BoatBanter.com - View Single Post - Ship-MKT shipyard, we Build to your Oder!

Eisboch[_2_]

"JimH" ask wrote in message
...

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...

This may sound like a really stupid question, but I honestly don't
know the answer.

Is it easier to manuever a boat with twin engines with two rudders?
What would be the difference if it had one rudder? Or if you have a
single engine and two rudders?

My guess is that you leave the rudders in straight forward neutral and
only
work the engines forward/reverse to maneuver.

Let's see if I am right.

I agree, although rudder position can be used along with forward/reverse
adjustments of the boat transmissions to do some pretty cool maneuvers.
Normally, when backing the Navigator into a slip I do as you said ....
rudders amidships and I "steer" the boat into the slip using the engines and
transmission positions. I don't even touch the helm.

When trying to dock against a dock and there isn't much room, you can make
the boat move sideways with the helm hard over and careful manipulation of
the throttles with one transmission in reverse and the other in forward. To
move sideways in the other direction, you reverse the positions of helm and
transmissions.

Takes a little practice, but on calm days I can move the 52 foot Navigator
sideways 10 or 15 feet without moving forward or backwards. A tug boat
captain taught me how to do it as he snerked at my thruster controls.

Eisboch