How worried should I be?

[Broadway]

Previously owned and operated a twin-screw 37' boat. Am soon to take delivery of Ranger Tug 25 SC. It will be my first time with a single engine. I'm concerned about the difference in handling, especially docking, that I can expect
Any pointers would be most appreciated.

 

[harry ames]

You probably won't miss the twin screws forward/reverse to spin the boat because the Rangers have bow and stern thrusters. The only down side I see with the thrusters is that I read lots of comments here that seem to indicate they are an added maintenance headache. Whereas with the twin screw, there were no added maintenance issues. If you could deal with your twin screw in all docking situation, I'm sure that the ranger will be a breeze.

 

[Brian B]

Congrats on your new boat, good to see another tug in New England. It won't take long to get used to it. Approach very slowly and take into account wind and current. Only give the thrusters short bursts and let them come to a complete stop before engaging again. The boat will back to port even with the rudder turned to starboard. I have a 2010 25SC and other than changing thruster zincs as routine maintenance I have not had any issues with them (knock on wood).
You didn't say if it was new or used, if used make sure all batteries are tested, the thrusters draw a lot.
Have Fun!!

 

[rt11002003]

Other than possible maintenance issues, the bow and stern thrusters are superior to twin engines for docking. I've used both; the advantage to the thrusters comes from being able to move the boat sideways in either direction; and being able to move either the bow, or stern (or both) in either direction, as needed/desired. One can rotate the boat in a complete circle using either the bow, or the stern thruster; or even both.

I've never had a thruster maintenance issue. But, I'm easy on mechanical/electrical devices. It comes from earning a living maintaining jet engines, rocket engines, aircraft and missiles, along with a lifetime of interest in sports cars, motorcycles and boats, both sail and power.

The main things to remember when using a thruster are to NOT overuse it; don't just move and hold the joystick in place. Learn how much thrust is needed to move "X" distance, stop; add more thrust if needed. The second thing to avoid is rapid changes in thruster direction. Let the thruster prop quit spinning before switching directions. Otherwise, one is likely to shear the prop pin. Not fun to change, so I hear. :cry:

 

[knotflying]

Just practice a bit at an empty dock and you will be a pro in no time. You will find that with strong winds or currents the thrusters won't help much, but most of the time you will be in good shape. You will be the envy of those watching as you move your boat sideways into that tight spot between two boats. 😀

 

[nzfisher]

The thrusters are totally weather dependent regards how effective they are. Current and wind can make them totally ineffective. Twin screws are far more forgiving in terms of the ability to dock your boat in most weather conditions. You will have to learn the tricks of docking where you keep your boat. Your best bet is to ask other folks with similar birth position as yours that own single engine boats. Ask what they do when the wind blows from the tough directions. Using dock poles and cleats to leverage your boat with ropes in adverse conditions can be extremely helpful as well as dropping someone off at the end of the dock before docking to assist when windy.

If you have ever watched a skilled captain use twin screws to back his boat into a tight birth you can see that there is no comparison between the maneuverability of twin screws and single engine and thrusters.

 

[pleeson]

In windy conditions and/or with extra stuff up on the roof rack (or strong currents) the thrusters will be quickly overwhelmed unless you can approach without cross wind or current being a factor. I have learned that in challenging conditions keep the bow into the wind and drop someone at the dock or enlist help on the dock to help fend off the boat, or catch lines before the gap widens too much. In normal conditions the thrusters are a dream just beware strong cross winds or currents - they can't produce enough thrust to hold position, let alone counter the outside inputs n your boat.

 

[baz]

I absolutely agree with every thing (advice) being posted here to help the OP understand things.

I would over emphasize the need to pulse the thrusters with the toggle switch and avoid rapid back and forth motion of the bow and stern thrusters to protect the shear pin from being over burdened.

The only maintenance aspect for the thrusters is to maintain their anodes. Replace them when at or slightly below 50% left. If the anodes get eaten away and new ones not added ASAP after that the allen bolt holding the anode will start to be eaten and can cause some of it to be left in the thruster when trying to subsequently removing it as turning it causes it's head to break off.

KEEP the thruster anodes in good shape by inspecting them as often as possible.

 

[Levitation]

Our thrusters do not have the power against a side wind/current that twin screws do. Other than that they are a lot handier than twin screws in tight quarters. I suspect it will take you all of 30 seconds to get used to them. Welcome aboard.
Oh yeah, and do a brief pause between changing thrust directions to let the thruster prop come to a stop before you change direction - as others have mentioned..

