480 DB Owners Club

Carver370 said:
For what its worth, the easier boat to re-sell will always be the Cummins QSM-11 boat over the MANs.
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Why do you think the Cummins are an easier resale than the same boat with MAN's? Curious since I'm looking at 52DB that have eithe QSM-11's or MAN 700's.
 
Four Suns said:
Yes and no. One engine in gear will give you 5-6 knots.. two engines is 6-8 knots. You can't turn off your starboard engine or your steering won't work. That's one of those dirty little Sea Ray yacht secrets. You can have any engine fail as long as it's not the starboard one. On the 480 DB, the power steering pump is on a PTO port on the starboard transmission. And you ain't going to steer it without power steering.
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Gary

I take it the QSM's don't have a slow idle setting like the QSC's do?
 
I know my QSM's have a slow idle setting. There is a switch on the dash labeled "Slow Idle" it drops the idle speed from 600 down to 550. I was told it is helpful for docking, never use it though.
 
bmac said:
Why do you think the Cummins are an easier resale than the same boat with MAN's? Curious since I'm looking at 52DB that have eithe QSM-11's or MAN 700's.
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Some people are scared off by the MANs. I personally wouldn't be, but the MAN boats do sit longer on the market longer than the QSM11 boats do. I think ALOT to do with it is service availabilty and parts pricing.
 
I'm not sure what that "slow idle" button does but I never use it. I think I have turned it on 2 or 3 times in the life of my boat. It's like pulling 5 of the spark plug wires in my V8 truck for smoothness... It's pointless.
 
Four Suns said:
I'm not sure what that "slow idle" button does but I never use it. I think I have turned it on 2 or 3 times in the life of my boat. It's like pulling 5 of the spark plug wires in my V8 truck for smoothness... It's pointless.
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What is your idle speed? I use the slow idle on my QSC's to stay at 5 mph. At normal idle my boat does 7.5mph so I head up the river in slow idle. I often use it for docking unless it's windy. I'm pretty sure all it does is electronically limit the fuel schedule to lower the set rpm.
 
bmac said:
What is your idle speed? I use the slow idle on my QSC's to stay at 5 mph. At normal idle my boat does 7.5mph so I head up the river in slow idle. I often use it for docking unless it's windy. I'm pretty sure all it does is electronically limit the fuel schedule to lower the set rpm.
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If I don't use mine I have other boats and people on the docks telling me to slow down in the no wakes. It reduces the RPM's by 500 only when at idle.
 
When I was a kid, my Dad got a ticket for speeding/making a wake with this boat somewhere on the south shore of LI. It was at dead idle at the time and was equipped with twin Perkins turbo diesels that made 160hp each. I can only imagine the "wake" you guys are throwing with your boats at idle.

romadiii.jpg
 
As far as I know, the slow idle was installed to help control docking (during calm conditions) and to slow the vessel down in no wake zones. I can see some benefit during docking, but feel like for wake zones it's pointless as most people wouldn't use it. Everyone is just trying to pass these zones as fast as possible anyway, unless you're doing sunset coctail cruise.
 
I have tried the slow idle on a few different boats and Sea Rays, the boat is much easier to control around the dock without it turned on.
 
I am going to try this switch this summer (if I remember). It may be helpful at times, I recall having to go in and out of gear sometimes to control my speed. That or run on one engine, which is also kind of a pain.

Maybe less people will yell at me about my wake also.
 
Greg said:
I am going to try this switch this summer (if I remember). It may be helpful at times, I recall having to go in and out of gear sometimes to control my speed. That or run on one engine, which is also kind of a pain.

Maybe less people will yell at me about my wake also.
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Greg,

I know that sometimes people like to adjust RPMs to be slightly higher for the engine to wrok soother and other reasons. Is your idle to the specs or also slightly higher?

If you going too fast and throwing larger wake than other boats in similar size, then may be the slow idle is something you should use.

Just a thought.
 
