Need bigger rudder

[Capt Paul]

I have been enjoying reading this particular thread and re-living every moment of simalar experiences. "Back and Fill" is the term I was taught under and it works very well once you understand the way it suppose to work and practice, practice practice... I am able to use back and fill to get out of my slip and turn the boat to where I need to go to get of of my finger in the Marina. Getting into my slip (of course it's a turn to port) is always exciting. I have a full berth with landings on both sides of me. About a little over a foot on each side of the boat when in the slip.

Wind is usually coming from directly behind the boat as I approach the slip. What I have learned is this. I take power off the prop about 100 ft from the slip and let the wind push the boat down to it. I'm doing about 1.5kts. I can goose the stern around by short burst in forward with the rudder over to port or reverse with the rudder straight. I have doc wheels at the end of the slip which makes the entry somewhat narrower but at least they are padded. If the wind is real strong and I don't get into the slip far enough the boat pivots on the doc wheels. I've been thinking about removing them to tell you the truth. Once the bow of the boat is in the slip I turn the rudder to starboard because the stern is being pushed down wind and I need to get the bow over at this point. If I get into a jam the bow thruster is there to help but I try not to use it. If I really miss the mark on getting into the slip I pull the boat completely out of the finger and try again or just try to back up enough to make another approach to the slip.


Paul
I'm still practicing!

[fairtide]

My old A27SC had a big rudder and I became used to being able to scoot into my slip even with little or no prop discharge, as long as the boat had headway. When I recently moved up to the 28, I discovered that the bow thruster was not a luxury, but a necessity. After a bit of getting used to the boat under ideal conditions, I was able to get out of the slip (reverse) and make a fairly tight right turn without the thruster. I had it armed and ready, just in case. Getting back into the slip (bow in and hard to port) still takes some thruster because I don't have the courage to come in at a speed that allows the rudder to do anything.
In open water, the boat turns well in both directions. Mine is a 2006 with a 315 engine and hydraulic steering. The boat tracks well and does not require rudder offset to compensate for propwalk. for those of you who sailed with a boat that had a real weather-helm, remember that you don't want to go back to that situation. Some of still have permanent indents in our thighs where the tiller did what it could to push us overboard.
Just a question: how do you find the level of that special $20/quart steering oil in the reservoir at the helm?

[Mariner]

Remove the cap, and fill until it spills out.