Our key docking rules: Go slow. Bail out and retry. Dock against the current and wind. Don’t video tape when docking. What are your docking keys to success?
The old outboards had that thud when shifting, my new fly by wire twin outboards are silent! VERY touchy! Took awhile for me to get used to them when docking! Every trip is a learning experience for me! Thanks for the video!
Thank you for sharing this video (and your mistakes). Trying to learn from watching 'This Old House' is frustrating because they do everything right the first time. I personally felt panicked watching you perform this maneuver - but I learned much more from your mistakes than I would have had you done this perfectly the first time (or edited your video to make us think you did it perfectly). Kudos to you for your humility.
Thank you, for the positive feedback, the goal is to be approachable and, that means showing mistakes I wish I did not make. The plan was to show how easy it was turn the boat. I was embarrassed to make the mistake, but, it reinforces how everyone can use practice, so that when something goes wrong you can recover (and not over throttle into another boat).
Don’t know much about twin out boards but have a lot of them in my marina Grady Whites & Pursuits. What I have noticed is most times the guys use the wheel and thrusters. Just an observation.
Thank you. I default to engines from the boats I worked on, relying on prop walk and moving slow. But, in wind and current, wheel and power are preferred for me. The 1095 is an easy boat to maneuver.
Thank you for the kind words. The goal is to help people enjoy their boat. And, congratulations and have fun with the 1095, it has such great versatility. Reach out with any questions we can help answer.
With twin outboards, turn the wheel and use the engine on the outside of the turn. Your last manoeuvre wheel was to starboard and you went forward on the starboard engine. More effective would be to go forward on the port engine to bring the stern to the dock.Rule is use the engine opposite to the wheel.Wheel to starboard, use the port engine either going ahead or astern.Think of pushing an office chair with casters. If you want to turn right, more effective to push on the left back of the chair. Leaving the wheel centered and using only the gears is what you would on on an inboard engined vessel when the props are farther apart.
Thank you. I spent the vast majority of my time with inboards, so my default remains throttles. Your point of using the engine opposite the wheel is the key takeaway. This was a perfect example of a boater losing focus. Filming and describing lead me to make dumb mistakes.
I appreciate it. I was not happy with the mistakes, but, the goal is to show what it is like being a boat owner. Just talking about docking while doing it threw me off.
Not sure how responsive your twin engines are being so close together, but keeping twin engines straight and using shifters alone is easiest on most docking maneuvers.
Thank you. My default is using throttles except in heavy current,. Though the props are fairly close together, they are fairly responsive, with a right and left hand prop, though the turning point is pretty far back. This was me unintentionally showing sub optimal docking.
I hate that the shifters are on the right hand side, one thing I was taught was to only use my left hand to shift the port engine and my right hand to shift the starboard. I've found this advice to be extremely useful, but with the shifters smashed up to the right of the steering it is difficult to work them with both hands.
I was taught the same and had forgotten. It remains my unconscious default on how to operate twin engines. I do that maneuvering in the marina. Open running I use the right hand on both.
Thanks for sharing! My new to me boat, is still in the slip until I get some "dual" instruction. Sailor transitioning to twin screw, they say it's easier. We will see......
This is why I would want the joystick if available - I believe it would make docking easier (from the single engined boat I had years ago docking was the most stressful part of boating)
We enjoy our 1095. I only imagine a joy stick making it even easier to dock. The 1095 handles very well and we find it a straight forward boat to dock (most of the time) with bow thrusters and the twin engine. The minor detail of user error is what makes docking hardest.
Great video. Lovely boat. Have read the other comments regarding using the helm AND the throttles. I have an 895 and try - on slow speed manoeuvres to just use the throttle. Agreed using the helm too can improve your turns. But with little wind. Like in this video. Do you think you wouldn’t have left the throttles in gear too long if you had not been thinking and using the helm? Just one thing less to be thinking about. Just a thought. Look forward to viewing more of your videos. There is a chap in Australia who has an 895. His channel is called The Rudder. Worth checking out. More berthing videos please.
Thank you for watching and the comments. I really enjoy The Rudder and what they do. I believe the issue on my docking here was concentrating on trying to talk on video more than using the wheel and helm. I am trying to get a friend to bring their drone over and do one docking only steering. One video only throttle and one using one engine. All I need is more time!
I'm surprised to see you use so much wheelwork. I've always been taught to use the two engines to control the rotation and movement of the boat. Is there a reason why you don't only use the twin engines in and out of gear to move the boat?
