Prop walk

[nautikal]

Hi, Everyone, I have a Hunter 28 which has a diabolical prop walk to starboard. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to neutralize this or would changing to a three bladed crop help at all ???

Thanks
John

 

[FastOlson]

Yup, there's a solution...

Hi, Everyone, I have a Hunter 28 which has a diabolical prop walk to starboard. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to neutralize this or would changing to a three bladed crop help at all ???

Thanks
John

"Diabolical" -- great word!

Our boat has always had prop walk in reverse, to port. Pronounced with any fixed prop, two or three blade.
We went to a feathering prop and 90% of the walk went away and we had a lot more control in reverse.
Another half knot of speed under sail, in all conditions, too.

It's a Great solution, but it'll cost you a B.U.C. or more, unfortunately.
:cry:

 

[justsomeguy]

Short bursts of the prop in the other direction seems to be the SOP.

 

[Stu Jackson]

This is a recurring question. How recurring? Do a search (upper right BLUE tab) on "prop walk" and you'll have hours, if not days, of reading.

 

[Steve Dion]

I would suggest that you get a good prop shop size one for your boat. One of the major problems with prop walk is having too large diameter (not enough tip clearance). Have it checkout before you do anything.

Many times sailors think a 3 bladed prop will help, but if the diameter is not reduced it can be worse.

 

[Warren Milberg]

Don't let prop walk be your enemy. Find a calm and empty spot in your marina and practice using prop walk to your advantage. Practice turning the boat in its own diameter by turning the wheel to starboard and only using the throttle and shift lever to move the boat back and forth around in a tight circle. Once you master kicking the stern to starboard going forward, or to port in reverse, you'll see prop walk as a friend.

 

[Benny17441]

Professional golfers do not like to hit the ball straight but rather work on their draws (hooks) and fades (slices) which will render a more predictable trajectory. The analogy can be transferred to prop walk. With constantly changing wind and currents it might be hard to predict how a boat that tracks straight in reverse will react. With prop walk you will always know to which side it will pull and just compensate for it. In addition prop walk can allow you to dock a boat as if you had thrusters or even turn around on its axis in a narrow fairway. Don't try to fight it and as Warren says treat it as a friend. All it takes is practice.

 

[Mikem]

Yep. Learn to use it to your advantage. To back straight this works for me (H466 with a three bladed prop).
1. Put the gear in reverse and yes the port prop walk will appear
2. As soon as you develop stern way, put the gear in neutral
3. With the gear in neutral steer the boat and it should go where you desire
4. Place the gear again in reverse (idle speed) and you should have complete steerage control. Throttle as necessary and you should be fine.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Idle speed will exacerbate prop walk. Goose the throttle to get movement and water over the rudder or else the prop walk will get worse.

Practice, practice, practice. Take a day and do it, over and over again. It's like learning how to dock. If you don't do it a whole lot of times and only do it at the end of a sailing day, you're unlikely to get good at it.

 

[Igetit]

Practice, practice, practice. Take a day and do it, over and over again.

I agree, and might add that practice in varying wind conditions is advised; it seems docking is never the same procedure twice.

 

[MLampner]

As Stu says this is a common topic. Practice helps I've been doing a lot of it but knowing the boat and your limitations also are required. If you don't think the conditions will let you dock then don't attempt to. With practice the conditions that will stop you grow fewer.

Most marinas will assist if you don't think you can get in safely. They'd prefer a call than you damaging another boat, the dock or your own boat. Often if they can't help get you in they will direct you to a place with fewer challenges.

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

I agree with Stu & the others: practice is the name of the game. Here's what I do when I teach manoeuvering to friends in order to increase their level of competence...and confidence: I have them prepare 4 floats (fenders, empty 2-liter coke bottles, etc) with a weight and fishing line attached to each. Then we take the boat away from the marina in an area not too deep (to minimize length of fishing line needed) and with space to practice and move around. We then set the 4 floats to form a square in the water, the length of the sides being 2 feet longer than the boat length. In your case, I'd set them at 30'. This will give you a 900 square feet area with 30 feet sides and a tad less than 43' diagonal.

The idea is then to come in the square, do a 180 using the prop walk as described in previous posts, and then come out off the side you came in. Without touching the floats or stepping out of the square ! Do that from all 4 sides and it will practice you in every position of current and wind.

When you're comfortable that you can do it good without stepping over the sides or touching the floats, get out of the square and immobilize the boat stern-to about 50 feet in front of one of the floats. Then put her in reverse and back towards the float with your goal to bring the boat with the stern dead center a foot in front of the float. Then do it from the other 3 floats and again you'll cover all positions of current and wind.

Once you've you have accomplished this, you can try backing in the square from one of the sides, doing a 180 inside and backing out. If you touch a float, you get out of the square and try again, from the same side that gave you problems.

I suggest first trying this on a calm day and I'll guarantee that it will increase your confidence. Don't forget that the diagonal of that square is about 43 feet, which is more than plenty to turn it around. So when you feel good about it, reduce the square size all the way down to 28' per side. That will give you a diagonal of about 40 feet, enough to practice in turning the boat in its own length without damaging anything. Bow and stern will be right on opposite sides of the square, but it will make you visualize turning the boat in its own length.

Coming into tight quarters or docking under adverse conditions should be made easier knowing from having practiced you can evaluate wind and current wherever they come from. Good luck