Alex F said:
As far as I know, the slow idle was installed to help control docking (during calm conditions) and to slow the vessel down in no wake zones. I can see some benefit during docking, but feel like for wake zones it's pointless as most people wouldn't use it. Everyone is just trying to pass these zones as fast as possible anyway, unless you're doing sunset coctail cruise.
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Pointless? Alex, tsk tsk....My boat throws a pretty good wake at normal idle speed, which is about 7.5 mph. In slow idle I have it set that the boat does 5 mph and virtually no wake. I'm compliant with the no wake speed limit (especially as I pass the County Marine Police, the Village Marine Police and the US Park Service Police docks on the way up the river) and I don't get any dirty looks (or stray clams) thrown my way from rocking boaters in their slips. I use it in all no wake zones. I have about a mile run up the river to the bay, at slow idle it takes me an additional 3 minutes and 24 secnds compared to normal idle.....I think I can take that hit for my fellow boaters on the river.
 
Carver370 said:
Some people are scared off by the MANs. I personally wouldn't be, but the MAN boats do sit longer on the market longer than the QSM11 boats do. I think ALOT to do with it is service availabilty and parts pricing.
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I have noticed the MAN boats being on the market longer. For me parts and service aren't an issue with two qualified shops within 25 miles of me.
 
Carver370 said:
I have tried the slow idle on a few different boats and Sea Rays, the boat is much easier to control around the dock without it turned on.
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I may not be as experienced as you as I still haven't gotten used to the way the boat jumps when I put it in gear in normal idle, so I use slow idle for docking unless it's windy, in which case I prefer the boat to move NOW!!!
 
My theory in docking is have the boat in gear the least amount of time as possible. When the boat is not in slow idle its just a tap into gear and then neutral and the boats going where I want it to NOW, a short tap into gear to make the boat go in either direction thats needed should be all you need. Use the wind, current or whatever else may be going on at the time to YOUR advantage.

With bridge boats I always have my eye on the water being blown by the wind around the boat, the direction that the water is moving is generally where the boat will end up going too.
 
bmac said:
Pointless? Alex, tsk tsk....My boat throws a pretty good wake at normal idle speed, which is about 7.5 mph. In slow idle I have it set that the boat does 5 mph and virtually no wake. I'm compliant with the no wake speed limit (especially as I pass the County Marine Police, the Village Marine Police and the US Park Service Police docks on the way up the river) and I don't get any dirty looks (or stray clams) thrown my way from rocking boaters in their slips. I use it in all no wake zones. I have about a mile run up the river to the bay, at slow idle it takes me an additional 3 minutes and 24 secnds compared to normal idle.....I think I can take that hit for my fellow boaters on the river.
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Agree!
I try to be very cautious of my wake and I'm amazed on how many boater aren't.
 
You can't idle a 480 DB in a no wake zone with both engines in gear or you'll get screamed at. Period. You have to take one engine out of gear and run at the spec 650 RPMs and you'll still be cooking at 5-6 knots. The props have a very large bite (because the engines have a butt load of torque).
 
Well, I'm glad that you guys are watching and care for the wake you throw. But, I just noticed anytime I try to obey no wake zone speed, I get a group of boats on my tail. I guess, since 320 is in totally in different category from 45’+ bridge boats, I can “afford” to go a bit faster, than my idle.

As for dirty looks and waving to slowdown, I don’t pay attention too much, b/c I’ve been in situation where I know I’m going at idle speed (narrow and shallow area) and as I pass a yacht club a guy would be waving “slowdown…”. I just give these people “WTF?” look and continue on. You can never please everyone.
 
Four Suns said:
You can't idle a 480 DB in a no wake zone with both engines in gear or you'll get screamed at. Period. You have to take one engine out of gear and run at the spec 650 RPMs and you'll still be cooking at 5-6 knots. The props have a very large bite (because the engines have a butt load of torque).
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Here you go, Gary. You just gave the simple answer, 5-6kts on a single screw. :wow: this explains a lot.

My idle is 600-620RPMs and with both engines in gear I think I'm doing 3-4MPH. I need 1300RPMs to go 5-6kts.

Got to love those big diesels :grin:
 
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