>From Mike Maurice >I have 40 years of professional experience with all of this. My conclusions >are that a single main may be preferable to a main and a wing. At the very >least, those who have less experience are less in a position to make the >argument one way or the other. But, they are entitled to their opinion. I >consider my role in all this to challenge the assumptions that a wing >engine is the solution in all cases. ------------------------------------ MIKE--I am not trying to change your mind, (I suspect that would be hard) just trying to understand how you handle these issues. ------------------------------------ Obviously no mater how well the engine is being prepared, this does nothing to prevent prop fouling. What about the prop fouling of Autumn Wind on the NAR? It was hours before the sea calmed down enough to dive the prop. There was a good chance someone would have been hurt rolling in those seas for a few hours or trying to deploy a sea anchor. MIKE: Question 1: What do you suggest for handling prop fouling when putting a sea anchor out is not practical? ----------------------------------- Also on the NAR a twin engine boat lost both engines a couple of hundred feet upwind from the breakwater and was keep of the rocks by the presence of NAR dinghies that were in the water to help with the docking. They got the engines back up in a few minutes. If the dinghies had not been there keeping them off the rocks would they would have had a different outcome. Interesting to note the boat was professionally crewed however on that leg it did not have a engineer onboard. MIKE: Question 2: How do you handle this issue without a redundant engine? ----------------------------------- I tried to have the most reliable power system. I picked the engine manufacture and decided on keel cooling and dry stack. I then went looking for a boat maker that built boats this way which led me to Nordhavn. I maintain the engine to very high levels. I talk to Lugger so much the tech support staff knows me! I have the "Lugger World cruising repair kit" for the main (LP668T) plus additional spares. But there are limits: I do not have a spare injector pump, since I was told that I could not keep it in good enough shape and probably lack the skills to replace it underway. If that fails--the main is done. I have almost no spares for the transmission, since ZF said there is basically nothing I can fix on it. While the transmission (ZF 220) is a work boat transmission it will someday fail. In spite of all this: obviously I do not have the mechanical experience to feel I can fix anything that fails in the drive train. I am not a profession boater, and will never have the experience to feel I can fix any failure. MIKE: Question 3: Do you suggest I not travel until I have the experience to fix any failure? For me that means I would never be more then towing distance from land. ------------------------------------ There is no chance in heck that my wife would join me on an ocean crossing without a redundant engine. Just like she would not do over water flying until I got a twin engine aircraft. The shared experience / trust crossing the ocean with my wife was one of the highlights of my life (not sure about hers! - Georgs want to comment on this?). If for no other reason having a redundant engine sure helps getting crew to join you on a crossing. MIKE: Question 4: Do you not have this problem or do you usually cross oceans with paid crew or owners? ------------------------------------- I also value the experience Nordhavn has in preparing boats to cross oceans. They have had more owner crewed power boats cross oceans then just about all the rest combined. As any Nordhavn owner will tell you, they do not try to sell your every option. My sales rep told to not get some of the options. The project manager tries to limit the change/junk you put on the boat. Boy was he right! Nordhavn leaves a lot of money on table by talking you out of items. (In retrospect a very good behavior because in the end it leads to happier customers). In my case I wanted a second generator which would have cost many boat units. They said it was not needed, however a wing engine was. Clearly they could have got my money but opted not to. I also have seen Nordhavn lose a sale because the customer wanted something they did not believe in. They strongly recommend the wing engine. MIKE: Question 5: Why do you think Nordhavn recommends a wing engine, but not other items that cost about the same? -------------------------------------------- Mike you have the experience of a professional. I have very different skills and experience. I draw my conclusions from the NAR (crossing the Atlantic with 17 other boats that were not run by professionals) where one boat needed the wing engine, and one boat without a redundant engine lost both very close to the breakwater. In addition I have learned to really trust the experience of Nordhavn preparing owner crewed ocean crossing boats. >are that a single main may be preferable to a main and a wing. At the very >least, those who have less experience are less in a position to make the >argument one way or the other. But, they are entitled to their opinion. I MIKE: Question 6: Do you think that maybe you might say, that those without your skills would have a different conclusion rather then "are less in a position to make the argument"? ---------------------------------------- While I usually learn or agree with most of what you say, I disagree here. I think the given the skills and experience of non-professional boaters a wing engine is really important when crossing an ocean. Certainly this was the case for the NAR. --------------------------------- I have talked to about 30 or 40 people who have crossed the ocean in power crewed power boats. I have never met a boater who is going to, or is crossing an ocean who has said, "gee I wish I did not have a wing engine". Most said they did not need it, but were glad to have it. That is also true for me. Clearly having a backup was especially comforting for me and my crew, when we were in the middle of the Atlantic. The experience of owner crewed boats crossing an ocean has lead to a very different conclusion about the requirements for a wing engine, then your experience as a professional. Scott Strickland "Strickly for Fun" Nordhavn 47