going astern in a folkboat/stella is it possiable

[trouville]

Some years ago i had an ecod, not unlike a folkboat, she had an inboard stuart turner 8hp. With her i always moored bowes to. otherwise i had to warp myself in to moor astern.
I tried many times going astern but as the speed picked up the rudder become very difficult, i had to have some speed to manover but i always found the bows coming round! in open water sometimes i could keep her streight but manover?? In port i never once managed to moore astern even though i tried untill i couldent hear the crys of derision anymore!!
Are folk boats as bad? they have less draft would that help? With wheele stearing i can moore atern in cross wind or any other conditions in my old Hillyard never any problems and she has a long keel and quite a large rudder?

Are there any that can enter a mooring underpower atern??? In a sail boat with a transone hung tiller steered rudder?? if so how???

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[Evadne]

Re: going astern in a folkboat/stella is it possia

The Elizabethan 29 was based on the Stella, although we don't have a transom hung rudder. My answer would be sometimes, if you're brave enough to try.
I have never had much luck doing it, and find it safer and easier to park bows-to and reverse out. If she swings the wrong way when going into open water it isn't nearly as disastrous as when going into a pontoon berth!
One trick which I have found works, is to pick up a bit of momentum then knock her into neutral. The rudder then bites and you can proceed in a series of snaking curves, if there is room. This is also helpful when trying to turn against the prop walk when exiting a berth. The other thing is the wind effect. I wonder if the cut away forefoot of these boats lengthens the lever and makes the bows more liable to be blown downwind than with your old Hillyard?
I can't think that having a wheel instead of a tiller makes any difference, but then I've never had a boat with a wheel.


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[Kristal]

Re: going astern in a folkboat/stella is it possia

I have immense difficult getting Crystal to go astern in anything but the lightest airs and the smoothest waters. She has done it before now, usually when we're most at need, but she's not too happy about it.

Having said that, reversing into our new berth at Limehouse on a flat calm day, she did it spectacularly, steering perfectly, allowing me to moor her alone.

This is, I should point out, most definitely the exception to the rule!

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[trouville]

Re: going astern in a folkboat/stella is it possia

yes! the cut away forfoot, i often wonderd! As for wheel stearing its WONDERFUL!! the friction means i can go below to put the kettle on and she ll stay on course, Under enging she begins to go off course but very slowly.
As for Mooring stearn to with the wheel i can take the prepared lines and through them ashore and if nones about nip off make a turn then head to the bows to take up the anchor cable or mooring line without going much off.
With the tiller if i somuch as let it go i was finnished and the autohelm always seemed to be in the wrong possition!
Any way i thought it was just me that couldent do it, now i want to buy a folkboat and spend some time sailing her, as the below comfort will encorage me to get out sightseeing more!! And any way bows to give more privacy!!!

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[nordic]

Yes its possible! But you need so much way on that it is potentially dangerous in close quarters! Our wooden Nordic has an offset outboard and this makes it worse. A hint is to use the outboard and the tiller together to steer, both forwards and astern. Also when going astern face the stern and point the tiller in the direction you want the stern to go - a simple trick I know, but in the heat of the moment it is all too easy to turn the tiller the wrong way. In the marina we no longer attempt to reverse under power as in any wind at all the bow takes over. We managed to persuade the management to give us a hammerhead berth which makes docking a lot easier as we dock bow first and warp her round for a bow-first exit!

Have fun!

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[DanTribe]

I owned a Stella which for years had no reverse [Stuart sailing clutch]. When I eventually fitted a Yanmar with a reverse I thought that was a great luxury.You have two options:~
1/ find a bit of space & give plenty of revs to get water flow going then put engine into tickover & you will have reasonably control astern.
2/ Go astern & see where the boat wants to go & pretend that's what you intended all along.
It also pays to learn the phrase "long keel " in the language of all countries to be visited, most people understand the problem.
Dan

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[mickshep]

Fosca has a long keel and a very high bow which has in the past caused us some interesting moments in marinas, her 6.5 ton dead weight can take some stopping as well.
For us the main thing is forward planning, never be afraid to have a couple of low speed passes before settling on a plan. We have found that getting some speed up in reverse then engaging neutral gives better steering then when in gear, possibly due to a smoother flow of water over the rudder surface. With a decent amount of way on in reverse we can give a quick burst of throttle in ahead with the rudder hard over to counter any swing without stopping the boat.
Having said that we will always abort an approach if it looks like going t*ts up and go around again.
Like most things it is more a case of practice and having the confidence to give it a go. Mike.

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[FWB]

In an Infinite Universe all things are possible.
So if you cant get it to go astern then maybe the universe is not infinite......in which case Nasa and a lot of other people may be very interested in your boat !

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