Aux motors: the theory...

[ooglewoogle]

As can be seen in another thread, I am new to ribbing and currently seeking out my first 'starter' RIB. I have seen a few I am interested in, but what keeps niggling me is that they have no auxilliary engine. I seem to rarely see them on ribs?

I plan to use the boat I buy on the Atlantic coast of the Isle of Lewis, and while I will do the necessary RYA PB2 and VHF course...the thought of engine malfunction fills me with dread.

I just really wanted to hear what the thinking is on the subject. Is it: "buy a good engine and keep it maticulously maintained, and the chances of failure are slim"? I mean, I hear that well maintained 2 strokes are very reliable...but does age come into it?

One of the boats I am interested in is a Searider 5.4. Can you mount an aux. engine on this boat? There doesn't seem to be enough room on the transom. Also, the ubiquitous Yamaha Outboards these come with...are they reliable?

Any thoughts/advice/philosophys welcome. Thanks again.

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by ooglewoogle

One of the boats I am interested in is a Searider 5.4. Can you mount an aux. engine on this boat? There doesn't seem to be enough room on the transom.

There is, just. I have a nearly identical Searider. I can just fit a 2.2hp Suzuki on the transom next to the main engine. It's very very slow but it'll give me steerage way (and I can use it for trolling a fishing lure )

Originally Posted by ooglewoogle

Also, the ubiquitous Yamaha Outboards these come with...are they reliable?

Hell yeah.Just keep them serviced and they last for a very long time.

[BogMonster]

I guess a lot of it depends on where you are - trundling around the Solent is fairly safe, being potentially 15 miles from the nearest vessel and 10 miles from the nearest human habitation, which is not at all difficult round these parts, means I wouldn't be without one. Having said that, I had mega paranoia about engine failure and the potential embarrassment of being towed home in the early days, but after a year or two of never missing a beat, I worried about it less, but I still wouldn't have gone far without the aux even though I only needed it once in four years (and that was user stupidity - casting off from a pontoon with the engine off and then flooding it by using choke on a hot engine)

Have a good engine, keep it maintained, and have an aux just in case because 4 knots is a hell of a lot faster than rowing or swimming, that is my philosophy

[ooglewoogle]

Originally Posted by BogMonster

have an aux just in case because 4 knots is a hell of a lot faster than rowing or swimming, that is my philosophy

I *love* your philosophy!

[ooglewoogle]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

There is, just. I have a nearly identical Searider. I can just fit a 2.2hp Suzuki on the transom next to the main engine. It's very very slow but it'll give me steerage way

Wow, that is great to know. Is there a pic of that on the site somewhere?

Thanks Nos!

[ollyit]

Heres one - 2.0 hp johnson single cylinder

[9D280]

Bearing in mind your base, I's be hanging an aux on my transom!

There are some older generation 4Hp twin cylinder machines that are quite slim. My transom is on a par with a searider one, and I can get one on there.

Other handy tip - get a long shaft - otherwise the prop will pop out the water at every wave!

[Poly]

ooglewoogle,

If I were in your location I would want an Aux (in fact even though I am not as remote as you I now have a very small Aux on a very small boat). I think the reasons Aux are not common on Ribs are:

1. There is a high density of RIBs on the South Coast, where Sea Start, the rescue services, and other boaters are all only a few minutes away.

2. Its tricky to fit one on and mount it in a robust manner - especially if you are into wave jumping.

3. There is a perception that RIBs are intrinsically safe, and to some extent they probably are a better place to be bobbing around waiting for a tow than on a boat with no permanent buoyancy.

The other thing I would do in your position is try to understand the common engine problems that occur at sea, and firstly try and avoid them with good maintenance and secondly know how to fix them to get you home. To my mind the two big problems are: (a) Fuel (b) Electrics.

For Fuel there are a number of silly things to be aware of - breathers closed/blocked, lines kinked, dodgy priming bulb etc. Then there are fuel filter blockages. I guess the turnover at your local garage won't be good to start with - so crap in fuel may be more likely as well as water in fuel. So a good fuel separator filter is probably important, along with a spare to swap at sea. You also want to know how to drain your carbs. I'd be tempted to keep a small tank of fresh good fuel in a separate can with its own hose and priming bulb on board in case your main tank gets contaminated, water in it etc. On the electrical front then you want to make sure you know how to start the engine with a dead battery. You also want to keep all your connections clean/dry. One possible area of trouble that seems to crop up is a short in the kill cord/stop circuit which will prevent you running the engine. Useful to know the symptoms and how to quickly disable this temporarily.