 

[Boatdreamer]

I agree, I try to be gentle with the thrusters, but in strong winds or current they don't help much. Don't use them in choppy water either. If the bow comes out of the water while using it and it drops back into the water, you could break a shear pin. I pratice the old back and fill from time to time just in case I lose the stern thruster. Good luck with your new boat you will love it!

Tim and Donna
Gratitude

 

[doke01]

I have been using thrusters on my 2007 R25 for 9 years now. There was only one time when the current/wind overwhelmed the thrusters. The wind was pretty normal but the current was excessive. The manual says to not let the thrusters run longer than three minutes to prevent overheating. I've kept to that requirement. If I am far enough away I will hold down the joysticks until I get there. If I get close to 3 minutes I pause and take a break. I'm usually use them very close to the dock but sometimes, in some places, it is difficult to get the boat close or difficult to get the boat out. Using them for long periods of less than 3 minutes (i.e., not using the thrust-pause method) has not hurt them in any way.

I change the zincs every year and I've changed the battery twice in 9 years. The current battery is 2 years old.

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

Doug:

Doe the manual state 3 minutes of constant use? I'd always heard to use thrusters in short bursts, let rest and then another short burst, etc., to keep them from overheating. Please clarify.

Thanks, Jim F

 

[Dale777]

Doug:

Doe the manual state 3 minutes of constant use? I'd always heard to use thrusters in short bursts, let rest and then another short burst, etc., to keep them from overheating. Please clarify.

Thanks, Jim F

JIm,

On page 19 of this Sidepower user manual there is a statement noted by doke01 about 3 minutes of continuous usage:

http://www.imtra.com/Collateral/Documen ... Manual.pdf

The relevant quote is: "The maximum continues usage time of the electrical thruster is approximately 3 minutes. The electromotor has a built in thermal cut-off switch that will shut off the electromotor if it is overheating and re-engage it when it has cooled down some. This should be considered when planning your maneuvering"

Although I have never used the thruster continuously for 3 minutes, I have used it continuously for 1 minute or so on many occasions, with no problem.

 

[Broadway]

I appreciate all the good advice and best wishes from all of you! So looking forward to getting our Tug...named 'Follies', which I hope is a good omen!

 

[jongleur]

I did a search and this thread was closest to what I'm wondering about.

A friend with a newer R25 was given advice to use the thrusters in very short
bursts. They have been scared to engage the thruster for more than
(literally) one half second at a time. Is this reasonable?

The specs I have found say that the overheat cutoff will kick in at
3 minutes continuous use or at some other settable time limit.

Can 5 second engagements be used regularly without harm? 10 seconds?
20 seconds?

 

[Red Raven]

As stated in the thread above relatively longer bursts (half second is silly!) are fine as long as you have the battery charge to handle it and you stay away from continuously running them. The manual may say up to 3 minutes but I wouldn’t recommend going anywhere near that. Recognize that the boat keeps moving after a thruster burst. It is a good idea to fire a burst and then check progress before firing again.

If you need to run them longer than 10 second bursts (hard to even call 10 seconds a burst. It’s a long time!) then it is probably time to back up and start over at your docking attempt. There is no harm in starting over. If you are not making headway against the wind or current with 10 seconds then running them longer more isn’t likely to help anyway. It is then time for another run or a different technique or a different location.

Of greater concern is not firing them one direction and then immediately the other direction. You must let them stop rotating before changing directions otherwise you risk breaking the shear pin. They are not fun to replace! (Though you will likely replace one or more eventually regardless).

I find it useful to practice docking without the thrusters. You never know when you may lose a shear pin so having the skills to dock without them may be critical. One the other hand if you never use them they are more likely to get fouled up with growth so it is a trade off!

 

[dclagett]

My experience with the thrusters has been very good in most conditions however when the wind or current is up you need to consider several variables in docking the boat. The bow thruster is very effective however the stern thruster I have encountered many times when it has been overwhelmed. I poisition the boat so the wind or current moves the stern to where I want it and use the bow thruster to align the boat. Also remember that there is considerable prop walk on the 25s such that when in forward gear the stern moves to starboard and in reverse it moves to port. I have also found that the rudder is somewhat effective when docking however do to its small size will be overwhelmed unless an increase in power is applied. I personally don’t like a lot of power close to the dock. So I assess conditions and do the planning before I approach the dock. No guts at my age.

One resource that may be helpful if you have watermen in your area with single screw boats is to talk with them. I my area in the Chesapeake we have watermen all over and they only have single screw and they operate every day in all conditions. Watch them dock and one would think they have twin screws, thrusters, etc., but they don’t and they dock perfectly every time.

Congratulations on the new boat we love ours.