One of my favorite true-isms in sailing:
‘Nobody sees you gibe, EVERYONE sees you dock.’
Backward motion
- Thread starter Phil Herring
- Start date
‘Nobody sees you gibe, EVERYONE sees you dock.’
Backing takes practice, and not unlike backing a trailer a little knowledge of how not to oversteer (practice). I got a LOT of practice two years ago in the middle of the Juan de Fuca Straight waiting for @jssailem to change this fuel filter and realize he was out of fuel in the tank pulling from. I did circles and squares around and around his boat. 
I have a slightly offset shaft so I can remove the shaft and I love prop walk. It is something I can count on and use to my advantage. Sure, twin screws are nice; you can spin a boat within her own length or back into a slip @ 8 knots, but come on, how often is that anything more than just showing off? And a bow thruster? They take all the fun out of boat handling. lol
I know if I want to do a tight circle (they call it back & fill) I can go only one way, but since I do know that, it would be pretty dumb to get myself in a situation where I couldn't take advantage of that.
I have stepped aboard many dozens of boats cold turkey, so to speak, up to and including freighters (single screw/no thrusters) and in general I just don't care. Actually, I think it's quite fun to step aboard, cast off the lines and just learn a boat on the fly.
I know if I want to do a tight circle (they call it back & fill) I can go only one way, but since I do know that, it would be pretty dumb to get myself in a situation where I couldn't take advantage of that.
I have stepped aboard many dozens of boats cold turkey, so to speak, up to and including freighters (single screw/no thrusters) and in general I just don't care. Actually, I think it's quite fun to step aboard, cast off the lines and just learn a boat on the fly.
With twin rudders and a sail drive my boat has no prop walk, it goes straight back. Until the wind takes the bow....
The boat is stern first into the new slip which is on a floating dock. I've been out and back in twice this season. The first time was entertaining for the onlookers; second time had minimal drama.
The boat is stern first into the new slip which is on a floating dock. I've been out and back in twice this season. The first time was entertaining for the onlookers; second time had minimal drama.
Backward motion, 0.
Once you get over that fault on a boat with a prop in an aperture, you can relax.
My boat will rotate counterclockwise - forever - by backing and filling.
You can exaggerate this effect while going forward, by turning hard to port then applying reverse. The boat will skid, slowly, to a stop turning counter clockwise.
The last of the boats forward motion converts to pure sideways - to starboard - for a few more feet. In fact, with the right speed and backing-filling, this is your only move to 'back up' , a short distance, into a slip (challenging...).
Naturally, we utilize this one trick in docking - starboard side to (the lifeline gate is located starboard side, not be coincidence).
When wind and or currents require something different than the above, it becomes a real puzzle that we often solve by not docking. We're not afraid to use lines or handing the boat, off or on a dock.
The upside to a prop in an aperture with a long keel is you can sail the coast of Maine with little regard to lobster pot warp.
I happily take this quality over the above negative. There isn't much dockage on our coast, anyway.
Once you get over that fault on a boat with a prop in an aperture, you can relax.
My boat will rotate counterclockwise - forever - by backing and filling.
You can exaggerate this effect while going forward, by turning hard to port then applying reverse. The boat will skid, slowly, to a stop turning counter clockwise.
The last of the boats forward motion converts to pure sideways - to starboard - for a few more feet. In fact, with the right speed and backing-filling, this is your only move to 'back up' , a short distance, into a slip (challenging...).
Naturally, we utilize this one trick in docking - starboard side to (the lifeline gate is located starboard side, not be coincidence).
When wind and or currents require something different than the above, it becomes a real puzzle that we often solve by not docking. We're not afraid to use lines or handing the boat, off or on a dock.
The upside to a prop in an aperture with a long keel is you can sail the coast of Maine with little regard to lobster pot warp.
I happily take this quality over the above negative. There isn't much dockage on our coast, anyway.
Lesson 101 in Boat handling. Test boat configuration for prop walk. Does it have it, if so how much. Then... Use it wisely.
