I am a new owner of a N30 C in Toronto, Canada. My engine is a 1983 Westerbeke 27.
I am having SO much difficulty getting out of my slip because of my prop walk. When I reverse at low RPM (10K), the stern turns to the port. Today, when I reversed, I gave a burst of power to try to counter-act the prop walk by steering to starboard, the stern turns MORE to port! At the end, the boat was PERPENDICULAR to my dock!
It was a high drama!
I wonder if anybody use lines to spring the boat a bit to the starboard, get the boat 2/3 out of the slip and then jump on the boat to reverse (center the wheel and let the stern go to port naturally)?
What do people do? I am quite frustrated each time I go out…
I’m guessing that your idle may be set too high? I don’t get much if any prop walk in reverse or forward at idle. You can also try intermittent reverse gear just to get backward motion going without prop walk. I’m assuming this is happening without any significant wind affecting your maneuver? Windage adds a lot to how you would attempt to depart a slip. Springs are definitely a part of that strategy.
Prop walk does that: on most single engine boats the stern will walk to port if throttle is applied while the boat is stopped or moving very slowly. And the more throttle you give it, the more it will push. Since prop walk occurs while the boat is stationary and the rudder only works when the boat is moving, the rudder won’t have any effect on it until you get moving. You must get moving before you can steer against the prop walk.
When I get underway, I try to get whoever is handling the lines to pull the bow to port just before jumping on. They rarely get it right. Then I give a moderate amount of throttle with the rudder hard to starboard so that it will start steering the boat as soon as it is able. Idle is no good, it won’t get me going fast enough. But a hard goose of the throttle will only spin the boat. And I’m sure to set the rudder hard to starboard before I even cast off because it’s like a big oar and if you swing it to starboard it will “paddle” the stern to port - just as you saw. You might need to experiment and figure out how much rudder to use. Once I apply the throttle I keep my nerve as the bow swings to starboard, threatening to hit a piling. Eventually the rudder gets some control and I can steer out in reverse. I don’t go idle or forward until I’m sure the bow will clear that piling!
Notice I say “I” this and “I” that? You have a different model of boat, so I can only tell you how it goes with my boat - though my experience with other boats suggests this is pretty normal.
If I may suggest, you might want to find a quiet spot and practice stopping, reversing, etc. You won’t have a slip to practice in, but you can spot a landmark and try to keep your bow pointed at it as you go from stopped to reverse, etc. A couple of weeks ago two of my regular guests expressed the concern that I fell overboard or became incapacitated they wouldn’t know how to run the boat under power. They could get the sail down, but then what? So we spent an hour or so practicing and handling under power and the reverse part ended up taking most of that time. It was time well spent.
Hi Shirley,
I had similar frustration at first with Soave. Now in our second season, I’ve managed to see prop walk as my friend because it provides a predictable sideways force at slow/stopped speeds.
For us, practice in calm conditions allowed me to learn how to anticipate and manage Soave’s behavior better. One day ( with a couple very patient friends standing by ) I departed and returned to our slip single handed about 20 times. I needed to learn what Soave was good at and what weaknesses she had, then plan to play to her strengths.
A couple general tips.
Once moving, Nonsuch boats have excellent maneuverability even at surprisingly slow speeds. When backing out of Soave’s slip, in calm or light wind idle throttle is all the power I need. Usually 15 to 20 seconds of reverse in idle is plenty to get out of her slip and complete my reverse turn. My reversing turn is stern to port ( wheel to port ) so once Soave’s bow can clear the finger one her starboard side prop walk is my fiend again, steering hard to port in neutral she coast back nicely and her bow swings towards the long fairway. It seems to be customary to assign the most difficult slip to the “new guy”. I complete my first reversing turn in neutral allowing Soave to coast to a near stop. Again while throttle is idle I shift to forward and reverse the wheel to starboard. In forward prop wash will counter walk in a starboard turn. Once I get forward motion, I can center the wheel and steer a normal course. Then increase throttle.
It’s easy to loose track of where your rudder is because hard over is 1+ turns of the wheel. Soave has an auto pilot that displays rudder position on her chart plotter. Before departing I make sure my chart plotter is on and the rudder position is displayed. When I start Soave’s engine I check for exhaust water flow and visually verify Soave’s rudder is centered. Figure out a reliable way to know where your rudder is while maneuvering.
