Twin sterndrive Close quarters technique

MedDreamer

MedDreamer

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I constantly read on here that manouvering with two engines is much easier than one but I am confused about the correct method with twin sterndrives.

As I understand it, if i had shafts rather than drives, I would use the same technique as a tank driver, rudders straight ahead, setting one engine in reverse and the other in foward for close quarter handling. I have also seen on here that this is not the way to do it with outdrives as the legs are too close together and it won't work effectively.

So I have been told that with outdrives you DO use the steering wheel and control the boat using whichever throttle is on the outside eg turning to port use the starboard engine and visa versa.

Can't get to try anything until next visit in January but would appreciate any tips you may have

thanks

Martyn

PS:Don't tell hlb but if I do get in a mess I have a bow thruster as well.
 
one forward and one back works for me but keep the wheel straight ahead , if you want to use wheel then keep both engines forward or reverse together, but dont mix the two.
 
Basic principle is ' Steer and gear'.

Helm to the direction you want to go (helm to stb if you want to go astern to stb and vise versa) and then gear one or both engines, gear out and change helm to next position. Try not to gear and helm to much in close quarters as with all the point of leverage on the transom she will come around real quick on you. The longer the boat the more she will come quicker on the bow so be gentle with the amount of helm you put on. If its slack water and not much wind you can just use the engines when coming astern, put some way on astern then out of gear, then knock ahead and out again port or starboard engine and you can drift into the position you want to go but make sure helm is in the straight ahead position or you be off into the blue again.

A cop out way to steer ahead in close situations is just leave one engine in gear ahead with helm straight and then steer with the bow thruster, port thrust to go stb and v/v, aft end will tend to stay put and bow will steer the boat. Can hear sharp in takes of breath and sucking of teeth on that one but it works.

Powerskipper is a better person to explain, she explains it correctly and not my mish mash, although no serious dinks yet.

Hmmm should'nt have said that probably tear the ass out of it now!. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
I've read somewhere that you can 'walk' a twin screw shaft boat sideways by for example putting the helm hard over to port and easing the port engine forward. The props will push the water against the rudder and push the stern to starboard. Put the starboard engine into reverse to stop the bow from turning to port and the whole boat should slide to starboard.

Aparently works best with planing boats as SD & FD's keel hinders things.

Steve
 
Can work but any tide or cross wind will make it difficult plus you need fairly coarse props with lots of grip to really give it a shove. Needs plently of practice as you need to get the balance of power on each engine right or you will start going forwards or astern, you have less propulsion on the astern engine than the forward so you have to jiggle things a bit. Looks mighty impressive though if you get it right.
 
Herumph. Now sit quietly and I'll begin, Before I start. Outdrives are utter crap.

Shafts. Move steering to eantral when entering marina. Then use only engines. The boat will do excactly as told.

Same with outdrives, but maybe a bit slower, but still works.

Using steering as well might well help, but adds to complications. Now got three things to think about or is it six, in limited time. Add in Bow thruster. So now got eight or maybe more influences on direction. Two is dealable with in close quarers. Eight not.

Nothing against bow thrusters. We have one on the the barge, and totally necessary.

I am totally against folke using bow thrusters to poke arse end into me, at a point that cant be fendered. Because there to stupid to use a big round fender and push themselves off backwards.
 
Having gone from sterndrive to shaftdrive recently the shafts are definately easier - now I've got the hang of it.

On the sterndrive I used both engine and steering - but slowly and only one at a time. Twin sterndrives are positioned nearer the centreline of the boat than shafts and don't give as much turning moment so use of steering helps when coupled with just a quick nudge into gear and out again - either forward or reverse.

Just a matter of finding an empty wide berth and having a session of pontoon bashing. If anyone berthed near you has the required experience ask them for a few minutes of their time. I'm sure they'll be happy to oblige.
 
Outdrives are not utter crap but can be less effective than shafts in most situations for sure. Once you add the BT to the set up then I believe that outdrives (twin) are far superior to shafts and BT.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Bollox. By the way, bow thrusters are crap as well and totally unnecessary on any proper boat under 50ft'is.


