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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Prop Walk

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britinusa
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USA
5404 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/28/2013 : 07:05:01

I have read and practiced figuring out Prop Walk for several years, but I have never seen something that brings it home... till now!

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30Gj_shqt4E"] Does this show Prop Walk ? [/url]

Paul

Joint Decision. (Sold)
PO C250WB 2005 Sail # 841.

Moved up to C34 Eximius

Updated August 2015

Edited by - britinusa on 09/28/2013 07:06:31

awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 09/28/2013 : 07:51:38

That is a good visualization of it.

I also found this video helpful:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TMB4-EPMAI

It has a nice trick for seeing how a boat will walk before you find out the hard way.

If I were backing into my slip I would come the whole way down the fairway in reverse so that when it is time for low speed fine maneuvers I'm not changing direction and losing steerage.

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 09/28/2013 : 07:55:45

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britinusa
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5404 Posts

Response Posted - 09/28/2013 : 08:56:57

My take on his best approach (seeing that he has plenty of room to the left and outward from his slip) would be to pass the slip leaving it to port. Turn to Starboard - (U turn) and as the stern was past the first post (the left post in the pic) go astern and let the prop walk twist the stern into the slip. The use prop wash to line her up. But most likely, I would practice, much like the skipper did, until I figured it out.

Paul

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 09/28/2013 : 10:53:17

Not only did he seem not to understand the prop-walk effect--he also didn't seem to know to use the rudder along with forward gear to push the stern over to port. But backing an inboard is tricky, especially when you can't see the rudder alignment.

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TakeFive
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2272 Posts

Response Posted - 09/29/2013 : 12:20:04

I give the guy credit for coming around again instead of continuing to fight a lost cause. He eventually got it right (almost). I'm not sure I liked the lightning animations, though. Gently tapping a piling is not a catastrophic event, as long as it's done at creeping speed. But kudos for having the sense to record the video so he can analyze and continue to improve.

In all of his attempts, I think he went too far in forward before initially turning to starboard. When I charter a larger boat with an inboard, I turn to starboard sooner than that (when the stem is even with the first piling), and end up at a 45 degree angle with the mast roughly in line with the rightmost pilings (from the frame of reference of the video camera). Then, with the rudder still to starboard, give a strong burst of reverse to stop the boat and throw the stern to port. The boat will line up straight, and its sideways momentum from the initial approach will line up the mast with the centerline of the slip. If you've managed the energy properly, the boat should now be gently backing up, so you throw it in neutral, straighten the rudder, and coast in. If the boat has not turned enough, a quick burst of forward against the starboard rudder will turn it a little more, and a quick burst of reverse will turn it the rest of the way and hopefully start a slow motion back into the slip so you can coast in or use the guide lines to pull in.

I agree with the comment about backing in through the fairway, especially if in strong cross currents or crosswind. On my river I'm always subjected to strong cross-currents, so I always back in through the fairway. If I were to take the time to stop and reverse direction, the current would push me up against another boat. Here are a couple of videos showing how I do it when the current is [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-0RxC6zu7o"]pushing me out of the slip[/url] (very easy to do) and when the current is [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQamrZ09YcY"]pushing me into the slip[/url] (much trickier because I have to come in hot and gun the motor to stop). In the videos I stand in front of the wheel facing backwards while the Admiral controls the motor. This year I've modified the procedure for singlehanding by sitting astride the wheel on the starboard side, from where I can steer the wheel with my right hand while controlling the throttle/shift with my left hand. Since my boat has an outboard there's no prop walk, and the hard link makes slow speed maneuvering a lot more responsive to the wheel. But the general ideas still apply.

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