Hints and tips for practicing single-engine maneuvering?

Z-Worthy

Z-Worthy

Active Member
Jun 20, 2014
457
Sandusky, OH
Boat Info
2002 Sunseeker 44 Camargue
Engines
450hp Cat 3208s
I'm hoping to get some practice in this summer on docking and maneuvering my '97 400DA on a single engine. We have an empty marina nearby that works great for practicing these sorts of things. My hope is to spend some time with one engine down, then switch sides and do it again. Anyone have any hints or tips on practice drills or things to try? Hopefully this will be a big waste of my time and I'll never need it, but I'll sleep better at night knowing that I can handle it in the event I need to.
 
GoFirstclass may have some recent tips for you based on his thread.

What I learned from his posting:

Stay calm - it happens. Panic is your enemy.
Go slow, he figured out what he could do - and couldn't based on mechanical limitations.
Realize - this is not going to be a perfect spin and back into the slip
with or without wind/current changes the game.

Ask for help at the dock, someone to help you get some lines on cleats.

Mark
 
This is an excellent idea. I've had to bring my boat home twice in a single week on 1 screw. (Fuel starvation issue but I've since repaired the problem). 2 weeks ago, I was with a buddy bringing home his "new to him" Rinker and his starboard engine shut down 100' from the dock. He immediately jumped from the helm and asked me to take over. The best thing I can tell you, in addition to the information already given, is to REALLY....REMAIN CALM. Remember, you're still in charge. The boat will (for the most part) do what you ask it to do, you've just got to re-frame your question. For me, I stopped the movement of the boat entirely, then figured adjustments I needed to make at the helm and the throttle to put her where I wanted. Once you get that figured out, it's like a slow cruise home and park. Controlling our emotions is often harder than controlling our boat. Trusted help at the dock is nice, too. Do you also practice your MOB skills as well? We actually have a mandatory "Safety Briefing" before boating with guests. Both of my teenage kids and my wife take turns in giving the brief. Covering everything from MOB, engine out, head use, docking etc. It really makes life easier when things go wrong.
 
I practiced this every year since I lost one engine due to a manifold issue. The biggest thing has been covered, don't panic and practice will help cure that.

go into an open area first, center the rudders. Place one engine in neutral (just encase) then see how the prop will pull or push the boat. Bump in and out of gear. As another member says "never go faster that you want to hit something" then just wiggle her in.

never be afraid to ask for help at the slip, no one want to see a boat damaged
 
The only thing I would add to post #4 is to also try in and out of gear with the rudders hard over to port then starboard. It will make a difference in where the ass end of the boat will go.

You're doing a good thing. Most boaters learn this stuff under fire.
 
I had to learn this under fire years ago. Lost one engine, so I brought her in. Out in front of the marina is a bay which I practiced in before I brought the boat into the tight confines of the marina. The suggestions above are good ones and cover the basics . I did most of my practice maneuvers making the same turns into the wind as I would encounter at the dock. It wasn't a pretty docking but it worked.This is a good idea for everyone to practice occasionally.
 
This doesn't help the practice element, but if you're truly down one engine in the real world, don't forget about diversion points.

For example, my harbor has a super tight 180 degree turn upon entering, and there's often a lot of traffic (Diversey Harbor in Chicago for those familiar). If I were truly down an engine, and there was traffic, and a stiff breeze, I'd probably go 0.5 miles north to the next harbor where there are long pierheads that I can lay against to either let traffic or the wind die down.

Same thing once in your harbor...if your dock has a boat right next door that you could smack, but there are open spaces elsewhere with reduced risk of damage, there's nothing wrong with stopping at those.
 
You are right to practice. I started in light wind, no boats around, and got the feel of well the boat turns in one direction, and how with the wheel full over the best I can do is back straight in the other direction. Then I practiced docking in light wind, and found that if the stbd engine is off, the easiest docking to my slip is bow on and with the other engine off, the easiest docking is stern on.

Unfortunately that practice has come in handy over the last three years... But the practice was well worth it. You are frustrated that you have engine troubles, more than likely with an audience of guests aboard, and the last thing you want to do is have to try something you've never done before.
 
Practice is a great idea. Remember though, the wind will never be calm and there will always be a dock full of people. As it has been said.."be calm." Learn to use the wind to counter the stern walk you will encounter. Learn to use pilings to help turn the boat into the slip. Learn to ask those watching on the dock to grab a line and help you get in. I have had to this a couple of times and have always found my dock neighbors very helpful. Of course I have helped many of them too. That's the way it works.
 
Don't forget about using your trim tabs to help you steer when using one engine. They will create some drag and help turn the boat to the dead engine side if needed.
 
NorCal Boater said:
The only thing I would add to post #4 is to also try in and out of gear with the rudders hard over to port then starboard. It will make a difference in where the ass end of the boat will go.

