Safety of twin engines. Can you get on plane with just one running?
 

If your running a typical 30' baja with twin 454's and one engine will not start, can you get the boat up on plane with only 1 engine running? Or are you going to idle all the way home on one engine? If you can get it on plane with just one engine running, will it hurt anything to drive it like that?

You will be idling home on one. Most bigger boats won't even think about planing on one motor.

I know one guy in a 30 ft CC that lost one of his O/B motors and was bragging he made it to the next marina (20 miles) on plane one one engine.....he tried to run to the next marina but never showed........the stress of running on one blew the lower unit of the running engine.

However, most boats won't have a chance of getting on plane anyway.

(I've been 17 and 22 miles on one over the years when I lost oil pressure and a drive)

Once you blow enough drives/engines you figure out that you never come off plane until you reach where you are going, then you can open the hatch and inspect. The key is never come off plane when a drive or engine lets go and the boat will stay on plane, but once you come off, it most likely won't get back up.

I tried it once with a Baja 302 before I knew how fragile Bravos were. Didn't break anything, but no, it would not plane.

I blew a drive when my 32 Baja Caliber had 620 HP with stock Bravo l's running 28 pitch bravo l props, I got on plane but took some finesse to get there. It ran about 48-50 mph the 20 miles back to home port without a problem. I put a set of XR, IMCO -2 lowers and Stellings boxes up 2 more inches, lost a prop blade on port drive last year in a poker run and still got on plane running 45+ with 4 people in the boat using only 1 engine.

Concept 326 w/300XS's- I blew a lower at the ghost fleet on the Jammin on the James Poker Run and ran it on one all the way to the lunch stop. The next day I ran it on one from the lunch stop all the way back to the ramp at Jordan Point with no issues. She'll do 45MPH on one!! Got the one side fixed, changed fluids in the good side (no damage, fluid had good color and good smell, etc) and back on the water in less than a week.

I buried the tab, did a circle and jumped my own wake to get up on plane. I have outboards so could trim the bad one up, if I/O's you should trim it neutral and take the prop off.

My 31 Formula would plane off on one if I was under 1/2 tank of fuel, Ran about 25-30 easily. Had 502 mags with 26 Bravo 4 blades.

Define "finesse"? I have been trying to this since I have owned twins and have never been successful.

Anyway, whats wrong with idling to the next marina. Isnt that good enough?

With my Baja 405 the alarms would not stop going off if I throttled past 2000 RPM with one engine. I also believe I could never get it to plane with only one engine operating, slow and steady at idle is what I would recommend.