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Originally Posted by backinblue
This is all well and good and a worthwhile manuever to learn and practice. But it takes time to turn a boat that way and in some situations you don't have time. At my home slip I deal with tidal currents in a river. Depending on the weather and the height and timing of the tide, the current can be running very fast. When leaving my slip, I have to make a quick 90 degree turn or run into the next downstream pier. When doing that when the current is running strong (and possibly with wind too) if you don't make that turn very quickly and with decent headway, you will end up against the boats at the next pier. At times you have to actually "crab" your boat at an angle into the current till you clear the channel where the piers are lined up perpendicular to the current. If you have a single engine and no thrusters, you don't always get to come and go when you want to.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by backinblue
Thanks and I don't disagree. I am always docked stern in so it's always bow out first. I'm not a working vessel with a set schedule so I am glad to have thrusters when needed and not have to deal with spring lines or other methods when conditions are the worst. When conditions are not bad, I practice w/o thrusters, but I don't have a lot of prop walk anyway. Using forward and reverse thrusts I can get the boat to turn when the current is relatively mild.
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I was in a river marina and know what you are saying about currents and crabbing.
The last two posts tell me you should not be stern in but bow in.
You need headway to turn, water flow over rudder to steer. The current neutralizes some or all of that flow. Try bow in and back out. You should have more control bow to current.