Eisboch wrote:
"Reginald P. Smithers III" wrote in message
...
I guess JimH really doesn't want to know, so I will tell you. The
problem with most single screw boats is the prop walk. So instead of
keeping the boat in gear, you just "bump" the boat in and out of gear
(keeping it in gear for less than a second), you want to keep enough
movement to offset the wind or current. As long as you have movement
the outdrive acts as a rudder, and since you don't have continual prop
torque/walk, it is a piece of cake to back a single screw boat.

If you have a boat with a lot of surface area, it can be effected by the
wind, and you have to compensate for that with your initial approach,
but with a tiny runabout it becomes 2nd nature to spin the boat around
and back it up.



Reggie, you are going to get hammered for this one.

Although I agree with your technique for other reasons, it has nothing to do
with the outdrive acting like a rudder.

Eisboch


Well, since that is the way it feels to me, because I can easily
maneuver the boat without the outdrive in gear, why don't you tell me
why it is so easy to back the boat up.