On Fri, 12 May 2006 10:30:00 -0700, "Capt. JG"
wrote:

Back to more questions somewhat related to the Perkins 4-108. This sailboat
is a pig to back up. It really wants to prop walk to starboard. According to
the owner, it's got a fixed, 3-blade prop. I believe the boat also has a
folding prop aboard in a locker. Would that help? Would tuning help? What do
you think?

I think in the end that the best cure is technique. Once water starts
flowing along the keel and rudder, prop walk is minimized. Give the
boat a quick burst of power in reverse to get it moving a little and
then shift to neutral. Apply more reverse as needed in short bursts,
and use the rudder to compensate for additional prop walk.
Many people are reluctant to build too much boat speed in reverse but
it really does a lot to minimize control issues of al types.