My own experience is that when you're at sea and it won't start you begin to panic a little bit. You need to be calm and logical and go through a set procedure. E.g. with me it is usually a kill cord not connected properly or that the engine is still in gear that means turning the key does not spring to life. If you are likely to get a bit flustered by it then a "check sheet" or trouble shooting flow chart (I think Haynes manuals used to have one for cars) would probably be a good call.

Now a 2 HP single aux isn't going to be much fun on SR5.4 in the sort of conditions you might face, and you may not be able to make progress against a strong tide but it would let you limp along whilst either waiting for a tow or trying to go debug the problem yourself.

[ollyit]

Here it is in action, it does make headway, steering is a nightmare to keep it in a stright line if you have an a frame fouling it, an transom outboard bracket would resolve this, either way, it'd get you home eventually

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[neilda]

Originally Posted by BogMonster

I guess a lot of it depends on where you are - trundling around the Solent is fairly safe, being potentially 15 miles from the nearest vessel and 10 miles from the nearest human habitation, which is not at all difficult round these parts, means I wouldn't be without one.

This would be my thinking. I don't have an aux - but I never leave the Solent.

[Brian]

ooglewoogle,

Just a thought............I know you are in a "remote" area, but........you should/must have a VHF radio.
You can always summon assistance although I appreciate your possible "reluctance" to do so.
In addition, despite "all" my travels, I have rarely been out of sight of at least one other vessel, and that includes the north of Scotland and all its islands.

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by Brian

In addition, despite "all" my travels, I have rarely been out of sight of at least one other vessel, and that includes the north of Scotland and all its islands.

Whether or not said vessels are listening on the radio may be another matter, at least if the ones here are anything to go by. It may be a requirement but it doesn't always happen!

[Brian]

Oh sure Stephen. Just trying to put ooglewoogles mind at rest.
He may think "Oops, next stop Canada".

In your case thats probably true!!

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Brian

In addition, despite "all" my travels, I have rarely been out of sight of at least one other vessel, and that includes the north of Scotland and all its islands.

Brian - I'm surprised at that. I've frequently been out of sight of other vessels and I'm nowhere near as remote as Ooglewoogle is proposing. Perhaps having a very small boat I tend to hide away in places where bigger craft don't go? In the area he is talking about a lifeboat could take an hour to arrive and that assumes he is able to reach the CG via VHF which may not be great in really remote places. The number of other boats around will inevitably be inversely proportional to the urgency of your situation. So in nice weather there are more likely to be people out who might come to your aid. In poor weather they are more likely to be tucked up at home.

Although it does raise an interesting point - would you be better, in oogle's position, spending say £300 on a sea anchor and sat phone/Epirb or on an Aux?

[jimn]

I wouldn't go far off shore without one, despite having VHF and flares etc I really don’t want to be in a position of relying on the CG to come and rescue me. We have the same boat with an 8hp aux, yes it’s a tight squeeze and the tiller hits the A frame but it has allowed us to land in a harbor and sort the main engine on one occasion. As for not seeing other vessels, the west side of Lewis can be a very lonely place and sitting in the deep water channel waiting for a 100,000 ton tanker to notice you isn’t fun.

[willk]

Just a few random observations:

I'd hate to use an epirb for a breakdown (assuming no imminent threat to life) - they'll send a feckin' helo and it's bye bye rib. At least the RNLI will give you a cuppa and a tow.

I often go the day without seeing another craft. Often on nice summer's days. Even Bogib was amazed at the lack of craft here - The Isles may be similar.

On a recent return to Rathlin from Gigha I saw only one craft (other than our company) - that was a supertanker, wouldn't want to ask him for a tow either.

Not that I needed to, I was already under tow having lost an engine during the day. I thought it was a failed fuel pump but it has been found to be a dead Engine Management Module - on a five years old, low hours, well maintained engine. So sh!t happens.

I wouldn't even consider those waters without either a backup engine or travelling in company.

I'd be happy enough to pooter around a safe haven - 10 Nm so long as I had good comms.

[DM]

Originally Posted by willk

I wouldn't even consider those waters without either a backup engine or travelling in company.

Me neither.

Given his location, I'd be looking for something with twins.

[two stroke mick]

Are the small battery powered motors worth considering ?

[willk]

Originally Posted by DM

I'd be looking for something with twins.

I ended up doing just that in Gigha - it was just that all 550hp worth of them were fitted in Tom McLaughlin's (previous) 11m Corryvreckan. As an auxiliary power source, I can highly recommend it.

[Knot Yet]

Biff fitted a most excellent aux bracket to our (ex) SR5.4 - it takes 3.5hp long shaft - not much room to steer the aux but you can use the main engine for this (or at least that's the idea we've never tested it!!)

We did need to get one custom made as the after market available products were either too flimsey or did'nt fit the space required.

Let me know if you need more photos etc