Backing out of a slip Against the wind

[jhnewsome17]

Your story should be seen as an inspiration, to you! Good work. Consider it, as the advice given by the other skippers, as a learning experience. And prop walk? While it's been beaten to death over the years, here and on other boating forums, the answer always remains: most skippers do not use enough throttle to get the boat moving and the rudder to gain control.

We had a high (20 kt) port side wind a few weeks ago when leaving a dock, and had to go up the fairway to port, into the wind. I just backed out the fairway. It required gunning the throttle, big time, which most people are adverse to doing for some bizarre reason. Which was the ONLY way anyone was gonna do it that day. While I saw a few attempt to swing their bows around, they were dealing with real dangers to them and the docked other boats.

And. if in doubt, stay put and wait.

Also, one never knows the quality of "help" one will receive from people who come to help. I dock singlehanded many, many times, and the maneuver usually gets fouled up by those who want to help. I've actually stopped running a bow line on the boat, and use only the midships spring line and a stern line until I get settled in. Most people on the dock pull in on the bow line and screw up my docking.

The vertical support on my bow pulpit is bent because an inexperienced person on the dock pulled my bow into my dock box when my wife tossed him the line. Now I call the dockmaster and he/she always assists me with docking even if I don't need the help. It's just good to have someone experienced on the dock.

If I have any doubt about how my boat will perform given a certain wind direction or current I test the situation with mock docking maneuvers in open water near the marina prior to docking. If I have any concern I tie up at the transient dock and wait for conditions to change and then move to my slip.

Hugh17
sv Roma
Seafarer 29

 

[Cwoody]

CWoody, It has always been my experience that going from a 2-bladed to 3-bladed prop, ( if that's what you are doing),actually increases prop walk.

Hey Capt,

Lots of discussion about performace of 2 vs 3 blades on these forums.

http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=113929

Purchased a 3 blade Campbell Sailer Propeller which I will be installing when I pull for the winter. Some folks reported a little less walk from this manufacturer. Three smaller blades vs 2 larger? Maybe.
Main reason for purchase was to decrease vibration but a little less walk will work for me.
You will have to wait till next spring for my actual results.

CW

 

[jwdickerson]

Practice provide advance preparation

I think some of the best advice here is to PRACTICE backing, in open water, then in tighter spaces where you won't cause damage to others, finally into and out of your slip. As the owner of an "older" H37 cutter (1984), I can emphatically state that I'm really glad a sailing instructor in the Florida keys made me practice. Older boats have lots of pending problems, one of them being kinking your remote transmission cable so the only direction you have is reverse! Something to look forward to fixing.

 

[montenido]

Wow!

Let me say that if I could back my boat like you do, I'd be posting videos also. Wow, well done. Guess I need to get out and practice...

Backing is something that used to always get me, especially with the prop walk. My poor old boat had the cr*p beat out of her by pylons backing out of a slip because I was always too fast or slow.

Once whilst waiting for a bridge on the ICW, I decided to try backing up to a buoy from different directions, it only took a few times to 'feel' the boat, and I have backed everywhere ever since..

I totally second the open water comment. I turn in the open freeway, and go right down the row of slips.

To start you must give her full throttle, and turn around in the cockpit if you have room. Facing the direction you're heading is so much easier than craning your neck backwards.

I also start with the rudder to about 45o opposite the direction prop walk pulls me. That creates counter resistance and helps you recover steerage in a much shorter distance.

Once you feel yourself turning back the other way, you can straighten back up and drop to idle (or a bit above) the rest of the way in.

I find it 100x easier to back in a slip than backing out, because you can start in the freeway and have so much more room to get the speed and maneuvrability you need.

- OH, and remember that the steering 'pivot point' in reverse is more back in the cockpit, not centered around the keel as in forward..

I have uploaded a quick video of me backing into Crisfield, MD this July as an example - http://www.internetmark.com/1530.h.Backing_to_Crisfield_MD

Hope that helps..

 

[DavyBones]

Thank you for posting this. It is just one more thing that some may take for granted but will undoubtedly help a newbie like me someday, when I didn't even know I needed it.

The part were you say this especially hit me as I'm looking at a purchase and kept telling myself "its a sailboat, you dont need that big of a motor! Just enough to get in and out of the port/dock/marina or to chug home after a dead-wind night... So glad I saw the comment below:

...no matter what I did could not get enough speed to gain steerage to keep off the boats on the lee side...

I guess I kind of forgot about that stuff out there called w i n d .

Though to admit, my better-half has been pushing the issue of a strong enough motor. ( :Liar: Not that I'd listen to HER or anything! :Liar (yea right!)

 

[MLampner]

Many thanks to all and you are right I should spend more time practicing in reverse. Plan to do that this weekend if I can get out for a few hours.

 

[MLampner]

Backing is something that used to always get me, especially with the prop walk. My poor old boat had the cr*p beat out of her by pylons backing out of a slip because I was always too fast or slow.

Once whilst waiting for a bridge on the ICW, I decided to try backing up to a buoy from different directions, it only took a few times to 'feel' the boat, and I have backed everywhere ever since..

I totally second the open water comment. I turn in the open freeway, and go right down the row of slips.

