HANDLE A SINGLE SHAFTDRIVE BOAT PART 1

Single shaftdrive boats are relatively rare these days but the reduced costs of buying, servicing and fuelling such a simple but reliable drivetrain does mean they are making a bit of a comeback.

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The main disadvantage is that single shaftdrive boats aren't as manoeuvrable as twin-engined ones or those fitted with sterndrives or outboards.

There are millions of yachts out there with this set-up, and they seem to manage okay, so what's the difference? Well yachts usually have deep keels and larger rudders to give maximum stability and steerage at speeds below 10 knots. Motor boats on the other hand tend to have shorter keels and smaller rudders to reduce drag and steering effect at speed. The flipside of this is that they also have less directional stability and steering effect at lower speeds, making them more sensitive to being blown about by the wind.

So before helming a single shaftdrive boat, it's worth finding out a bit about its hull shape.