anyone run a cat with one engine

[TheSailingBeard]

Like others have said, I practice driving with one engine all the time. I have a 40ft Bali, and it paid off when a line blue off the tech in a storm and tangled the port motor - while I was coming into an inlet with a STRONG tide coming out and navigating a bridge. At really slow speed its tricky, but if you have good water moving over the rudder you'll be fine.

[Happ]

I was on a 60’ Outremer (can’t remember the model) moving the boat from Beaufort Nc to Montauk, NY. There was only 2 of us so the owner ran 1 engine with the autopilot. It did the job. What I didn’t like was every few seconds the autopilot was corrected the course because the offset of th propeller was pushing the boat off course. In essence we were steering a very tight figure “S”. Very unpleasant ride.

[singlespeed]

Lost an engine in the Turks & Caicos. Sailed whenever we could, but motored through all the cuts in the Bahamas, entered the ICW at Port Everglades. Continued motoring on a single engine up the ICW all the way to Washington DC and back to Riviera Beach, where I was finally able to source a replacement engine. Lots of long days at the helm at 2.5 knots. Running bow and stern anchors in some of the smaller creeks in Georgia. But we were determined to enjoy our ICW experience. Planning for tides at ICW entrances with the ocean and calling ahead to bridge operators made the trip extremely enjoyable. My old Lagoon had really big rudders and shaft drive fixed blade props, so maneuverability was never the issue. Every bridge operator we spoke to was very understanding about our slow speed, as were towboat operators. We found that those who actually work on the ICW were generous and understanding.

[Boatfreak]

Alongside is not too bad if there is plenty of room fore and aft, the really hard one is stern to Med mooring. I've done it successfully when i had no choice. If I remember correctly, I approached from upwind at about 45 degrees to the quay. The working engine was to windward (fortunately!). Use a sprint and drift approach, every time the bow begins to blow off, give a short blast of power astern and bring her back on track then coast in again. When you get close to the quaÿ allow the wind to straighten her up and get the windward slime line on promptly. Fortunately there were light winds and a fair amount of room.

[dougweibel]

I recently dinghied out to help a friend (solo) on a Catana 44 with one engine out come in to an anchorage at night. The wind was blowing about 20 kts. It was very challenging and I was glad to not be at the helm. If the anchor would have not set on the first drop things could have turned ugly quickly.

[Shaneesprit]

Originally Posted by BrendaHicks

Thanks to all who responded I learned a few things and it was refreshing to learn that so many of us have had to learn (usually under pressure for me) ho to dock with one engine. I love "lines are your friends". On long deep water trips I've learned to run on one engine whenever feasible to preserve fuel after running out one about 70 miles offshore. Even when I'm in a hurry losing a know or so of speed is good policy.

I only have 1 engine, admittedly it’s central, so none of the CAT manoeuvres work from the book. The moment the prop is engaged it makes way forward and to make it doubly difficult the wheel steers the propeller only (sonic leg) and the tiller steers the rudders independently, and they are not close enough to touch both at the same time .

[EthanC]

Originally Posted by team karst

in close quarters? I run one to reduce eng hours, but usually just AICW and even more open waters inter-island.

But, what if I NEED to run only one and the story is now a fuel dock, or other crowded place? I am imagining a dink launch for use as a push tug? Oh yeah, with ONE saildrive, so no vectored thrust. And, that prop wash is behind the rudder.

I sail my Cat a privilege 12 meter with one engine with no wind all almost all the time, from Aruba, Haiti, Cuba and to Key west. I think just the autopilot feel the difference.

[Snore]

Originally Posted by team karst

in close quarters? I run one to reduce eng hours, but usually just AICW and even more open waters inter-island.

But, what if I NEED to run only one and the story is now a fuel dock, or other crowded place? I am imagining a dink launch for use as a push tug? Oh yeah, with ONE saildrive, so no vectored thrust. And, that prop wash is behind the rudder.

Easy, peasy! Needs about 150’ of clean approach lane to a side tie. Approach dock at about 40-45 deg angle with dead engine closest to dock. Because boat does not handle well under 3kts, this is not for the faint of heart. Come out of the set up, lined up 40-45 degrees to dock. Go to neutral, you will correct using the rudders. If you are not scrubbing speed fast enough, turn away from dock, center rudders, and kiss reverse. The final 50-60’ you should be at 1kt, or 0.9kts. At about 20 feet off the dock engine to reverse. Use reverse to bring the vessel parallel to the dock.

I have done this 2-3 times on charter cats I used to run.

[django37]

I think we all do it, when there is room for doing it, except with wind and waves against.

[SUNCAT365]

Had a cat for a long time with a saildrive on port and a thruster on starboard. She turned on a dime to starboard and reversing to port. And in light conditions she turned on a dime to port using the thruster. As someone else said you use those aspects to your advantage. Tight turns are always to starboard or in reverse to port. I did avoid tight quarters but so much the better. Loved those t-head docks. Always had a view. That boat went most of the way around the world. It's not unlike a clumsy full keel mono.

[HankOnthewater]

Here is an account of the use of a single engine on a cat, and it is unlike anything mentioned sofar.

I was the skipper sent out with our local rescue vessel, to assist an approx. 40 ft cat, about 30 NM offshore, they were drifting towards a reef, they had both rudders locked hard to port due to a malfunction of the hydraulics, rudders could not be moved, and they had only one engine that could be used,
Wind was 45 to 55 knots when we started, waves 3-5 metres.

The skipper and crew of the stricken vessel did not wanted to abandon their cat, and I was willing to take them in tow, I used nearly all of our 125 metres of our tow rope.
At times they surfed down the waves, at a higher speed then I was prepared to tow. At one time they overtook the towrope, that then got tangled around their SB stub keel. We undid the towrope, and after untangling, we made the towrope fast again. I enquired which engine was operable. "the starboard one". So I asked them to start that engine and to run that astern as hard as they were prepared to do so.
From that moment onwards, the rest of the tow was uneventful.

[SaltEnjoyer]

Originally Posted by team karst

in close quarters? I run one to reduce eng hours, but usually just AICW and even more open waters inter-island.

But, what if I NEED to run only one and the story is now a fuel dock, or other crowded place? I am imagining a dink launch for use as a push tug? Oh yeah, with ONE saildrive, so no vectored thrust. And, that prop wash is behind the rudder.

My 2c from playing around on my fat Lagoon:

Just like when you crab with 2 engines 1 fwd 1 rev with rudder turned hard, you can kick a cat with 1 a bit like a mono but its very sluggish, and windage can overcome it easily (same as a mono but cat's usually have a larger windward profile)

If your prop is aft of the rudder and you have a fixed prop you can use the redirection from the rudder to gain the kick

If your prop is aft of the rudder and you have a folding prop you might need to use forward to gain the kick (it will be small due to the source being actual prop wash)