Trolling motor for reverse gear

Jul 18, 2014
55
All know about difficulties with steering the Vega when she’s in reverse gear. I am thinking if I"ll install trolling motor at Vega's stern like this one: COMAX | Haswing USA COMAX | Haswing USA Haswing Models CAYMAN COMAX Accessories Dealer Inquiry Latest News Why Haswing HASWING is owned and operated by two generations of design a... View on haswingusa.com Preview by Yahoo Does anybody use trolling motor for for backward steering? 
 
Aug 29, 2011
103
I have no opinion about the motor, but I do think that people make too much of the difficulty of managing a Vega in reverse. We cruise in the Mediterranean, and spend about a third to half our nights in crowded marinas. We always moor bows to the pontoon, rather than stern to like most others. Bows to is always possible and sometimes necessary. Occasionally we have had difficulty getting away from our mooring, with a breeze strong enough to push the bow against the prop kick. This has been a minor embarrassment, but never more than that. Every time I do it I get better at it, and learn to judge balancing the prop, the wind and what we can do with judicious use of the boathook. A friend has a supplementary rudder on his Vega. I don't know how it works, but I do know it weighs him down in the stern significantly, and I am sure it reduces his sailing ability. I am a firm believer in staying with the original Vega design. It is brilliant. Tom Fenton, Beowulf, Vega 2977, currently in Sardinia
 
Sep 24, 2008
346
You could always install a stern thruster - and possibly a bow thruster as well! Every sailboat has an issue in reverse. In most cases speed over the rudder is required before it will have any effect. Best to deal with it as designed.
 
Nov 8, 2001
1,818
Personally my Vega spends 99.999% of the time going
forward! Plan and prepare when you berth. If a problem use warps to turn around.
A fantastic desgn, use her as designed!

happy sailing (forwards)

Steve B
From: Brian Stannard
brianstannard@... [AlbinVega]
Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2014 5:06 AM
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] Re: Trolling motor for reverse
gear
You could always install a stern thruster - and possibly a bow
thruster as well!

Every sailboat has an issue in reverse. In most cases speed over the rudder
is required before it will have any effect. Best to deal with it as
designed.

On Tue, Jul 29, 2014 at 7:47 PM, pjacobs55@... [AlbinVega] AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com wrote:
 
Jul 18, 2014
55
Thanks for all comments and advice especially for advice stop moving backward. I am impressed about concern of Vega design...So as I am new Vega owner and do not have a lot sailing experiences I decided to spent more time for practice moving Vega back and force with power...Tym
 
Sep 24, 2008
346
Good idea. No sailboat has much ability to steer in reverse until moving as there is not any water flow across the rudder.