Backing out of a slip

[SthnJeff]

Messed about with all sorts of suggestions in a variety of conditions. Seems to work best with throttle set just above idle then going in and out of reverse to get things moving and pulling on a stern line as a "just in case".

Ultimately, when more practiced I will probably try backing into the slip.

Thanks for all the tips

[nes]

Originally Posted by SthnJeff

Messed about with all sorts of suggestions in a variety of conditions. Seems to work best with throttle set just above idle then going in and out of reverse to get things moving and pulling on a stern line as a "just in case".

Ultimately, when more practiced I will probably try backing into the slip.

Thanks for all the tips

I highly recommend the idea of spending a day out motoring backwards to see exactly how to control your boat when backing. Do this where there is nothing to run into. Practice, practice practice.

A suggestion here, take a couple of floats and some line and anchor the floats in a bay with no traffic. Then back between them from as many different angles as you can. A couple of hours doing this and you will no longer be challenged with how to maneuver your boat backwards.

[SFSailLady]

I am wondering if anyone has advice for getting out of this slip? I'll be visiting it this weekend and have never been in a slip with no ability to turn after backing out other than going straight. See attached.

[SFSailLady]

PS - it is a Sailboat - Sabre 30'

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by SFSailLady

I am wondering if anyone has advice for getting out of this slip?

You can back out far enough so your bow would clear the 146/147 walkway, no?

You have enough fenders to pad your stbd quarter? You have a cleat at your stbd quarter? You have the rope to rig a forward spring from that deck cleat to a cleat somewhere on the dock? There's a dock idler who can manage/cast off your forward spring for you?

You have crew to manage a few free fenders in case anything goes wrong? And rope to rig another spring if needed?

What happens when you motor in reverse with that forward spring in place? Rotation of the boat so the bow moves to port, forcing the stbd quarter hard against the dock (and fenders) with luck.

[StuM]

Park stern in?

(My slip is exactly the same situation and I've got a lot more width at the stern to worry about.).

[cal40john]

30 footer, nearly 100 feet of room, unless the wind makes it a lee dock, walk it back to near 122 slip, shove the bow out and go. Otherwise follow either of the above advice.

[GILow]

If the stern of your boat is reasonably uncluttered, I'd run a line from the starboard corner of the stern, through a cleat on the dock, opposite pen 143 or 142, but on your side of the walkway if possible. I'd run that line back to the cockpit, via the starboard corner of the stern again, and go once around a handy cleat near the helm. I would make sure it was a line that will run very freely through the cleat on the dock.

I'd have a GOOD quality boat hook handy, one that is long enough to fend off the stern from the dock, which may be needed later.

Then I'd slowly pay out the line as I reversed past the cleat on the dock (initially you'll get closer to the cleat), until the bow of my boat had JUST cleared the finger between 147 and 146, at which point I would bind the line on the cleat near the helm so that the boat pivots on the point of resistance at the starboard quarter. I'd gently continue to reverse until the bow has swung out to maybe 75 degrees from the walkway parallel with the original pen. I'd do all this with the rudder pretty much straight ahead, as there's not going to be enough speed for the rudder to have much effect and really we want the boat parallel with the walkway for most of this process.

Anyway, once 75 degrees is reached I'd be ready to fend off the stern from the walkway if needed, put the helm pretty hard to port (maybe not all the way, no point stalling the prop wash) and then gently power on to push the stern away from the walkway and to turn the bow away from the finger between 147 and 146. At the same time, release the cleated end of the line from the cleat near the helm and haul it in cleanly, keeping it away from the prop.

Easy.

Alright, not easy, but should work unless the winds at the time make that impossible.

P.S. I agree the "shove the bow" technique is an option, but I feel those sorts of strategies are fraught with significant danger. I do my sailing solo, so there's nobody to bring the boat back to me if I go in the drink. I do all my boat handling from the cockpit wherever I possibly can.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by StuM

Park stern in?

(My slip is exactly the same situation and I've got a lot more width at the stern to worry about.).

But can't you juggle the engines to help?

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by GILow

But can't you juggle the engines to help?

A sabre 30 astern with 2-3 knots of way on will steer like it's on rails. A little practice will bring that boat into that slip and slide it to the dock when stopped.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

A sabre 30 astern with 2-3 knots of way on will steer like it's on rails. A little practice will bring that boat into that slip and slide it to the dock when stopped.

I think you need to re-read the question.

Also my engineS remark was to Stu on his cat.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by SFSailLady

I am wondering if anyone has advice for getting out of this slip? I'll be visiting it this weekend and have never been in a slip with no ability to turn after backing out other than going straight. See attached.

Back down the fairway at 2-3 knots and slide into the slip. When you leave you'll be ahead, or even ahead enough to get the stern out and back out the fairway was well.

[danstanford]

Originally Posted by SFSailLady

I am wondering if anyone has advice for getting out of this slip? I'll be visiting it this weekend and have never been in a slip with no ability to turn after backing out other than going straight. See attached.

Any idea of the prevailing winds? If it is down the fairway I would likely just reverse out aggressively and allow the prop walk to pull the stern to port and the wind to push the bow to starboard then back out the fairway. If the wind is out the fairway I would again back out but put her up in neutral as soon as you get some way on then glide out steering the stern to starboard gently as I let the bow blow down then drive out.
Getting moving is the most important thing so you can steer whichever way you need to and finding neutral as soon as you can takes away the propwalk.
Some years ago I had the opposite side and the second slip up with a huge powerboat filling the first slip plus sticking out about 25' up the main dock past the end of my boat. Wind was down the fairway and my prop walk was wrong for the departure so I had my buddy stay on the dock hanging on to the shrouds and when I put her in reverse he pulled for all he was worth down the dock then jumped on. In neutral I steered a little to starboard and she pulled right out!
Dan

[Shawn67]

Originally Posted by SFSailLady

PS - it is a Sailboat - Sabre 30'

Which side is your prop on? If it is on starboard the prop walk will be against you backing out of that slip and you won't really be able to blast the bow around either as the prop wash won't hit your rudder much. If you have an offset prop to port this would be easier.

If that is a dock along the starboard side (parked head in) you could walk it out and with fenders and a long line on the bow (coming around to port) pull the bow out and point the direction you want to go.

Otherwise consider backing in. Getting back out would be easy.

Shawn

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by danstanford

Any idea of the prevailing winds? If it is down the fairway I would likely just reverse out aggressively and allow the prop walk to pull the stern to port and the wind to push the bow to starboard then back out the fairway. If the wind is out the fairway I would again back out but put her up in neutral as soon as you get some way on then glide out steering the stern to starboard gently as I let the bow blow down then drive out.
Getting moving is the most important thing so you can steer whichever way you need to and finding neutral as soon as you can takes away the propwalk.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Bow in summer wind is from starboard (I've been there many times). I'd do the backing to port. The guest dock is to the bow in, along the long side tie dock, so backing in would compromise privacy big time.