Backward motion

[Phil Herring]

Sailboats are infamous for perilous backing under power. Favoring port, favoring starboard, favoring a fixed position as it's reluctant to move at all.

How does your boat back, and what are the best and worst examples of backing proficiency you've seen?

 

[Whatfiero1]

Pulls to port until I get speed up. Then I slip into neutral and let momentum carry into slip

 

[DougM]

Typically, my Beneteau 323 walks to port in reverse. The very first year that I owned the boat, I was part way into the narrow entry channel to our marina when one of the more infamous powerboat owners decided it was his turn to come out. I shifted into reverse, rudder straight, increased throttle, and ended up doing a nearly complete 180.
It didn’t take long after that to learn to use a little bit of rudder and a lot less throttle until I had some reverse motion..
The port prop walk is still a nuisance when getting into my starboard seawall mooring, but kind of handy for backing out of the mooring in certain wind conditions.
I have learned to expect the prop walk and how to live with it.

 

[agprice22]

Mine pulls to Port when backing which is ok, since I normally back out to port. The problem comes when I need to shift to forward. The walk to starboard tries to point my bow right back into my slip. I now use a linear actuator to steer my outboard, so I get directional thrust for the few seconds I need it. It makes a huge difference.

 

[dennismenace111]

My Watkins 29 with a 2 bladed prop will pull to port.... I get it moving in reverse and I find that I can somewhat control direction with the rudder as long as the prop isnt turning in reverse....

 

[Close Call]

My vintage full keeled Pearson backs any way she wants and it's up to me to keep from hitting another boat or running aground. So far so good.

 

[Daveinet]

I've never seen an issue backing my boat. The only time I'm backing up is when I've beached the boat, so the rudder is flipped partially up. So instead of straight down, it is straight back. With that much leverage straight back, it tends to provide more drag to one side or the other, than it does actual steering. I think there is an advantage to tiller steering, in that you feel the rudder pull strongly one direction or the other, anytime it is not straight. So for the most part, you just point the rudder where you want to go. I've backed 200 feet in a straight line on a super windy day. It really wasn't much of an issue.

 

[Rick D]

My last three boats have all pulled to port in reverse. My other two did not. I can spin it 360 degrees within a fairway if needed, so it's handy. I expected much more when I installed my geared folding prop 15 years ago, but it is no worse than my previous two blade fixed. The trick, if any, is to think through wind, current and prop walk before leaving the dock.

 

[oldiesrocker2001]

My V21's prop walk is to starboard and relatively severe as it generally forces the boat against the current rather successfully when backing up from the launch ramp. If I leave the rudder down to compensate, the prop will try to 'eat' the rudder. I find that the only solution with this problem is judicious switching between reverse & neutral while dropping the rudder to steer while still moving but in neutral. Looks and sounds pretty strange but until the boat reaches 20-30 feet out, the swing keel has to remain up, providing little positive steering/stability.

 

[jssailem]

I have a 3/4 keel which makes it difficult as there’s a tendency to go straight unless there is wind or current. Then it can be a tug-a-war of wills. The judicial use of reverse then neutral helps. Turning the wheel only 45 degrees is better when wanting to turn to starboard.

Sometimes it’s a crapshoot. I am not against stopping and then trying again.

 

[kappykaplan]

I have prop walk to port when I reverse, so have to allow a little time to get water flowing past the rudder to have steerage. Since I know how the boat reacts in reverse, I am able to back to starboard when required. When you consider that I "practice" around 100 times per season, there's not much that can put me off my game.

 

[Jackdaw]

With dual rudders and high-aspect keel, BlueJ backs up like a car drives forward once she has some way on. Like any tiller boat, you just have to be careful not to push too hard over.

 

[JRT]

I suck at it my C310 has the 3 blade 15x9 goes to Port, which for leaving our slip is nice but I tried backing in last week with less then impressive results. My big issue is judging drift and bow position as I pulse the motor from reverse to neutral while facing aft. Also out slips have 45 deg corners so they really are suppose to be bow in first, stern in first is nicer for loading and boarding but the dock corner is right there trying to put a nice dent in my stern all the time.

 

[DArcy]

My C&C 27 has a very slight walk to port when backing but it is subtle. I tend to be very aggressive with throttle when starting to back to get a good flow over the rudder, then I back down once there is a bit of speed up which gives me very good directional control. After 20 years with this boat, I know what to expect so it's all on me if there are any surprises.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Backing up with my little Starwind 19 was a bit awkward but I liked the challenge. The real issue I discovered was avoiding a collision while coming around the corner of the marina. My boat did not want to stop. From then on I backed out of my slip to the end of the pier. The boat had more stopping power and I was 19' closer to the corner! So much easier to see other boats!

 

[uncledom]

Almost no walk, just slightly to port under hard power, and can hit 7.5 knots backwards if I want. Steering does become tricky at high speeds backwards as the rudder wants to spin hard over as soon as you take it off center. I only played with full speed reverse twice and in open water. Backing in to a slip is an every day event for me as it's easier to step on and off the boat that way. Brunton's Autoprop.

 

[Jackdaw]

Steering does become tricky at high speeds backwards as the rudder wants to spin hard over as soon as you take it off center. I only played with full speed reverse twice and in open water.

Yep, that’s a sure-fire way to break your rudder.

 

[Capt jgw]

Almost boats with a right hand prop will back to port and left hand props back to starboard. It's a matter of physics. Some prop types and hull shapes are better or worse than others, but all will do it to some extent. My Columbia 36 with it's three blade powerboat style prop is no different, complicated by the prop being aft and above the rudder so prop wash has no effect on forward or reverse. This boat can be a challenge under power. Except for the stopping part she'd be easier to dock under sail alone.
If your boat exhibits substantial prop walk, it's best to learn to use it rather than fight it. A little planning ahead of time can get the prop walk working for you instead of against you. If you remember the scene from Captain Ron where he docked the boat at the yacht club, he slid the boat up to the dock on starboard. Had to be a left hand prop, that maneuver would not be easy with a right hand screw.

 

[Mark Maulden]

When I had the 3 blade fixed prop, it backed to stbd “bad”..My previous two boats did the same. I learned how to use it. It has got me out of sticky situations in fairways. I have done the prop walk dance in the fairways more than once. Several times to ovations! Now with the new Beta/saildrive/j-prop, not much prop walk at all. I feel naked!!

 

[Triton 53]

It depends on how many people on the docks watching. One or maybe two, I can get it to go where I want; more than two, it can be a show; more than five, I don't even try, I ;just pull bow in. Then backing out I can let the boat go where it wants and do a u-turn in the fairway.