Singles versus Twins

S

Stuberg

New member
No this is not about dating and I'd prefer that Dr. Phil stay out of this discussion.

:-)

I'd love to hear some opinions on equiping a boat with a single engine versus twin engines. (Or a single engine with a kicker engine versus twins.)

How did you equip your boat and why?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of each setup?

Thanks,
Robert Stuberg
 
Hi Folks,

I have a 75 HP 4 stroke Yamaha. No kicker. (I carry unlimited towing with BoatUS at a discount because I am a member of the USCGAux and USPS. Love it. The boat is a 1983 Angler model. Love it all.

Fred Heap
 
Kind of a topic that has been through the mill lately: lots of good info here:
http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=2104
and elsewhere in the Outboard forum.

Twins: less efficient than a single, but do give the feeling of safety (may be a false one though, since most engine problems are fuel related).

Of course, I'm totally non-partisan on any engine manufacturer. As long as the engine is painted OEM black -- I'm happy with it.
 
Hi Stuberg, remember if you listen to me or any body else about what is good or bad, you will get so confused you won't know which way to go. Look at the price of a large engine, maybe a kicker also, what do they cost? Add bells and whistles to your kicker . Than the same kicker as to take you back to port if you loose main single (10 miles out) that might be interesting . I have been there. I have twins and I am soooooo happy , but I did not listen to anybody about my choice. I figure that I am way a head cost wise with twins, than big engine with funny looking kicker that leans your boat one way or another. Do your home work, I mean use your computer, make notes, compare . Remember C- Dorys like to be stern heavy but then again you're the only one that is going to live with your decisions. Gary SEARAM
 
Went with a Single and kicker. Mostly for fishing. I think its sound logic to rack hours up on a small cheaper (still not cheap) engine. Also I have found that I can troll for hours on a single gallon of fuel! Glad I did it this way with gas prices like they have been. Also the kicker is a get home policy should the main fail. The kicker will not win races ,but its not a racing boat. Its much more..... Its a C-Dory.

Christopher Bulovsky
Washburn Wi
 
New technology is amazing. Yamaha mid range engines have a speed control switch that allow you to bring your trolling speed down to 600 rpm up to 900 rpm 50 rpm at each touch of the switch, all day long without harming the engine . Just like Chrysler 300 big block V8 shout down half of there cylinders when driving in town. I think my new 50hp uses less fuel when I am trolling than my kicker did (15hp) on my 18' Double Eagle. Gary SEARAM
 
Dodgeram-Peeked at you photos... Dang! nice looking boat! Like the downrigger mounts very clever. Wish Ihad the cock pit steering as well. Thats a Fishing machine!

Chris
 
Thank Chris, it is quite the fishing machine . I took it out finally in August for my first big fishing trip . This boat takes a little to get use too, but I am slowly getting there . Trolling for salmon, the boat was almost flawless. Fished with my bud (chocolate lab TIA ) half the time, the back control and steering have to be a must when you are by your self. Those brackets are made out of aluminum very easy to build and install. They are mounted so the bad guys will have a hell of a time steeling them!... The swivel base allows me to swing the arm away so I can open my doors on the lazaret. Where they are mounted they also let me install my full camper back. Gary SEARAM
 
DodgeRam: Lot's of hours on a engine would effect resale. A buyer would not know if they were fast or slow hour's. I put five times as many hours on my cheap! 9.8 kicker than I do my single main. Eight hours on 1.3 gallons when fishing.

Jack on C-Otter
 
Both of my CDs have had a single main and a kicker. Never a problem, and the 2/3 maintenance cost and effort is certainly a big plus. Most of my fishing is in the Columbia River or outside in the ocean, where currents and breeze make trolling with the kicker a rare event, so that is not a big factor for me in itself. The kicker stays on in case it is needed to keep me off a spit or jetty until B~C makes it across the channel to help me.

Nevertheless - if I were buying new or repowering, I would put twins on my CD25. The biggest reason has to be because I want twins - for whatever reason - and a guy should always get what he wants. The secondary reasons are peace of mind and weight distribution on the transom. The top two bolts on my 130 have pulled the heads/washers into the glass a bit and cracked the gelcoat. Until I can get it to up to the factory for some repair, I have replaced the washers with 3/8" x 4" x 8" stainless steel plates with lots of sealant between them and the inside of the transom. They look just fine and have solved the problem for as long as I want to put off the repair (or as long as my wife makes me). Since a repower would also have to include more power to make me a happy guy, it would be twin somethings. And since a repower is way down the road (Honda!), there might just be enough experience with the new lightweight ETechs to change my vote in an upcoming outboard choice poll. I do believe we will be keeping the boat we have for a long time, so when I do repower it will be getting pretty close to 200 hp and it won't all be hanging in the middle.
 
