The boat that does not back up

Well you can back a single screw, Im still learning, tore off both rod holders, cracked the old swim platform, knocked boards off the dock,tore a piece off rub rail off, good thing its my dock. I will learn to do this,its just going to take more practice (and money) I useally have the Trade winds blowing in at a 45'of my birth and that dosent help. I shall prevail. BB

When I had my trawler on the Tennessee River, a dock master assigned me a slip between two floating finger piers.* I squared up and backed straight in.* As the boat was entering the slip while in reverse mostion stopped.* I took it out of gear.* Boing, the boat sprung forward.* So, I tried it again with the same result.* Trying to figure out what ws happening, I asked the dockmaster what was going on.* He said he couldn't figure it out.* I put on my swim suit and jumped in.* There was a steel angle iron about 3 1/2' below the surface.* The boat drew 4'.* I tied a rope from one side to the other.* Walked out on the bar.* Jumped up and down on it until it had about an 8" sag in the middle.* That was now my slip as it was the only one I could get in.* Strange things happen when you are backing a full keel trawler in house boat country.


-- Edited by Moonstruck on Wednesday 24th of August 2011 09:34:54 AM

Don, that is wild.

Did it do any damage?* What the heck was the angle iron hitting on.

*Rudder? Skeg? Transom?

If you were a bow in guy you may have never known. Might have just bent it down with your keel.

SD

skipperdude wrote:
Don, that is wild.

Did it do any damage?* What the heck was the angle iron hitting on.

*Rudder? Skeg? Transom?

If you were a bow in guy you may have never known. Might have just bent it down with your keel.

SD

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*Dude,

What? Me? Bow in?* The shame of it all.* That just won't happen!

It was hittng the skeg.* No damage.* Just felt strange.* If I had slid over it bow in, I would have been trapped in the slip!


-- Edited by Moonstruck on Wednesday 24th of August 2011 09:59:58 AM

Woodsong wrote:
If you figure out how to get a single screw boat to back up in reverse patent it ASAP b/c you will make a ton of $$$.

It's too late.* The bow thruster has already been invented.*

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Folks wishing to command a boat of this style will need to know that a BUNCH of rpm is required , to get the mass moving as you desire.

In Waterford NY a small tug (50-60ft) was able to obtain a 40deg stern angle with the dock with 2 big shots of power , and one small one between to check the fwd motion. Prop about 60 inch dia,

Sorry, but I must be missing something here. Sure I could back into my berth, but why bother...? Bow in is far quicker, simpler and safer, especially when there is a side wind blowing, which there usually is in our marina, and the finger is plenty long enough to allow for stepping onto the swim step and through the transom door. Leaving is even simpler. Slow out in reverse, then using the boat's momentum, a quick burst in forward with helm hard over kicks the stern round, and lines her up with the clearway, then slow ahead on out. Too easy...? Why make a simple exercise difficult..? Is it just to show off or what? To me it smacks of the person who boasts about how hot they can eat their chilli....why would you want to when it just kills off your taste buds...? Same deal for mine....though I can see a point if your boat sticks out beyond the finger and you don't have a side door access.

Peter B wrote:
Sorry, but I must be missing something here. Sure I could back into my berth, but why bother...? Bow in is far quicker, simpler and safer, especially when there is a side wind blowing, which there usually is in our marina, and the finger is plenty long enough to allow for stepping onto the swim step and through the transom door. Leaving is even simpler. Slow out in reverse, then using the boat's momentum, a quick burst in forward with helm hard over kicks the stern round, and lines her up with the clearway, then slow ahead on out. Too easy...? Why make a simple exercise difficult..? Is it just to show off or what? To me it smacks of the person who boasts about how hot they can eat their chilli....why would you want to when it just kills off your taste buds...? Same deal for mine....though I can see a point if your boat sticks out beyond the finger and you don't have a side door access.

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*PeterB, Where is your manhood?

Really, few finger piers on the East Coast of the US are long enough to accomodate an over 40' boat with easy exit from the stern.* So, not liking diving off the bow pulpit, I will back in.* Some fixed docks have no finger piers just pilings.* They are even difficult to use when backed in.* Impossible when bow in.* One example is Boca Grand Marina.* Some have such abreviated finger piers that they are almost impossible bow in.* Hampton VA public piers are an example here.* Why make it difficult to access the boat from the dock.* In our case it works better to back in in most cases.* Besides that I have great visibiliy to the rear.* Hindsight is always best.

There are other good reasons for orientating your boat in one direction or another.* In my present slip I prefer to be facing the sun.* Windshied covers shade the boat in the evening, and the cockpit is in the shade.* perfect for happy hour.* Some times it myght be wave action is better on the bow.* There are any number of reasons.


-- Edited by Moonstruck on Thursday 25th of August 2011 08:46:55 AM

Moonstruck wrote:Peter B wrote:
*Bow in is far quicker, simpler and safer, especially when there is a side wind blowing, which there usually is in our marina,

Moonstruck Wrote:

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In my present slip I prefer to be facing the sun.* Windshied covers shade the boat in the evening, and the cockpit is in the shade.

I subscribe to both statements. Not to mention that I prefer heading into the wind on docking. Having a blue hull, however, necessitates backing in for a year, every other year, to even out the sun fading on the hull. (It just dawned on me by not flipping the boat, I only have to deal with painting one side of the boat when faded.) :imslow:

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SeaHorse II wrote:Having a blue hull, however, necessitates backing in for a year, every other year, to even out the sun fading on the hull. (It just dawned on me by not flipping the boat, I only have to deal with painting one side of the boat when faded.) :imslow:

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*Another good reason to have a white hull.

dwhatty wrote:SeaHorse II wrote:Having a blue hull, however, necessitates backing in for a year, every other year, to even out the sun fading on the hull. (It just dawned on me by not flipping the boat, I only have to deal with painting one side of the boat when faded.) :imslow:

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*Another good reason to have a white hull.

*What is the other one?

Walt, no problem.* Just request the kind of slip I always do.* One that faces East and West* with a huge boat on the South side for shade.* Works great.


-- Edited by Moonstruck on Thursday 25th of August 2011 03:40:45 PM

Found a picture of Moonstruck that I thinks demonstrates why backing in can be a good thing.* This was made at St. Augustine Municipal Marina with a northeast wind.* Notice the sag of the trough of the waves.* Also notice the dock is wet from waves washing over.* It would have been much more uncomfortable with a bow in situation.* Of course it also made it tricky backing in.* Getting a spring line ashore was the key.

Dark hulls look good, coming or going.



*

Flat a*sed, like most of us (except Nomadwilly of course).

Bow in works best for me and my slip.

3' wide finger pier whole lenght of 40+ slip.

Bow in faces morning Sun and Nor East Winds.

Afternoon sun sets early behind condos accross from my slip.

Little wind and no wave action on stern with bow in.

That about covers it.*** JohnP

Bow in gives privacy , stern too opens most boats to Dock Zoo.

FF wrote:
Bow in gives privacy , stern too opens most boats to Dock Zoo.

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******** Exactly,* Who wants the*aft deck and house doors open to every passing eye!

******** JohnP

I am surprised that Portuguese asked as he is presently building a*single screw boat?**
*
If the condtions are not right then bow first, and later when the conditions are better/improved the turn it around.*
*
**

Everybody at my marina docks stern in except for some of the dry stack boaters who take a slip for a day or two and don't know how to back it.

You would think it's harder, but because the fairway is so narrow, it's easier to back in. Bow in would take a couple stops and turns. Leaving, from a stern in position, you have to clear the finger pier and other boats, then back and turn or you'll end up against the boats on the other side.