Like one, big, RC toy boat .... where do I sign ?
Dirtythirty
Member Posts: 393 ✭✭✭
Dirtythirty
Member Posts: 393 ✭✭✭
Comments
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!!!!
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.
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.
2007 280 Rinker Express 6.2L B3
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