Close quarters manouvering

RichBone · Nov 6, 2011

One word- SLOW (of course). Normally I leave the outboard set and just use the rudder. In tight spots I use both the rudder and the outboard, one hand on each. Like when I've backed out of my slip and put the OB in forward; I'll put the rudder over and turn the outboard. The boat will almost pivot around the keel.
If there is plenty of depth and you have a centerboard then lower it for more control.
Backing out isn't much of a problem but pulling into your slip can be intimidating. I'm still amazed at how narrow it looks. Coming in (idling, and even this can seem too fast), approach it giving yourself all the turning room you can get and make as wide of a turn as you have room for. If it's not too windy you can put it into neutral and coast in. If you're coming in too fast use reverse and goose the throttle. It gets better with practice.
You have to be familiar with the OB controls. I have the steering arm pivoted up so I can easily reach the throttle and shifter.
Do everything in 'slow motion', tell your crew what you're doing and them ready to fend the boat. Keep your cool. Don't raise your voice too much. You don't want draw attention to yourself.

Rich

AndyS22 · Nov 6, 2011

I fitted a new outboard and did some experimenting this year, I found in almost very situation I had more control with outboard fixed and using the tiller. Fixing the rudder and using the outboard didn't work only boat as the rudder just acts as large fin resisting the turn. I've just accepted that I have to do everything much slower than on power boats etc.

sailcruiser · Nov 6, 2011

I just sold my fixed outboard powered full keel boat. My advice is to use it fixed for thrust. Now with that said HOW is also helpful. Use the motor to get some movement of water across the rudder and put it in neutral. Otherwise you have "'dirty" water going across your rudder. Rudders don't bite well in dirty ( churned, cavitation etc) water. Learn to use Spring lines to help you get going in the right direction. Sailboats as a general rule back up poorly. Even my new boat (to me) with an inboard diesel prefers the engine in neutral or it 'walks'.

That said on breezy days or crowded dockage a spring line is the best tool for just about any boat no matter the auxiliary propulsion.

SC

Joe11688 · Nov 6, 2011

sba55 said:
I am interested to hear some techniques on close quarter maneuvering (like coming into or out of a crowded boat slip) for boats with outboards. Do you fix the position of the outboard and steer with the rudder? Do you center and tie the rudder off and just use the outboard? I have seen some people pull the rudder off and just use the motor. Steering in reverse would seem to be pretty difficult with just about any system.

I am going to be putting my O'Day 23 in a slip and would like to practice a little before banging into the dock and other folks boats.

I agree with what Rich said. I have a mooring at our club but I do motor into our club's dock spaces that resemble slips. In fact, these spaces are scheduled to be used as slips next year. I've always found it easier to maneuver my boat under power in close quarters by using both the rudder and the engine together. I always take note of both the wind and current direction and strength.
I would never tie off my tiller unless the water is too shallow for my tip up rudder and I need to avoid having it get hit by the prop.
I think that it's important to remember that a rudder will always steer your boat provided that the boat has "way on".
I went sailing with a friend of mine who keeps his boat at a marina with many slips and long fareways leading to them. My friend told me that the marina owner advised him that it would be easier to maneuver his boat in and out of his slip if he tied off his tiller and just used his outboard. I disagreed with that and I told him that it was a bad idea.
What happened after that was, we were able to get out of his slip OK but as we were headed out the fairway with a light breeze behind us, his outboard conked out. I said to him, " Quick! Untie that tiller!" We were headed right for a tied up boat in one of the slips but he was able to untie his tiller just in the nick of time and change the direction of the boat to coast right up to an empty dock where I could get out and hold the boat until he was able to get the outboard restarted. True story.
Of course, an outboard uses thrust to steer a boat and if you have no thrust, you have no steerage.
It works both ways though. Outboard thrust can be a good thing in a tight situation. It can stop your boat and keep it from banging into something, or it can steer your boat into a tighter ark than the use of just the rudder.
Like Rich said, take it slow but I think that practice and being aware of the wind and current strength and direction is also the main key.

