Forward or Astern into a tight spot?

Difficulty manoeuvres?

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    31
wully1

wully1

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Some comments on a previous thread got me thinking. ( no mean feat)

When entering a marina berth or manoeuvring in tight/ windy/ difficult conditions I always prefer going in astern as I think the boat handles better and has the power to get out of trouble with less drama.

So, Forwards or Backwards?
 
Not enough information to decide ... need to know direction and strength of wind and tide at minimum. I can't see it invariably makes sense to do one or the other regardless.
 
My preference is for astern. My saildrive means that turns ahead are not as tight as with my previous Sadler which had a shaft drive and transom-hung rudder. I can tighten a turn when going ahead by a judicious burst in astern, but this is no help at the start of a manoeuvre.

This answer was give without the precaution of reading the post along with the poll, so is meaningless. I will virtually always enter a berth ahead, for reasons given elsewhere, the chief of which is that it is easier to make an exit in tight conditions, and secondly the additional privacy.
 
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Astern is much easier for aborting a berthing that isn't going to plan, for going in at speed if wind or tide dictate as you can stop the boat in a couple of feet with a blast of ahead, you have a wide flat fendered area to nudge the pontoon and hold yoursel there in reverse and finally on many boats you can just step off the stern and not worry about the high freeboard.

But when the wind is strong and blowing into the berth the speed you need to keep the bow from blowing off course is a bit nerve wrenching - and this is where the ability to raoidly and safely abort is important.
 
It really depends. My Rival 41C bow has a big effect in strong winds and that will dictate which way the bow turns if going astern or when I lose sternway. The stern turns to port when reverse power is engaged, more or less no matter how much throttle is applied. Hence, in with the wind on the starboard beam, going astern she may just track straight but with a distinct drift down wind as well. Given a choice in a blow, bow into the berth as I have more control. I am over propped and have the larger engine option so getting out backwards is easy as is turning her on her keel in a strong wind to starboard, to port forget it. I clicked bow in.
 
The wind direction dictates which way our boat goes in. If little or no wind then forwards is easier to manoeuvre as the skipper can stop the bows where they are wanted and maintain manoeuvrability of the stern.
Despite that, we always reverse into our berth unless there is a particularly strong wind from an unfavourable direction.
 
Medium long keel, always bow first, prop walk to port in reverse.

Starboard side too berth

Always singlehanded, motor on a fixed length spring to get in alongside having dropped it on the first cleat when entering space.

Prefer to have prop walk on the fairway end of the berth rather than inside between neighbour and finger. prevailing wind usually on the starboard side, so winter gales blow me off the pontoon. Can always back out , then if windy, helm hard over to starboard short kick ahead , bow goes down wind anyway and can reverse upwind into main fairway, turn to starboard and away.

Always Bow in
 
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