To start you must give her full throttle, and turn around in the cockpit if you have room. Facing the direction you're heading is so much easier than craning your neck backwards.

I also start with the rudder to about 45o opposite the direction prop walk pulls me. That creates counter resistance and helps you recover steerage in a much shorter distance.

Once you feel yourself turning back the other way, you can straighten back up and drop to idle (or a bit above) the rest of the way in.

I find it 100x easier to back in a slip than backing out, because you can start in the freeway and have so much more room to get the speed and maneuvrability you need.

- OH, and remember that the steering 'pivot point' in reverse is more back in the cockpit, not centered around the keel as in forward..

I have uploaded a quick video of me backing into Crisfield, MD this July as an example - http://www.internetmark.com/1530.h.Backing_to_Crisfield_MD

Hope that helps..

Thanks Forever. I agree with all you say and like your stance as well I too like to be in front of the pedestal facing the stern it really helps. I also agree backing in is desirable on the other had when the fairway is nearly your length it only helps so much.

 

[David W]

Backing is something that used to always get me, especially with the prop walk. My poor old boat had the cr*p beat out of her by pylons backing out of a slip because I was always too fast or slow.

Once whilst waiting for a bridge on the ICW, I decided to try backing up to a buoy from different directions, it only took a few times to 'feel' the boat, and I have backed everywhere ever since..

I totally second the open water comment. I turn in the open freeway, and go right down the row of slips.

To start you must give her full throttle, and turn around in the cockpit if you have room. Facing the direction you're heading is so much easier than craning your neck backwards.

I also start with the rudder to about 45o opposite the direction prop walk pulls me. That creates counter resistance and helps you recover steerage in a much shorter distance.

Once you feel yourself turning back the other way, you can straighten back up and drop to idle (or a bit above) the rest of the way in.

I find it 100x easier to back in a slip than backing out, because you can start in the freeway and have so much more room to get the speed and maneuvrability you need.

- OH, and remember that the steering 'pivot point' in reverse is more back in the cockpit, not centered around the keel as in forward..

I have uploaded a quick video of me backing into Crisfield, MD this July as an example - http://www.internetmark.com/1530.h.Backing_to_Crisfield_MD

Hope that helps..

Wow, that was impressive! Thanks for sharing.

 

[rfrye1]

A word of caution. Turning around backwards works great, But, if possible have someone watch your bow as you swing thru your turn. Since you are driving and turning from the "front" when backing allow enough angle for the bow to clear. When you're turned around backwards it can be easy to forget abt the 35' of boat behind you!

 

[jrowan]

I'll chime in too, since we've all been there at some point. Backing out of a slip is where we really pay for all that extra beam & freeboard. The bigger the boat the bigger the problem. Our C 30 with the 5411 is already a bit underpowered & reverse is sadly lacking. Even with full throttle it takes the better part of a boat length for me to get turning steering with the rudder. Problem is our fairway is rather tight, about a boat length. So by the time I've backed out with some steerage control, I'm almost on the pilings across from our slip. Of course the prop walk works against me, so I've learned to either tie a loose line around the piling to my starboard to help pivot the boat with the bow towards port. When my first mate can push with a boat hook against the piling it works even better. You're learning why its good to have a crew on board. Meet people on your dock, sail with others, make new friends & get a helping hand. The whole point of a bigger boat is to comfortably accomodate a bigger crew. As we all get older having a helping hand is not a sign of weakness but intelligence. I think that in bad weather its really almost foolish to go out alone. There have been several instances in the past few years of single handers going overboard & drowning, because no one was around to hear their cries for help, or they were knocked unconscious when falling off their boat. Getting pinned down in a marina is really pretty minor compared to a scenario like this. I know the single handers will disagree, but your experience is a rational for why its good to have a helping hand on board. I hate sailing alone, & an emergency situation I've had was when I once cut my hand rather badly & had no one to help, as I had to bandage myself up & sail 5 hours onward alone. Not fun.

 

[ForeverYoung]

Thanks for the comments all

Let me say that if I could back my boat like you do, I'd be posting videos also. Wow, well done. Guess I need to get out and practice...

Wow, that was impressive! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for all of the great comments, but please believe me, while it may LOOK impressive, it really is a lot easier than it appears.

Totally agree with windage, a higher wind will try to 'broadside' you and force you out of control, if you are going faster you can get into the slip faster, too slow and you will likely lose control.

I usually approach at about 3 kts, slow to neutral about 30 ft out, then slam in full forwards for about 3 seconds when I get about 2/3rds into the slip.

Other boats, oh heck yes!! you need to keep your eyes open and have someone on the bow if possible, especially if you have to swing wide and there's a nice sticky-out anchor on a nearby boat

One just snagged on my rigging on my old boat and spun me right out.

Once again, it's just practice, I would strongly advise doing what I initially did, find an open space, especially with a buoy nearby, and literally try to back up to it from several different angles. (so it ends up either central on your transom, or just off your port / starboard like a pylon would be)

Also, don't be afraid to slam in full forwards if you feel it getting away from you, better to look a bit silly than wreck.

 

[ForeverYoung]

Thanks for the comments

Hmm, added twice..