[/ QUOTE ]

Crap.
Bow and stern thrusters make many situations much easier for everyone inckuding the crew. I have been in amny absurd situations in a marina were they were almost essential with only inches to spare.

By having both stern and bow thrusters I can jold a boat onto a pontoon even gainst a hefty wind and give maybe inexperienced crew time to do what they have to do.

I know it is possible to do most things without them - but some things are simply not possible without them.

Waiting for the lock at Swansea I have often been forced onto a mudbank by smaller boats that do not have a clue and thrusters get me off.

They are worth every penny for taking the stress of the crew alone.

There is nothing macho about surviving without them ..... just silly if you can afford it, then go for it.
 
go "H" you tell em, I would not have a sterndrive boat again if you were giving it away. Pratice makes perfect, some boats only move once a year from the berth to the lift, and back again but always in the year.
 
oops, you've walked into one here!

I agree with both, sort of. I use a btruster here and there no prob but wdn't see need for sternthruster - a guy had one on a 23m and never used it.

It is good practice to practice a bit without cos they stop when you needem most!

The way to knacker them is to push them one way and then reversem really quick - cos the water is tearing through the first way and overloads the thing.

The other thing bit (very) crap is steering using bthruster, which first shows they can't control the thing at all with engines and again doesn't do the BT a lot of good cos it is being highly loaded as it moves forward into static water all the time.
 
BT on the barge burns it's bloody wires off if you give it more than a tickle and just about bug ger all happens anyway.

By the way, it's got a thingy that stops you going one way thent tuther.

Stern thrusters have me baffled. Arse end will go sideways anyhow. No one rushes or jumps anywhere on my boat.
 
Clearly this depends on two things (IMHO) Martyn. 1) Your boat and 2) Practise. It took me ages to cotton on to the various things I could do with my Windy - which will be a whole heap different to a Sealine / Bayliner, whatever.

I spent a little time deliberately messing with two bouys and a floating rope doing manoevers and cocking them up. I can now use one or both motors, steering or no steering and I still cock it up....err, I mean get some improvements /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

My favourite being arriving at the fuel quay at about a 15 degree angle and putting the lock hard over as if to turn into the quay but at the same time putting the engine nearest the quay into reverse and playing the revs a little until the boat stops and simultaneuosly squares up perfect to the rubber strake.

And as I've said on here many times before..."go dead slow and look like a pro - go to quick and look like a ----" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
You must have been one of the ones I heard sucking their teeth!. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I agree its not the best way to steer a boat (using BT) but the question was close quarter stuff restricted space etc. My view is if its fitted then use it if it helps. No point trying to be a hero and prove to the world that your the best boat handler out there if you end up dinking something. Boating supposed to be fun not chewing your nails to the bone.

Most people don't get the time to do hours of practice they want to jump on and off they go and if having short cuts to get you into a tight space so what. Never blown a BT up yet most have a delay built in to stop you forcing the prop against pevious thrust.

Most of us want all the gizmos to make it all that much easier and fun, we don't want to helm the QM2. Give me everything the full works, if I could link the autopilot the sat nav and thrusters together I'd have that too!.

Once you have gained some experience then sure fiddle about and build you skill levels up but I bet you even the most experienced guys doing it all day have moments when the wished to heaven almighty they had a bow thruster.

I can just manage to twirl 46' on outdrives with a foot either end but would'nt want to try it in any wind in a restricted space without a bow thruster, just to easy to make a twit of yourself.
 
Firstly. Part of the fun of boating is learning to handle it well. Experimening with what happens if I do this, Or that. Can I get it to ferry glide. Or, better still can I get it to go sideways from a standing start.

The nark I have about BT is folk use them instead of just doing it the right way in the first place and maybe using the BT to help.

Setting off from alongside berths forwards for instance, even when hemmed in fore and aft. Never seen a ferry man attempt that daft trick even tho he's an expert. So bow thruster only aids in doing the down right stupid half the time.
 
Beware of BTs getting stuck on I have seen it happen twice. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif solutions Full speed ahead to increase the circling radius
The other, thankfully went away from me to attack a neigbouring steel boat.

Cause on both occasions: Water in the pressure switches
 
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