Maneuvering a Single in Reverse

[BruceK]

I'm sorry, what does this mean? "Learn to dock boats at the end of a tow rope"? Please elucidate in detail.

I watched the owner of a nearby marina tow my boat and put it straight into its slip stern in. Impressive! Mind you, marina owner Fenwicks used to run a large tug operation on Sydney harbour, he had some skills at his disposal.

 

[psneeld]

I watched the owner of a nearby marina tow my boat and put it straight into its slip stern in. Impressive! Mind you, marina owner Fenwicks used to run a large tug operation on Sydney harbour, he had some skills at his disposal.

Common for assistance towers in the US to put you in as your heart desires. Depending on how severe the conditions.

 

[ranger58sb]

Current power is a single with a bow and stern thruster. It’s fully electronic. I have no feel for the trannie and poor feel for the engine which is quiet enough at slow speed from the flybridge that I can’t use my ears to know what it’s doing.

Dislike electronic controls. Have found myself in slow idle in forward or reverse when I thought I was in neutral. Don’t like I have to give very quick bursts of significant throttle to get any rudder response. Especially true in reverse.

Know power nearly always backs in. But you get so much more water flow over your rudder(s) in forward than reverse don’t under why in tricky situations why not go in bow first?

When we had a single (no thruster), I almost never used the rudder for backing. Not unless the distance was fairly long...

And I nearly always only worked with gear, not throttle... so no need to hear engines. Feel it start to move, back to neutral. Repeat as necessary.

I'm learning those pesky electronic gear/throttle combos now too. Yep, gotta remember where you are on those. I'm still in the "look first" stage, most of the time.

The backing in thing is often just a matter of short finger piers (around here) and/or distance to power pedestal. Otherwise, freedom to choose -- aside from heavy weather -- might become more about where the shade is for Happy Hour.

-Chris

 

[backinblue]

Bow in is not always an option depending the design of the slip.

 

[rslifkin]

Bow in is not always an option depending the design of the slip.

Exactly. Short finger piers can be an issue for bow in, as can a narrow slip with a center piling at the outer end unless the slip is longer than the boat (if it's not, putting the narrow end next to the piling is better).

 

[Hippocampus]

Yes, above is all true. But it’s equally true for sail. However, an informal observation is more power than sail will be stern in when looking at a given marina. We preferred bow in fo two main reasons. One to keep our cockpit as far away from the common walkway . That ensured more quiet and privacy. And two when you have a single screw with just a bow (no stern) thruster it’s easier to come in bow first. Since owning our new to us power we’ve only come in stern first. Easier to pivot with two thrusters than steer with the rudder at very low speeds. Also with sail freeboard is about the same over the length of the vessel but with power freeboard is usually much less aft. Getting off a sailboat midships is easy. Getting off a power boat is easier aft or with us off the swim platform.

 

[psneeld]

My trawler ( no cockpit) has rail gates at unfortunately spots that aren't kind to short fingers.

I still mostly bow in when transient for ease of in and out.... only would stern in for seasonal or very unusual circumstances.

I might even add a rail gate forward if I loved a spot in a marina with short fingers.

 

[backinblue]

My trawler ( no cockpit) has rail gates at unfortunately spots that aren't kind to short fingers.

I still mostly bow in when transient for ease of in and out.... only would stern in for seasonal or very unusual circumstances.

I might even add a rail gate forward if I loved a spot in a marina with short fingers.

With a short finger (say 12') wouldn't the deck at your bow be pretty high off the dock? I would think that's a tough climb up or down.

 

[Bmarler]

i typically choose bow in or bow to weather whenever possible. unfortunately my home slip doesn't give me either option. i'm stern in due to a slip that's about 10 feet too short. getting pretty good at rotating it into position though.
i'm on the wait list for a really nice end tie, unfortunately i think i have to wait for the current resident to pass on before i might get it.

 

[psneeld]

With a short finger (say 12') wouldn't the deck at your bow be pretty high off the dock? I would think that's a tough climb up or down.

Depend on one's idea of high... but that much not much higher than the closest gate which is 13 feet back and only on one side.

That's what dock stairs are for.

 

[IntoTheBlue]

I had a 390 single engine, which is close to the 40. Most of the 40's I delivered had twins.

When I took my 390 out for the first time, I went out into the bay on a calm day and started backing up at various RPM's to get the feel of the prop walk. I found that at idle speed the prop walk was minimal, so I always did my best not to power up when docking. I did have a bow thruster, which I used more for minimal adjustment (sometimes just to change the angle as conditions changed).

Try mastering backing without thrusters. After that, I say if it's on the boat and can beneficial, then use them, but as an aid.

Enjoy!

 

[rgwaltney]

I had a single screw 40' deadrise for 15 years. No thrusters. My boat would walk to Starboard in reverse. My rudder had no effect when in reverse. If possible I would approach with my slip on the Port side. A couple of slips before mine I would turn the wheel hard to Starboard. I would leave the wheel hard to Starboard and not need to touch the wheel to dock. When the boat was aligned with the slip I would slowly start backing into the slip. If the boat walked too close to the Starboard pilings a bump forward would push the stern to Port. Practice would dictate when to start the procedure depending on wind and current and how long the forward bumps needed to be. The boat is going to do what it wants, if you accept that and know how it will react single screw docking will become easy.