Advice- Moving Astern

[gpd955]

So I plan on putting Anam Cara in her slip stern-in. Currently I am bow in, which was perfectly fine until last weekend.

I am 3rd slip from the t-dock and when returning to my slip, I would simply come into the fairway at about a 45o angle, keeping the opposite slips to port as I begin my turn to starboard. Depending on wind, I would then cut hard to starboard and would be able to pull right in, like I was parking the jeep at the mall.

Thanks to the economy, most of the slips at the end of the opposite docks were empty, leaving me decent room. Now there's a boat, whose bow sticks out slightly, in the end slip. This cuts into my turning angle (how dare he! If it were a sailboat, I would be more forgiving! ) and it has become very difficult to turn cleanly. I almost have to pivot completely on the keel to get in, otherwise there's a lot of quick steering/throttle/shifting.

There is about 40ft of fairway, my slip is about 12ft wide and 31ft deep. Depth is not an issue.

My plan now is to pull into the fairway on the port side and overshoot my slip. Then move astern and pivot around the piling into the slip. Obviously my port prop walk is something I will need to overcome. Any suggestions from the group?

Moving to the other side is not an option. Neither is moving further down the dock as all of the slips on my side are occupied.

Attached is a crude diagram of the dock configuration and my current approach method. Hopefully it will help make sense of my explanation.

Thanks guys (and gals), as always!

 

[Berndahle]

I back my H36 into the slip as well. It's harder than bow in but I figured with enough practice I'll master it (almost have). Unfortunately, you are in the same situation in that you have your slip starboard side when you come in. Port would be much easier since you would be able to use prop walk.
What I do is stay as far starboard as I can in the waterway, start turning to port when my bow reaches the slip before mine, pass my neighbor's stern just barely with mine and get the boat 90 degrees or slightly more before I reach the other side. That gives me maximum space to backup and correct my prop walk. With a little practice this works well unless you have a lot of wind or current. I've been blown sideways across my slip a few times, in which case you should use a dock line attached to a starboard cleat and over a pylon and back up against it. That should swing you straight again (i haven't tried it yet but that's the theory).
I'm usually by myself so there's always a bit of running around going on but it's doable.

 

[Todd Smith]

Are the boats too tight to just make your normal turn, with the addition of one session of reverse ? The reverse will use your prop walk to help the turn.

Otherwise, do as you say and then cut the throttle ( to avoid prop walk) as you glide backwards into your slip. A burst of forward throttle to stop in place.

 

[gpd955]

Oops. Forgot attachment.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Jack, have you tried staying closer to your side of the docks when coming in, and then letting your stern swing out, instead of staying on the port side and swinging against the new boat on the other side of your fairway?

 

[gpd955]

I think I'm going to try all 3 suggested ways before I make my final decision. With the forecast I will most likely get plenty of chances, too, between now and Tuesday.

I think my biggest problem is that I subconsciously feel I need to steer and really have to force myself to use the natural movement of the boat.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Brian L.20665]

One other quick point: have you checked with your marina that the newb is allowed to stick out in to the fairway like that? That's not allowed in our marina, for the very reason that you've run in to, it restricts maneuvering by other boats. Maybe he could pull in to his slip further with encouragement from the manager?

 

[Stu Jackson]

I think I'm going to try all 3 suggested ways before I make my final decision. With the forecast I will most likely get plenty of chances, too, between now and Tuesday.

I think my biggest problem is that I subconsciously feel I need to steer and really have to force myself to use the natural movement of the boat.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Jack, just like your signature: "Breathe out, breathe in" I suggest you practice, practice, practice.

Most people dock only once a day. Right? Spend an hour doing it over and over again, and you'll find that hour: priceless...

 

[Deadhead]

Why not back down the fairway and let that prop walk tuck you right into your slip?

 

[Joe]

You just need to practice making a tighter turn with the "back and fill" technique.... let the boat drift in, put the helm over hard to starboard and it will almost stop, shift into reverse and put the helm over to port so the back end will keep turning while the boat's forward motion is stopped... when you're lined up straighten out the helm, shift to forward to get the boat moving.. then back to reverse to stop it in the slip.... piece of cake.

 

[SVCarolena]

You have the exact same set up as we do (even same slip location relative to the docks). When we bought the boat, the PO had always backed in. To accomplish this in light of the prop walk wanting to turn the boat the wrong way, we used a long springline that we left hanging from the end piling on the side closest to the land. We would pull up next to the slip, grab the line, pull up a little further so the stern was in line with the slip, then give the springline a half turn around a stern cleat on the starboard side (side facing the slip). The we would put it in reverse and use the springline to keep us centered as we backed into the slip (i.e., to overcome the propwalk). The last two years, we've been going in bow first. It is much easier, as the propwalk to port is now in our favor. We pull into the fairway going as slow as possible given wind and tide, turn into the slip (we would be at about a 45 degree angle at this point), then I put it in hard reverse to slow the boat and kick the stern the rest of the way around to line up. Once lined up, I put it in forward slow to get in. Much easier than backing in with the springline. The propwalk acts like a stern thruster in that it pivots us right around, and becuase we are already moving forward, it just slows us down rather than making us start to back up. You may want to give that a try and, if it doesn't work, experiment with springlines. Having a long springline on each piling also comes in handy when the winds want to push you to one side or the other. Although we no longer really need them, I keep the lines hanging from the pilings just incase we come in on a really windy day.

