steaming with one engine on a twin powered trawler/cruiser

It is not if but when the engine is going to fail on you. (I know, i know, if the maintenance is up to date and engine not tortured it should last for a long, long time but...) On single engine boats, I guess you pray it does not happen when you need it most e.g. in shallow waters with strong currents where luck and anchor may help you, otherwise you radio/phone for C-tow or similar saint to get you back to your marina or closest place where you can fix the propulsion. On a twin powered boat where you do have propulsion redundancy, how easy is it to move the boat with single engine and that small rudder the trawlers/cruisers have? I am aware of the speed being at minimum but how easy is it to steer the boat with one engine offset to one side. The rudder efficiency on the dead engine side should be minimal with no wash from the prop. Has anyone experienced it and how was it?

Easy peasie! A twin screw boat can surely be run on one screw. Not as smooth or maneuverable as with both engines... but VERY doable!

Many fish boats that transit from Ca to AK , simply remove one prop for the journey.

FF said:

Many fish boats that transit from Ca to AK , simply remove one prop for the journey.

Click to expand...

Which fishery are those "many" boats involved? How many of them make that transit from California to Alaska? What is the average size of those boats?

Of those "many" boats, how many are multi-engine? Where do they get the prop replaced when they get wherever this fleet of "many" boats works?

Something very fishy about that idea ...

I did this for a year on my Cruisers 3950 aft cabin, just to be sure I would be happy traveling at that speed. I'd leave the marina on both, then shut one off for the trip. Restart the other to dock. Then I'd reverse that, going home on the other engine. Freewheeled the inactive prop.

If I had (wanted) two engines, I'd run them both at the same time. Use them or lose them!

markpierce said:

If I had two engines, I'd run them both at the same time. Use them or lose them!

Click to expand...

Exactly.

markpierce said:

If I had two engines, I'd run them both at the same time. Use them or lose them!

Click to expand...

Mark... If you had twins - you would not have COOT - and, that is impossible to even think of!

PS: There's no twin screw model of your displacement hull, sail assist boat - is there??

if you use your boat enough...there's plenty of hours/miles traveled to be had for both engines....

Yesterday I lost one engine and came into port on one engine, no other help to dock the boat. Thank goodness there was no real breeze. Just rudder and engine control, no thruster. So it can be done but I wouldn't have attempted to dock in my tight little slip with wind though.

bshillam said:

Yesterday I lost one engine and came into port on one engine, no other help to dock the boat. Thank goodness there was no real breeze. Just rudder and engine control, no thruster. So it can be done but I wouldn't have attempted to dock in my tight little slip with wind though.

Click to expand...

Hopefully you got her back up?

Art said:

Mark... If you had twins - you would not have COOT - and, that is impossible to even think of!

PS: There's no twin screw model of your displacement hull, sail assist boat - is there??

Click to expand...

No there isn't. Besides, my highest priority was to have a keel-protected propeller and rudder! (Next came 360-degree walk-around decks and strong railings which put Nordic/Arctic tugs in second place.)

Nope

Art said:

Hopefully you got her back up?

Click to expand...

Still working on it. I started a new thread Art for suggestions and I am hopeful I can track this down without a mechanic. I can see hundreds being thrown at this if I can't.....

markpierce said:

No there isn't. Besides, my highest priority was to have a keel-protected propeller and rudder! (Next came 360-degree walk-around decks and strong railings which put Nordic/Arctic tugs in second place.)

Click to expand...

How often does COOT hit bottom?

Art said:

How often does COOT hit bottom?

Click to expand...

Three times in the last two-plus years. Twice on the Napa River and once on the Petaluma River, both mud-bottomed. We "slithered" into deeper water each time. There are lots of shallow waters here.

psneeld said:

if you use your boat enough...there's plenty of hours/miles traveled to be had for both engines....

Click to expand...

Are you still "on the dry"?

markpierce said:

Three times in the last two-plus years. Twice on the Napa River and once on the Petaluma River, both mud-bottomed. We "swithered" into deeper water each time.

Click to expand...

Moving too fast into unexpected shoal? You have depth warning buzzer on your sounder?



My learned rule of thumb is to try and NEVER touch bottom. Even with single screw, full keel, and skeg from years ago that was the plan.

Now, with our twin screw Tolly and unprotected props, the words NEVER Touch Bottom are always at forefront of my captaining agenda... i.e. emblazoned on my mind! LOL So far, So Good!

Although... I have churned a bit o' dirty water from bottom twice in 5 years. Once coming out of San Rafael canal before most recent dredging and once in begining to a delta island cove... as I reversed gear and backed into deeper water. Both times I was in idle rpm and my sounder buzzer screamed at me. I have it set at 3'... which gives me 2 + feet water under keel from where tranducer is stationed on bottom of hull. Both those near misses are too close for my comfort!

Art said:

Moving too fast into unexpected shoal? You have depth warning buzzer on your sounder?

