32 BASIC POWERBOATING. SAFETY & RESCUE FOR SAILING INSTRUCTORS WIND Driving Backward


Key Points E Wind direction: the bow will tend to turn downwind. E Sea conditions: backing smaller outboard boats into waves may result in water coming over the transom and flooding the well or cockpit. If this starts to happen, abandon this maneuver.


E The pivot point will move aft in reverse, and depending on the boat’s underwater shape and windage, it may move essentially to the propeller. This is particularly true for outboards or stern drives.


E Steering control: when backing and turning in reverse, use small steering adjustments. Too large or too fast adjustments can lead to a loss of control.


When backing a boat, use small steering adjustments to keep it under control.


E Prop walk: on boats that are steered with a rudder, you will have to use the rudder to counteract the turning tendency of prop walk. On some boats, prop walk may be too strong for the rudders to overcome.


WIND Backing Toward the Wind


The combination of windage and pivot point will help you hold your course.


Backing Downwind


It may be more difficult to maintain your course when backing downwind. If the bow falls off too much, you will lose steering control. Before this happens, shift to forward gear and bring the boat back on course. Then back up again with perhaps a slight steering correction to compensate for the wind’s effect.


RETURNING TO A DOCK


Turn Right


When bow falls off, shift to forward and steer boat back on track.


To master this important maneuver, you need to be aware of how your powerboat steers and reacts to changes of throttle and gearshift, in different wind and current conditions. Here, your ability to maneuver at minimum control speed (mcs) will play an important role. A common mistake, especially with boats that use directed thrust steering, is to oversteer at slow speeds, which results in loss of control of direction. It is far better to use small steering adjustments at minimum control speed, with only an occasional brief, small increase in throttle, to make a sharper turn. The critical time for a safe and successful docking usually starts as you make your final turn to come alongside the dock, and ends as you reverse to stop the boat. Here, you’ll need precise adjustment and coordination of throttle, gearshift, and wheel (or tiller).


Table of Contents


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98