Reversing Tips Wanted

[taz4]

I have a 1977 E29 and its docked with an east facing slip and starboard tie up. I have extreme trouble backing it out to face north and leave the slip. Unfortunately there is no where to turn the boat around easily and Im often pushing off other boats to get her out and I think its only a matter of time before I do some damage.

Is anyone else having this same problem?

Does anyone have any tips?

Should I change my prop? Will it help?

Any ideas?

Thank you

Taz

 

[Rocinante33]

prop walk - spring line

Taz,
You are dealing with the prop walk that makes your stern skew to port when you reverse. A different prop might help (I think there may be old threads about it you can search for), but a simpler (& $$ cheaper) solution might be to use a springline for a pivot. Get a long dockline. Put the loop over the boat's stern clete. Make just one simple loop around the dock clete & bring the line up to your stern clete then to the helm. When you slowly back out with one hand on the springline, the stern should pivot around to starboard. Flip the line off the dock clete & you are ready to engage forward gear & move out. Don't drop the line in the water & tangle the prop!

You can use a similiar setup when coming into the slip. Attach the loop to your starboard stern clete. Lead the line forward to amidships, then through a block. From the midships block, lead the line to the dock clete on your starboard stern as you are entering the slip with fenders in place. Ihe springline should pull the boat in against the starboard side slip & stop it.

 

[Randy Rutledge]

less is more

My E29 has the A4 engine and is wheel steering.

I don’t even remember which was it wants to walk. At first I would fight the prop walk of the two bade prop with the rudder turned as far as I could in the direction I wanted to go. I now back the boat with a little steering to starboard to bring the boat out so I can turn to port and leave my slip. The key is to not over steer. At slow seeds the rudder stalls and will just plow and not steer if over steered. Also bump forward gear with port rudder to bring the aft to starboard then reverse hard with a slight starboard rudder. Steer in proportion to speed when backing.

Find a rubber or plastic channel marker and practice backing to it that way you won’t have an audience at the dock and other boats to worry about. With a little effort I can back my 29 into the 12’ wide slip.

 

[kevin81]

Taz:

Try this (following Randy's recommendation - someplace where you can practice): after putting into reverse, quickly throttle up, then down, and then shift out of gear. "Quickly" means a few seconds or enough time to accelerate the boat in reverse. How much to throttle up depends on how many rpm's it takes to move your boat. After shifting into neutral, you will be moving backwards without the effects of prop walking. You can then judge and practice how the boat steers in reverse.

This technique has worked well for me departing the slip with a slight cross wind.

Kevin
E 34

 

[taz4]

Thanks everyone,

Im going to try reversing as randy has said and then if Im still failing Ill go for the dock line idea and I guess finally it'll be a feathering prop.

I cant believe how tricky it is to reverse, but I guess pratice is the only way to improve.

Thanks again.

 

[Dave G]

Taz,

I have an E29, A-4, tiller steering, 2 blade fixed prop, and have had the same experience. Backing is right next to impossible! I would agree that a short burst of power is the best technique. I thought it was just me until started asking more questions and found out that it is a common problem. It also explains how the previous owner gouged up the gell coat all along the side at dock height.

Good Luck,

Dave Green
s/v Spirit
Bellingham, WA

 

[Randy Rutledge]

Lots of good suggestions here and you have to use the combination that works for you. The burst of reverse, spin the wheel and bump forward to start the aft in the direction you want it to go, try them all and find what works for you. Practice what is difficult and it becomes second nature.