Boat Handling / twin or single outboard

Capital Sea · Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 3:43 pm Post subject:

A swim step is a nice thing to save room for. You can get in or out of a shore boat with ease and if anyone goes over the side it will be much easier to get them back in. The step also offers a very good platform for defouling anything that gets in your prop or readjusting your transducer if it gets knocked out of place.
Solid redundancy can be had with a sound kicker mounted next to your 90.

Grumpy · Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:40 pm Post subject:

Kingfisher album, page 5, album "kingfisher details" photo 3 will show you twin 40's with EQ swim step.

Merv

Fishhawk · Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:47 am Post subject: Twins better?

At the risk of redundancy, I will weigh in strongly in favor of twins and give a few examples of why:

Boat handling in close quarters is not comparable, the boat can almost be spun in place with twins.

One twin 40 will push a moderatly loaded 22 something around 17-18 MPH. Kickers will maybe give you 5 MPH.

If you troll, a larger engine running slowly will provide better boat contol than a kicker will.

When setup properly, one engine uses the house battery for starting and the other has it's own battery with no other drain upon it.

Though probably not significantly, the twin configuration does provide a higher level of safety.

And, (this is the real reason we love em) they sound way cooler when they are both running hard!!! Kinda like a jet engine.

Capt Dan

Captains Cat · Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:58 am Post subject:

Dan, if you can go 17-18 mph with one twin on a 22, you must have an exceptional boat. I had twin 45s on a 22 and the boat might push 8 but certainly would not reach planing speed, which is what your reference is...

Charlie

snal · Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:18 am Post subject:

matt_unique · Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 2:24 pm Post subject: Twins

Speaking of handling with twins, I was recently approaching a dock for a starboard landing (as usual). I did not have enough real estate for a nice flat approach and had to come in while turning to port. The wind did not cooperate and even though I was hard over to port I was not going to make it; instead of coming in parallel with a foot of clearance to the dock I was going to hit at an angle (bow first). I quickly added some reverse thrust on the port engine and she swung right around to parallel. I then centered the engines and applied reverse thrust....nice smooth stop with a foot clearance to the dock. The feeling of a good approach never gets old!

If I were running on one engine I could have aborted the approach of course but it was nice to be able to adjust to the kicked up wind and salvage the landing.

Buffalob · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 1

Can a loaded 22' get on step with only one 50hp outboard?

If you can't get on step with only one outboard, there's really no additional safety benefit to twins. Displacement speed of a 40 isn't going to be much faster than a 9.9 high thrust. You're probably looking at about 5 knots max either way.

I'm sure the docking benefits of twins are nice, but I can live without them for the reduced maintenance and efficiency increase associated with having a single outboard.

Captains Cat · Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 3:24 pm Post subject:

Call it "semi plane" then. Mine would do almost 10 with one 45 but would never make it over. I suspect with a kicker, it wouldn't get much past 6. A big reliable main that's run a lot, connected to a lot of good fuel gives me a better feeling than a kicker does. Not against little engines, I've had lots of sailboats with them, have one now. As someone said earlier, and many times on this forum, it's personal preference....Mine is for twins.

Charlie

DaveS · Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:06 pm Post subject: Re: Twins better?

jennykatz · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:14 am Post subject: twins?

We bought our first 22 cruiser with a Honda 50 on it . When we Demo 'd drove it she did 16mph with 3 big 220lb's on board so 17-18 is not out of the relm of possibilities.
The problem lies with twins lifting the other moter out of the water so to create less drag also changing prop to a lower pitch impractable if out in open water's I knew I would change engines so I bought the boat sold the Honda and bought a 90 Suzuki Great motor sold boat bought the venture 23 (cape cruiser) with a f-115 Somtimes I wish i had twin 60's yami or suzi but I need to win the Lottery For those of us who have singles just make sure you keep it well maintained ,extra prop, and Sea tow

denny-o · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:29 am Post subject:

If you are doing the loop and the intracoastal, etc. a single is sufficient (plus a kicker)... Singles are cheaper to run and cheaper to maintain...
If you are going offshore, or into remote waters, then a twin is the smarter choice...
Yes, fuel contamination is the great equalizer.. On my twin engine (plane) I have separate tanks and I filter the fuel as it is pumped on onboard... Not a perfect answer but the best I can do...

My current boat is a single - and again I am running two tanks... Filtering the fuel when pumped and a filter in the line(s) to the engine... I am looking forward to a twin boat (still trying to retire)...

OK, all the intellectual reasoning behind us - grabbing a fist full of throttles is somehow more satisfying...

denny-o

Captains Cat · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:07 am Post subject:

Fishhawk · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:08 am Post subject:

Thanks Jennykatz for the vote of confidence.

The boat speed of 17-18 MPH with one engine I mentioned was measured over about a mile of flat water using my GPS. I consider the GPS to be the most accurate way to measure speed. The boat was "moderately" loaded with my wife and I, three days worth of provisions, my Lake Superior fishing gear(no downriggers), and approximately 20 gallons of fuel.

The second engine was lifted clear of the water.

It is true fer sure that you must trim the vessel to get on plane and that we were likely right near the edge of that capability (I do have Bennet trim tabs).

It is also possible that the load I called "moderate", would be considered a light load by others.

I'm sorry I don't know the pitch on the props offhand, but will find out if anyone cares to know.

If there is something special about my boat then that's wonderful to me!!!!!

I will also say that I enjoy the scrutiny here, you guys are great.

Capt Dan

snal · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:54 am Post subject:

I'd be interested to know the prop pitch. I might try one, and keep it aboard if it will get me on plane with a single.
My boat was lightly loaded when I tried. 2 adults (300#), full tanks, no trim tabs or hydrofoil, maybe 100lbs of "stuff", 2nd engine up and out, slick water with no current.
I didn't have a GPS at the time, this was our first trip out as new owners, and my speedo doesn't read accurately at low speeds, but it didn't feel like it came close to getting on plane. This was also before I added the 100lb framework for canvas.

1TUBERIDER · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:57 am Post subject:

My experience with running a single on a twin setup in the pond was a speed of 5 to 6 mph without pushing the motor to hard. I don't think I would see 10 mph at wot and the additional rpm is not worth it for a couple miles an hour. It stayed at displacement speed and I doubt a kicker would do what a 50 will do. My pond is the ocean so its a lot different than your flat water conditions, but I doubt I would want to push it on a single in flat water either.

I like full throttle push too, but in this area where we are comparing similar total horsepower the single will always outrun the twins. The reason is the extra drag from the lower units and the extra weight of twins. Since our boats top out around 30 we don't see much of the difference.