How do you maneuver at idle with triple outboards?

[first.offshore]

What is the secret to maneuvering around the docks with triple outboards? The inside engine rotates counter-clockwise (deeper in the water) and the two outside engines rotate clockwise. How do you get the boat to spin in tight quarters? It does not appear to be as easy as twins...any thoughts would be appreciated.
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[vwfreak]

Shut off the centre engine???
Maybe I'm missing somthing here...but with the centre motor shut off, can't you just spin it now like a standard twin?

vwfreak.

[first.offshore]

My first thought was just to leave the center engine in neutral, but I'm not sure if that is the best way since both outer engines are roating in the same direction. As far as maneuvering with a single center engine, the turning radius is limited due to three engines across...it takes forever to turn the engines from side to side. I'm still confused.
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[time warp]

The affect of having 2 standard rotating gearcases will be over ridden by the separation of the motors, use the outer motors. They will have the most leverage, just shift them don't turn them. Now if you are talking about idling through somewhere and just don't want to go so fast as the 2 motors push you, use the center one by itself. Once in the water and away from the dock, just see what works best for you, better to practice away from anything you can hit instead of having to maneuver for the first time in a tight location.

[first.offshore]

Thanks again time warp...I'll try that.

[time warp]

When I saw the same question over here I just had to copy and paste my response after taking so long to type it. Good luck with the triples, I love the look of a boat with a bunch of outboards on the back.

[The Big Al]

Multiplile engine docking and slow cruising is very easy.


You can walk a doat to a dock and never touch the stearing wheel at all.

think like this, a twisting motion.

Center engine for slow forward and reverse.

Use the left and right engine in a twisting motion. Forward with one reverse with the other.

I learned from MR. Fountain himself!

AL

[Tripps]

I have a 30 with tripps,hence my name!! My center is a locked lower,a left,and my outside ones are right's,on a long idle i use the center only,and when i'm docking both outsides. its real cool when i can turn the boat with one in foward,the other in reverse!!! turns on a dime!!! i use the throttles to help move foward or backwards when using both. just practice in open water,you will get the nack quickly,or yeah i love tripps tripps

[Merc-Cruiser]

Just shift the center motor into nuetral or turn it off. The boat will then manuver like a twin engine. The one mistake everyone makes is getting excited while docking, & revving up one engine & then the other, to hurry up & make the boat react faster. Just relax! You don't need to turn the engines one way or the other, just leave them pointing straight ahead, & simply shift one lever into reverse & the other into forward, as needed to spin the boat in it's own length. This goes for big inboards or outboard powered boats. The only thing that makes a particular outboard boat more difficult to manuver, is on some hi-performance, transom bracket boats with a high x-demension(the motors are bolted on, higher up on their clamp bracket hole positions), that the reverse thrust prop wash just slams up against the back of the transom & works against itself. When the motors are bolted to the transom, this does'nt happen as much. But on a conservative(normal) installation, you should'nt have this problem. Hope this all helps. M/C

[first.offshore]

Thanks everybody...great information.