You're doing a good thing. Most boaters learn this stuff under fire.
Click to expand...

I've never tried that before...now I've got something new to add in!
 
I frequently dock on only one engine, I find it easier at the last minute to only have to play with one shifter instead of two. The tidal canal I dock in has a very strong ebb current so most boaters usually lay against the down current piling and pivot on it. I usually come in on two engines until I am against the piling, then I use the outboard side engine and cut the helm hard over and pivot into my slip. I have also done the turn in the canal using one engine in forward and the other in reverse, but this usually only works at slack water. I have also had to do this when I had shifter issues and engine stalling issues in the past.
Practice is your friend.
 
SCORPIO said:
I frequently dock on only one engine, I find it easier at the last minute to only have to play with one shifter instead of two. The tidal canal I dock in has a very strong ebb current so most boaters usually lay against the down current piling and pivot on it. I usually come in on two engines until I am against the piling, then I use the outboard side engine and cut the helm hard over and pivot into my slip. I have also done the turn in the canal using one engine in forward and the other in reverse, but this usually only works at slack water. I have also had to do this when I had shifter issues and engine stalling issues in the past.
Practice is your friend.
Click to expand...

That's a whole different experience than you'd experience with twin inboards. With your IO's you have directional thrust - with inboards the thrust is always directed forward or backward with some deflection using the rudders. Not nearly the turning effect with inboards.

Also, your IO legs are set closer to the center line of the boat whereas inboards are considerably further apart. This makes it more difficult for inboards to turn to the Port using only the Port engine or Stb using the Stb engine than with an IO. Rudders don't do a whole lot until the boat is moving forward at 4-5 mph.

I'm in the process of training myself on the process of manoeuvring on one inboard engine, but what helps them be so much more manoeuvrable with both engines makes it even more challenging on one engine.
 
As has already been said, just practice. Out in the middle of not much to start--i'd try that before the deserted marina option. Have had a number of twin inboards in my past and they vary tremendously, from "not that much harder on one than on both" to "call ahead and have the tugs meet us there". Hull form, screw placement and shaft angle all have a big impact. Three suggestions: 1) on a calm day a wadded up newspaper with a string to a plain old flat washer makes a usable and guaranteed temporary floating marker to use for practice, that won't stay on the surface forever if you can't recover it. 2) brush up heavily on your use of spring lines, which in the right situation can make your life remarkably easier. 3) The problem, of course, is turning toward the side of the live engine. Try the response to ordinary maneuvering technique, and also try the response to a short kick of higher throttle as you might if maneuvering a single inboard--kick the stern laterally but don't let much forward way develop, then if you need to reverse to slow forward motion try keeping the RPM low as the rudder will have little if any effect in reverse.
 
Haven't had to do it under the gun yet, but messed around with it this past week after a dock neighbor came in on one engine. Practicing is key, because it's a whole different animal.

A big factor I think that helped the dock neighbor were those of us on both sides of the finger helping him. He parks facing another dock and it's tight, came in super slow and tossed us lines that were attached to each side of stern and one mid-ship in the direction it needed to go. Between his idle thrust maneuvering and us with the ropes - it all worked out well.
 
The hardest part of our single engine trip (see thread below) was trying to remain calm. GW (my Admiral) said I appeared very calm and one of the guys who heard me on the radio said I sounded calm. I gotta tell you that I definitely was not calm. My heart rate went to a bazilion and my blood pressure was a bazillion over lots more than that.
http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/73502-No-photos-I-was-too-busy-driving?highlight=fishhook

I had visions of creaming the boat against the wall of the lock, of ramming another boat, all kinds of fun things going through my mind.

I did learn a few things from that experience though. First, when the sh!t hits the fan and you lose an engine or steering from one of the engines, you have to just take things VERY slowly and rely on your training. As I said in that other post, I'd never operated this boat on one engine because, honestly, I think I was afraid to try because I didn't want to damage anything.

This boat is heavy (somewhere around 65,000 pounds with full fuel and water) and carries a LOT of momentum with it when it's moving. That's not a problem under normal conditions or even when the wind is howling. Getting it to do what I want with both engines working is relatively easy. Doing those things with one engine out is a whole different story and not one I'd want to be forced to do again. At least now I know it can be done.

As far as what to do and what to practice, just take everything much more slowly than you normally would. Make your commands with the shifters as you normally would, but before you do that, make sure you're aware of how the boat will respond to that one shifter. Take your time, make your approach to a dock slowly and if things don't feel right, pull back out. There's no shame in a missed approach even with both engines. Use the wind and current to your benefit. Plan your approach and mentally walk yourself through using the shifter and visualize its effect on the boat.

Oh, and have a cold one after you are done with the practice. You'll have earned it.
 
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