Stern Drive to Yamaha Learning Curve Tip

[Jeff L24]

Coming from stern drives in both single engine runabouts and twin engine cruisers, I tried researching things that would make my transition easier. I installed Cobra Jet AK-19 Deluxe prior to my maiden voyage and love the way the boat handled at speed. It drives straight as an arrow and turns like it's on rails.

I still wasn't thrilled with the boat at idle speed in the TDE first detent. I found the boat less responsive than my old stern drives. HOWEVER, using the Cobra fins and using NO WAKE MODE had amazing control. I used NWM around the dock and to trailer and I had better control than any of my old boats. Being able to keep the RPMs up while going from Fwd to neutral to Rev was a game changer. I tried the same maneuvers at idle RPMs and it want even close. Using NWM 1 while driving onto the trailer was super easy, even with wind. NWM 2 may be needed in heavy wind. NWM 3 is probably too fast for trailering. I am 100% sure trying to trailer at idle RPMs would have been 10x more difficult.

So my rookie advice is buy the Cobra fins BUT also become proficient with the No Wake Mode/Cruise Assist toggle. It's something that could easily be ignored coming from a stern drive but imo it makes the Yamahas amazingly responsive at slow speed!

 

[Dave burke]

Good advice. Totally agree. I went from a stern drive and a Sea Doo Sportster (which is highly responsive in reverse and around the dock) to a twin Yammie. Without the fins it was a challenge, fins made a big difference.

The other piece of advice I learned from this forum is to learn to handle the throttles independently. Once you can do that, these boats can almost turn on a dime.

 

[haknslash]

Even without fins NWM and TDE is what makes these boats pretty easy to maneuver at slow speeds. It’s a jet so no thrust = no steering.

 

[212s]

I still wasn't thrilled with the boat at idle speed in the TDE first detent. I found the boat less responsive than my old stern drives. HOWEVER, using the Cobra fins and using NO WAKE MODE had amazing control.

Yup that's the beauty of no gears - you can pop back and forth from fwd/rev easily and quickly, and running at no wake mode +1 makes a difference to response and handling. The quick steering wheel input helps too as you can come in at an angle, turn the bow out a bit, stop, then pull the stern in much faster than an I/O that takes several turns of the wheel back and forth. After a little practice the first day, we can dock the jet easier than the I/O drives we had before and with more confidence and control. My wife sits on the swim platform as we come in and I just pop the stern in, she loops the dock cleat and we're done. Easy.

 

[Matt Phillips]

I agree with @Dave burke on using the throttles independently both direction and thrust. With a little practice, its fun to turn the boat around in it's own length. On my 2017 one thing I've found (I'm about 6') is to put the seat bolster up and stand up when docking. I also drive with my left hand on the wheels, and right always on the throttles (even when one is in F and the other R) as this helps me with a mental picture of what each engine is doing.

Another thing that helps is I bought a set of these kids stickers (for like putting on Paper), and I have one stuck to the top dead center steering wheel hub when the wheel is not turned at all. This gives me a quick visual reference of center (and where that Keel is back there). When someone new is learning to pilot the boat they always ask what the little "monkey sticker" is for (mine are monkeys with bananas) and my response is "monkey in the middle when docking means you're driving straight ahead."