I have purchased a GW Gulfstream with twin 150's. My previous boat had a single engine. I was looking for some advise on operating, handling, docking with twin engines. :huh
handling twin outboard motors
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bennett has a nice little video about handling twin outboards. worth the few bucks. i still pop mine in every now and then. ron
and i think you'll love the gulfstream. great all around boat and a big 23'.
and i think you'll love the gulfstream. great all around boat and a big 23'.
915...she will do everything your last boat did and more...you can pivot the boat with the engines in opposite directions..you can steer at slow speeds with the engines by speeding 1 up or slowing 1 down..best advise I can give is to go out and play with her..take your time and be careful.....
91549154 said:
Practice with her in open water to get the hang of the twins - takes things nice and slow - my 265 wont really pivot like a twin inboard, but more walk side to side as needed.
By the end of the season you wont even have to think when docking, but you may stumble of this post and say "I love the twins, I am never going back to a single enginer boat"
Enjoy
Tim
Think of your boat as a shopping cart, with the throttles as the cart handle. For example, fwd on the port throttle and rev on the stbd throttle will turn the boat to the right just like a shopping cart would turn.
The only difference is in tight manuvering or docking, one FWD and 1 REV to rotate or pull a tight turn. Depending on how you dock, it can be the same or different. If you pull alongside your dock nothing is different, use both as you would a single. You can use 1 but I find the steering response too slow. If you back into a slip, here's where twins shine. Pull past the slip perpendicular and stop just past it (you have to be fairly close though). Put the outside motor in reverse and bump the inside motor foreward as needed to push you away from the dock. You'll slowly rotate into the slip, then when your stern is past the piling only use reverse and cut the motor towards it rotating the boat around the piling.
There aren't many times when you need wheel and throttles when manuvering. Start with 1 or the other or there's a good chance you'll mess yourself up. Take her out and try to manuver around some stick markers, if you nudge one nothing is going to happen. Watch the wind, you have a lot of surface area to act like a sail.
There aren't many times when you need wheel and throttles when manuvering. Start with 1 or the other or there's a good chance you'll mess yourself up. Take her out and try to manuver around some stick markers, if you nudge one nothing is going to happen. Watch the wind, you have a lot of surface area to act like a sail.
I'm no "expert" on backing a twin but I quickly learned a way to help me figure out which engine needs to go into what gear.
Whatever direction you want the stern to go, select that throttle handle that when moved into Rev (and therefore moved towards the stern) will "point" in the direction that you want the stern to go. The other throttle handle when pushed forward, will "point" to where the bow will move. You shouldn't need more than idle power.....
Go slow, think about what the wind or current will do to you before you start and STOP the boat's movement before you make your move.
Have a crewmember standing in the stern with a 25' dockline that's tied to the springline cleat on the side that will slide along the finger pier. Why in the stern? Because the stern will appraoch the dock first! This same crewmember should also have quick access to a boat hook. If there is someone on the dock to help, have your crew toss them the springline. The springline alone can pin the boat to the dock....... not the bow or stern line...... If no one is on the dock, your crew might be able to hop onto the dock with the springline, or they should be able to grab something on the dock with the boat hook to help hold the boat steady in the slip. Don't be afraid to just get it "in" the slip....... and under control and then walk it back into place............ If you goof it up, slowly pull forward and start over.......
Whatever direction you want the stern to go, select that throttle handle that when moved into Rev (and therefore moved towards the stern) will "point" in the direction that you want the stern to go. The other throttle handle when pushed forward, will "point" to where the bow will move. You shouldn't need more than idle power.....
Go slow, think about what the wind or current will do to you before you start and STOP the boat's movement before you make your move.
Have a crewmember standing in the stern with a 25' dockline that's tied to the springline cleat on the side that will slide along the finger pier. Why in the stern? Because the stern will appraoch the dock first! This same crewmember should also have quick access to a boat hook. If there is someone on the dock to help, have your crew toss them the springline. The springline alone can pin the boat to the dock....... not the bow or stern line...... If no one is on the dock, your crew might be able to hop onto the dock with the springline, or they should be able to grab something on the dock with the boat hook to help hold the boat steady in the slip. Don't be afraid to just get it "in" the slip....... and under control and then walk it back into place............ If you goof it up, slowly pull forward and start over.......
Don't worry, you'll pick it up with practice. Start out docking when there is not much wind and current until you get comfortable steering with just the motors. Be prepared in case one motor stalls, and never panic. You'll pick it up soon enough. Enjoy!
Fishtales
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If you are not comfortable, either get an experienced captain you know or even hire one for a few hours. Have them show you how to use the throttles to spin the boat, back down, parallel dock and fore/aft docking at slips if possible.
Then go out and practice practice practice. When I got my first twin, I just did what you did. Got some advice and went at it. I splashed the boat very early in the season, only a very few boats at the docks. For two weekends Sat and Sun I went out the channel to open water, went back in docked and repeated and repeated until I felt comfortable. The first year I would be nervous coming in, but those around me would help and after that I was fine. It is all about a little knowlege, confidence and experience. You'll get it.
Then go out and practice practice practice. When I got my first twin, I just did what you did. Got some advice and went at it. I splashed the boat very early in the season, only a very few boats at the docks. For two weekends Sat and Sun I went out the channel to open water, went back in docked and repeated and repeated until I felt comfortable. The first year I would be nervous coming in, but those around me would help and after that I was fine. It is all about a little knowlege, confidence and experience. You'll get it.
Just remember that your props are counter rotating. That means your port prop turns counter clockwise in forward and your starboard prop turns clockwise in forward. With your steering @ a neutral position remember this little hint. To move your bow to port put your starboard engine in forward and your port engine in reverse. To move the bow to starboard just do the opposite with the throttles. Think about which way the props are turning and their effect on the stern. Just remember that if you want to move the bow left, put the right engine forward. To move the bow right, put the left engine in forward. Hope this isn't too confusing but if you get out there and play with it you'll have it down in no time.
Hey guys, I have a 99 sailfish with twin outboards, are my props counter rotating as well? Also Ive heard the outboards are a little too close to split throttles.. HAPPY EASTER TO ALL 
raise
raiseI have a Gulfstream w/T-150s on a bracket and she can spin 360 on her boat length. Can even walk her sideways with a bit of practice. Let someone said earlier, you'll never want to go back to a single engine. One trick is if you have a bracket is to tip your engines slightly up, so the prop wash in reverse goes under the hull/bracket. Try it normally first and you'll notice a significant difference.