They say one picture is worth a thousand words. Here is the Yachtworld listing for "Endeavor" the Knight & Carver-Beebe, Frank Osborne mentioned. http://tinyurl.com/yujbo6 I remember being aboard a 65' wooden, double-ended, Romsdahl trawler; with two engines on one shaft, connected by a V-belted transmission. The belts were supposed to be a common size easily obtainable throughout the world. Chris Byer Cathedral City

I am surprised by the interest in single shaft propulsion systems. In these days of fishing nets and floating logs I believe that a second propeller is more important in the reduncency list than a second diesel engine. (Just MHO) John Harris -- I am using the free version of SPAMfighter for private users. It has removed 193 spam emails to date. Paying users do not have this message in their emails. Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len

While there are lots of stories about people coming home on a wing engine, I think a net is likely to foul both props. Like it or not there is risk in all this, it's about managing that risk. A way to go over the side and cut the net free is probably as important as a wing. On our Nordhavn it's not a Get Home engine, it's a Get Someplace engine, as you would be hard pressed to make steerage against a headsea. On the other hand, if that Get Someplace engine got me someplace I'd be singing the praises of it to the ends of the earth! Seems like the system I'd employ (if I had the time and energy to design these things from the ground up) would be a primary engine and a genset that can be put into service as an alternative form or turning the main wheel. In the event you foul the main wheel it would be really cool to be able to turn a second shaft, but I wouldn't go through more than about $10 grand to add this capability. All those fishing boats have single wheels and they are in net strewn waters more than we are. Just my humble opinion! On the other hand, seems to me Alan's custom trawler has twin keels, perhaps that's the real answer? Oh God, here we go, the twins vs single discussion! It never ends. Thinking again, it may have been twin keels with a single wheel? Not sure, Alan, care to comment? Scott Bulger, Alanui, N40II, Seattle WA Currently at 5000 ft in Oaxaca MX

I would think that if you are very far from shore, the Wing engine is just there to let you keep your head into the seas long enough to fix whatever is wrong with the main. Running for long periods in a seaway without stabilization (presuming you have active fins with a main engine driven pump as on most moderate sized trawlers) and only a small fraction of your original horsepower, not to mention off center shaft requiring a lot of rudder correction, isn't going to be easy or fun. You may not be able to even make progress toward the closest port. We have to approach keeping the main running with even greater diligence than a single-engine fishing boat. Fishing boats do lose their engines from time to time, but they usually have buddies around who can tow them home. Their "get home" solution is simply another fishing boat. You don't have to hang around a fishing port very long to see this happening. We don't always have that luxury on passagemakers. And I agree on not reopening the twin versus single argument... most of the things that stop a diesel engine are related to fuel, and that's common to both engines on a twin. Also badly fouled props. In addition, if the problem is bad fuel, you'll still have to refill the Wing engine tank from the main if you run it long enough. Bottom line... single engine boats with Wing engines are still single engine boats. John Marshall Serendipity - N55-20 On Feb 15, 2008, at 8:43 PM, Scott E. Bulger wrote: > While there are lots of stories about people coming home on a wing > engine, I > think a net is likely to foul both props. Like it or not there is > risk in > all this, it's about managing that risk. A way to go over the side > and cut > the net free is probably as important as a wing. On our Nordhavn > it's not a > Get Home engine, it's a Get Someplace engine, as you would be hard > pressed > to make steerage against a headsea. On the other hand, if that Get > Someplace engine got me someplace I'd be singing the praises of it > to the > ends of the earth! > > Seems like the system I'd employ (if I had the time and energy to > design > these things from the ground up) would be a primary engine and a > genset that > can be put into service as an alternative form or turning the main > wheel. > In the event you foul the main wheel it would be really cool to be > able to > turn a second shaft, but I wouldn't go through more than about $10 > grand to > add this capability. All those fishing boats have single wheels and > they > are in net strewn waters more than we are. Just my humble opinion! > > On the other hand, seems to me Alan's custom trawler has twin keels, > perhaps > that's the real answer? Oh God, here we go, the twins vs single > discussion! > It never ends. Thinking again, it may have been twin keels with a > single > wheel? Not sure, Alan, care to comment? > > Scott Bulger, Alanui, N40II, Seattle WA > Currently at 5000 ft in Oaxaca MX > _______________________________________________ > http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/listinfo/passagemaking-under-power > > To unsubscribe send email to > passagemaking-under-power-request@lists.samurai.com with the word > UNSUBSCRIBE and nothing else in the subject or body of the message. > > Passagemaking Under Power and PUP are trademarks of Water World > Productions, formerly known as Trawler World Productions.