Can somebody please explain the "piece of mind" aspect of having twins. Seems to me that without the ability to push the hull past displacement speed using just one, you might as well have a lightweight, efficient 6-8 hp kicker. And if half of a set of twins can get you up on step, why have two of 'em? I just don't get it... :?:

Now, if you want to argue balance, trim and docking abilities, that's a different story. :!:
 
Can somebody please explain the "piece of mind" aspect of having twins.
Click to expand...

The Columbia River bar can be five miles wide and can change from a lake to a torrent in minutes. One 90 hp would push my CD25 all the way across it no problem; one 15 hp kicker might not. One 90 hp would make way against 5 kt river current; throw in a little wind and one 15 hp would lose ground. I don't care in I'm on step or not, I just want to go home. Same scenario for a CD22 using one 40 hp vs. one 8 hp.
 
Stuberg-

You're not going to get a good, all inclusive answer out of this group at this time due to "topic fatigue".

The single vs twins discussion hardly is over before it begins again, but is never finally resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

In the Library part of the forums, there are threads with hundreds of posts on the topic.

In addition, as flagold points out, there are considerable ramblings on which single or twins would be best.

I'm sure there will be more posts on this thread, but I seriously doubt
we'll cover all the pros and cons again right here, so just to be sure you've heard all the possible points, get two yellow legal notepads and go at it!

Just being funny, to some extent, of course, but there must be more already written on this than we can ever reproduce here!

Enjoy! Joe.
 
We'll now you've done it. I was counting on the group to answer my question with scientific precision and instead I'm left with a headache. I didn't realize the I brought up a subject suffering from topic fatigue. I'm going to take some aspirin before reading the old threads in the hopes that a clearer mind will discover the prevailing logic.

:-)

In the meantime, I'm going to reread what TyBoo Mike had to said on the subject:

* * * * *
Nevertheless - if I were buying new or repowering, I would put twins on my CD25. The biggest reason has to be because I want twins - for whatever reason - and a guy should always get what he wants.
* * * * *

A man should get what he wants. No argument here.

Robert
 
Robert -

That is the one thing that always comes out of this discussion. Get what makes you happiest.

Years ago, there was a guy who used to frequent this place. Les was his name. After his often lengthy and deep consideration of the single vs. twins question, he would every time end up telling his customers that they were buying a pleasure boat, and to therefore make their choice based solely upon whatever pleased them most. I think that's good advice, indeed.

There is no one absolute correct answer to the question. Both sides have great points and not so great points, and the key is to determine which of the great points makes the most sense to you. Les also says that some people want twins because they are "sexy". That, all by itself, is a valid reason for getting them.
 
TyBoo":3iptxpti said:
rogerbum":3iptxpti said:
I really depends on how you prop 'em... :twisted:
Click to expand...

RB - your twisted attempt at stirring up trouble is all for naught. DoD is in hibernation!
Click to expand...

OK - in that case one's choice of single vs. twins should be based on finding the best color match to your truck. But which truck? :twisted:
 
Navicula to answer some of your questions, I don't Know why C-Dory with older model twins can not bring their boats to a good speed without logging their engines? Maybe It is the type of prop they use . All I personnaly can tell you is with my 50 Yamahas I do not have any problems cruising with only one engine and the other one still in the water! And no, I am not logging the engine like some of the C-Brats claim. I have spend 6hrs on the water yesterday chasing my pot traps from one location to another on only one engine either the port or starboard. Also here some of the currents will push a boat the size of a C-Dory spacially flat bottom boat backward, on a 15hp kicker without strong wind helping. I do have 5 years warranty on my engines and expect to keep those engines until they drop. Did not buy my boat so the next owner can enjoy it to it full extend . Here in BC when you buy a used boat and used engine it is not realy an issue. That is why there is good mechanics to check used engines you want to buy. Trolling with those engines is about .3 to .5 gal. per hour Still cheaper than getting caught in the middle of Dodds Narrow and trying to start your kicker and move backwards in a 15knots current.Gary SEARAM
 
One other advantage of twins is that you can use them while docking to pull the front one way or another by having one in reverse and the other in forward. This is one place where DodgeRams throttle setup is far superior to the "Stock" setup. There are only detents on those Morse controls where as there are lockout switches on most of the "stock" controls.

Having said that. I would like to have twins with a kicker! I want the kicker hooked up with a TR-1 for fishing and the twins for reliably getting me out and back. But since I have an I/O that is totally out the window and I will be putting on a 15hp kicker on the 27' once I get the boat bucks to do so.
 
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