Sail with Tranny in Reverse or Neutral ?

[dick auge]

My friends tell me to sail with tranny in reverse to lock it. I just saw an article to put it in neutral? Which is it? Thanks

[Dockhead]

Search the archives.

The answer is it all depends. If you have a fixed propellor, you will have less resistance in neutral IF it doesn't ruin your transmission from lack of lubrication (depends on the type) AND if you can put up with the noise.

If you have a folding or feathering prop, you usually need to lock them in order for them to fold or feather. Traditionally this is done by putting into reverse.

If you have a hydraulic tranmission, you must never lock the shaft by putting in gear -- you should have a shaft lock of some kind.

I personally lock my shaft by shutting down in forward, as recommended by the Brunton Autoprop manual. I think this is frowned on by the transmission makers, for reasons I do not entirely understand -- something about the clutches -- in forward sailing forward apparently you can make them slip and wear, whereas in reverse you won't -- or something like that.

But I reason that the Autoprop feathers and doesn't produce too much torque, and so probably the transmission can handle it -- hence the recommendation in the propeller manual. I have had no problems like this over thousands of miles of sailing with the gearbox locked in forward. BUT -- YMMV.

[triton274]

any idea on what would be the propper way of doing this for me, I have a Yanmar 2gm20F?

[doug86]

extensively discussed here:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...k+transmission

and here:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ght=shaft+lock

and:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ght=shaft+lock

[teejayevans]

Yanmar put out a bulletin, putting it in reverse results in excessive wear because of chattering, they recommend neutral.
Tom

[Mark Johnson]

If you get a folding or feathering prop, it will solve the problem, and result in much higher daily runs. Fixed props create huge amounts of drag!

M.

[doug86]

[QUOTE=Mark Johnson;699369 Fixed props create huge amounts of drag![/QUOTE]

...and huge amounts of thrust

[rtbates]

I ALWAYS sail with the trans in REVERSE, because that's what YANMAR says to do!!! PERIOD!!!!! Something about lack of lubrication while free wheeling... I have a 1GM..

So it depends on the transmission more than anything else. Assuming, of course, that you're more interested in making your engine/trans last as opposed to an extra 1/2 knot..

[rtbates]

Originally Posted by teejayevans

Yanmar put out a bulletin, putting it in reverse results in excessive wear because of chattering, they recommend neutral.
Tom

Your source?? Got a link????

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by dick auge

sail with tranny in reverse

Thats what I always tell my tranny.


Sunsail say to put the Yanmar 4jh3E in reverse.

Sure quieter!


As I do longer passages having it rotate all the time would put a bit of wear on the engine or gear box, wouldn't it?
But just for day sailing a Saturday afternoon it would be negligable.

Mark

[S/V_Surya]

I do not allow tranny's on my boat. One pervert (me) is enough.

[doug86]

Dick, the answer depends on which transmission you have.

[John A]

As always, it depends.

Most transmissions have a means of lubrication that is driven from the forward part of the transmission, where the power to turn the device is from the engine. If the engine is not running, lubrication does not occur.
This is why you seldom see a car with a rear axel drive towed for any distance with the rear tires on the ground.
The military recommends removal of the driveshaft before towing.

[dick auge]

Doug,
it is a Hurth 1982 Pearson 28

[allanpeda]

Originally Posted by rtbates

I ALWAYS sail with the trans in REVERSE, because that's what YANMAR says to do!!! PERIOD!!!!! Something about lack of lubrication while free wheeling... I have a 1GM..

So it depends on the transmission more than anything else. Assuming, of course, that you're more interested in making your engine/trans last as opposed to an extra 1/2 knot..

This was my first thought. I go with the tranny manufacturer unless I read ~20 or more postings claiming the manufacturer was wrong.