Typically my 37’ prop walks to the port. After finishing lunch with my wife and another couple we guys got onto the Hunter and started backing away from the dock. I felt a clunk! The sloop started circling backwards to starboard and I couldn’t put the engine forward. Both the wheel chain and the shift linkage had snapped at the same time. My buddy’s wife said to my wife “What’s he doing?” “I don’t know” was her reply. We drifted out of the C&D Canal channel, I threw out a hook and waited for TowBoatUS. After 2 hours, when the tow started to drag us through the water I get a text from my wife. “Look to your starboard.” There sat the two girls, lapping up ice cream cones.
Careful...still new to me, handles better than my Mac 26X. Still stressful and an adventure every time, I will stay at it and improvement will happen.
The first time I backed into my new slip in Florida, I was solo, and she backed straight in and I tied her to the pilings with no issues. For the next few months the tides and winds were consistent, and we had no problem backing her in. Then, the day we had guests on board, of course, the tide and winds were boisterous and opposing. After seven tries to back into the slip, I ended up with the boat sideways across the pilings, and no way to motor anywhere. So, with all hands pushing and pulling, we manhandled her into the slip and finally tied up. Of course, my dock mate had recorded the whole endeavor and was kind enough give me a copy, which I still cherish.
My Morgan 323 is notoriously terrible in reverse. I've developed a work around for exiting my portside slip departure. I run a pre-measured line from the starboard aft cleat to the end of the finger of the neighbor's dock to my starboard then back to my cleat, loosely tied with a quick release knot. I reverse into fairway, line pulls tight and swings bow to port (out into the river), missing my slip by 2 feet or so. I engage forward and quickly release and pull in the polypropylene, floating, line.
I never want to end up broadside to the down stream dock again and this has worked, although it is admittedly a bit of a "chicken" maneuver. Note that I'm often dealing with strong river currents and wild Columbia river winds.
I never want to end up broadside to the down stream dock again and this has worked, although it is admittedly a bit of a "chicken" maneuver. Note that I'm often dealing with strong river currents and wild Columbia river winds.
Nothing "chicken" about it. Using dock lines to maneuver is done every day. I often power up on an aft spring line from the bow to push the stern away from a dock, and then back out. As a dock master, I many times accepted a bow line from a captain and cleated it off while he backed down and pulled the boat in sideways to the dock.
I have gotten good at lining up upstream of my slip and timing the speed so the bow clears my neighbor and we slide downstream just as the boat enters the slip and comes gently to rest against the dock at the right place. One time with two buddies aboard there was wind against current and I lined up up stream, headed in slowly in but the the boat didn't slide sideways. I waited but we just sat there so I turned to head for the slip but was at an awkward angle. We made it in but it was not graceful. Always when there is an audience.
Prop walk to port in reverse at idle speed. At first it was so spooky to me that I considered changing the 2 blade prop out for something else. Glad I didn’t because I’ve since learned when it will help me or work against me and I just plan what I am doing accordingly. I am often able to use it to my advantage now.
Speaking of watchers on the docks. In a past marina that was mostly big power boats that never moved, most of the power boaters would set up beach chairs on our dock facing out in the only open slip on the dock, mine. There they would consume alcohol in great quantities until the entertainment arrived; that was me returning to the dock. Amidst all the shouted instructions and laughter, I could at least expect someone to stagger over and grab one of my docklines.
My wife and I were shorthauling our H36 this year. She's only an occasional participant, and has never taken an interest in learning much about the operations of a boat/sailboat (I mostly singlehand). I managed to back down into the wind, using my propwalk to port, and get nicely against the dock near the lift. She hops off and secures the stern line and then goes forward to catch the bowline from me. I had the boat in neutral, expecting a quick tie-up, but she missed 6 throws, at which point the bow had drifted out of range of any more tries. She's panicky by now, but I just walked back and put the boat in forward, and like magic she came slowly to the dock where I handed her the line. 7th time is the charm. No yelling.
I had no reverse experience (other than backing out of slip) until going to a med mooring. Boat was a 1960-built full keel 28‘ Pearson Triton with prop in small aperture just fore rudder. Had to fit in only space left, between two boats. Was entertaining for all but me.
Prop walk seemed significantly greater in that full keel boat, than in my newer boat (which is fin keel with spade rudder with distance fore and aft of the prop).
Prop walk seemed significantly greater in that full keel boat, than in my newer boat (which is fin keel with spade rudder with distance fore and aft of the prop).
Here are some interesting discussions of boat handling in tight space with pictures.
