You know the adage about approaching a dock no faster...

[Klem]

Most older engines were designed to be direct reversing. There are a couple or really neat youtube videos showing the shutdown and startup procedure when changing direction. Watching a boat come into the dock without its engine running is really weird and there was certainly a lot of skill involved in running one of those boats. Modern transmissions and controllable pitch propellers have made direct reversing engines obsolete.

Some of the Mercury outboards of the 1960's had 2 starters. For reverse the engine was stopped and restarted in the other direction. My Dad had one. Some people even call them "Dock Busters".


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Ma ... ough_1970s

From Wikipedia:

Mercury's first 6-cylinder engines featured "direct reversing". Instead of a lower unit with forward, neutral and reverse gears, its lower units were more compact, with only drive and driven gears, and no submerged shift mechanism required. Reverse was selected by turning off the engine and restarting it in opposite rotation, and neutral by simply switching off.

[SurryMark]

Here's a curiosity of the yawl. With the wind dead ahead, I had to go about 50' back to get out of a spot with no room to port, starboard, or ahead. With only the mizzen up, I pulled the boom to 90º and, sure enuf, the wind pushed us back until there was room to pull out the jib and swing around. Never tried it as a brake (as in pulling into a slip with the wind dead ahead) and I'd much rather rely on a knowledge of how much way the boat carries, but hey . . .

[M. R. Bober]

I spoke with Hank Greene of Edson at the Annapolis Boat Show. He offered a few suggestions and a detailed instruction booklet regarding the replacement of the cables. He allowed as how part of the job might be considered tedious.

So I'm off to order the replacements. Bruised knuckles to follow.

FWIW: Blue Water Ship Store seems to have gone out-of-business.

Mitchell Bober
Sunny Lancaster, (Where if a fool and his money are soon parted, it begs the question: where did a fool get money?) VA

[rtbates]

When I first bought Seraph she was in a slip that pointed downwind and had no protection. You docked in whatever wind you sailed in.

Release dock lines and wind pushes you forward into dock.

My fix was a catch line made into a v. The V is about 2-3 feet from dock. I now use this system wherever Seraph is docked. With this system NO ONE EVER has to leave the boat to tie up (I've never in my life understood why folks MUST leap off their boat to run along the dock to catch a line or the bow... It simply is not necessary..

[sharkbait]

If you sail without an engine coming into the dock downwind and under sail can present a minor problem. The resolution is a metal bucket with a rope. Just throw it off the stern and you will stop. The bucket makes a nice drogue.

[Oswego John]

I had a (you should pardon the expression ) power boat that I used for fishing. Even at idle, the engine moved the boat too fast for proper trolling speed.

The answer was to toss a pail and line off the stern. It worked just fine.

O J

[Terry]

Randy's "V" line on the slip is something I only recently learned about, and incorporated. It really is nice. I actually formed a "Y" using three very cheap dock lines, secured to eyes in the dock that look like they are intended for just that purpose.

But I kinna like the bucket "emergency" brake idea too.

Regards, Terry

[tjr818]

I always used the "V" line when I had a "U" slip with docks on either side, but now I have an "L" shaped dock. Any ideas?

[M. R. Bober]

I spent the better part of today removing and replacing both the throttle and shift cables (many trips in & out of the engine room). Reconnecting the internal clamp in the pedestal was challenging. Tomorrow I will adjust the linkages.

So far so good.

Mitchell Bober
Sunny Lancaster, (Where I won't be shiftless--hopefully--tomorrow.) VA

[M. R. Bober]

I have installed new control cables. The Edson #816 does not have a friction adjustment for the throttle cable. The throttle will not stay set. Anybody have this model and problem?

Mitchell Bober
Sunny Lancaster, (Where running at idle is not fast enough.) VA

[Ron Churgin]

On my pedestal (on my Allied Princess) there is a small block of wood with a split in it that the cable wire runs through. Tension is applied by tightening a wood screw that brings the halves of the wood block together on top of the cable.

Primitive but it works. I do have to tighten it down from time to time.

[John Danicic]

I have it and had the same problem.

The fix is to tap a friction screw into the top of the throttle lever under the compass. Easy to do.

I adjusted it once and set the screw with a little liquid gasket. It has worked fine for 4 seasons.

[Ron Churgin]

What is a friction screw? Is there another name for it? I even googled the term and found nothing relevant.

[John Danicic]

I wish I had a photo of it in my pedestal but alas, I shall not be back in the boat till April 2012!!!!

It is just a plain old ordinary screw tapped into the housing for the throttle lever where it rotates in the pedestal. You tighten it down until you get the resistance you want.

[moctrams]

You need the Teleflex Morse Control Cable Brake. One supplier is Jamestown Dist.

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/us ... o?pid=9534