US gear/throttle levers?

alant said:
Why do they have 2 for each engine, rather than the combined version we enjoy over here?
Click to expand...

Yes it feels really strange to put the engines in gear for reverse and then push the throttles forward to make it go backwards!
I hired a large cruiser ten years ago in the Caribbean and it was the first time I had come across this arrangement.
 
alant said:
Why do they have 2 for each engine, rather than the combined version we enjoy over here?
Click to expand...

Just convention. Like many things users familiar with that type of control will tell you they are superior and allow easier control and wonder why single lever is so popular in Europe!
 
Less complicated to set up for duel station
Easier to control if you only have to engage gears?
That the way they do it so why not
 
Initially I thought it would be difficult to us this type of arrangement having used the combined gear and throttle method but it's a dream in a marina environment. I leave the throttles all the way down in tick over and just use the gear shifts to turn, steer and park. The moves are so precise and accurate and if I need a bit of extra power just move the throttle a bit but that is very rarely. I would never ever go back to the combined system again only if buying another boat and had no choice.
 
alant said:
Why do they have 2 for each engine, rather than the combined version we enjoy over here?
Click to expand...
But they don't, actually.
I can't think of any boat either side of the Pond, equipped with electronically controlled engines and with separate throttle/gear levers.
Otoh, if you are talking of boats powered by mechanical engines, separate levers were quite popular also around here.
With modern boats/electronic engines, the only exception to single lever installations is with extremely fast boats, which due to the way you must be able to play with the throttle levers it would be crazy to install single levers.
 
MapisM;5890712[B said:
]But they don't, actually.[/B]
I can't think of any boat either side of the Pond, equipped with electronically controlled engines and with separate throttle/gear levers.
Otoh, if you are talking of boats powered by mechanical engines, separate levers were quite popular also around here.
With modern boats/electronic engines, the only exception to single lever installations is with extremely fast boats, which due to the way you must be able to play with the throttle levers it would be crazy to install single levers.
Click to expand...

You'd best explain that statement, who mentioned "electronically controlled engines"?
Also what about the vetus controls I well remember back 20 yrs ago, they were 'fly by wire'.
 
Last edited:
I've only ever seen one US boat with separate gear and throttle controls here. Certainly my US built boat combines them and so did it's predecessor. However walking down the pontoon in the marina you find both with the separate gear throttle units becoming more prevalent, although still a minority, according to increasing size of boat and again more prevalent when semi or displacement hull and again above a certain age . I am not sure it's a US preference.
 
Ian h said:
Seen them more on Sports boats .
Seen them on Rings and Huntons
As others have said it makes marina movements a doddle, leave the throttle and just move in and out of gear.

http://www.martinpaynemarine.com/used-boat?BoatID=3615100&desc=3615100 - Hunton RS43
Click to expand...
I must say I don't get the marina point. you can just as easily flick a single lever to make a marina manoeuvre, surely. No big deal though.
Love your boat - I just clicked on your link. I drove the black RS43 called Speedbird, built 2015, in South of France - belongs to a friend. Awesome boat. (Twin yanmars)
 
jfm said:
I must say I don't get the marina point. you can just as easily flick a single lever to make a marina manoeuvre, surely. No big deal though.
Love your boat - I just clicked on your link. I drove the black RS43 called Speedbird, built 2015, in South of France - belongs to a friend. Awesome boat. (Twin yanmars)
Click to expand...

Unfortunately not my boat was only showing it as an example of dual controls per engine.

I have the usual electronic throttles on mine.

Having driven a Friends Ring 25 with dual control I found it easy to use,
 
alant said:
You'd best explain that statement, who mentioned "electronically controlled engines"?
Also what about the vetus controls I well remember back 20 yrs ago, they were 'fly by wire'.
Click to expand...
Ahem, who didn't? Your OP seemed meant to generalize between "us and them", so to speak, regardless of the engines age/type.
Electronic engines are the overwhelming majority in any boat built in this millenium, and they practically imply single lever controls - either sides of the Pond.

Otoh, if we should generalize, I tend to agree that electronic throttles on mechanical engines (through electronic actuators, eventually connected to the engines with cables anyway) were probably a bit more popular in EU than in the US.
If this was the sense of your question, I would put the reason down to US boaters being a more practical and less fussy bunch than we are.
In fact, fitting electronic throttles to mechanical engines is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist - and introducing a new potential problem in the process!
 
jfm said:
I must say I don't get the marina point. you can just as easily flick a single lever to make a marina manoeuvre, surely. No big deal though.
Click to expand...
Agreed.
Leaving aside personal preferences (which can also change over time, depending on what anyone gets used to), from a functional viewpoint the one and only major difference is the impossibility to use single levers for hard throttling, i.e. driving fast on a speedboat in some rough stuff - conditions in which single levers can be downright dangerous.
But in anything else than these boats/conditions, it's just yet another "each to their own" choice...
 
sarabande said:
Possible eeek ? I always understood that revs should be at tickover to change from ahead to astern. Crash stops and changes lead to embarrassment and damage.
Click to expand...

The Cummins engines on Play d'eau (Fleming 55) use Twin Disc gearboxes and the max revs for engaging gear is 700 rpm. This is about 100rpm more than tickover. So when manoeuvring I set the throttles at 700 and just us the gears. Simples!
 
MapisM said:
Ahem, who didn't? Your OP seemed meant to generalize between "us and them", so to speak, regardless of the engines age/type.
Electronic engines are the overwhelming majority in any boat built in this millenium, and they practically imply single lever controls - either sides of the Pond.

Otoh, if we should generalize, I tend to agree that electronic throttles on mechanical engines (through electronic actuators, eventually connected to the engines with cables anyway) were probably a bit more popular in EU than in the US.
If this was the sense of your question, I would put the reason down to US boaters being a more practical and less fussy bunch than we are.
In fact, fitting electronic throttles to mechanical engines is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist - and introducing a new potential problem in the process!
Click to expand...

No, my OP was not about electronic throttles, you seem to have hijacked the thread along that line. On most european boats, the gear/throttle (even sail boats) is a single combined lever, but on US boats (including some sail boats) the system is 1 for gear + 1 for throttle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top