That will get your heart pumpin...

[jGo]

A slightly hair raising experience leaving the dock last night.

There were moderately strong winds from the NE and the tide was coming in from the N. The following steps accompany the diagram below. The arrows indicate directional thrust from my outboard. Tiller was straight except for step 3.

1. I gave the job of releasing the stern line to a newbie. I had it looped around the horn and back to the newbie. For some reason instead of flicking the line off the horn or letting it run, he pulled hard sending my bow hard to starboard.

2. I decided to just go with it and back out of the fairway as I had just read a post here where that was presented as an option to another poster.

3. The wind and current continued pushing my bow around making backing out impossible, so I decided to work with the elements and come about. Forward thrust burst, rudder and motor hard to starboard.

4. Reverse thrust...Looking good...this might just work!

5. Crap! Bow won't come around due to wind/current. I reverse hard to point bow down the fairway. (I think this step was my downfall... Hindsight, go forward to get steerage.)

6. The wind blew me against the south side of the fairway and without forward progress, I had no steerage. FEND! Crew fended successfully, no contact! Phew. Now at a dead stop, we pushed off and were underway.

7. OK breathe...we made it!

Thoughts?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Newbie: did you tell him what to do in lieu of "expecting" him/her to whip it off?

When it doubt, back it out. Bows blow down, even without current against.

Nice description, better luck next time? Seriously, good luck.

 

[njwtech]

The boat's natural tendency in reverse will always be stern to wind, and if the wind is crossways to the lane, you will end up crossways to the lane with the boat pointing downwind. I think backing out of the lane was given as an option in the other poster's scenario because the wind was coming directly down the lane, so backing into it was a good option. Backing down the lane with a 12 knot crosswind and a cross current besides is probably never going to have a good ending

 

[Bilbo]

From what I understand, At point #1, I would suggested having the motor in Fwd and idling to slow the rearward direction but not to stop the boat. I probably would have done this outboard setting before any lines were released. As the boat would slowly move in reverse from wind and current, one could have some steerage with the rudder /tiller somewhat pulled to port so that the boat was backing to starboard but turning so that the bow was pointing down the lane. When clear of your dock, then adjust the outboard speed for fwd direction of travel.

Also, Should the port side Bow line have been the last one to be released?

 

[anchorclanker]

We learn more through experience and mistakes than anything else. Nothing damaged, your now ready for the next adventure.

Rather than what should have been done initially, it might be better to discuss how to get out of it. Im thinking I might have made a run for one of the vacant downwind slips and tried a do over. In any case you did good considering the conditions.

 

[Don Guillette]

jGO: Do a topic search on the SAIL TRIM FORUM regarding "prop walk is your friend" and another one on how to use prop walk to spin your boat around on it's own axis.

I had the same slip setup in Long Beach, Ca as you have and I couldn't afford any mistakes or I'd end up on the either the rocks at the end of the slipway or in a mess when I hit another docked boat. Both sequences helped me many times get out of messy situations.

 

[jrowan]

Our boat is hell to reverse as well. When you add 3 feet length with a beamy C 30 it makes matters even worse when there's barely 30 feet between our boat's slip & the big nasty hook anchors sticking into the fairway at our marina. I actually have to admit loosing our grill's cover overboard recently when the wind caught our stern & a piling caught the grill mounted on the stern rail. I've learned to remove anything hanging over the rail, or I'll be diving again to retrieve it from Davy Jones. Some sailors like to dock stern in, which makes leaving easy, but you have to practice to get her back in that way. My advice is to leave your engine (if its an outboard) centered amidships & only use the tiller for steering, or you can compound your over-steering problems. Remember that you have to have enough momentum from the engine to create wash over your rudder or you will have no steerage in reverse. Unfortuanetly by the time my boat gets steerage I'm already out of my slip & very close to the pilings on the opposite side of the fairway.
Then have to gun it in forward to stop the boat & get momentum again, while trying to make the turn outwards. I've also learned to work with what currents I've got & have motored out in reverse several times. My boat is too big to turn 360 in the fairway.
I think the hardest part of sailing bigger boats is getting the damn things in & out of the slip! Practice makes perfect.

 

[LuzSD]

Wow! Love the detailed descriptions and visuals! I will learn from your experience. Awesome, thanks!