Although... I have churned a bit o' dirty water from bottom twice in 5 years. Once coming out of San Rafael canal before most recent dredging and once in begining to a delta island cove... as I reversed gear and backed into deeper water. Both times I was in idle rpm and my sounder buzzer screamed at me. I have it set at 3'... which gives me 2 + feet water under keel from where tranducer is stationed on bottom of hull. Both those near misses are too close for my comfort!

Click to expand...

No buzzer/warning. It only takes a few seconds of distraction or lack of local knowledge (combined with overdue dredging) to wander into too-shallow waters.

Fifty years ago I ran aground four times in the narrow San Rafael channel, during one night. Only navigational aids were chart, binoculars, and compass. Channel markers were dark except for the outer one which was hidden among the Richmond lights on the other side of the bay. I was motoring my Dad's auxiliary 28.5-foot sailboat from a boatyard in San Rafael to our berth in the Oakland estuary. Luckily, the tide was rising and I was able to move from grounding to grounding after five minutes each.

In the "upper" Petaluma River, I suspect your depth-buzzer will likely buzz much of the way.

When the Petaluma River/slough is this low (two hours before low tide), you have a good chance of scraping bottom with a four-foot draft.

Thank you guys for all the replies, so i guess ending with one engine due to other one breaking down is not that much of a trouble. As Mark said, if having two engines, why bother using only one. Use or lose them, I was only curious how big a hassle is ending on one engine only and it being offset with smaller rudder (i am moving from a sailboat with huge rudder that can steer it at effectively at 1 knot of speed) , but it appears no issues with that.

markpierce said:

Are you still "on the dry"?

Click to expand...

Nope...been underway for 3 weeks and have covered near 600 miles...Jersey to South Carolina.

When my boat was delivered from Ft. Lauderdale to Marina Del Rey, CA they lost one engine near Cuba and ran all the way to the canal on one. It can happen.

I run my boats on one engine regularly, mostly because at the time that is all that is required and I get better fuel milage. At low displacement type speeds it also puts a better load on one engine. I dont use one engine in close quarters where I need to manuver. I have come in on one a few times, definitely not my favorite thing to do. I usually try to catch the first available dock to tie to in that situation. But I have put it in the slip on one a time or two. Bumped the pilings more than I like but no real problem.

You will find that the smaller rudder(s) just require a different skill set from your sailing days. Copious use of forward and reverse at slow speeds is required for maneuvering as opposed to simply relying on the giant rudder you had which was effective at 1 knot.

FF said:

Many fish boats that transit from Ca to AK , simply remove one prop for the journey.

Click to expand...

Most, if not all, fishboats that transit past me have a single screw...

Why the hell do you guys who buy a twin want to run on a single anyways? Why not just buy a single... Frick.

Northern Spy said:

Most, if not all, fishboats that transit past me have a single screw...

Why the hell do you guys who buy a twin want to run on a single anyways? Why not just buy a single... Frick.

Click to expand...

Gilligan – I you’ll recall...l the SS Minnow was ship wrecked on the Island because its single engine failed during untoward weather conditions! Leaving it at the wills of the sea!! With NO backup power to get it home... lol

Before you ask "why the hell" twin engine “Pleasure” Boat users don’t just get a single engine “pleasure” boat and therefore not have the redundancy factor as well as the many twin screw usage parameters available... I suggest you get a twin and experience the enjoyment, backup security, and speed if necessary that “pleasure” boat twins afford.

The reason we twin owners shut one engine down (if we feel like it) simply to make our twin screw “pleasure” boats as just about as fuel-affordable as a single engine “pleasure” boat during our slow speed lackadaisical cruises – Is, Because We CAN! In other words twin screw boats provide propulsion options that singles just don’t. Docking/maneuvering and powering up with twins is a snap! And, we’ve always got a get home engine at our avail if the other engine becomes problematic. Commercial fishing (real-life trawlers) and other hard working “Work” Boats are a completely different story than "Pleasure" Boats...

Now, I’m not trying to say that single engine boats don’t also have their applaudable attributes, cause I’ve owned singles too and really enjoyed them; especially the full keel and skeg for prop protection. What I am saying is that single screw boaters need not trash twin screw owners! Or vice versa!!

Happy Boating Daze! - Art

We troll using one engine as it gets the speed a little lower, not an issue in handling, just little less responsive.

I've read some posts that indicate that you can have transmission problems by running on just one engine. Do you leave the off engine in gear, neutral, reverse? I still haven't sold my sailboat, so this question is relevant to me in my looking as single and twin screw boats.

I believe there are some that it is a problem, I spoke to my transmission manufacturer and they stated it was not an issue, I also call my drip-less shaft seal company and they said under 12 knots you do not need cooling water.

Marlinmike said:

We troll using one engine as it gets the speed a little lower, not an issue in handling, just little less responsive.

Click to expand...

Well that makes sense.