Like one, big, RC toy boat .... where do I sign ?

Dirtythirty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YgENQsq2lE

randy56

woman and children can do it!

Handymans342

Only MT can afford that

chamberb

Good lord. I guess I made some wrong career/financial choices along the way :~)

Dirtythirty

And when you are bored and sitting at the dock, you can drive you boat around with the remote control  :-)

Michael T

Saw this with a 3.5 million 65 foot yacht last summer. Doesn't work any better than our Rinker's Axius.

BTW the guy had Ocean LED "blue" underwaters. I waited until he had an evening cocktail party and fired-up my Ocean LED color changing lights .....guess what his guests were looking at?

THEN I hit color changing strobe - ever seen a rich guy cry....green tears, brother, green tears.

Moral of the story. It you want to show off don't park near a Rinker or you'll get SMOKED!!!!

craigswardmtb

If drinking while driving your boat from the dock, I wonder if you would still get a BUI...  

Michael T

I know what I'd get - an AKA - an Admiral's Kick on the A*S  :-)

Michael T

VERY interesting ,,,,and from what I have seen in the real world this type of system is very dependent on the power/efficiency of the bow thrusters. In normal low wind low current applications I have sen great results with this type of system. Where I have seen significant problems is when a stronger wind comes up and a boat like this high windage Sea ray (55?) is being pushed by so much wind that the bow thrusters can not keep up. I have seen 50+ footers losing ground to the wind with the fore and aft thrusters screaming and there`s nothing the captain can do but get on the sticks fast and wait it out. I`m not talking about a gale.....and yes I know Axius and Pods are only good to a certain sized boat. So, if I were using this type of system I`d want the most effective thrusters practicable. For smaller craft - IMO under 45 feet - Axius is the answer as the counter rotating props of a gas Blll or the big pods of a diesel have huge `biting`power. With Axius I have two settings "docking" and "Full Thrust". Usually docking works but at least a dozen times I've had to go to Full Thrust and use the big power of big blocks that no thruster can touch.

Michael T

While I'm on a roll, or maybe not, LOL...with Axius and Thrusters there is another "rule" that owners soon learn:

When docking against a fixed/solid dock or break wall the wash from the Axius props/pods or the wash from Thrusters can bounce back against the hull pushing it away.

An inexperienced captain then applies more power making a bigger "push back" wash which can lead to a collision. I have seen aggressive, show-off behaviour turn bad for the boat.

I always approach using as little power as possible and "feeling" for the tell tale signs of the boat starting to rock which indicates wash pushback and calls for a gentler hand on the joystick. Makes sense, right? Well a lot of guys don't get it until they swap some gelcoat.

gtyee

I'm going to play it safe and teach my wife how to use a paddle!

Michael T

@gtyee, yeah, and that will work - not! That joystick is like a TV remote everyone wants to use it. You'd be better off using the time until you pick your EC 310 up to do some hand strengthening exercises, so you can fight better for the joystick! LOL

Michael T

BTW I asked Mercury if I could purchase a wiring harness and joystick so I could construct a port at the stern of my EC 360 to plug a second joytick into to operate the boat from the stern. They thought that was pretty funny. Bet the bug*ers have one out next year!

gtyee

I was on a 50' Prestige 50 Flybridge that had secondary joystick by the swim platform, Pretty cool ($1,200,000)

Dirtythirty

Michael T:   Great point !!   the water turbulence that is created against the dock is something that we aren't told about, but must learn quickly. The water also gets caught up between the boat and the dock and acts like a big air pillow when you are "crabbing" in sideways.  Stay off the joystick and let it settle, you will move in there nice and easy...you don't need to push it !!  :-)

Trashman

@dirtythirty,  that sure is a sharp looking 42 you have there and I love the color.  You must be in dredge, nothing that nice is parked over here at Clark's LOL

jme097

That is wild

Dirtythirty

Trashman :  Thank you !!!  We are !!   We are parked on the outer docks, so we watch all you Clark's guys go back and forth all day !!  :-)  

Trashman

Lol.  I was debating wether  to jump ship to dredge. My first year with my new to me rinker so I'd figure I'd bang everything up over there and when I get good head over to dredge. Lol.  I met a few nice people at Clark's but frankly the docs are horrible a lot of maintenance issues.   And they were supposed to dredge over the winter and Didnt.  

Michael T

Now you can do the dredging and there's a name for it - seriously - it's called "A New Jersey Dredge". It's even famous up North here!

A few years back we were at a cottage in a bay and the water had dropped a bit and a guy at a dock said his props were in the sand. His buddy said just do a New Jersey Dredge.

We all said what the h*ll is that? He said put her in reverse and hit the throttles full out - it'll be easier coming in next time! I lie not!!!  LOL

Dirtythirty

Trashman  You hit the nail on the head.  I have heard that from several people about the docks. I have a couple friends over there, and one who just sold his Chaparral 290 to a buddy of mine here at Dredge.  They all say the exact same thing as you. Good people, but the accommodations have a lot to be desired.  The dredging needs to be completed, there is already water issues during low tide while passing that area in front of Dredge, but as far as I have heard, nothing is in the works yet.  Dredge Harbor just finished dredging all their common areas for the upcoming season, which is good for me because I cant raise or lower my props.

Dirtythirty

Michael T  That is NO JOKE...I cant tell you how many times I've been told to keep my boat tied at the dock, engage the drives and "blow the mud out"....WTF ??

Michael T

Oh man!.....and with a beauty like yours? No way!

Trashman

Hahaah.  ....Blow the mud out.  Yeah mt, I gotta remember that one.  I'm actually over there a bit last year.  They have a great parts store with reasonable prices and I eat over there.  I like our pool better and actually use it often.  I have two small boys, they love it. Hope to see you out there this summer.  I have a black hull 270. Going over it at the moment to make her safe and reliable.  My plan is to upgrade after getting an education on this one. Lol

Dirtythirty

Enjoy that 270 !!  With bigger boats come bigger bills !!