Proper gear shifting on Yanmar diesel

[BruceS]

Wouldn't that boat have a controller at the helm that incorporates both gear & throttle in the one like an outboard? If not, get one!

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by BruceS

Wouldn't that boat have a controller at the helm that incorporates both gear & throttle in the one like an outboard? If not, get one!

Easier said than done in most. Circumstances!!!

[onavegador]

That's the disavantage of the two lever controls:
1st with the throttle you have to go down to idle
2nd when you can change from fwd to aft or vice versa

I think it is not possible to change to single lever as the gearbox is not provided for single lever and often to change the gear needs more shifting power from the sailor as gear boxes with single lever control.

[TrentePieds]

Quote: "...change the gear needs more shifting power..."

A properly functioning tranny with a properly functioning control setup does NOT require any kinda force to shift. Should be smooth as silk when applying fingertip pressure only to the shift-lever at the steering station. If more force is required, something is not as it should be.

Quote: "...gearbox is not provided for single lever..."

The integration/coordination of the two functions happens at the control end, not at the machinery end, of the linkage. In systems using Morse-cables to transmit the motion, one cable leads from the SLC to the speed controller on the injector pump/carburetter and another cable to the tranny.

TrentePieds

[StuM]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

When you maneuver, do it with sufficient "situational awareness", and with enuff foresight, that you leave yourself sufficient time to come back from "full ahead" to "dead slow" ("idle to us yotties) over a period of 5 seconds or so. Then count to three. Then shift from "ahead" on the tranny to "neutral", count to three, and shift to "reverse" and count to three. Then, but not before, bring the RPM to what the situation calls for.

When doing a "back and fill" to turn a boat in a narrow fairway with any wind/current, 15 seconds between forward thrust and reverse thrust is going to cause you major problems.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by BruceS

Wouldn't that boat have a controller at the helm that incorporates both gear & throttle in the one like an outboard? If not, get one!

The OP told us that he has twin levers - this is very common on older boats.

"It has two levers, one for shifting gears (Forward - Neutral - Reverse) and one for throttle"

[onavegador]

Hi trente pieds
I was writing from experience made in the beginning of the seventies.
My boats had dual lever controls, what are at this time fairly new had dual lever controls. And even forward/neutral/back lever was working fine you had to push or pull with some power much more than with a single lever who works normally, as you say, like silk at least when the Morse control is not seasoned.
A friend of mine bought in 1978 a HR 35 Rasmus equipped with a Volvo MD 21A (a by Volvo-Penta marinised Indenoor Diesel) who was only available with a two lever control.

I think that the clutch on gear box what is provided for single lever control
is of an other construction as the old gear boxes we had with two lever controls.

Eg. in 1979 we bougth a Contest 42 delivered in 1980 with the same engine but with a brand new gearbox from Volvo Penta who was just coming on the market. With this gear box we had in the charter business a lot of problems as the clutch, after a time, did not grip in fwd again. So we give a spare gear box on board of the vessel that when the problem arised the gear box could be replaced and the defective was given to repair.
Volvo Penta worked on the Problem and it was much better after.
The next boat was equipped with a Volvo Penta M 21B and the second generation of the gear box and where we had never the cited problem.

[fryewe]

Originally Posted by onavegador

I think it is not possible to change to single lever as the gearbox is not provided for single lever and often to change the gear needs more shifting power from the sailor as gear boxes with single lever control.

I have no experience with binnacle mounted controls, but have converted dual Morse controls to a single Teleflex control lever, mounted on the cockpit well bulkhead. It was a very simple operation. The Teleflex control came with very complete and clear instructions for installation.The model number was CH2100P.

I find operations with either type of controls to be intuitive, but perhaps some people won't. In fact, I currently have two boats of the same model, and the engine controls of one are single lever, and the other are dual lever.

[TrentePieds]

Quote: "When doing a "back and fill" to turn a boat in a narrow fairway with any wind/current, 15 seconds between forward thrust and reverse thrust is going to cause you major problems."

You are right again, StuM :-)

I have to fight that battle all the time where I am moored. That doesn't alter the fact that every sailboat skipper needs to have the basics under control. THEN you can start working on the virtuosity. "Chopsticks" comes before "Für Elise" comes before "The Emperor" :-)

A problem with "speed-shifting" is not so much that the gear won't take it - at least occasionally - as it is that a need to "speed-shift" is quite often evidence that the boat is not under proper control, and that the helmsman is losing his focus. Often, then, things go from bad to worse.

I have no doubt whatever that you are perfectly capable of knowingly going into a situation where speed-shifting will be called for, where, indeed, your ability to do so competently is an arrow in your quiver. I have had to do it now and then, but I hate it!

Normally we manage nicely with MyBeloved on the helm/two lever engine controls, and me calling the con. Takes time, of course, but that's where forehandedness comes in. If I judge that orders will have to happen too rapidly for her to respond without getting rattled, I take the controls, and if speed-shifting should then be called for, I'll only have my own butt to kick :-)

Cheers

TrentePieds