204
Master boat handlers use little or no rudder during restricted
maneuvers. Ninety percent of the time, they hold wheel or tiller to one
side or set it amidships.How well do you know your boat’s close-quarters capabilities? Do you have a
backup plan ready if your engine quits unexpectedly when entering a marina?
How many emergency moorings did you spot on your way in or out?
In Th is Chapter, You’ll Learn How To:
D Back a single-screw boat into a slip with complete control
D Hold any size boat alongside a pier with one line
D Sail into a slip under mainsail or headsail
D Moor between two boats with only inches to spare
D Dock a twin-screw vessel aft er losing one engine
Single-Screw Boat-Handling Secrets
Manufacturers name propellers (also called props or screws) right-handed or
left -handed to indicate the direction of rotation in forward gear. Imagine standing
astern of your boat. Shift into forward gear and watch the direction the propeller
rotates. If each blade turns to the right at the top of its swing (i.e., clockwise), it’s
right-handed; if it rotates to the left , it’s left -handed. When you shift into reverse
gear, the propeller’s direction of rotation reverses. A right-handed propeller rotates
counterclockwise in reverse gear.
THE SECRETS OF PROP WALK, RUDDER,
AND PIVOT POINT
Master boat handlers use as little rudder as possible in restricted maneuvers.
Ninety percent of the time, the rudder is left either amidships or hard over to
one side. Th is frees the driver to concentrate on stern control and pivot-point
alignment. Th e wheel or tiller comes into play only if and as needed.
DOCKING
(^10) SEAMANSHIP