Sailing Season opening... Boat Handling - Are you ready?

[jssailem]

As we splash our boat from a crane or rip the wrapping off like opening a Christmas present in June and run the trailer down the ramp, hoping not to become the star in a video montage of "Greatest Launching Mistakes", the question is are we ready to handle our boat?

Boat handling is kind of like riding a bicycle. It is pretty easy when the sea is calm and we are in the middle of the bay. But put a boater in the narrow waterway with 5 other boats all trying to get in or out of the marina for fun on the water and pucker factor goes way up for many of us. I like to exercise my skills when I get back on the boat after a bit of a rest. (it has been over 2 months for me.) Like stretching when you get up. The knowledge is there but the timing can be a little off. One idea is to start the season with some exercises.

How about putting prop walk to work for you this season?

Do you remember which direction your boat likes to lean? Prop walk or prop wash causes you boat to turn more easily in one direction over the other. Yes prop walk can help you or cause you headaches. Better to do a little refresher while at the dock then to push off and find yourself about to rub sides with that "Million Dollar Baby" owned by "Pain in the tuchus" in the other slip...

With the boat securely tied to the slip, turn on your engine and put the boat in gear at slow idle. Look over the side of the boat. Which side has more prop wash coming out from under the boat, that is the side your prop likes to push the boat away. If that is Port then your boat will spin more easily to Starboard, or visa versa.

Besides running my boat up to speed and testing the ability to power stop (Trying to stop the boat within a length and a half, going from full ahead to full astern - take your time shifting gears. No need to blow your transmission at the start of the season ) I like to practice turning my boat around within it's own length. A great tool when your trying to get in or out of your slip. Being able to spin your boat around within the boats own length can be helpful when your trying to get to the fuel dock and you are approaching on port side and you suddenly remember the fuel tank is on Starboard.

Reading a BoatUS magazine from 2019, I came across this cool graphic.

How To Pivot A Single Engine Inboard Boat On Its Own Length

Mark Corke shows how to pivot a single engine inboard boat in its own length without even turning the wheel. Check out our 360 video!

www.boatus.com

Perhaps it is time to give it a try again.

Boat handling is fun.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Except there's no need to move the rudder when using prop walk on a sailboat to do a three point turn. Perhaps you would if you were planning to go back further.

John, first thing I thought of when I saw the title was "bicycles" and you didn't disappoint!

 

[jon hansen]

stu, you need to add rudder to spin my sailboat.
you need to add rudder to spin a 600 ft ship.

just saying

 

[Stu Jackson]

jon, when my boat stops all fwd movement, and I slip it into reverse and at idle or slow (definitely NOT goosing it!), the stern moves to port without the back moving backwards. My point is that at that point, when the boat is not moving backwards, the position of the rudder is meaningless, and is also the definition of prop walk: boat stern moving sideways. I leave the rudder in the position I need it to be in when I resume forward progress, i.e., starboard.

I use this in close quarters, like turning around in a marina fairway.

If you are in more open waters and can choose to "goose" it, then, of course, use the rudder, 'cuz you would most likely be moving backwards.

 

[jon hansen]

i have that long deep keel, it takes every advantage.

 

[jssailem]

Continuing on the boat handling theme and Prop Wash/Walk...

When John Harries of Attainable Adventures Cruising offers up a Free article it is fun to share. This one is right in alignment with this discussion on Boat handling.

I provide it as a look at suggestions to improve our boat handling.

I have found John and his partner Phyllis on Morgan's Cloud to be accomplished cruisers with interesting insights to share.
JohnS
*********************

Two Myths About Coming Alongside (Docking)
JohnPublishedMay 23, 2020

Member Michael and I were discussing the relative merits of feathering and folding propellers—a comment thread you may find interesting—when, while reading up on a propeller test, I came across one of those assumptions that are accepted as fact because they seem logical and have been said so often:
Myth #1
"All but three of the propellers on test produced less prop walk than the standard fixed prop…nearly all the folding props fared better than the rest of the feathering propellers."
To be clear, the authors were opining that prop walk is a bad thing.

But, in fact, prop walk, unless it’s excessive, which I have never seen, is a benefit, not a drawback. I demonstrate why in the above video.
The short version is that prop walk, along with prop wash, allow us to turn a boat in close to her own length and move the stern around at will. The latter is, among many other uses, how we safely back down in boats that don’t steer in reverse, like so:

Myth #2
Yesterday, while I was bringing Morgan’s Cloud in from the mooring to go alongside our wharf in a brisk and cold breeze—anyone else noticed that this spring seems damned cold? It was sleeting for crying out loud—I was reminded how easy and relaxed it is to do this by myself when I approached the wharf with the wind on the stern.
And yet I have lost count of the number of times I have seen cruisers lose control of a docking because they approached upwind and the bow blew off—often resulting in the stern dealing the wharf a mighty blow—before they could get secured.
Again, I explain why in a chapter of our Online Book, but the short version is that since almost all boats will weather cock with the stern to the wind, this means they lie quietly alongside that way while we get organized.
Of course it’s also much easier, particularly single-handed, if we are rigged with the magic spring, aft running from the boat’s balance point.
Busted
So there you go, two myths about coming alongside busted.
In fact:

• Prop walk in reverse is a good thing.
• It’s generally best to approach a docking downwind.

 

[jssailem]

Jon and Stu - You are both correct.

Stu has a Catalina 34 with a prop that sits out in the water well away from the Fin Keel

And Jon with your full keel Alden design

has a prop that is integral with the keel. As soon as your prop starts to turn it is pushing the wash agains that pretty keel.

It is great that you guys bring two different design factors to the discussion. I love it when two accomplished sailors can demonstrate how our boats can have such different design features that influence boat handling. We must understand this in order to handle our boats in tight places.

I almost wish I had contacted you guys first to help set up this point.

Our boat designs be it Hunter, Beneteau, Alden, Catalina..... all react similar and different to the physical forces we place on them like Prop wash. Yet understanding these force and the nuances of our boat designs will empower us owners when it comes to boat handling.

Thanks guys.

And for the rest of us. Let's get out there and practice. Since we can't go off for great adventures across borders we might as well get some great days on the water improving our MOB skills, Anchoring, Sail trim and Boat handling.