Squidd · Nov 6, 2011

Keep your cool. Don't raise your voice too much. You don't want draw attention to yourself...

Words to live by (at least for the first couple practice attempts...)

Stu Jackson · Nov 6, 2011

1. Practice, practice, practice, over and over again. Take a few hours and keep doing it.

2. Going slow is NOT always the best way.

3. Find what works for you. Using both the engine and rudder worked for me many times, but was not always needed.

4. http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15645&SearchTerms=dock-o-matic

Indysailor · Nov 6, 2011

Try practicing in open water. Throw a cushion in the water and try to stop next to it. Back around it. Get used to the distance it takes to coast to a stop in calm and windy conditions. I practiced out in a cove by myself, away from other boats until I felt comfortable with the boat.
For backing up and turning out of our slip I use both tiller and outboard together. The boat pivots on a dime that way, but I always try to keep that maneuver slow.

doehunter · Nov 6, 2011

I have a Honda 8 hp 4stroke. It has a lever on the side that lets you lock or unlock the lower unit pivot. In other words, you have to unlock it to raise it out of the water. It can be used as a brake in reverse and I do it all the time. Going into a slip without being able to stop would be scary!

kpgraci · Nov 8, 2011

Before I fixed my outboard in place (well, it fixxed itself in place) I had no trouble making very tight turns forward or backward by turning both the motor and the tiller. Now that the motor is fixed it is very difficult to turn, especially when moving slowly and backwards. I'm going to free the motor and connect it to the tiller with a rod so they both turn together. the lack of maneuverability has gotten me in a bind more than once and I'm tired of it. Just another repair on a long, long list.

Joe11688 · Nov 9, 2011

kpgraci said:
Before I fixed my outboard in place (well, it fixxed itself in place) I had no trouble making very tight turns forward or backward by turning both the motor and the tiller. Now that the motor is fixed it is very difficult to turn, especially when moving slowly and backwards. I'm going to free the motor and connect it to the tiller with a rod so they both turn together. the lack of maneuverability has gotten me in a bind more than once and I'm tired of it. Just another repair on a long, long list.

That sounds like a great idea Ken. You don't have to worry about the prop hitting your rudder and I think that its doable.

kpgraci · Nov 9, 2011

Trinkka said:
That sounds like a great idea Ken. You don't have to worry about the prop hitting your rudder and I think that its doable.

Yeah, I've seen (on the Internet) several examples of it, just a matter of getting the right bends/angles in the rod to accommodate the different offset of the motor and tiller. Here is some discussion on the subject.

http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=123411

ruidh · Nov 11, 2011

I think that you would need the same lever arm. That is, you connector would have to connect the motor control and the tiller at the same distance from each's pivot point.

RichBone · Nov 11, 2011

I would think that if the rudder and OB were coonected with a rod then it would have to be easily disconnected so you could raise the OB out of the water when sailing. Plus being connected while sailing you would lose almost all "feel" of the rudder.

Gudenuph · Nov 11, 2011

Close Quarters Maneuvering

Don't discount the use of the rudder allone. In a tiller steered boat one can propel the boat by sculling, can slow the boat with rapid maximun rudder and hold until the boat starts to turn then the same to the opposite side, and even steer without any way on. These effects are not powerful but are very useful in mild conditions. To scull, slowly swing the tiller 30 to 40 degrees to the side followed by a rapid return to center then on slowly to the other side with a rapid return. To steer just do the same thing but only on one side. With only a little practice the technique can be mastered. And if the boat just won't scull, well some boats just can't.
Cheers, Geohan

Jack Spencer · Nov 11, 2011

Oday 23 in tight places

Welcome to O'day 23 ownership. I know you will enjoy your new boat. My boat is slips are 20 foot with up to 25 foot powerboats or sailboats with their motor tilted out so you can believe me it is very tight. When backing out of the slip I use both the motor and tiller to make the sharp turn. What I figured out by watching others was you need to get the boat straight back in the middle of the fairway before shifting the motor forward. With the tiller & motor straight throttle it up a bit to get the boat moving forward and your are on your way. What I have seen is not getting the boat straight before going forward. If that occurs just turn the motor a llittle and you are again good to go. As mentioned, takes a little practice but once or twice and you got it.

