Albin 28 Manoeuvering at slow speed

[MeyrickP]

OK I confess I am feeling sheepish!

We just returned form 1 week's cruise on 1997 Andiamo 28 TE Enginebox with The Beast.

I had the hardest time controlling the boat at slow speeds in tight quarters. It blew fairly hard and the tide was running. I find it very hard to turn into the wind. Truthfully I had go round in circles and several times and had to drift down on top of the mooring ball. As to getting into a slip... if it was not for 3 guys on shore preventing me from crashing into valuable boats, we would still be out there.

Now please what is the real story?

Of course I have read the famous "docking" post and tried to adopt the momentum/rotational force philosophy, but.... Seems to me that the 28 has a very small rudder for quite a lot of freeboard. And I admit I am scared to gun the engine in close quarters. I can easily see that the rudder has no effect if the boat is not moving. BTW the auto pilot works well, but on "standby" the problem is intense.

Any advice before we go to the Albin NE Rendezvous next weekend. Is it possible that the steering cabling is loose?

Thanks

[RobS]

Refrain from gunning the engine in close quarters.
Does the wheel feel like it has play in it? Is your steering fluid at proper level? Via the rear center floor hatch have someone watch the rudder arm when you turn the wheel..

[jcollins]

I fell somewhat of a "newb" myself this weekend. The wind was blowing 20+ and the tide was coming in while I was trying back into my slip. I threw a springline over a piling and the beast just backed in. We have a couple of trawlers in my marina with no bow thruster. They use springlines all the time.

[Capt Paul]

ALbin 28s are slugsissh to respond at low RPMs, espcially turning to PORT because of the left hand screw, increase in the rudder size is not going to do much. What I have found (after much trial and error and I am still learning) is to try and use everything to your advantage. By everything I mean wind direction, current and boat controls. This means you need to access the situation before entering a slip or tying to a mooring. Look around and understand the wind direction and current before making your advance into the close quarter situation. When entering my slip, I almost always will have the wind broadside to my port. So I use it to help turn the boat into the slip. I keep it at my stern and enter the slip at about a 45 degree angle with the bow, back down to bring the stern around and the wind takes care of the rest . I then just use forward motion to get the boat into the slip. If no wind I can make a wide turn into the slip. Bow thruster is there if needed. Bottom line wind or current broadside to the boat is going to take over the situation fairly quickly.

Paul

[Yearwood]

A few thoughts. One reason the boat is sluggish in maneuvering is the fact hat it has a deep skeg which resists lateral movement. With a bow thruster it is rather easy but of course the bow moves first. In maneuvering without the thruster when possible to lay against a piling it can be used as a pivot point. Finally, while it takes sometime to get used to doing, gunning the engine to increase flow across the rudder and create increased lift (lateral) is something to be practiced.