Smooth Shifting

[rt11002003]

The first person demonstrating the R-21 EC to us did it in the winter. The dealer had most of the batteries removed and we didn't have a bow thruster.

That captain was/is a great pilot. He inched that tug into the dock, in gear, out of gear, reverse, forward and the whole process was smooth and quiet. No abruptness, no clunking.

My shifting mechanism cluncks; it is not smooth. There is no such thing as a small movement of the tug. That tug goes to 3.5 knots quickly and loses it just as fast. It's no fun trying to back into a slip with the wind on the beam. Going to neutral with tug half way in, results in the forward section (cabin) being blown like a pinwheel around the end of the slip with the stern heading for my slip mate's new boat. Carrying power further into the slip puts the swim platform in danger because the tug continues to accelerate.

My Albin 27 AC was a single screw without a bow thruster. It had separate controls for fuel and transmission. It was easy to make small corrections and everything was smooth; the boat was 22 years old.

I'm ready for my 50 hr service/inspection. Can the controls be adjusted to smooth things out, power and clunking?


Gene

 

[Kamalani]

That docking scenario is exactly why we love the bow thruster. Is your boat fitted w/ the thruster? Any single eng. propeller boat can be a challenge to maneuver in a slip without one.

 

[Texas Steve]

This certainly doesn't address your shifting question, and I'm by no means an accomplished pilot, but the trick I've learned on backing my boat is that, by goosing the engine, the back end swings to starboard. I would say the shifting isn't necessarily smooth, but shifting from forward to neutral, pausing, and then shifting to reverse makes it a smoother process. As with anything, practice improves performance.

Texas Steve

 

[Kamalani]

Steve,s right as far as "goosing" the boat into position while docking. a lot can happen pretty fast if the boat is left in gear very long. I'm certainly no expert either, but, I have found that a few quick nudges with the prop, (or thruster if you have it), and then allowing the boat to drift slowly toward your goal, gives you greater control. Of course, the wind plays a big part in all of this, and may require that you position the boat well upwind before starting the docking process. Often the wind will do most of the work for you, and your main job will to be preventing the boat from being blown too far too fast. Without any "way on, (speed through the water), the rudder is useless. So giving yourself plenty of space upwind helps to get the boat moving under some control, hopefully in the direction of the slip,
Steve makes another good point in that with a single prop, as soon as you shift into reverse, the stern will swing to starboard, usually before the boat ever begins to move astern. So if you are trying to back into a slip from, say, a boat-length out, you will want to plan for this, and use it to your advantage. Picture pulling out of the slip, then immediately turning to port and stopping. This would be about where you might want to start the process of backing in. You would begin by giving her a 1 or 2 sec. nudge in reverse, and immediately go back to neutral. As the boat gains some speed you will have some rudder control, but very little. As you are SLOWLY drifting back, you will be able to swing the stern to where you want it by turning the rudder to the opposite side and "goosing" her forward. Not driving forward, but just enough of a nudge to kick the stern to the side, and then right back into neutral again. This takes tons of practice, but, eventually you are happily "goosing" and "nudging" your little tug anywhere you want her.
Alex, "Kamalani"

 

[rt11002003]

Thanks again guys. I hear what you say.

My Albin didn't have a bow thruster. I could dock it fairly well. It too, "walked" to starboard in reverse. It was always fun to leave the slip, where the boat was parked nose in, since I had to depart to starboard and going out backward to the channel wasn't a good option. I'd let the boat go almost to the dock behind, turn the wheel all the way to the right, shift into forward, apply lots of power and hope I didn't create too much wake. That would move the boat forward and to the right just in time to miss the dock I had just left. Close quarters. :shock:

Without a thruster on the R-21 EC it would be almost impossible for me to back into a slip, or dock. I've worked with that control lever, it's either on or off and it's abrupt, noisy and clunkly.

I regularly operate our rescue boats at my sailing club. They have single lever controls for the outboard engines and are much, much smoother.

Gene

 

[Andrew Custis]

Throttle and transmission have two different cables. They are very easily adjusted at the engine. I am happy to walk you through some things to check if you want to give me a call. Talk with you soon!