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Berthing a single engine cruiser in reverse
wrote:
In article , Richard Malcolm
says...
5-Go Slow and if (when) you hit something, there will be no damage
This is one that I have occasionally had trouble with.
I have a Bayfield 29 - which is a full keel sailboat with a 'barn door' rudder.
I have some maneuvering problems, and the trouble is that speed is sometimes a
problem. If I go slowly enough to not cause damage, then I barely have
steerage.
"Steerage way" and the ability to steer your boat, can be and frequently
are, two different things.... i.e., you don't need steerage way, to
steer. What most need to learn, is to use the rudder with a quick kick,
without losing all sternway or picking up any degree of headway, or the
opposite, a quick kick astern to take advantage of prop walk.
Then once I am clear my slip, I can (usually) turn hard, gun the engine and
swing the bow around with authority. Unless the wind is from the wrong
direction, then it counteracts my swing, and I am now moving TOO quickly towards
the dock and my neighbour!
If you have a right hand prop and are turning to the right, try a "back
and fill" (pivot in place) with easy kicks .... speed through the water,
in this case, is your enemy.
Same prop, turning left, still try the back and fill, but know that your
backing will be limited, as you will want to maintain the left hand swing.
If the wind is coming from the direction you need to go, did you ever
give any thought to backing out of slip area?
Most boats like to back into the wind, and many single screw boats can
be made to back a fairly straight course when backing into the wind,
over a considerable distance. (lotsa practice needed here).
It's real hard to give good solid advice on how to maneuver a particular
boat in a particular area, so consider the above, as some "food for
thought", more than specific advice.
otn
grump - darn laws of physics!
sdg B29 "Discovery"
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