Boat Handling / twin or single outboard

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.
 
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.
 
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
 
Fishhawk":vbcb4jn9 said:
One twin 40 will push a moderatly loaded 22 something around 17-18 MPH.
Capt Dan
Click to expand...

There is no way that one of my 50 fuel injected HP Johnsons (the Johnson is really a Suzuki with a Johnson cover) will do that kind of speed. I have certainly tried on a glassy lake, with no wind or current.
Like Charlie posted, I never "reached planing speed".

For those of us advocates of twins, we need to remember that the proponents of singles on this site have some strong valid reasons for choosing a single with a kicker. (They just haven't chimed in on this thread yet, but many of them have in the many previous threads about this topic).
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
O.K. Snal,

Osprey's props are stock Honda Cx11.1x13"s.

There seems to be a lot of doubt out there with this issue so the next time out I will run another test and report RPM as well. Since she does come out on plane I suspect I will see quite a few more RRR"s than the others are turning.

It may not be important but Osprey has no bottom paint and is always freshly waxed.

I am also now wondering if the water chemistry/quality has anything to do with this. It is very surprising to me that so many other 22's can't get up with a single 40-50 hp engine.
 
Captain Matt, if you had had only one engine you need not have aborted your approach. Engine to neutral, hard over to starboard, quick burst of power (enough to give a little rearward motion and swing bow to port), neutral again, hard to port, modulated power to maintain bow swing.... Since the turning center of a C Dory is pretty far aft, one can pivot the boat quite well with one engine with only a little fore and aft motion on the water. Takes more effort than with two engines, but it can be done.
 
Cosmic C":26bb8q1s said:
Captain Matt, if you had had only one engine you need not have aborted your approach. Engine to neutral, hard over to starboard, quick burst of power (enough to give a little rearward motion and swing bow to port), neutral again, hard to port, modulated power to maintain bow swing.... Since the turning center of a C Dory is pretty far aft, one can pivot the boat quite well with one engine with only a little fore and aft motion on the water. Takes more effort than with two engines, but it can be done.
Click to expand...

Hi Cosmic,
I think your description above is a great idea with sufficient time/space. There may not have been sufficient time/distance for this procedure to work under the particular circumstance I described above. Turning to starboard with the wind gust blowing me into the dock coupled with my forward movement would have risked going into the dock. The reverse power on the starboard engine without having to touch the wheel was an advantage in that situation.
 
I'm sorry I didn't make myself clearer, Captain Matt. I was thinking single engine C Dory versus a twin C Dory or Tomcat, not a Tomcat running on one engine (which I would think would be a handful in adverse conditions). While I agree that having two engines on any boat does make manoeuvering easier, my point is that there are techniques which allow one to manoeuver a single engine boat as well as a twin under most circumstances, even if they do sometimes require some quick helm and throttle changes. By the way, after 10,000 miles in my faithful CD25, I can still say that the only boat I lust after is a TC255 (but not because it has two engines!).
 
some thing I have noticed on several boats with twins. Its easier to turn on twins in a tight space if you just use the engines forward and reverse and not the steering wheel. if you want to turn left then forward on the left motor and reverse on the right WITHOUT turning the wheel.
 
The one drawback to the twin setup I see on my CD25 is that there
is not a counter rotating OB below 135hp. The 90hps are both CW and the
turning response is greatly influenced. As much as I practice and add to
my experience, I will get caught by the preverbial cross current &
opposing wind situation. I just plan for worst case and approach
accordingly... very slowly.

Art
 
Starcraft

Don't you mean reverse on the left and forward on the right to rotate to the left. I've never had twins to work with but that would seem to be the way.
 
Tom and Tom,

It'll work both ways, in doing it the first way, you will get to see the surroundings in a 450 degree turn :arrow: :hot :rose :rose :note , taking in all the sights. In the second, you will only spin 90 degrees :clock :| , but will miss all that scenery :cry

Sometimes I just like to look around :wink ,

Harvey
SleepyC
 
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