twin-emgines setup

[lateralinfo]

hi again,
i have a 40-foot boat with twin DF300AP engines on it. i have noticed that maneuvering the boat is not symmetrical: my port engine has much more effect on the boat's "rotation" than the starboard one.
i asked the local suzuki dealer and he blamed it on the boat design. i contacted the boat manufacturer (the design is very popular), and he said it couldn't be the boat and must be something with the engines.
so my question is this: is this a normal thing to happen?
if not, the only thing i could think of is that maybe the engines are mounted too close to each other and/or not centered to the transom. is there a science behind where should the engines be mounted?
any help would be appreciated.

[Moonlighter]

You mentioned in your other thread that you are an inexperienced skipper and first time boat owner.

I would suggest that you get an experienced boating and fishing friend to come with you for a good test run, and see what they say. You really dont have enough knowledge to have a good baseline to make an assesssment. Twin engines bring an extra dimension and it also depends if they are set up with one as a counter-rotating engine as well.

If you dont have anyone in your circle with that experience, then maybe you can find a local licenced captain to come with you instead. Perhaps your local Suzuki service dealer can recommend someone, or maybe one of their team could come with you on a day off and show you the ropes?

A small investment like that is likely to have great benefits and help increase your confidence in your new boat.

I dont know what the laws are in your area regarding the requirements for boat driver’s licensing, but in any case, (if you haven’t already), it would be an excellent idea to complete at least a basic boat driving, navigation and “rules of the ocean” training course. Not only will you gain valuable skills, but you will learn the rules that will help to keep you out of trouble on the water.

You now have a large, powerful vessel and that brings a high level of responsibility with it. The ocean and open waters can be a very unforgiving place and when things go wrong, they tend to go wrong badly.

Good luck, and let me know re the other post questions and I will do best to assist.

[lateralinfo]

i have a boatmaster license and been boating for 2 years now. but i still consider msyeld a newbie
the suzuki dealer's engineer came with me on the boat and he said it's a boat design problem. many experienced other seamen said something is wrong with the engines setup and that's why the boat is more responsive to one side rather than the other. that's why i am looking for an explanation on the correct engines positioning to verify it has been done correctly.
can you help?

[Solarman]

Maybe you could give those of us, on the blind-side of the computer, a little more info, maybe add some pics of the boat. Then explain what you mean about "responsive to one side more"? Maybe add some pics of the motors mounting with the boat out of the water, to help us see what you see?

A popular 40 foot boat with twin motors doesn't really give us a lot of info to visualize your problem.

Any 40 foot boat with twin motors may be extremely touchy to maneuver, but I am still not understanding your more to one side responsiveness?

Good luck, post back when able to let us know.

[lateralinfo]

unfortunately i dont have many pictures at hand now. i will try to get you some soon. just real quick: it is a 40-foot center console type of boat. the picture i have although bad quality is the only one i have now.
to clarify further what i mean: by maneuvering, i mean when the engines are straight and i only use the throttle to maneuver the boat inside the marina.
when i put the port engine forward, the boat directly rotates to starboard (and moves slightly forward of course). same with backwards.
but when i do the same with the starboard engine, the boat moves straight only instead of rotating to port side. same with backwards.
so i was thinking that this could be an engine positioning issue or could there be another explanation for it?
will try to post more pictures if you need.

[lateralinfo]

oh and also the local suzuki dealer who is a good friend of mine by the way, said that the distance between the engines is standard.

[Solarman]

Always more Pics help, especially if they are clearer.
Motors down could possibly help us see if mounted too deep?

The best i can get from your pic, if i enlarge it, looks like counter-rotating motors. I think it looks like a v-hull bottom design, but with motors up it is hard to tell if length is good, or not. Can't tell anything about weight distribution. If it sits level in water, or anything about how it handles.

Idling is the most difficult time of steering, in lakes, rivers, or coastal areas. Currents, and winds play extremely important parts on larger boats. A 40' boat may not look that big in the water, but that is a large boat. As a large boat, how it sits in the water with a normal load (balance) can tell a good bit of how it handles. Balance is extremely important on Vee hull designs too, more so on your size boat.

Will hope to see more pics of your boat when you are able to post.

Good luck.

[lateralinfo]

ok thanks, i will try to get some pictures up soon.
FYI: the imbalance is consistent to the same side with the same intensity, so it's not a matter of wind or current.
also i have jackplates installed on both engines, so i can manipulate the height.

[lateralinfo]

i have another related question for you: for tight maneuvering (berthing, aligning to refuel, navigating inside the marina, etc) is it better to keep the engines straight and maneuver with throttles or is it more advised to use the steering wheel? what is the correct thing to do?

[Solarman]

Each situation approaching a dock is unique, but i find manipulation of throttles, against the flow of water is the key, to just walk the boat sideways into the dock. Winds are the exception, and sometimes make it easier to walk the boat backwards against the currents. You should practice away from structures just walking the boat sideways, forward and reverse, when able.

Good luck.

[lateralinfo]

any tips/tutorials on how to properly walk a boat sideways?

[Solarman]

Walking sideways is accomplished by going (against current/water flow?) at a slight angle, -matching current/water flow speed- (so almost at standstill). Using the inside motor (direction you wish to walk the boat), just to maintain walk speed, and the outside motor to maintain the angle positon into the walk (& if current?). Depending on faster currents, or no currents (some lakes), adjustments of both motors idling, and shifting between F-N-R, may be needed to maintain the walk.

As I said, maneuvers, should be practiced in safe areas. Multiple motors require practice, from turning 360° turns, to sideways, to familiarize how your motors perform moving in idle situations, for crowded beach parking, docking, to put on trailer, and other situations. Winds, and currents can often vary, depending where you boat. Larger boats maneuver differently than expected.

Good luck.