I left the engines running!!!

MaddyDean

MaddyDean

New Member
Nov 25, 2009
545
Great South Bay, Long Island N.Y.
Boat Info
280 Sundancer, 1991
Engines
Twin 5.7 Mercruisers w/alpha drives
A funny and avoided disaster story for you all.

I am Finally at the point where I can back the boat into, well, most slips without issue.

The other day returning to home port I instructed that admiral NOT to assist with the docking.

Backed her in perfectly--never even touching a poll.

SO I leave the engines running and leave the helm to tie the spring and stern lines. while standing on the swim platform I asked my daughter who knows how to start, stop and starting to learn how to pilot the boat, to shut down the engines (As she does all the time)

My six year old sons ran to the dash yelling, "I want to do it, I want to do it" while all three of us are yelling NNNOOOOO he puts the port engine in reverse.

Now I throw my feet onto the dock and start yelling NO even louder. My son turns around looks at me and sees me trying to hold the boat from crashing into the dock and quickly and deliberately pushes the port engine into forward, back down into reverse, forward once more and finally neutral.

I quickly went and hugged him and asked, how did you know to put the boat in neutral. he said that he was just trying to line up the port throttle to the other throttle handle.

The next day when we went out, I let him throttle the boat--he loved it.

There is a question here; Do you let the engines idle down went you return home or just shut them down once you are in position to tie off?

I always leave them running until I am tied off and for a few minutes after just to cool down the engines and just in case I need to react quickly.

thanks.
 
Once I feel the boat is in a secure location I shut the engines off. It has an immediate calming effect on me and everyone on board. If the wind moves me, I will go back to the helm and restart the engines. That process puts me at the helm instead of on dock or nose of the boat when the engines are running. I rarely leave the helm with the engines running if there are kids on board and never leave the boat with them running.

Did you read the thread posted a few weeks ago about a father who was killed when his boat slipped into gear and he fell in the water, then someone threw the boat into reverse and ran him over? Your story is very close to that one. Consider yourself lucky..

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/07/loui...ar_ono_is.html
 
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The no wake zone is my engine cool down period. So after docking, I kill the engines. Even before I get out to tie up. If it's very windy, I hold with the engines and have someone else throw a few lines on before I kill them. That doesn't happen often.
 
If it is not windy, I shut of the engine as soon as my crew has the ropes... If it is windy, I stay a the helm, with the engines running, until I my crew has a forward and aft line on (we dock at the house, not in a slip)... I try not to drive my boat single handed... I try not to leave the helm when the engines are running...
 
On a 280, the boat is small enough that you can push it around as you need to, so when you shut down isn't critical. However, larger boats are different. If you shut down before you get the boat secure and under control, you cannot move the boat as needed to keep it off the dock, pilings or blowing out of the slip on you. Boats in that category should not be shut down until you have her secured and the controlling lines in place.

I'm not even going to address letting under age inexperienced children near or giving them access to the controls without supervision.

The action you took, is also questionable. Using your feet to keep the boat in gear off the dock may have worked on your 280 this time, but if you had done the same maneuver on a larger or a diesel powered boat, instead of success, the more likely result would have been broken fiberglass, dock damage, and broken or amputated limbs.
 
If I pull into my boathouse without a strong current, I shut them down prior to securing the dock lines. I leave them running in most all other situations until the admiral at least gets a stern line secured.
 
I keep the engines running until the bow, stern and spring lines are secured. Started doing this about 20 years ago when I pulled into a slip and some women next to us grabbed a starboard line and started yanking on it and pulled our 37 foot SR into a concrete bulkhead. I was trying to secure a spring line and the engines were shut down. Since then, I stay at the helm with engines running. Even whe single handling I leave them one so as to be able to move the boat if wind and currents are strong.
 
fwebster said:
...However, larger boats are different. If you shut down before you get the boat secure and under control, you cannot move the boat as needed to keep it off the dock, pilings or blowing out of the slip on you. Boats in that category should not be shut down until you have her secured and the controlling lines in place...
Click to expand...

I do exactly as Frank described.

Upon approaching a dock (any dock) my crew knows exactly what to do and one of the critical items is clearing the helm and my way to get from the helm to the transom door. My kids either go in to the cabin or on the cockpit u-shape lounge.

My engines remain idling for at least 5-7min from the moment I back in to the slip. During this time I secure all the lines and I also FLUSH my engines with fresh water (~2min for each side). Only then I shut them down.

You got extremely lucky that day. I can give you one advise when it comes to the kids (I have 13y/o girl and 5y/o old bunny energizer), set your docking rules. Have your wife control the kids and you control the boat. This will keep everyone safe. A lot of times I find it very helpful when admiral keeps kids occupied and out of my way, so I take care of everything I need (lines, fenders, whatever...)
 
If I'm alone I will leave the engines running if there is wind (don't have current to worry about in my area). If others are on board or dock neighbors are offering assistance I will shut them down.
 
At my home port, I kill the engine as soon as I am close enough to jump onto the dock. I do this because I have two young boys and I don't want the potential disaster that you described. I also don't want the engine running if my wife or I were to miss the dock when one of us makes the jump. If that were to happen the tendency for overreacting is too great. Like Frank said, my 280 is easy to maneuver by hand -- even in a bit of breeze.

The situation is different at a public dock or restaurant. It's a judgement call and I do as necessary depending on the availability of dock hands, congestion, etc.
 
Unless you are running turbo chargers there is no real reason to idle it down for a prolonged period before shutting the engine off. Turbo's need to spool down to keep the lubrication in the bearings. If you shut the engine down at high rpm you allow the turbo to free wheel at high rpm with no oil going to the bearing.
I am Old Skool so I do let my engine idle a bit even though it's a gasser. Just seems right to let her relax a bit after a hard push before shutting her down.
IMHO

BTW. This is a mechanical reason for not needing prolonged idling. Your docking procedure is up to you.
 
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Thanks Guys

Trust me, in regards to my "Questionable Actions" I know...I will never make this mistake again. I was more impressed with my sons reactions then my reaction in throwing my legs onto the dock and more importantly my initial mistake of leaving the helm with engines running with them on board.

Good advice and as mentioned--lesson learned.
 
This is why I belong to this forum as a new boater. I have been letting my engines idle for a few minutes after the boat is tied off. It didn't occur to me before reading this thread that I am already at idle when coming in off the river and docking so that should be the cool down period. Now I will shut down the engines after all the lines are secured and just let the generator cool down after I turn off the load.
 
I'm the only one that gets near the helm. If there's a mistake it is all on me. I also shut off the engines once I'm in my well.
 
320Bob said:
This is why I belong to this forum as a new boater. I have been letting my engines idle for a few minutes after the boat is tied off. It didn't occur to me before reading this thread that I am already at idle when coming in off the river and docking so that should be the cool down period. Now I will shut down the engines after all the lines are secured and just let the generator cool down after I turn off the load.
Click to expand...


DITTO:thumbsup: i'm idling for about ten minute coming into our marina maneuvering around corners and such..only using the throttles.on a non windy day...no need to idle down.....
 
Vince,

Glad no one was injured.
 
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