Steering in wind with fixed outboard.

[Kintail]

I have a 22 ft bilge keeler with outboard engine fixed in a well, aft of the rudder therefore I get no propwash on to the rudder. In a wind I find steering when getting underway from my fore and aft mooring a bit unpredictable. I have boats all around and some very close, all moored fore and aft. Most of my sailing is single handed. Any advice on how to improve my getting underway in a wind?

Thanks.

 

[Jack B]

What about sailing off?

 

[Kintail]

What about sailing off?[/QUOTE

Jack, because of close proximity of other boats, no sailing allowed.

 

[Seajet]

Kintail,

you could try a version of ' springing off '.

Have a long line threaded through the aft buoy / post ring, back to the bow of your boat.

As you are singlehanded it might be worth leading the end to the cockpit, but personally I'd keep it simple, going to the foredeck is pretty quick.

If there's a boat next to you, have a fender a few feet back from your bow.

With this line attached, put the engine in forward gear, and steer into the mooring; this will push your boats' stern out, in strong winds use more power.

Then when she is at a good big angle from the mooring, select reverse and slip the line.

I find it best to uncleat the short end of the line and pull that through; knots in the line are a complete no-no !

Reverse out into clear water and sort the boat out...this is how some big boats like French barges leave every time.

A bonus is that if it gets a bit fraught and one drops the line to the bow, the boat is reversing away from it so entanglement with the prop' shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Lakesailor]

I was thinking similar. Fore and aft makes it more awkward than a swinging mooring, but let go the line away from the wind so the boat is trailing off the other line and make it a slip line there so that you can let go and motor off (astern if head to the wind or ahead if stern to the wind) then you and the wind are in tune.

 

[BruceDanforth]

You should be able to get prop walk from rest going forward - you can use this sometimes
Also you can point the outboard in different directions and use this.
You can use propwalk effects to steer too by going ahead whilst the boat is moving astern etc.

I do this on my Hurley22 which has a similar setup.

I have a 22 ft bilge keeler with outboard engine fixed in a well, aft of the rudder therefore I get no propwash on to the rudder. In a wind I find steering when getting underway from my fore and aft mooring a bit unpredictable. I have boats all around and some very close, all moored fore and aft. Most of my sailing is single handed. Any advice on how to improve my getting underway in a wind?

Thanks.

 

[Boathook]

I have a 22 ft bilge keeler with outboard engine fixed in a well, aft of the rudder therefore I get no propwash on to the rudder. In a wind I find steering when getting underway from my fore and aft mooring a bit unpredictable. I have boats all around and some very close, all moored fore and aft. Most of my sailing is single handed. Any advice on how to improve my getting underway in a wind?

Thanks.

Try and use the engine for steering rather than the rudder. Could you connect the engine to the steering either by lines or rods so that the engine turns with the rudder. You will need some method to disconnect it when sailing or motoring in less confined spaces.