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Old 01-09-2019, 09:27 PM   #21
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Through the years I have had the following: Single screw, twin screws and twins with bow thruster.
My absolute preference is the twins with thruster. The main reason for this choice is the home port where I dock my boat. She is a 36 footer with some windage issues and when I bring her in stern first with a strong outgoing tide and the afternoon southwesterly's, docking becomes a real challenge. The set up with twins and thruster helps tremendously.
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Old 01-09-2019, 10:28 PM   #22
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Started the tractor, attached the plough, but found the paddock has been ploughed, many times, already.
I prefer twins. I`ve had a single. Essentially I like the redundancy and the maneuvering benefits. I`d like a bowthruster as well. No point being hairy chested about it, if there are helpful features at reasonable cost why not have them.
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Old 01-09-2019, 11:04 PM   #23
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I prefer the redundancy and maneuverability of twins but it depends on each boat.
You've got to be able to reach the essential maintenance items on each engine. I've seen a single with an ER the size of a large tuna can. My twins are sitting in a 12'x20' ER.
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Old 01-10-2019, 01:26 AM   #24
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...
You've got to be able to reach the essential maintenance items on each engine. ...
Agree. Despite a small engine compartment, my single has easy access from starboard, port, and above, without any crawling. My engine mechanic loves it. (It's easier to concentrate loving attention on a single engine than on two.)
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Old 01-10-2019, 05:35 AM   #25
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Having had a twin I never thought I could / would go "backwards" to a single.
After looking and considering the +/- and my situation of inland / Great Lakes boating the single looked reasonable.
The Mainship I found and liked was a single and already had B&S thrusters which might be the best of both worlds.
I can live w/o redundancy and the PM is a dream w SPACE in the ER.
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Old 01-10-2019, 06:32 AM   #26
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I prefer a single with a bow thruster for many of the above reasons. What I will add is that how a single engine boat is setup makes a huge difference in being easy to handle. Slow speed maneuvering with a single and small rudder can be very challenging. The rudder needs to be substantially larger and should swing 40 degrees to either side for outstanding slow speed and docking handling. The larger rudder and degree of turn allows you to push the stern to the side with very little forward motion. This makes stern in docking with the "back and fill" technique, quite easy. Also, being able to push the stern to the side with little forward motion and pushing the bow with a thruster, allows you to push the boat sideways to the dock for essentially parallel parking. There are other ways to accomplish this with spring lines, but a well setup single screw boat can be very easy to dock.

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Old 01-10-2019, 06:46 AM   #27
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Originally Posted by NewbieFromNJ View Post
PS the OP asked your personal opinion on your preference. Tired of responses to just do a search. Probably 99% of questions can be answered by search and this forum would just turn into another social media site. Not!

I don't quite understand your complaint.

A decent search usually turns up the "personal opinion" or "preferences" many have already written -- over and over and over and over and over again, on popular and generally unchanging topics like this -- so the OP's results would be the same.

Might be different if the query is about some kind of new/emerging technology or maybe a topic that's in flux for some other reason... but generally discussions about the pros and cons of singles/twins, anchors, and a few others, probably aren't gonna surface much if any new factoids, opinions, preferences... Somebody might say something in a different way than they've said it 30 times previously, and the different wording could perhaps be useful... but that's kind of a reach.

"Decent search" usually means using the Google or at least the Advanced versions, given the site's base search tool isn't great. And many new users don't know the base tool is so limited, so they don't always find much if that's the only tool they've tried...

Anyway, what do you see as the advantage of asking a commonly-asked question all over again? FWIW, I don't see it as a bad thing, just usually slow for my own purposes...

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Old 01-10-2019, 07:24 AM   #28
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I've been boating more than 30 years and have always had single engine boats.
Once I learned I have only had trouble maneuvering once or twice.
Had fuel issues a few times, always got them resolved (learn your boat).
Lost a belt once...keep spares aboard and do your PM. Easier to do with one engine.
Etc.
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Old 01-10-2019, 08:02 AM   #29
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One interesting advantage of twins that I’ve never heard mentioned: I woke up in an anchorage 25 miles from home to find the Schrader valve in the air-over-oil tank in my Hynautic steering system had failed, leaving me without steering. I decided to try throttle steering home; I cruised up the harbor, through the creek, down the canal and home, all at my normal speed, with no problem. Interestingly (maybe only to me), I found it much easier to hold the boat on course into the wind with the throttles than with the wheel. It makes sense when you think about the forces involved, but it would never have occurred to me to try it. And yes, I now carry a spare Schrader valve.
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Old 01-10-2019, 08:23 AM   #30
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I like large deep draft boats turning a single large propeller, a rudder to match and one good deckhand, but I'm sort of weird anyway. I've run singles, twins. triples, quads, bow thrusters, stern thrusters and oars but a single is my preference for just having fun at the dock.
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Old 01-10-2019, 09:58 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shrew View Post
Pulling up to the gas dock, I wish I had twins. Pulling away from the gas dock, I'm glad I have a single. Rolling in bad weather or a beam sea and I wish I had the extra speed of twins, however, doing maintenance, I'm glad I have a single.
OK - that's a pretty good response!
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Old 01-10-2019, 10:01 AM   #32
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One topic not yet discussed: Noise. I find the slight beat frequency created by twins annoying. Regardless of method of synchronizing rpm, they are never exactly the same (some computer engines are really close) and this creates a secondary noise frequency that varies.

If you want to demonstrate this on a twin, shut one engine down and run on one for a bit. Not only less noise due to one engine, but the secondary beat frequency is gone.

No doubt twins give more options regarding redundancy and maneuverability, but I prefer a well laid out single with bow thruster.
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Old 01-10-2019, 11:00 AM   #33
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Mrwesson,

Good points, but some prefer a twin, both in top shape, and I could argue for that.