The force of prop walk at idle speed is easy to counter with a stern line to starboard. If you have extra crew they could stand ready to steady the stern with a dock line rigged to slip for recovery.
Don’t be afraid to use your rudder aggressively while moving slow. When reversing NEVER let go of the wheel. It will spin hard over in an instant and may damage your steering.
If you post a diagram of your slip assignment folks could add suggestions specific to your slip. I’ve attached a digram of Soave’s slip assignment so you can visualize the maneuvers I’ve described above.
Rob Cohen
s/v SOAVE
NS33 #009
Cedar Point YC
Westport, CT
The prop walk can be controlled by putting the shift in neutral after you get moving and then steer. There is no prop walk when in neutral. I’m sure there are videos about this.
Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA
I highly recommend the book Maneuver and Dock Your Sailboat Under Power by Grant Headifen. It has en entire chapter on prop walk- why it happens and how to over come it. It describes in great detail and with videos (scan a QR code to watch on your phone or tablet) the process folks are describing here- reverse/throttle up/throttle down/neutral/coast/repeat. I found it extremely helpful for backing straight out out of my slip and starting my turn when I want.
Keep at it!
Maddie Dauti
S/V Cheers NS33
Boston, MA
also, once you get the boat moving, go to idle as that helps with the reverse direction without the high prop walk that goes with high rpm’s
Chuck Mitchell
Chill
NS 33 #90
Cape Cod
Yes, but as Rob says your particular slip may require adjustments to that procedure. The wind might also require adjustments. Our boats weathervane a lot. With calm winds I can follow Joe’s method. Add the prevailing winds in my slip and I’d hit that piling for sure. That’s why I keep the power on until I’ve got adequate steerage. You need to learn your boat in your slip. Once you master that it will become easier to dock elsewhere, too.
I find that wind is much more of a problem in reversing out than prop walk although I have a different set up on my 30U with a Yanmar engine and V-drive with a Kiwi feathering prop. I had huge difficulties in combatting wind when I had an exposed slip. Now at my more secluded birth, leaving and returning to the dock is much easier. I do think that the recommendation of going to neutral on your way out is good. The docks at Whitby where your slip is are fairly tight and I had trouble entering there in strong winds (fortunately the brush with the dock washed off). You can counter the effect with a Dockmaster stern thruster. I have one but rarely need to use it. Other recommendations I have, which are repeated here, are to be aggressive with the wheel and turn it hard over, all the way. I have found that, except in strong winds, increasing RPM makes initial maneuvering more rather than less problematic: a short burst works, with a shift into neutral but more just increases the prop walk. Best, Nick
As said earlier, MOST Nonsuches reverse prop-walk to port, but it is not an absolute. Our 260, due to its prop direction, prop-walks to starboard in reverse, which works great for my slip.
Charles-Garbarino
(CHARLES GARBARINO As You Wish, N30U Sodus, NY)
19
Hi Shirley,
I found a technique that worked well with my Pearson 30. It works with the N30, but because of the greater mass, it’s a little less effective. Joe V. described the same technique.
I give it a burst in reverse to get her moving. Then put it in neutral and correct for the prop walk. Once I am straightened out I put her back in reverse. That is usually enough, but sometimes I need to put it into neutral a second time.
I have a 26C with the Westerbeke 30b three. My dock is a tough one. Dock to my starboard. Normally, the prevailing SW wind will push me off the dock and when the tide is coming in it is even worse. I have about 3 feet freeboard to my portside neighbor. In many ways it is the worst case scenario with my propwalk to port.
So … I rigged a taut line along my dock. On that line rides a 1/2 inch block attached to about15’ of floating line. I just have my crew hold that floating line tight while standing about midway on my starboard side as I back out at low RPMs. i.e. the crew holds the boat to the dock and tosses the line on the dock when the block reaches the end. It works well. When I have no crew, I pass the 15’ line thru the midships fairlead and back to the cockpit. I just hold it tight and let it go when it reaches the end.
Hope this helps.
Dave
NS26c #150 Ascension
Gold River Marina, Nova scoria