A great I. most conditions is just throttles on engines straight. With the outboards, sometimes using the wheel and engines together can make more pronounced maneuvers with little power. In this case, once I over corrected from leaving the engines in gear on the first attempt, I used engines and throttle together just to dock more quickly after making a thoughtless error.
Also with outboard the engines are close together and thus the boat will be less responsive using the engines only. I'm not saying using the wheel at slow speed is the right thing todo, just simply pointing out that this boat with the two engines close to the center line it will not rotate the same as a catamaran for example.
@@rexphinney3599 since it is relatively short, it maneuvers fairly well with just the outboards when there is little wind or current, but when there is more going on, tend to steer and gear rather than use throttle controls. I default to throttles because of the boats I learned on in my youth.
Stop touching the wheel. Helm centered. Use the gears. Or if you’re going to use the wheel then shift both together and treat like a single screw. If you’re shifting one engine and turning the wheel you’re defeating the whole point
Thank you. My default is engines straight and just throttles unless wanting larger maneuvers, with less power. I learned on boats with fixed props and rudders. So, turning the wheel and engaging the engine is how I think of getting the most lateral movement with the least forward momentum. For example, to move the aft to starboard, spin wheel hard to port in neutral, engage the starboard engine forward briefly to give more aft walk to starboard.
Helm centered and using the gears is correct for twin inboards where the props are some distance apart. With outboards, where the props are close together, it is very effective to use the helm and only the engine on the outside of the turn. This keeps your speed down and maximizes the turning moment. Wheel to starboard, use port engine. Think of turning a shopping cart or a castered office chair. You have the ability to direct the thrust, use it.
Our key docking rules: Go slow. Bail out and retry. Dock against the current and wind. Don’t video tape when docking. What are your docking keys to success?
Got a MF 895 offshore. Took it out for the first time yesterday. Took me 5 attempts to reverse dock 😅😅😅
The more you do it, the easier it gets. And, no matter how many times you dock, there will be times it gets hectic.
The old outboards had that thud when shifting, my new fly by wire twin outboards are silent! VERY touchy! Took awhile for me to get used to them when docking! Every trip is a learning experience for me! Thanks for the video!
They are certainly smooth in shifting. I love how the boat handles and docks - when I am not filming a video.
@@echozulucruising Good job! I need a bow thruster! LOL
@@mikeboggs5987 They make it easy for sure.
Thank you for sharing this video (and your mistakes). Trying to learn from watching 'This Old House' is frustrating because they do everything right the first time. I personally felt panicked watching you perform this maneuver - but I learned much more from your mistakes than I would have had you done this perfectly the first time (or edited your video to make us think you did it perfectly). Kudos to you for your humility.
Thank you, for the positive feedback, the goal is to be approachable and, that means showing mistakes I wish I did not make. The plan was to show how easy it was turn the boat. I was embarrassed to make the mistake, but, it reinforces how everyone can use practice, so that when something goes wrong you can recover (and not over throttle into another boat).
Don’t know much about twin out boards but have a lot of them in my marina Grady Whites & Pursuits. What I have noticed is most times the guys use the wheel and thrusters. Just an observation.
Thank you. I default to engines from the boats I worked on, relying on prop walk and moving slow. But, in wind and current, wheel and power are preferred for me. The 1095 is an easy boat to maneuver.
Thanks for these videos - we are about to take delivery of a Merry Fisher 1095 in Australia and are finding your videos helpful and informative
Thank you for the kind words. The goal is to help people enjoy their boat. And, congratulations and have fun with the 1095, it has such great versatility. Reach out with any questions we can help answer.
With twin outboards, turn the wheel and use the engine on the outside of the turn. Your last manoeuvre wheel was to starboard and you went forward on the starboard engine. More effective would be to go forward on the port engine to bring the stern to the dock.Rule is use the engine opposite to the wheel.Wheel to starboard, use the port engine either going ahead or astern.Think of pushing an office chair with casters. If you want to turn right, more effective to push on the left back of the chair. Leaving the wheel centered and using only the gears is what you would on on an inboard engined vessel when the props are farther apart.
Thank you. I spent the vast majority of my time with inboards, so my default remains throttles. Your point of using the engine opposite the wheel is the key takeaway. This was a perfect example of a boater losing focus. Filming and describing lead me to make dumb mistakes.
@@echozulucruising we have all been there.
Ok, that was imberesing, thank you for honesty, now I feel better about my self 😂, thubs up
I appreciate it. I was not happy with the mistakes, but, the goal is to show what it is like being a boat owner. Just talking about docking while doing it threw me off.
