Years of experience with varied power and sailboats, but having a heck of a time in close quarters docking. Specifically when needing to reverse. Plenty of power from the engine, but it seems the hull does not respond very well. Anyone with similar experience or suggestions. I may have to revert to the old saying of how to get to Carnegie Hall....practice, practice, practice. Thanks
248 Voyager - Docking
- Thread starter Oldparatrooper
- Start date
Single or twins?
If it's a single, you are experiencing the effects of prop torque when you reverse. Depending on whether it's right or left rotation, it'll walk the stern a bit sideways.
Solution: take the boat to an area where there is little wind or current and reverse, watching what it does. It's much easier to analyze what's going on when your not inches away from a piling. Once you know what your boat does while backing down, you can account for it in your maneuvering.
If it's a twin rig, that is a whole other thing. Once again, go to a deserted area where you can play with the boat. You'll see how you can spin the boat and maneuver it with just the engines. I have found that trying to turn the wheel while utilizing the twins is counter-productive. One action undoes the other. I have had the best luck with the helm centered and the engines trimmed up a little so the propwash doesn't hit the transom, limiting thrust and maneuverability.
The nuances of close-quarter twin engine handling is too involved to explain here. One guy on here had a good point..Look at your Yamaha throttles. The handles point inward. If you want the stern to go to port, put the starboard engine in reverse, as the stbd. handle points to port(or left.)
One more thing..There will always be "those days." Wind, current, and honest mistakes will screw up your landing. Blow if off and try again. Eventually, you'll get it, and you'll think intuitively, instead of being stressed. We've all been there..Good luck.
If it's a single, you are experiencing the effects of prop torque when you reverse. Depending on whether it's right or left rotation, it'll walk the stern a bit sideways.
Solution: take the boat to an area where there is little wind or current and reverse, watching what it does. It's much easier to analyze what's going on when your not inches away from a piling. Once you know what your boat does while backing down, you can account for it in your maneuvering.
If it's a twin rig, that is a whole other thing. Once again, go to a deserted area where you can play with the boat. You'll see how you can spin the boat and maneuver it with just the engines. I have found that trying to turn the wheel while utilizing the twins is counter-productive. One action undoes the other. I have had the best luck with the helm centered and the engines trimmed up a little so the propwash doesn't hit the transom, limiting thrust and maneuverability.
The nuances of close-quarter twin engine handling is too involved to explain here. One guy on here had a good point..Look at your Yamaha throttles. The handles point inward. If you want the stern to go to port, put the starboard engine in reverse, as the stbd. handle points to port(or left.)
One more thing..There will always be "those days." Wind, current, and honest mistakes will screw up your landing. Blow if off and try again. Eventually, you'll get it, and you'll think intuitively, instead of being stressed. We've all been there..Good luck.
If practice cracks this nut let me know. 4 years of running our Voyager and I still get nervous docking especially when it's windy!
Here is the little help I can offer:
1 - Have the engine trimmed up about 4 bars or 1/4 way up (Yamaha) from full down. If you don't the water off the prop will hit the step in the hull when in reverse and cause you to go nowhere.
2 - Under many circumstances forward momentum is your friend. Having the mass of the boat moving in the direction you want can help a lot to counter act wind pushing you around. Just make sure you have the engine trimmed properly before you need to slow to a stop!
3 - With a heavy cross wind reversing into the wind might be the only option. Otherwise the wind will grab the bow and spin you down wind anyway. Then carefully use option 2.
4 - With a stiff wind or current I often won't even attempt to enter the slip directly. I will use option 2 and put the bow near the end of the dock and have someone hold a rope on the dock or hook a cleat. I then use forward or reverse with the engine pointed where I want to go to pull or drive the stern in.
Good luck!
Here is the little help I can offer:
1 - Have the engine trimmed up about 4 bars or 1/4 way up (Yamaha) from full down. If you don't the water off the prop will hit the step in the hull when in reverse and cause you to go nowhere.
2 - Under many circumstances forward momentum is your friend. Having the mass of the boat moving in the direction you want can help a lot to counter act wind pushing you around. Just make sure you have the engine trimmed properly before you need to slow to a stop!
3 - With a heavy cross wind reversing into the wind might be the only option. Otherwise the wind will grab the bow and spin you down wind anyway. Then carefully use option 2.
4 - With a stiff wind or current I often won't even attempt to enter the slip directly. I will use option 2 and put the bow near the end of the dock and have someone hold a rope on the dock or hook a cleat. I then use forward or reverse with the engine pointed where I want to go to pull or drive the stern in.
Good luck!
I recently experienced similar "what the heck is going on" instances. I've run boats, all kinds, all my life and this is the first one that surprised me. My engine is mounted on a bracket (first time having a bracket) and the advice I received from the forum was as above - trim up to get the prop wash going under the hull, instead of hitting it. Once I did that, it was much, much better.
Glad I'm not the only one.
About a week ago I was reversing out of a slip and the boat did exactly the opposite of what I expected, all because of wind.
For a second I thought there was a mechanical problem. Not the first time either.
About a week ago I was reversing out of a slip and the boat did exactly the opposite of what I expected, all because of wind.
For a second I thought there was a mechanical problem. Not the first time either.
I'm so glad to see I'm not the only one.............my two boys are always giving me hell. Like you said speed is your friend on this one. I'm lucky, normally the wind is always blowing in the same direction and I can let it blow me to the dock. But your right I'm always a little nervous when docking............Having a few people on board always helps.
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Our slip is in a good current. This is how I dock it in the wind. Did it on one motor with the marlin.
1. start turning the bow two slips before hand.
2. With boat drifting vertical to slip keep the stern as close to docks as possible.
3. When you feel the moment is right reverse hard hoping to hell you catch your pylon.
4. If you have made contact work her in. If you fail go forward before you hit your neighbors boat and try it again.
5. Using forward and reverse will not turn the boat in the current unless you have the boat either tied or against a solid object.
6. If your motor stalls you are screwed and will end up on u tube thanks to a bystander with a cell phone
1. start turning the bow two slips before hand.
2. With boat drifting vertical to slip keep the stern as close to docks as possible.
3. When you feel the moment is right reverse hard hoping to hell you catch your pylon.
4. If you have made contact work her in. If you fail go forward before you hit your neighbors boat and try it again.
5. Using forward and reverse will not turn the boat in the current unless you have the boat either tied or against a solid object.
6. If your motor stalls you are screwed and will end up on u tube thanks to a bystander with a cell phone