benjenbav
Well-Known Member
I started this thread just as a whimsical observation and it seems to have developed somewhat!
I actually noticed what I was trying to describe some time ago when I was backing into my berth. I hadn't really thought about it until the other day when I was doing it for the nth time.
My berth is a finger pontoon which I normally approach astern, by way of a right angled turn to port. I start the turn with port in neutral and stbd in astern at just above tickover revs. Then to tighten the turn and slow the astern movement I put port into ahead, again just above tickover. I usually need to stop the astern movement (as I approach the neighbouring classic yacht - not enough warps to deal with this any other way) and at this point the clockwise turning motion tends to stop too. I then put stbd into neutral so that I get a little forward (and to stbd) movement and then put stbd back into astern which nips the stern in neatly to the finger.
I actually noticed what I was trying to describe some time ago when I was backing into my berth. I hadn't really thought about it until the other day when I was doing it for the nth time.
My berth is a finger pontoon which I normally approach astern, by way of a right angled turn to port. I start the turn with port in neutral and stbd in astern at just above tickover revs. Then to tighten the turn and slow the astern movement I put port into ahead, again just above tickover. I usually need to stop the astern movement (as I approach the neighbouring classic yacht - not enough warps to deal with this any other way) and at this point the clockwise turning motion tends to stop too. I then put stbd into neutral so that I get a little forward (and to stbd) movement and then put stbd back into astern which nips the stern in neatly to the finger.