Not sure how responsive your twin engines are being so close together, but keeping twin engines straight and using shifters alone is easiest on most docking maneuvers.
Thank you. My default is using throttles except in heavy current,. Though the props are fairly close together, they are fairly responsive, with a right and left hand prop, though the turning point is pretty far back. This was me unintentionally showing sub optimal docking.
I hate that the shifters are on the right hand side, one thing I was taught was to only use my left hand to shift the port engine and my right hand to shift the starboard. I've found this advice to be extremely useful, but with the shifters smashed up to the right of the steering it is difficult to work them with both hands.
I was taught the same and had forgotten. It remains my unconscious default on how to operate twin engines. I do that maneuvering in the marina. Open running I use the right hand on both.
Thanks for sharing! My new to me boat, is still in the slip until I get some "dual" instruction. Sailor transitioning to twin screw, they say it's easier. We will see......
It is easier for sure. But, there is always the chance to screw it up.
This is why I would want the joystick if available - I believe it would make docking easier (from the single engined boat I had years ago docking was the most stressful part of boating)
We enjoy our 1095. I only imagine a joy stick making it even easier to dock. The 1095 handles very well and we find it a straight forward boat to dock (most of the time) with bow thrusters and the twin engine. The minor detail of user error is what makes docking hardest.
Great video. Lovely boat. Have read the other comments regarding using the helm AND the throttles.
I have an 895 and try - on slow speed manoeuvres to just use the throttle.
Agreed using the helm too can improve your turns. But with little wind. Like in this video. Do you think you wouldn’t have left the throttles in gear too long if you had not been thinking and using the helm?
Just one thing less to be thinking about.
Just a thought.
Look forward to viewing more of your videos.
There is a chap in Australia who has an 895. His channel is called The Rudder. Worth checking out.
More berthing videos please.
Thank you for watching and the comments. I really enjoy The Rudder and what they do. I believe the issue on my docking here was concentrating on trying to talk on video more than using the wheel and helm. I am trying to get a friend to bring their drone over and do one docking only steering. One video only throttle and one using one engine. All I need is more time!
@@echozulucruising Great idea. Hope you are able to do that it would be a very useful video.
I'm surprised to see you use so much wheelwork. I've always been taught to use the two engines to control the rotation and movement of the boat. Is there a reason why you don't only use the twin engines in and out of gear to move the boat?
A great I. most conditions is just throttles on engines straight. With the outboards, sometimes using the wheel and engines together can make more pronounced maneuvers with little power. In this case, once I over corrected from leaving the engines in gear on the first attempt, I used engines and throttle together just to dock more quickly after making a thoughtless error.
Also with outboard the engines are close together and thus the boat will be less responsive using the engines only. I'm not saying using the wheel at slow speed is the right thing todo, just simply pointing out that this boat with the two engines close to the center line it will not rotate the same as a catamaran for example.
@@rexphinney3599 since it is relatively short, it maneuvers fairly well with just the outboards when there is little wind or current, but when there is more going on, tend to steer and gear rather than use throttle controls. I default to throttles because of the boats I learned on in my youth.
I would suggest you visit good chiropractic
Umm. Ok.
@@echozulucruising After the few sessions with chiropractor join BJJ team you will feel like new
Stop touching the wheel. Helm centered. Use the gears. Or if you’re going to use the wheel then shift both together and treat like a single screw. If you’re shifting one engine and turning the wheel you’re defeating the whole point
Thank you. My default is engines straight and just throttles unless wanting larger maneuvers, with less power. I learned on boats with fixed props and rudders. So, turning the wheel and engaging the engine is how I think of getting the most lateral movement with the least forward momentum. For example, to move the aft to starboard, spin wheel hard to port in neutral, engage the starboard engine forward briefly to give more aft walk to starboard.
Helm centered and using the gears is correct for twin inboards where the props are some distance apart. With outboards, where the props are close together, it is very effective to use the helm and only the engine on the outside of the turn. This keeps your speed down and maximizes the turning moment. Wheel to starboard, use port engine. Think of turning a shopping cart or a castered office chair. You have the ability to direct the thrust, use it.
I do way better when by myself. lots of people around I get nervous and screw up
Trying to describe what I was doing rather than just doing threw me off for sure.
"slow is pro"
Exactly.
Per carità
I am not sure the translation, but, thank you for commenting.
Dont use the wheel!!! Take a course!
It is the beauty of docking a twin engine, you can use the wheel and throttles, the engines alone, or both.
Twisting, not spinning.
Fair.