“The Pivot” with sterndrives

Who knows, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I've been taught wrong by the most experienced boaters I know. Gary hasn't called me an idiot yet on this issue so I could be on the right track.
 
Folcrums, leverage, and pivot points aside, using a single engine to dock a twin engine boat is to ignore the huge advantages that twins have. Some new twin stern drive boat owners moving up from a single do this because they simply can't grasp the technique of using twins or don't want to spend the time to learn, so they come up with a single engine + steering wheel combo scenario to compensate. That's fine if it works for them but it ignores a huge mechanical advantage.
The only time I ever used the wheel on my twin stern drive around the dock was to pull the stern into the dock, like at a fuel dock, as Doug illustrated in the 2nd video. Other than that my hands never touched the wheel.
 
I'm impressed with CSR that we had a lengthy debate without anyone getting hostile.

I don't like the idea of ignoring the benefits of twin engines, and your point to the weak leverage of twin I/O's can also be applied to not using both engines. In the presence of wind and/or current, I wouldn't recommend keeping an engine in neutral.
 
I don't think I'm ignoring the benefits of twins, I think I'm maximizing it by using them in the most efficient way. by using the outside engine, I'm maximizing my leverage. By maximizing leverage, I can use less power and have more control. If you couple that with the wheel of a stern drive boat, you get even more leverage. I rarely ever have to go above idle on one engine to put the boat where i want it.

When I move up in boat size, the engines being further apart will give me more leverage.
 
Folcrums, leverage, and pivot points aside, using a single engine to dock a twin engine boat is to ignore the huge advantages that twins have. Some new twin stern drive boat owners moving up from a single do this because they simply can't grasp the technique of using twins or don't want to spend the time to learn, so they come up with a single engine + steering wheel combo scenario to compensate. That's fine if it works for them but it ignores a huge mechanical advantage.
The only time I ever used the wheel on my twin stern drive around the dock was to pull the stern into the dock, like at a fuel dock, as Doug illustrated in the 2nd video. Other than that my hands never touched the wheel.

You have a wheel and directed thrust and you are ignoring that advantage. ;)
 
Doug,

I appreciate the effort involved to create the videos! :smt038 (Bravo!) As I haven't had much time yet this year to get out on the water, I look forward to getting out this weekend and practicing "the pivot" around the docks.

Mike
 
Doug, I think your video is great and proves the theory rather nicely. I assume you had the drives straight and didn't touch the wheel?

If I did your 'test' with my boat I would have the same result. A bow CAN'T move as much as you have shown if it is anywhere near the 'pivot point' of the boat.

Stern drives work like tractors, not bow thrusters, and the pivot point is near the drive. The pivot point of propulsion by a thruster, OTOH, is at the opposite end of the thrust.
 
That's not an advantage, all single stern drive boats have it.

My point is you have a tool and you choose to not use it while simultaneously telling others that they have a tool and don't use it.

I use a single engine and the wheel but then I have a reason. I keep the other engine in neutral because there is a 50% likelihood that the engine I am using will stall while shifting so I have a spare there just in case.
 
I could stick a piece of steel in my mouth and eventually bang a nail into a board, or I can stick that piece of steel on the end of a stick and hammer it in with little effort and great accuracy. Same nail, same steel, same wood, one way is a more efficient use of energy.
 
....and with that "interesting" analogy I shall bow out of this thread....
A happy and safe Memorial Day weekend to all.
 
I'll have to make a video of "How to walk your single screw boat sideways in tight quarters". I haven't done it in a twin in awhile..but I can do it with the single.....and there's lots of steering involved.

It's a CSR Rodeo..............yeeha!
 
So we can put a hammer in our mouth, turn the wheel and use shifters to move the bow around while putting up drywall? Do I have this right? :smt101 :grin:
 
No more activity than driving a car.

I think it's much more confusing to switch from the natural pivot point of a boat moving through the water, to the un-natural one at the dock using the forward reverse spin. by maximizing leverage and using the boats natural pivot points, every move is predictable, controlled, and repeatable on any boat.

In my docking situation, backing in is a must. With the breakers 25' in front of my boat (once in the slip), I can never get moving to use the keel of the boat for steering. I have to rotate just outside my slip, then back in at speeds generally less than the wind. As the wind frequently crosses the bow as I rotate, it gets quite tricky.
 
So we can put a hammer in our mouth, turn the wheel and use shifters to move the bow around while putting up drywall? Do I have this right? :smt101 :grin:

Not quite right. You forgot that once your done hanging all the sheetrock the dentist will take you for a ride on his new boat.
 

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