Getting out of a berth

[Wansworth]

Yesterday it was quite windy a northerly blowing through the marina in Pontevedra.The owner was telling me how he would get out of the berth and head for the sea.Apparentlyas the boat has dodgers and a sprayhood trying to moter with the outboard up into the wind you would fetch up in the adjacent line of moored yachts.The only way out was apparently motor backwards down wind till you reached the end of the pontoons all seemed rather frought.

 

[Daydream believer]

But if that is the best way to do it, then why not? It all depends how the boat feathers in the wind. Perhaps the outboard pulls it backwards, with good rudder input to assist, well enough. The owner , presumably, knows his boat.
Over the years, I have backed down a number of lines of pontoons to make things easy. It is all down to knowing how the boat reacts in the prevailing conditions. It seems that the owner does.
So why the post?
Or are you just looking for stories of disaster?

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We have a high windage boat, with little under the water. We often do slightly unusual things to keep things under control. It amuses the onlookers, but there's not much else to note.

 

[Wansworth]

Just a comment on boat handling,does it have to have some deep meaning full reason,I wasthe potential purchaser and I suppose it could be done but as far as I could see it could all end up broadsideto a line of boats

 

[Poignard]

What's needed is a copy of the late (lamented) John Goode's "Handling Under Power". (Superbly illustrated by Dick Everitt)

Every possible berthing and unberthing situation seems to be covered in it.

 

[Daydream believer]

deleted

 

[boomerangben]

My boat is definitely easier to manoeuvre at slow speeds backwards if the wind is likely blow the bow off

 

[Chiara’s slave]

My boat is definitely easier to manoeuvre at slow speeds backwards if the wind is likely blow the bow off

I suspect that is true of almost all fin keelers, and multihulls too. And as long keelers are notoriously impossible in reverse, it surely means ’if you can steer going backwards, do it’.

 

[capnsensible]

Practice, practice and then practice some more.

 

[Poignard]

Plenty of fenders and a sense of humour.....

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Plenty of fenders and a sense of humour.....

It’s pretty precarious on the bows of our outriggers. If it’s grim, we fold, so that we can apply that technique. I suspect it reduces the windage too, which can only be a good thing.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

What's needed is a copy of the late (lamented) John Goode's "Handling Under Power". (Superbly illustrated by Dick Everitt)

Every possible berthing and unberthing situation seems to be covered in it.

I've got that. Very good.
Edit: I've just realised I don't have that one,I've got Bill Johnson's one, of the same title, which I bought for my wife.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

In a strong crosswind, the bows of most boats will 'blow off' downwind, so if the required coarse cannot be held in forward gear, the best method is to proceed in reverse. With the bow blowing off the boat's movement will actually be somewhat crabwise.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

In a strong crosswind, the bows of most boats will 'blow off' downwind, so if the required coarse cannot be held in forward gear, the best method is to proceed in reverse. With the bow blowing off the boat's movement will actually be somewhat crabwise.

That crabwise motion being dependent on the lateral resistance under water, and the speed. We can go pretty straight if theres the space to do 5kn?

 

[jamie N]

Long keel is horrible in a marina. I've always had my little Honda outboard that turns through 360°, to help manoeuvre in a place where I can cause expensive damage, but due to it being U/S with E10 fuel woe, I went out using my inboard diesel only. Never again; the constant gear changing to achieve incremental heading changes to get into the very tight 180° turn for my berth really isn't worth it, so much so that I'd have to get a different berth further down the pontoon, so as to be able to berth with only a couple of 90° turns, if I haven't the outboard to help.

 

[Blueboatman]

It’s a really good trick , ‘ hanging ‘ on the motor in reverse , stern to the wind I think ..
My last boat Rustler 36 with I suppose a semi long keel would reverse impeccably in 15knots dead upwind along the marina alley .. hooray ?but as soon as the wind momentarily lulled a bit , she was off crabbing to starboard then it was a case of the ‘ back and fill’ with helm over , juggling bursts of forwards and reverse to keep the direction ostensibly correct .
It all seemed perfectly do-able after long keel wooden boats with asthmatic wing petrol engines ..

To the op:
It should all be easier with an outboard and the dodger folded down flat and plenty of revs and assuming a deep enough prop and no cavitation , outboard arm/throttle in one hand , boats tiller in the other
And fenders ?

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Ours has a link rod between the outboard and the tiller, detachable for sailing. It may slightly limit the outboard steering possibilities, but it's rather like that rubbing your head and stomach trick trying to use the rudder and outboard independently. Simple is good. The motor will still just pull the stern to where the motor is facing.

 

[johnalison]

I’m slightly puzzled by the account of the OP’s chap motoring backwards downwind, but I suppose that if the dodgers and sprayhood are that prominent it just might work. Every boat I have had would have twiddled round stern to wind in those conditions. Backing out of a marina alley is something that I have often had to do, especially with my current boat whose saildrive and limited rudder movement limits my ability to power into the wind. I have not cruised with an outboard, but essentially the problems remain the same.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

What's needed is a copy of the late (lamented) John Goode's "Handling Under Power". (Superbly illustrated by Dick Everitt)

Every possible berthing and unberthing situation seems to be covered in it.

Hey! What about mine!!?

 

[Poignard]

Hey! What about mine!!?

View attachment 143539

I am sorry to say that I had not heard of it.

I would like to read it.

Perhaps a complimentary copy......?