Engines DO quit and I know of several that have failed on Loopers, some in very awkward spots, like a lock. Loosing one on the Ohio, with current and traffic would be more than a minor inconvenience. And there are place where SeaTow isn't available and yes, we can be over 50 miles off shore.

You don't divide your maintenance time between two engines, your just about double it. That's the price for twins.

Now, I could argue that the risk benefit of a single could be argued as they rarely quit.

Do you really need a twin? Maybe, if that's your comfort zone.
To each their own but choosing twins over a single for maneuverability is kind of silly IMO. Yes you may need a bow thruster with the single but the trade off in economy is huge.

I may be biased because I get by with a single without a bow thruster and while I consider myself good it's always tricky backing into my spot in the river but it's made me better for it.

There are many good reasons for twins but I just don't feel like maneuverability is a strong one.. A single with a good bow thruster is just as maneuverable and i'd rather have a single with bow thruster or even stern thruster than twins without(around the docks).
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Old 01-10-2019, 11:02 AM   #34
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How diffcult or practical is it to add a “get home” engine to a single screw assuming room in engine room?
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Old 01-10-2019, 11:07 AM   #35
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I don't quite understand your complaint.

A decent search usually turns up the "personal opinion" or "preferences" many have already written -- over and over and over and over and over again, on popular and generally unchanging topics like this -- so the OP's results would be the same.

...Somebody might say something in a different way than they've said it 30 times previously, and the different wording could perhaps be useful... but that's kind of a reach.

Anyway, what do you see as the advantage of asking a commonly-asked question all over again? FWIW, I don't see it as a bad thing, just usually slow for my own purposes...

-Chris

Conversely... what "disadvantages" of re-visiting already discussed topics are there... other than your own personal "aggravation" of having to once again travel down this (now boorish, to you at least) road?

Most of us haven't been here for thousands of posts. Many of us are just lurkers or visitors here before joining. There may be a hundred lurkers for every member. This is your new member base. At this time in the history of this site, and in the boating world in general, practically EVERY topic has probably been discussed ad nauseum.

So that you and others holding the same opinion are no longer bothered with such useless topics as "Single vs. Twin"... how about we just have one Forum Topic called "New Boating Technology Only"? A message below that single Forum Topic will say...

"...For any other information... do a SEARCH, dumbass...!!!" Probably in BOLD text.

The most obvious solution... if it bothers you, don't waste nary a single key-stroke.

But if responding (over and over and over again) gives someone something to do and allows them to impart knowledge and wisdom to another who legitimately requests said knowledge and wisdom, there is literally, no harm in it.

Every third new poster, it seems around here, gets the ubiquitous "do a search in the archives... this topic horse has beaten to death... get off my lawn" response within the first ten. As a newer member, I find it rude and off-putting... but YMMV.
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Old 01-10-2019, 11:16 AM   #36
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It's seems that with modern technology there's probably room for redundant threads. If you search and pull up a ten year old thread entering the conversation with a question or comment is a bit problematic. I had this odd idea a forum was about conversation in something like real time. I still prefer single screw though, they've carried me thousands of miles.
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Old 01-10-2019, 11:25 AM   #37
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How diffcult or practical is it to add a “get home” engine to a single screw assuming room in engine room?
I have a friend with a BHM 32 single that has a Yanmar GM20 with a 3/4" shaft and folding sailboat prop as a wing engine. I don't believe he's ever used it.
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Old 01-10-2019, 11:29 AM   #38
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Understand that a boat pivots around a point and pushes that point as it moves. If you keep the pivot point moving toward your destination, the boat will follow, just like you intended. Read about boat handling and pivot point.


Wind and current move you like a fly on a freight train. You can find that reference too, somewhere.


Read about how a spring line alters your pivot point, keeps you from scrubbing against the dock.
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Old 01-10-2019, 11:31 AM   #39
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Originally Posted by Flybull View Post
Conversely... what "disadvantages" of re-visiting already discussed topics are there... other than your own personal "aggravation" of having to once again travel down this (now boorish, to you at least) road?

Every third new poster, it seems around here, gets the ubiquitous "do a search in the archives... this topic horse has beaten to death... get off my lawn" response within the first ten. As a newer member, I find it rude and off-putting... but YMMV.

I gave the wrong impression, apparently.

Didn't mean to suggest responding to questions is all that off-putting (you'll have seen I did reply to this question -- again -- too). And it's probably not reasonable to expect new members to automatically know what's been posted in the past, what search tools work best (and which one doesn't)...

I'm only surprised that some apparently don't want to also be directed to all the additional previous thoughts on a topic that would be available through a search.

-Chris
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Old 01-10-2019, 11:38 AM   #40
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Originally Posted by ranger42c View Post
I don't quite understand your complaint.

A decent search usually turns up the "personal opinion" or "preferences" many have already written -- over and over and over and over and over again, on popular and generally unchanging topics like this -- so the OP's results would be the same.

Might be different if the query is about some kind of new/emerging technology or maybe a topic that's in flux for some other reason... but generally discussions about the pros and cons of singles/twins, anchors, and a few others, probably aren't gonna surface much if any new factoids, opinions, preferences... Somebody might say something in a different way than they've said it 30 times previously, and the different wording could perhaps be useful... but that's kind of a reach.

"Decent search" usually means using the Google or at least the Advanced versions, given the site's base search tool isn't great. And many new users don't know the base tool is so limited, so they don't always find much if that's the only tool they've tried...

Anyway, what do you see as the advantage of asking a commonly-asked question all over again? FWIW, I don't see it as a bad thing, just usually slow for my own purposes...

-Chris
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