Sailing in close quarters

[Stu Jackson]

Don's repsonse

Don has it right:"Remember, water must be flowing past the rudder for it to have any effect on the boat and the effect happens faster in forward than in reverse. Also, throughout this maneuver, resist the temptation to move the wheel."You HAVE to be going fast enough to make this work. "Water MUST be flowing."This morning, I watched as a Hunter 45 tried to back out of their slip with a VERY LIGHT beam wind.The skipper kept turning the wheel to each end, with NO throttle while in reverse ("resist the temptation to move the wheel"). It's like being parked in your car: turning the wheel does NOTHING.Their stern almost hit some boats to their port, because the skipper's prop walk was taking them to port because they hadn't gained enough sternway to have their rudder take effect. You can't (ever, never, no way...) get going backwards with the throttle in reverse without giving it some "gas."They made three more back and fills and finally made it out, only because the beam wind hadn't strengthened, and they fended off a lot.LOOK UP "prop walk" on the archives.You just have to be moving before you can overcome "walk" and learning how to do it is very rewarding.Only time, without being PC, can I consider getting away with saying "Goose It!"Stu

 

[SailboatOwners.com]

Final results

Final results for the Quick Quiz ending June 15, 2003:I have sailed instead of motored: 42% Anchoring, mooring, and also onto or off of a dock or slip37% I always use the engine14% Both to drop or pickup the anchor and onto or off of a mooring buoy08% Only to drop the anchor or from an anchored position1,232 owners responding

 

[Jeff G.]

Up a not so lazy river

We used to sail out and in to our docks. Backing a boat under sail is a great way to get off of a dock. It isn't just showing off! Sometimes you just have to sail in.... We were coming in off the Atlantic and the auxilary would not start. We were tired and wanted to get to the marina for the night. The problem--a very narrow channel, dead into the wind. After calling for a tow we found they had none available. We thought about anchoring, but the tides were high and were expecting over a 6 knot current that night. There was an incoming tide so we decided to short tack up the channel. I don't know how many tacks, 30 or 40 at least and we get even with the marina docks. With the current and wind direction we could not seem to get to the dock heading up wind. I took the boat past the dock a short distance and spun the boat around. Now we were going down wind, but up current. I sailed the boat over to the dock and feathered the sails, the boat slows, stops then hovers just inches from the dock. We step off and tie up. The marina personel mentioned they had never seen anyone tack up the channel, let alone dock under sail.The knowledge we obtained practicing sailing in and out of our slip really paid off. We knew we could get the boat safely to the docks without the motor.

 

[Chuck Shaw]

Every chance I get!!

I sail into my slip every chance I get. I never had a motor available to me during my dingy sailing days when I started sailing 41 years ago. I watch too many skippers call BOAT US or Sea Tow for a tow back in when conditions and traffic would allow them to sail in with no problems. I encourage folks to try it (leave the engine on and in neutral as a security blanket). There just may come a time when you will be glad you practiced doing this when you did not HAVE to....Smooth sailing!!!Chuck

 

[Bob]

Every Skipper should be able

Every skipper should be able to sail into a slip or onto a mooring under sail. You never know when circumstances will require it.All it takes is practice and planning.I learned by selecting a plastic no wake bouy and approaching it every way possible and becoming dead in the water with the bow over the bouy, with the bouy abeam. etc. All it tooks was hours and hours of practice in varying conditions. You learn what you and your boat are capable of and how to handle your boat in tight quarters. You learn how tight you can turn your boat, how to depower your sails, how to kill boat speed and much more. A side benefit is it makes man overboard drills a snap.Another benefit is when you come up to a mooring single handed, pass the mooring, round up into the wind, walk to the bow and reach straignt down with a boat hook and fetch the mooring lines while the boat is dead in the water you get a feeling of WELL DONE. The bench sailors always impressed.

 

[Dave Medeiros]

Putting others at risk!

I must agree with Don Alexander comment. Considering the responses it should be concluded that most sailors are puting others at risk for no apparent reason. Actually entering into many marinas under sail is a violation of the Marina Rules and Regulations as I found out at the East Passage Yacht Club in Narragansett Bay.

 

[Augie Byllott]

As I see it:1. It is wise to be prepared for less than ideal situations. 2. Hone your sailing skills when the conditions are right for it.3. Do not expose yourself or others to unnecessary risk for whatever reason.

 

[alan]

I like Augie's answer. I sail whenever I can...

...and that includes into the berth, in narrow channels and the like. However, whether I do this or not depends on the weather and traffic. I always have the engine on in these circumstances in case a problem comes up. alan