way to port gunwale. That design only includes an external walkway on the starboard deck for docking. This was no accident, since the boat walks right or to starboard, which is the obvious place for the walkway and your deckhand. Many want to believe twin-engine trawlers are This proud new owner sits between safer; in case one engine learning basic maintenance. fails you have a second. This may be true, but few people consider that the most common reason of engine failure is dirty fuel. If you understand that dirty fuel may be why you lose propulsion, then one engine or two may not be the solution, especially if they both use the same fuel tank. (There are two easy solutions to dirty fuel: first, keep it clean by monitoring the fuel filters and polishing the fuel in storage, and second, purchase towing insurance like TowBoatUS or SeaTow. These annual plans are affordable and should be a part of your boating safety plan.) Twin-engine trawlers do offer a few advantages over the single-engine trawler. Maneuverability in tight spaces when docking is a lot easier with twin engines even without a bow thruster. You can put one engine in forward and the other in reverse, just like a lever-operated bulldozer or bobcat. The boat will rotate giving you turning ability, often turning within very tight thoroughfares, but a single-engine vessel with a bow or stern thruster can also be quite maneuverable with practice. Just use the thruster’s joy stick to push the bow or stern over easily. Another advantage of twin engines is that the trawler draft may be about one foot shallower, because twin engines are outboard of the keel. Their smaller propellers require less draft. When traveling in the shallow waters of the ICW, less draft is a real bonus. Additionally, because twin engines are usually less horsepower than the single-engine trawler of the same length, the fuel consumption for two engines may be the same as the larger single engine. Some owners believe they have creative ideas to save fuel when easing down the ICW. They want to run one engine while the other engine is shut down, thinking they can save on fuel expenses. I do not have confidence that this is a real improvement, because of a few factors. The twin-engine design has smaller engines than its single-engine counterpart. When the twin-engine trawler runs on only one engine, that engine must run at a much higher RPM to maintain the same speed. This now causes you to burn almost the same fuel as if you were running both engines at cruise RPM. Another important consideration to running only one engine at a time is if you have a water-cooled dripless propeller shaft seal. When the dead engine propeller shaft is freewheeling or windmilling, then that shaft seal is not being cooled or lubricated and may cause premature failure. If you insist on running on one engine, then consider installation of a crossover water-cooling hose between the port and starboard propeller shaft seals. This will provide water-cooling News & Views for Southern Sailors
her twin Caterpillar engines while
when either engine is not running. Some owners have purchased shaft locks to lock the shaft on the engine not running, so its propeller is locked and will not rotate. Now you have dead prop drag and resistance, which may make you burn more fuel.
Wing Engines Let’s get back to the single-engine trawler. How can you be self-sustaining when you are hundreds of miles out on the ocean or in exotic islands like Trinidad or Cuba and that single engine starts to act up? Uh-oh. The commercial towing company you joined is back in the good ole USA. Hmmm. Here is one design option for the global cruiser that includes get-home ability: the get-home, or wing engine. Some trawlers have an independent smaller horsepower wing engine to meet this concern. This is similar to an auxiliary engine in a sailboat that features a feathering prop. It is there and ready to use when needed. Wing engine systems need to be run to exercise the
FORT MYERS BEACH Nearby Access to Facilities, Beaches & Restaurants • 70 Mooring Balls • Boats up to 50’ • Dinghy Dock • Pump-out Included with fee
Located inside Matanzas Pass, just south of the 65-foot bridge UPON ARRIVAL CONTACT:
(239) 463-9258
www.fortmyersbeachfl.gov/ SOUTHWINDS February 2013
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