 

[SeaRanch]

My slip is in the same general location as yours.
I motor past my slip on the opposite side of my slip, then turn to starboard to turn the boat around coming up on my slip slowly. Just before the slip I turn the boat to starboard and shift into reverse, letting the port prop walk take the stern around and momentum of the boat makes it slide sidways, when lined up with the slip, shift into reverse.

Use the prop walk, rather than fighting it.
Works for me.

bill

 

[Warren Milberg]

I basically have the same docking situation that you have. My slip is also about the same size, and I guess is my boat is the same beam or beamier. It's a tight slip with boats in slips on either side of me. I like to go bow in. So what I do is come down the fairway as close to the opposite side as possible. When the bow is just short of being equal to my slip. I make a pivot turn to starboard, goosing the throttle which kicks the stern to port a bit. This lines me up for an almost straight shot into the slip.

Every now and then, I do put the boat in stern-first. I do this by turning 180-deg away from my fairway, backing down the fairway toward the slip, and then turning the stern into the slip using port prop walk. What sometimes helps is to step in front of your wheel and drive the boat in like you were driving that Jeep of yours. Just remember that the controls are now on the opposite side of where you are used to them being.

Just remember, it's all doable. What you need is to gain confidence in either procedure is practice. Do that by getting a few friends to act as crew (and emergency "fender-off-ers") on a calm day when no one is around.

 

[navigator97]

Jack, Whenever possible we always back into a slip. As Warren says he sometimes does, I always stand forward of the wheel facing aft. I find it so much easier to back the boat that way. As Warren says also, remember that the throttle is on the opposite side and the direction of the speed adjust relative to you is now opposite. Give it a try, I'm sure you will like it. Dick, S/V Puffin H-33.5.

 

[Stu Jackson]

When doing the "in front of the wheel" trick, just remember to look behind you every once in a while. That bow tends to swing waaaay around.

 

[sailaway78]

I would back into the fairway

I would back into the fairway as previously suggested. Then use the prop walk to help into the slip. Prop walk is sometimes a PITA, but can be your friend most of the time when you learn to use it.

 

[Patrick S/V Shangra-La]

I have a similar situation, but rather than fighting the prop walk I begin moving astern before I enter the slip area and back all the way down to the slip. I have enough stern-way to have good control of my boat.

The other captains get a kick out of watching me back all the way to my slip, but I have yet to have a problem in any kind of wind.

 

[Jerry Clark H356 SV Persi]

Turn around before you get to the fairway and then just back in with the slip on your port side. It will be a breeze that way!

 

[BI40]

In agreement with the above information ...but suggest that some of the "four whistle work" be accomplished first away from any dock. Learn first how your boat handles going astern in different conditions, where there's no chance to damage gel coat or pride. Used to back an Irwin 52 almost the full length of a very narrow fairway (There're all narrow at 58' OA) at Gangplank in DC, only after a lot of practice in a quite portion of the DC Channel. Remember, moving astern always exposes the weakest part of your vessel; it's rudder and post / trundles.

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

Hey Jack, sorry I missed this a couple of weeks ago.

I always stern to the dock. I did it in my last boat and have been doing it in my new one as well. Since this is my first season with the C310, I have tried a lot of different ways and techniques with our boat and spent at least 3-4 hours practicing already. We have a lot of current in our area and will often have the wind and the current in different directions. We are in a similar spot to you but would be on your neighbors side instead of yours. Here are some of the things I have found.

First, go out today and get the large wheel from taylor made. It is $200 from west marine and worth every penny. With that on the corner, you can pivot around the end of the dock with out worrying about damaging your boat on the corner of the dock. Also, on those bad days if you have someone on the dock to help, you can give them the spring line and then power forward to turn your stern into the dock using the wheel as a pivot point.

Second, as you know our boats don't like to have the throttle below 1K RPM. I have found that 1100-1200 is the sweet spot for maneuvering. So I will keep the throttle there and slow or speed up by shifting into neutral.

Third, if I were trying to get into your slip, I would drive down the fairway past the slip, do a u-turn and approach the slip with it close on my port side. I would slow the boat down to less then 2 knots and when the bow reaches the finger start to turn the boat to the other side of the fairway. When the boarding gate is about even with the finger, I would then put the boat into reverse.

The difficult part I have had is that with the high current in our marina predicting the degree of prop-walk becomes very difficult. So sometimes I have to go between forward and reverse to get the boat facing in the right direction. But watch the bow, it can swing around very quickly in our boats.

Lastly, when if reverse there are two kind of sweet spots on the wheel were you get the most response from the boat. They are roughly around a quarter turn in either direction. I had a tendency to put the wheel hard over to the direction I wanted but then I realized that doing so put the rudder too flat to the motion of the boat and gave less steerage then putting the rudder at the proper angle. So I put tape on the wheel to mark the center point and the port and starboard sweet spots. It helps me to not over steer.

Hope this helps.

Good luck and fair winds.

JK