backing up

[dvolkman]

Hello all. I am soon to be a Catalina 350 owner and will need to back out of a slip for the first time. How well does the 350 do in reverse? I've heard there's some propwalk. I'm not used to a single throttle/fwd/reverse control. Is it very sensitive?

Thanks,

Dave

[Tim OSullivan]

Dave, I have been backing stern-to on my dock for the last 3 years and have prettty much mastered the approach. The prop walk is pretty evident when I power forward just before contacting the dock. Also when leaving in reverse be sure to power up pretty good to get the boat moving for stearage. Compared to other boats of the same size there is nothing significantly different in reverse on the 350. Enjoy your new boat, the 350 has been a great boat for me.

Tim

[Tim April IV]

Our C350 backs up pretty much like any other sailboat that we've handled. No sailboat steers well until it's moving. The trick we find is to apply power enough to get the boat moving, shift to neutral and begin steering as needed. Apply additional power if/as needed, in short bursts. Don't be afraid of the throttle - little "bursts" aren't going to hurt anything.

Good Luck!

[dvolkman]

OK, I'm ready! Tomorrow 6am we set sail! (or motor) Thanks for the help.

Dave V.

[Golden Handcuffs]

I don't consider myself a master (yet), but I believe a recent article in "Sail" magazine suggested avoiding the tendency to rev the engine when reversing in efforts to get you going faster. The rational was that doing so produces a ton of propwalk, while adding very little to increasing boat speed. They suggested a more slow and steady approach, which makes sense from a physics standpoint.

My specific advice for the 350 is don't try backing downwind if it's really blowing (like 15+). The bow would much rather point downwind. I sometimes found myself in this situation when un-docking. It was much easier to back upwind, then go forward and turn around.

[Windseeker]

I like this topic. I've been in a 15 foot beam slip for my third year. I (almost) always back in. Sometimes, I feel I need Vasoline on the pilings to get in. Here is the trick I found. Plenty of distance. I start my decent probably 100 yards out. I point the boat into the wind, watch the GPS for near zero speed, I move my body on the other side of the wheel and put her in reverse so I am steering like I'm in forward. It seems to take about 20-30 yards until I have control. I have to make an S-turn, so that momentum is important. Once I have control, then it is a matter of the cross-breeze to determine the power. In a strong cross breeze, it's pretty hair-rasing. I'll come in at "Ramming Speed" according to the wife. Once I split the "goal posts" (2nd piling), I ram her in forward hard, and she stops. At times, I have come in with 25-30 winds, and I just cannot get control. (love a bow-thruster today) Then, I just pull her in forward. Our finger docks are not very long, so climbing off the bow across the achor is no fun unloading.