Boat Handling "Training"

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MarieK

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Boat Handling \"Training\"

I have my new (to me) boat about 3 months now and I am very comfortable manouevering her, I find having twin engines on shafts a dream and even when I do get into a pickle I have the bowthruster to get me out of trouble.

I now however need to look at "training" my regular crew consisting of my old man and my brother. What is the advice of the forum on this? I dont want to let them lose in the marina for fear they will damage another boat or worse still my boat... It is however the marina where they need to practice with berthing being the most challenging part of the day usually. I just cant get across the concept that steering has virtually no effect while going astern.

Advice appreciated.
 
Re: Boat Handling \"Training\"

[ QUOTE ]
I dont want to let them lose in the marina for fear they will damage another boat or worse still my boat...

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm sure the owner of another boat wouldn't agree on your view of "worse still"
 
Re: Boat Handling \"Training\"

As HLB says using plenty of fenders have them come alongside an empty pontoon or fuel berth numerous times, but First get into a bit of the mairna with space to turn and no traffic around have them practice turning the boat around using the engines and getting a feel as to how the twin engine set up manouvres the boat.

Also have them stop the boat in said space into neutral and feel the effect of the wind an/or tide on the stopped boat, all this will help them get used to it and then do the pontoon handling.
 
Re: Boat Handling \"Training\"

My advice would be to hire a professional trainer for a day to help them with the close quarters manouevring. I would offer two reasons for this. First, because knowing how to do something and being able to teach somebody else to do it are completely different skills; second because having the owner stood next to you when there's a possibility of fouling it up is likely to make the learner more nervous and more likely to mess it up and not enjoy the process.
 
Re: Boat Handling \"Training\"

Well I would not. Providing the OP knows what he's doing.

Firstly the trainer might not have much experience of your type of boat.

And secondly, every one does things slightly differently. On your boat you want every one singing from the same hymn sheet.
 
Re: Boat Handling \"Training\"

[ QUOTE ]
I just cant get across the concept that steering has virtually no effect while going astern.

[/ QUOTE ]

Absolutely right...shouldn't be using the steering wheel in the marina anyway. When I did boat handling training recently I learned that the best way to maneouvre in close quarters was to put the wheel/rudders in the centre, then don't touch it...just steer with the throttles and bow thrusters. With the throttles you CAN steer going astern.

Personally. I think the best way to learn is with a pro. My hubby's pretty good on the helm and even he learnt a trick or two on my 3hr lesson.

If you do go the DIY route, I hope you manage to find some really massive empty berths in the marina (choose a BHW or very sunny w/end), so no boats around to damage.

Good luck!
 
Re: Boat Handling \"Training\"

Why not use an "empty" mooring bouy? Reverse up to it, circle it in ahead & astern, should give you plenty of experience of close quarters manouvering with no risk. MoB exercises with a fender & small drogue will be useful too. THEN, you can try the marina, perhaps with you on the dual controls (if you have them) just in case.
 
Re: Boat Handling \"Training\"

Start off by letting the Guys get a feel of the Vessel.
In clear water.
Then let them practice picking up a bouy.
In fact practice approaching a bouy and keeping the Vessel on station.
This gives a feel of the boat and a feel of the throttles etc.
If they struggle with this 'Demo' Yourself and talk them through it.
Then practice going alongside a pontoon which is clear of dangers and other boats to build confidence.
A good manouver to use is to find a couple of boats or bouys.
'Draw' an imaginery line between them.
See if the helmsman can do a 360 or 'three point turn' on the imaginery line without drifting off said line or drifting downstream too far.

Put some Duct tape or similar on the bow thruster until they can accomplish the above fairly well /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Re: Boat Handling \"Training\"

as in anything in life if they cant pick it up instantly they are no good teach them how to put the fenders out that will do for now
 
Re: Boat Handling \"Training\"

Fair play.
That will do for now, yes.
What do You reccomend as the next stage after fender dexterity has been mastered? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Re: Boat Handling \"Training\"

Its very hard to get people to not use the wheel in close quarter situations, because that is how they have been conditioned, it just seems natural.

Taking nothing away from yourself as a boater, but as a previous poster indicated, teaching is a different skill again.
Solitaire (on this forum) had some great advice on a previous similar subject, tight marina maneouvuring takes a lot of practice.

Book a pro for a couple of hours, and keep practicing as a group, you will be surprised what you will learn.
 
Re: Boat Handling \"Training\"

"I just cant get across the concept that steering has virtually no effect while going astern".

Mariek, see below: Also indeed we get this problem, they go up on the fly and see a nice little steering wheel just like their car and think "must be like driving a car" cos of the wheel.

Firstly explain its nowt like driving a car cos your not on terra firma.

I normally tell em, imagine your car was on an ice rink with a 35kts wind blowing
how much use would the wheel be.

Regarding wheel not working in reverse, I usually do a sketch showing water flow over the rudder when going forward, and thus how the rudder can turn the boat by diveting the water flow. I then say now imagine the water going forward away from the rudder which is created in reverse gear, ergo the rudders cannot work with no water flow. Simple
 
Re: Boat Handling \"Training\"

Speaking as someone who had to beg the advice of the forum in a very similar way when I got my first mobo, a couple of additional thoughts. Someone recommended doing "squares" in open water both forward and astern just using throttles, this gets the idea that you can turn with one engine forward and one astern. I do "lean" towards a professional tutor for a different reason. It's the same reason teaching family to drive a car doesnt always work. There are emotional and "status" issues plus a real fear of, as someone has mentioned, of damaging "dad's toy". I found being trained on another boat by a professional very useful. I also completely endorse "bumps and starts" on an end of pontoon hammerhead. As a raggie sailor moving to mobos, the moment I realised how to make a boat go sideways with engines and thruster was the breakthrough. I accept that most of the above refers to my training more than that of my family but I guess it adds to the debate
 
Re: Boat Handling \"Training\"

Twin screws??? Bow thrusters?? You lot are spoilt. Learn to use wind, current and prop paddle effect on a single screw first, that's real boat handling. Boats will steer going backwards, whilst moving astern simple turn the wheel to the direction you want the stern to go and give it a quick kick ahead before continuing astern. So long as you have sternway you can steer astern. Using the paddle effect of the screw is useful too, all props exert a sideways moment however slight due to the bottom of the prop being in deeper, denser, water. Use that to your advantage. I don't know, kids these days.........................
 
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