A25 - reversing into the slip

[Sunsetrider]

My number has come up to move from my current marina to a far better one (same cost) but the available slip is a port tie-up bow in. So I will need to reverse into the slip, hoping to avoid the fancy express cruise opposite while dong so.

I will need to practice reversing . . . does anyone do this at their home port? Is it going to be happy and manageable?

[kerrye]

I'm really curious as to the reply. I haven't had mine in the water yet but I've assumed that under just original prop power it's not that easy to control in reverse. Mine has an outboard bracket. Using the outboard for reversing in tight quarters should provide more manoeverability I think. Apart from having spare propulsion in case the main engine fails, I've thought that's a good reason to carry an outboard back there.

In my wilder moments, I've thought that a long shaft drop down bow mounted trolling motor with a remote might be a somewhat unorthodox substitute for a bow thruster.

[Sunsetrider]

I find that you need to use fwd as much as reverse when backing straight, in order to counteract the prop walk. It's slow and careful work. And the trouble with pulling in bow-first is you have no "brakes." Unless your mate can loop a cleat.

[kerrye]

What's wrong with reverse was a brake?

[Jeremyvmd]

I prefer backing into a slip I find it's easier to back in rather than backing out...

[DesertAlbin736]

Sunsetrider,

I think you'll find, at least I've seen with my boat, is that the prop walk effect on an A25 is fairly minimal, and the boat will back more or less straight. BUT, it's difficult to make it turn one way or another, and of course it favors turning to port with a right hand propeller, or if you have the left hand Volvo engines, turning to starboard. Sometimes you have to shift to forward and give it a brief shot of power with the helm turned one way or another to "kick" the stern where you want it before continuing to back slowly in reverse.

But let the old salt captain from Maryland show you more about it on the Youtubes:

This talks about sailboats, but for the purpose of backing into a slip it has much in common with an A25, that is old school single screw prop and rudder. To cut to the chase for backing into a slip, fast forward to the 1:00:15 point in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoGMAEjiHmU#t=24.038188

[DesertAlbin736]

In my wilder moments, I've thought that a long shaft drop down bow mounted trolling motor with a remote might be a somewhat unorthodox substitute for a bow thruster.

If you'd talked to me a couple years ago I could have sold you the one our previous owner had mounted on the swim platform. It was the type that had a remote control pedal that he had set up at the helm. I didn't find it to be either easy to use or even necessary, plus it added weight to the starboard side which exacerbated the slight starboard list. So I removed it and sold it on Craigslist and now I mount by BBQ on the stern rail in that location.

Here you can see how it was in at the dreaded previous owner's place up in Idaho as he posted in his original Craigslist ad. The PVC tubes on the trailer were used to stow the boom & rollerfurler for the sailing rig. He had named the boat "Nowell's Ark" (his last name) in tiny little cheap stick-on letters that can be seen near the stern next to that guide post on the trailer. At least they were easy to remove when we re-christened it "La Dolce Vita". We have since added the boat name in vinyl script lettering across the bottom of the dinghy, as we'd seen many boats do up in the San Juans.

Albin rear starboard 2.jpg

[DesertAlbin736]

I'm really curious as to the reply. I haven't had mine in the water yet ...

You're still too busy shoveling snow!

[Sunsetrider]

What's wrong with reverse was a brake?

My boat has a left-hand prop rotation, resulting in a pull to starboard unless under way. This is a nice advantage when the dock is to stbd. Popping into reverse snugs the stern up against the dock and halts your fwd progress in one bold stroke. But when the dock is to port, and you are sharing the double slip with a fancy new cruiser (which is always the case!), a burst of reverse throttle (intended to halt fwd progress) will stop the boat but will also swing the stern smartly into your neighbour to stbd. So much for making new friends at the marina!

[Beta Don]

As with any single screw boat, sail or power, you just need to practice and learn what your boat wants to do in certain circumstances and then make that work for you. If she backs a bit to port in reverse, try not to allow yourself to get into a position where you need her to do the opposite - Ain't gonna happen. If you need a bit of forward thrust to move the stern over a bit, place the rudder where it needs to be beforehand (while you're still backing) so when you give it that burst, it does what you need

It's all about taking advantage of what the boat does naturally and avoiding situations where you would need it to do the opposite. With lots of practice, working with her natural tendencies will have you looking like a pro when you dock

Don

[smacksman]

I just assume that the rudder makes no difference reversing at low speed - the boat goes pretty straight back. So if you have the room, line your boat up first while going forward. Check wind and current direction early so you can position the boat up wind/current while lining up for reverse.
If you are mooring starboard-to then set the rudder a bit to port before you start reversing. A burst of forward will kick the stern in to your slip. Remember, unlike a vehicle, a boat pivots about her center so when the stern kicks in, the bow kicks out.
As I am usually single handed, I have the bow, stern and midship lines grouped in the cockpit so I take all three as I hop onto the dock and get the midship line cleated first. I can then play the bow/stern lines like a puppet and line her up.
Slips that have a half length finger dock and piles 'offshore' , I put a big ball fender over the transom and leave her in tickover in reverse. This 'fixes' the stern to the dock while I hop out and get the midship line cleated and the windward stern line cleated. Those lines can then be eased as you drive forward to get the bow lines over the posts with the help of the boathook.
If you have crew then life is a lot easier!

[Sunsetrider]

Let's just hope I get to the new slip before my slip mate for my first attempt of the season.

[smacksman]

Another good tip is to pick a buoy in the middle of the lake and practise reversing up to it with the occasional kick ahead. Try it in various wind/tide conditions.
Be prepared for someone ashore thinking you are in trouble and send a rescue mission!!
I had that when I was swinging my autopilot compass and someone thought I had lost my rudder!! haha!

[Jeremyvmd]

Ugh stupid iPhone lost my post...here we go again
Another thing that can help as was suggested above was setting your lines up. First off at my marina all the slips 31ft or less are setup the same way, we have four corner posts and between every other slip is a finger pier. So every boat has one on only one side. On the other side is just the other boat. So what most guys do is string a 1/2-5/8" line tightly between them to act as a catch. Won't keep you off 100% but gives you time to fix a mistake. The other thing we do is when we cast off our stern and spring lines we loop them over those lines so they are easier to get to. Finnaly what I found that makes life easy is to attach the pier side spring line the way you would at a dock aka to the bow and stern posts and make it into one continuous rope. Then when you are pulling in or out its the first to be tied off. It locates you bow and stern, and somewhat side to side. Next to the stern lines (my bow extends past the posts so if it swings it will just hit the posts gently) then the bow and offside spring. I also found (on my dads boat, haven't had to do it on mine)that in heavy crosswinds in can use an anchor lifting ring on a rear clear and that spring to slide the rear into the slip kinda like a guide line...

[Sunsetrider]

Some good ideas here. Much appreciated. I like Jeremy's setup with the division rope, but we don't have pilings to lead the rope to. It'll come down to practice and few things make you feel better than improving skills.