Backing out of slip - suggestions

[Hesti]

Feathering (not folding) propellers reduce the prop walk somewhat.

[TrentePieds]

MicHugh said: " When I'm using a spring line, I will " double" the line...ie, from boat to cleat and back again, once I'm in the clear, I'll pull the spring line around the cleat and back on the boat."


Exactly! And spring lines should be dedicated lines kept for that purpose and that purpose only. And they should never have eyes in the ends of them, nor knots because they need to be able to run clear when the moment comes.

To keep the ends tidy, learn to do a sailmaker's whipping.

TP

[BoatBumm]

My only other suggestion is that I used to own a Bayfield 29. Also had very poor directional control in reverse. BUT I finally discovered that she steered much better if I gave reverse thrust in short hard bursts, enough to get her moving, but then shifted to neutral. By eliminating prop walk that way she was much better behaved. You might want to experiment with that. Good luck.

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by anotherT34C

I have a Panda 40… basically a larger version of yours and have similar difficulty. The spring line suggestions are on point, but I usually now just back out and rotate to the orientation I need. I’ve found that if I put the wheel all the way to starboard and kick the engine for 3-4 seconds, followed by reverse (don’t bother moving the wheel to port, doesn’t matter) for 4-5 seconds, I can repeat this maneuver and pretty much rotate in place. The forward kick will push water against the rudder giving you good angular momentum (your full keel only starts at the mast). Reverse will stop the forward momentum while preserving the angular. Plus to starboard, prop walk will help a small bit. The maneuver works to port as well, but not as tight (prop walk). Good luck.

Yes that works quite well.

[Dave Isom]

You have a lot of good advice especially re using spring lines. Just work out a way to try and insure that your spring doesn’t get caught around yours or someone else’s prop.
However, before any of that you need to be clear about which way your boat paddle wheels/ prop walks in reverse. Most boats...but not all are RIGHT hand thrust props which means with forward thrust and neutral helm the bow will move to the right or starboard direction. Therefore in REVERSE you will get the opposite, ie. the stern will move to port or left when in reverse. This is vital knowledge for handling any boat under power when manoeuvering in and out of docks etc. Once you get your boat out practise in calm conditions and try to turn your boat around in a tight circle. Do it until you’ve got it.Your boat will favour one direction in reverse and you need to know that and use it to advantage. It may be that once you know...you reverse out of your pen and away from the dock. A good trick for novices is to stand behind your wheel looking aft when reversing, then it’s just like driving a car.
Good luck and persevere.

[KJThomas]

Originally Posted by dmksails

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I'm going to work on setting up and using a spring line.

I took the boat out and worked on backing up - it just doesn't like it. I generally end up just going in a circle!

I used to be pretty good at spinning her - need to practice that again as well!

Backing a boat with severe prop walk. May not help you getting out of the slip, where I concur with springing out, but I've backed everything up to ships, that try and spin in a circle going backwards.
Get a bit of momentum up going astern, then go rudder hard over, to port with a RH prop, and give enough of a burst ahead to straighten up. Rinse and repeat.

[paralog]

Originally Posted by ItDepends

Spring line, spring line, spring line.

The sailing school I worked for for many years had challenging slips that were narrow and windy. We taught the spring line technique described above, and insisted students demonstrate it as a mastered skill to pass the class. It just works.

One of the challenges was people seemed to feel that using lines like this was somehow "cheating" and that "real sailors" didn't need them. Why they thought that an easy, simple technique was somehow "less manly" I never understood.

The guys (always men, never women, they are too smart) who thought themselves "hot stuff" would skip the spring lines once they graduated out of classes to chartering. It wouldn't be long before they crashed and got handed a large repair bill.

While i do believe in using lines to get out there are times when you cannot. I have to reverse out of my slip and swing swing counterclockwise with prop walk to port. My boat is modified keel. I have no supporting dock structures on the starboard side and a big boat next to me. I have found that a good solid burst of
power to get the boat up to enough speed to make the rudder effective works but in wind it is hard. Once i have the boat far enough across the leeway i can back and fill it around to port but its always nerve racking.

[MicHughV]

i take great pride in backing my boat into it's slip...often to the amazement of many.
I can lay it in there with exact precision.

What people don't see is the many efforts and hours of practice. There were many times, when the first, second and third attempts were quite comical, but I eventually learned what to do and when.

Each time I did it in the past, I learned to adjust this, that or the other. Fine tuning is the key.

It takes repeated efforts to "nail it". You might get lucky and do it on your first try, but more likely will take many repeated efforts.

You will be rewarded by accomplishing something, that few yachties can manage.
I like to go stern in as it makes leaving such a simple procedure.

Once you manage your own boat, you will find that doing it with other boats, is little different.

So keep at it.....

[garyfdl]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

i take great pride in backing my boat into it's slip...

the attempts were quite comical

Me... yesterday.

[rslifkin]

The biggest thing in close quarters boat handling is to figure out what a given boat just cannot do. Then you can plan to avoid needing to do those things. In some cases, that means using a spring line on departure to change the angle of the boat, allowing you to make a better maneuver.

[campbdon]

I know this is slightly off topic but when I can come in to a dock in a parallel configuration I previously tie up a bow line long enough to run to the cockpit and lead it back to the cockpit outside any fenders. I also connect up a stern line. Then when docking I can step off the boat in neutral with each line in hand and control the boat from front and back by myself. Boat is secured and controlled by one person easy breezy.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by campbdon

I know this is slightly off topic but when I can come in to a dock in a parallel configuration I previously tie up a bow line long enough to run to the cockpit and lead it back to the cockpit outside any fenders. I also connect up a stern line. Then when docking I can step off the boat in neutral with each line in hand and control the boat from front and back by myself. Boat is secured and controlled by one person easy breezy.

Try that with a 40 plus footer in a breeze , and get back to us on the results. ?????!!!!

[campbdon]

Mine's 30ft. I first cinch the stern line on a cleat to stop the boat, tie it there, then while holding the bow line walk forward and tie up near bow. In moderate conditions i've done this countless times without any problem. If the forecast is for worse I don't leave port.

[flyingfin]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Since no one mentioned it already - speed is your friend. Your ability to turn is a function of flow rate past the rudder; the faster you go (within reason), the more control your rudder will have.

You do not want hull speed, you need prop speed (ie power) High rpm with wheel turned for a few seconds, followed by high rpm in reverse with wheel strraight . Goose it in forward and reverse until your bow is pointed in the proper direction. Goal is to hold your position in the channel. Or long spring line off a stern cleat to a pilingi

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by flyingfin

You do not want hull speed, you need prop speed (ie power) High rpm with wheel turned for a few seconds, followed by high rpm in reverse with wheel strraight . Goose it in forward and reverse until your bow is pointed in the proper direction. Goal is to hold your position in the channel. Or long spring line off a stern cleat to a pilingi

To spin in place, that's absolutely correct. As soon as the boat starts to move noticeably forward or back, it's time to shift to the other gear. If you don't let it move backwards noticeably you don't have to move the rudder around with every shift as it won't have any meaningful effect in reverse. And if the boat walks to port in reverse, you'll always spin tighter to starboard.