Backing out of a slip

[jkindredpdx]

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.

My boat does not steer well in reverse, so sometimes I back into the closest empty slip on the other side of the fairway and then turn to port coming out forward... or you could try a line from your aft starboard cleat run forward around your mast and fore-stay to the outermost cleat on the port finger...

BTW, thanks to a friend's recommendation I've practiced docking and departing a few hundred times in a lightly populated section of our marina...

[markpierce]

With wind normally on the bow, I merely put in the engine in reverse to "kick start" rearward movement. When the bow clears the dock, use the bow thruster to turn ninety degrees (not a necessity, just to confirm the thruster's operation as there is room to coast back further and use rudder and engine thrust to turn the boat in an exit configuration.

Boaters with twin engines will usually employ engines in opposite directions to make sharp turns. They don't need to apologize either.

[Suijin]

Personally I'd back out kicking my stern to port, which prop walk would help you with, then do a 180 in place and head out.

It's difficult of you leave it in gear because as you say prop walk is going to pull your bow to starboard. If you just get moving and shift to neutral and coast you'll have more control. Other option is back (mostly) straight out then forward to port and on out.

Really all depends on what the wind is doing.

I have in the past run a line from the stern to the bow and back, with it around the stern piling, to keep the bow to port, then release it when the piling is just forward of midships. Just keep it out of gear as you retrieve the line because it's a lot of line in the water.

[Pendragon35]

Originally Posted by Cruiser2B

As others have said a spring line works well. My alberg 30 does not steer in reverse at all. I use a spring line attached to the piling at end of slip and run it to cockpit( over the lifelines). I keep tension in line in my hand. As I'm backing I let spring line do its thing a run through my hand. Once bow clears slip I apply a good bit of tension and stern moves to Stbd and bow starts turning. Once clear and bow is coming around I heave the line. Put boat in forward and motor on.
Sound like a lot but really it all is happening very slowly. Just practice with someone on board. A few tries and you'll be a pro.
good luck

This is exactly what I do. I have an Alberg 35 (not a coincidence we are both sailing Albergs!) with considerable port prop walk. I back out to port. I have a slip with side docks on both sides, I dock to starboard.

So my procedure is:
1. Set a long spring line at the end of the port dock, from port stern around a cleat, back to the jib winch on port.
2. Set a mid boat line on port.
3. With everyone on board, release the starboard lines, haul boat to port dock.
4. Cast off the mid boat line on port.
5. Give it enough reverse to get the boat moving slowly to stern, immediately shift to neutral. steer straight. The boat will still move a little to port.
6. Keep a little way on, depending on wind/tide.
7. As bow clears docks, increase reverse for a moment, then back to neutral. This starts swinging the bow to starboard.
8. Once bow is clear, harden spring line. It only takes a moment. Bow immediately swings starboard. release spring at stern, retrieve at winch quickly.
9. Shift to forward, give it a blast, then reduce to slowly leave fairway.

When I first had the boat, I had a terrible time trying to back out. This method has made my undockings mostly tension free. Of course, I still mess up on occasion but the occasions are much fewer. Good luck!

[derekschott]

Originally Posted by jkindredpdx

Actually I single hand quite a bit and use the above technique with a 35' full keel boat... but I also use other processes under varying conditions. First thing is knowing which direction the current is flowing. Spring line seems to work well for me with current coming into the bow. When I'm backing into the current I stand on the finger with idle reverse and direct (push/pull) the boat in the direction I prefer.

I practiced a lot to develop my docking and departure processes... which I think depend so much on the boat. Until I got used to it, my full keel was much more difficult than my fin keel.

So... I found a sparsely populated section of a marina and practiced for hours in various conditions docking, backing out, backing in, etc. Before this, I focused on sailing while neglecting the most hazardous (docking) part of the trip.

I’m over in tomahawk marina and have a virtually awful time getting out of my slip into the channel. The current is directly onto the bow. When you back out it tends to whip your bow to starboard and god help you if you get turned perpendicular to the current. Last year it slammed me into the dock and the bow of another boat. Nonsamage to theirs but my bow railing got crumpled. Any suggestions?

[derekschott]

Originally Posted by jeepbluetj

I'm with the spring line folks. I use one for my (comparatively tiny) Catalina 30. 60' of cheap poly line from the home depot. From the boat to a pulley on the dock and back to the boat. No drama at all. Nobody pushing the boat around and then trying to get aboard. Something goes wrong? We're still hooked to the dock until we let it loose. Just throw it in reverse and pull on the string. Pull the other end to bring it all back on the boat.

Can do it singlehanded easy.

OTOH, there's a guy on my dock gotta be around 70. Has a 33' boat that's way heaver than mine. Only singlehands. He pushes his out and jumps on. Now if you've only got piers and nowhere to push from that's not gonna work. Or if you're worried what that boat's gonna do if you miss the jumping on part. (That's my biggest worry, watching my cheap boat smash into some $200K motoryacht since I'm not on it.)

Do you happen to have any diagrams showing this backing method? I’ve been having a hell of a time backing out of my slip with a strong current hitting directly on my bow. When you back out there is little to no steering control and then if you start to turn sideways the current takes over and end result is you being pushed hard into the dock.

[jkindredpdx]

This is a tough time with the river flow so strong. I was caught by the current the other day and had to pull into an empty slip to regroup. Stop by sometime. I'm in H25.

[mikesailin]

The safe, easy way is to use a spring line.