All,
We have to back our boat into the slip because of peer (not pier) pressure and a sand bar at the end of the slips. All the sailors on our dock back into the slip because we are on the river with a prevailing west wind and a 2-3 knot continuous current. They think you are a wuss if you pull your boat in to the slip “bow first”…I back in to the slip like my neighbors because I hate to be thought of a “wussy” even if it is true :) The issue with backing in is that 15-20 feet out from the end of the dock is a sand bar that is about 5’ below the water line. Needless to say you can get yourself grounded coming out or backing into the slip. All the sailors on our dock installed dock wheels one 6x6 beams jutting out off the end of the dock diagonally into the slip (by about 8”). We installed the same type of dock wheel on the end of our slip… we come into it perpendicular to the ends of the slips and rest the boat on the dock wheel about midships. Then we gently slip the boat into reverse – right around 12-1300 RPMS – we have a Yanmar 30 with a folding prop…Kick the rudder over and the boat rolls right around the dock wheel and backs perfectly into the slip. Once we get the reverse momentum started we shut the prop off and it rolls naturally around the dock wheel. For us, the hard part is stopping as we approach the docks. The slips/docks are on the Snake river in a marina and we have to approach the marina in a current that is a steady 2-4 knots. There is no breakwater. So the approach is a bit “diagonal” and you can see the sideways motion of the boat as you approach the slip ends. We usually keep less than 1000 RPM on the engine as we approach –maybe even 600 or so…. We have to hold the rudder over because of the current, and we can’t spin out into the direction of the sandbar to try to back straight in… or we get stuck. Once we let the bow GENTLY touch the dock wheel we apply reverse thrust at about 1000-1300 as mentioned above and we stop within half a boat length. Then, kick the rudder over, get the reverse momentum, and shutdown the prop once the boat goes in reverse. Works well unless there is a northeast wind, then it’s almost impossible to back in unless you have someone jump to the dock and help pull the boat around. The slips face east/west and the bow, when backed in faces west. The river runs east/west where our slip is, so your approach is to the south as you cross the current of the river… Regards JP S/V Gabriela C&C 34 Clarkston Wa. From: CnC-List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of allen via CnC-List Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2014 9:01 AM To: Dennis C.; [email protected] Subject: Re: Stus-List Was Engine Sound Insulation - Now docking I second Rick's experience. Rev up your engine to 1200-1500 rpm, both blades deploy and you start to move in reverse, I don't back into my slip normally, but have done it repeatedly while on cruise and the opportunity presents itself. Allen Miles Septima 30-2 Portsmouth, VA on final stage of water intrusion damage repairs From: Dennis C. via CnC-List <mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2014 4:23 PM To: Rick Brass <mailto:[email protected]> ; CnClist <mailto:[email protected]> Subject: Re: Stus-List Was Engine Sound Insulation - Now docking Ditto. (Of course it's probably just luck, the current or wind, magic or my imagination because conventional wisdom seems to say that Martecs have no reverse.) Dennis C. Touche' 35-1 #83 Mandeville, LA On Thu, Aug 28, 2014 at 10:11 AM, Rick Brass via CnC-List <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote: The trick to backing with a Martec folding prop is the throttle. My Martec will stop my 15000 pound 38 from 2 or 3 knots in about a boat length. Shift into reverse and boost the throttle to about half (1200 to 1500 rpm in my case). The revs hold the blades open and she will stop as well as she did with the 16x10 fixed prop. I back into my slip. Going forward, approach from perpendicular to the slip centerline and a couple of boat lengths off the outer piling. Turn out to intersect the slip centerline, shift to reverse and throttle up. When the boat has good stern way, shift to neutral and use the rudder and momentum to back into the slip. A blip of power in forward to stop, and then scurry forward to get the bow and forward spring line attached to the boat, then slow reverse to hold the boat into the slip and use the prop walk to hold her against the dock. Heck, now that I think of it, the only time I have the boat in reverse at idle is when I'm using the prop walk to bring the stern over to a pier or to turn around in a tight fairway. Rick Brass Sent from my iPad On Aug 28, 2014, at 10:17, Burt Stratton via CnC-List <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote: Hell, It took me a few attempts at backing in under power to figure out that my 2-blade folding Martec prop needs half an hour head start just to stop my 1kt forward progress! Still trying to figure out how to account for and use my prop-walk. If I have a good hand with me I will sail on and off my mooring. _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album Email address: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> To change your list preferences, including unsubscribing -- go bottom of page at: http://cnc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/cnc-list_cnc-list.com _____ _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album Email address: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> To change your list preferences, including unsubscribing -- go bottom of page at: http://cnc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/cnc-list_cnc-list.com
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