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Does anyone know what really happened? I am thinking electronic malfunction. Back in 95 I was on a 43 Robertson Renovators Yacht fixed up after a fire. The upgraded to electronic controls. Keyed the mike on (I think) a SSB radio and it pegged the throttles momentarily at 100% in gear. Gonna stick with my dinosaur burning dinosaurs!
Agree, suspect electronic control malfunction. Had a similar incident last year at my marina. A 65' MY just backed in his slip. Engines still idling while husband goes below to secure lines. Wife is on bridge cleaning up. She accidentally brushes against the lever and throws the boat into gear. Took out 2 pilings before the boat came back under control.
Electronic controls are just too sensitive for my tastes.
+1 on electronic controls... hate em! Especially if your accustomed to manual and separate transmission and throttle controls. With electronic controls, the detent between forward and reverse is too subtle, and the delay factor complicates more. I've operated several large boats with electronic controls, but I'll keep my 1.0 hynautics.
It was either an electronic malfunction or someone accidentally leaned or pushed the controls. Both have happened. Problem with some electronic controls is that you can’t turn them off when leaving a station. You have to get to the new station and then activate it. Like Cat controls. When I live the flybridge to go dock from the aft deck I always make sure no kids are left up there and instructs whoever is there to stay clear ofnthe helm.
Another precaution against real control malfunction, or accidental operation, is to shut down the engines as soon as the boat is docked.
I have microcommanders on my boat. I really like them.
That’s the first time I’ve seen that angle of the crash, but that was some pretty impressive acceleration! I like single lever controls, but I’m not too wild about electronic controls either. You get into a hairy situation, and there are two aggravating issues. First is the irritating delay, then comes WAY more throttle than you really wanted. Seems the account I read said nobody was at the helm, and the boat was tied to the fuel dock, but who knows?
I have first hand experience with good old fashioned, twin lever cable going into gear on its own, and the scar to prove it. Long story short, I was on deck trying to lasso a floating mooring bit in the middle of the Mississippi River below a lock/dam. I missed the first attempt, and after pulling the line back in for the second try, the starboard jumped into gear. I made a mad dash for the lower helm, and everything made it through the wing door except my port pinky which I shattered in the jamb. That gave me a one handed yacht delivery on the old resume, but I don’t think I’d care to repeat that trick. Two surgeries and several years later, and it’s still not and never will be 100% right. At least I kept the boat from smacking that bit.
I’ve seen that boat spinning in circles out on the lake due to microcommander failure, and she also scared the crap out of everyone at the club once when she was coming in and could not be stopped when it was time to stop to back into the slip. It was close, but Ed knew exactly what to do and rather quickly. I’m sure he had to clean his drawers after that - it was a rock shore. I’m a fan of the old fashioned cables as a result. Had I never seen that happen, I’d probably love them too, but that ruined it for me. They are so sensitive that when Ed was replacing some bad component on them, he had to wear a wire around his wrist, grounded to something to ensure there was non static electricity.
Microcomandwrs have a history of getting in gear on their own. Supposedly fixed after a while
The electronic Morse controls were very nice, I think the version is sold by Hynautic. No delays whatsoever ever. Same with the Caterpillar controls. Absolutely no delays. But like all single levers they very sensitive with a short travels. Fingertip use. Slight learning curve when used to traditional cable controls