sea. I don’t want to spend loads but don’t want to undercook it. Speed not an issue you know just limp to safety. 16foot microplus 501 Explorer. Hence not much in the sea Unless conditions ok mainly sticking to river.
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hello an update on this. Looks like it was stupid person error i.e. me. We have looked in detail and believe I knocked the neutral idle rev lever slightly engaging it which meant I then could not get in gear and panicked. Also based on advice I think I was being too tentative with gear selection which isn’t good for the gears anyway i am being told. Been given a little more coaching and now the gears respond perfectly and I have no issue. Sorry for the false alarm!
 
Well, since your last post their have been 3 RNLI boat rescues from the river and one CG helicopter MoB scenario. So w.r.t. to an aux do not take the river lightly. You seem to be under the impression it's a safer place to learn than the sea. This is not borne out by statistics nor conditions
 
BruceK said:
Well, since your last post their have been 3 RNLI boat rescues from the river and one CG helicopter MoB scenario. So w.r.t. to an aux do not take the river lightly. You seem to be under the impression it's a safer place to learn than the sea. This is not borne out by statistics nor conditions
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I am shocked that the river is deemed less safe than the open sea. Just taking into account the number of other boats on the river and the proximity of the harbour and marina. Surely stuck at sea is worse than stuck on the river for getting help or dropping anchor and sorting out an issue. . I’ll defer to you and others but it interests me as to why the river is not safer than the sea?
 
I suppose one could liken that argument with a single engine plane. If the engine stops surely you want to be closer to the ground so you dont fall as far?

No. At sea time is on your side and in the river it is anything but.
 
BruceK said:
I suppose one could liken that argument with a single engine plane. If the engine stops surely you want to be closer to the ground so you dont fall as far?

No. At sea time is on your side and in the river it is anything but.
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Sorry can you elaborate. Why is time an issue on the river? Sorry to be so thick but you only learn by asking. Be gentle with your response!
 
You are in the marina at the moment so with gate times you dont get to see the river and estuary in full spate, how narrow the channel actually is or how steep the sand banks are should you ground awkwardly and how fast the water will recede from you (steep enough to roll your boat if you're beam on and swamp it also from the transom if bow up come flood). Nor how fast the current flows and how many vessels you will hit and how quickly you will hit them as you fumble for a solution to a breakdown. How quickly you'd be dragged under water if you MoB'd, (Nearly every case is hospitalised) even if you were lucky enough not to be sucked under a pontoon. You dont get to see that nearly every other sand bar is quicksand and that even should you be only waist deep you'd never make land even if you swam for it. You're a small boat, if you think the tidal flow isn't strong enough to roll your boat should you become entangled with others, we've had pontoons with boats flip simply from being unbalanced. The river and estuary is safe with the correct knowlege but is not a playground to learn on imo. When things go south you have little time to react. At sea, in the right conditions for your boat, you could safely have a lot more time to react to a situation, hours even. In the river it's almost always seconds

note I am talking about the "river" as in outer estuary. If you pass the bridge into the lagoon the current is less severe but the sand banks and bars are not.
 
Next time you are near the marina when the estuary is in full swing take a look at some of the empty mooring buoys below the water surface dragged under by the current. That might give you an indication how strong the flow really is. Then think of yourself in the water with 100lbs sodden clothes on. Even with a lifejacket on you have no chance of swimming and are at the mercy of the current and everything it slams you into and under
 
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