As for returning to the slip, I start my turn kinda at the end of the boat that is slipped next to me. I can see down inside my boat into the forward vee berth as I am on the left side of the cockpit and can vision where the slip fingers are coming out and where the hull is. I keep the speed down but enought to have steerage. Once she is about in I look at the finger and can easily judge how far I am in the slip. The motor is idling during and in netural. If I need to stop, I just reach back shift into reverse & give it a quick throttle to bring the boat to a stop. Everyone is correct that your engine should be locked down so the motor's prop will not jump up.

Sometime I have to put the boat in the slip backwards say to pull the motor for maintenance so steering backwards will come up. Just keep a solid hand on to the tiller & keep the speed slow as the tiller will want to jump to one side or the other.

Enjoy your boat and may I recommend a book that I purchased when I got my 23. It is called "Sailing Big in a Small Sailboat" by Jerry Cardwell. For
10 years it has been my bible and a blessing. Also keeps me for getting Two-footitus.

shipwreck66 · Nov 12, 2011

On my C22 I always used both, for two reasons. Your rudder may make contact with your prop, not good. This depends on what outboard you are using, and I switched mine out depending on time of year and what I was going to be doing. Used every size from 3.5 Nissan to a 9.5 Evinrude. Your control of the boat using both engine and rudder is substantially greater in reverse especially. No sailboat likes going backwards. Backing the bigger inboards is by no means easier.

peterbud · Nov 15, 2011

sba55 said:
Thanks for all the responses. This is obviously a subject everyone has thoughts about. I think I'll practice with several of the methods mentioned. My outboard, a Honda 9.9 4 stroke manual says it has limited thrust in reverse, I assume to prevent the motor from jumping out of the water, so I don't think I can count on it as a "brake".

I single hand 99% of the time so I have to be pretty precise with things. If I had somebody to "fend off" it would be great. My wife says she'll go as soon as I can prove the trip won't end up like the Titanic. I don't think Joshua Slocum had these problems!

I have the same motor on my 222 and I find that the motor has more than enough thrust in reverse to stop you pretty quick. I know from experience. The motour has never pulled out of the water for me when i had to give it a strong burst in revers. I pull into the inside finger of our dock all the time and I use the motor at itdle to pull in and give short burst of reverse if i think I am going a little too fast. In backing out since it is very tight before i hit a shoal I use both the motor and the rudder. It gives me plenty of control and you can turn a lot faster than using just the rudder with this boat and motor combination.

Wayne Steinhour · Nov 24, 2011

My experience is pretty limited, but I agree with most of what has been said here. I mostly use the outboard fixed in place and steer with the tiller. For tight turns near a slip I steer with both. I do have a couple of other suggestions.

When you are getting ready to back out of your slip, let your outboard warm up for a minute or so. The first time I ever used my boat (I am a new owner, too.), I fired the motor up and backed right out, turning to get lined up for a straight shot out of the marina. When I reached back to shift the motor into forward, it died. As I frantically tried to restart this 1977 outboard that I had no experience with, a slow-motion disaster was unfolding as we drifted back toward this very solid seawall. Fortunately, we were moving slowly enough that I was able to lean out over the stern and stop us when we got to the wall, with about 3 or 4 inches to spare. After that I always let the motor warm up before I back out - no problems since.

The other thing its to watch out for floating weeds. Once when I tried backing out of a slip at a marina where there were a lot of floating weeds, I found that I had no reverse thrust at all. Luckily, the wind was in the right direction to push us out of the slip and turn us a bit. When I shifted into forward, the prop cleared and we were able to motor out just fine.

Enjoy your boat. I have had fun with mine this year and am looking forward to next season.