Trojan Boat Forum

I plan on going to Delaware City this Summer and the canal there is only ~100 feet wide. I plan on practicing my "back and fill" technique prior to going, where I will turn the wheel all the way over to starboard and then go forward and backward with the transmission to turn the boat around. Does anybody know how wide of a circle this technique will need? If I can get the boat turned around in 50 feet or so I shouldn't have any problems.

You can 100% turn the boat around in 50ft. My dock is on a tributary that is about 40-45ft wide and I am able to approach with the dock to my starboard and spin the boat to dock on the port. I also spent a week in the canal system up here and there are many areas that are not very wide. I find maneuverability with the single screw to not be a big issue when you know the boats capabilities. I had to learn quickly that my boat hates it's starboard side

I have an F-27 btw...

zedtwentyate wrote:You can 100% turn the boat around in 50ft.

+1

On a Starboard turn, you should be able to spin the boat 360° within a boat length and a half in a no wind situation. Keep in mind that a 90° turn to Port in a confined area can be accomplished by a 270° turn to Starboard.

Not sure if I fully agree with the 'boat length and a half' part (maaaaybeeeee if there is zero wind, but how often does that happen?), but 2x boat length should be plenty of room. Might be able to get it lower with lots of practice and really getting to know your boat.

When shifting gears, make sure you give things a second or so in neutral for the prop/tranny to slow down or stop spinning. Also allows you to get the wheel/rudder over without prop thrust flowing past it.

When shifting into forward, get the wheel full over to stbd while in neutral, before engaging forward, and judicial use of throttle (goose it and then immediately back to idle) will help help kick things around without really building up any speed or momentum, which can help reduce area needed (I see so many people - especially with stern drives, or sailboats! - who change gears then start cranking the wheel -- the first second or two all they are doing is countering any turning momentum they have built up).

When shifting into reverse, shift from neutral to reverse and let the prop walk start to pull you sideways. Don't swing the wheel hard over to port until the boat has stopped moving forward - that way you have the prop pulling you, and any forward momentum still acting on the rudder to turn you, until you start to back.

I know my current boat is not a single but don't write me off - my comments are based on my handling my father's single engine (383) 1969 28' Sea Skiff over close to 25 years.

Thank you for the encouraging words. I expect to have a 2 - 4 mph current on my stern when I begin my turn. Should I begin with putting the wheel hard over to port and the transmission in reverse to stop my forward motion and start the stern kicking to port? Once my forward motion is stopped I would then turn the wheel hard over to starboard and begin the back and fill technique? There is a fixed bridge at the end of the canal that I can't get under, so I have to make sure I get turned around without too much drift down the canal. You can see the Delaware City bridge and canal at http://bridgehunter.com/de/new-castle/bh65481/

Sorry guys, but I am not familiar with the ( back and fill technique ). Can anyone please clue me in.

You just added a new parameter to the problem. A BIG parameter!!! A very slow current isn't much of a problem. 2-4 knots is a LOT of current!

So what exactly are you trying to do? Forgive my lack of knowledge about your local conditions - I don't know if the current you are talking about is tidal (hence varying and reversing), or river (hence consistent and unidirectional). Are you approaching the bridge from the north, and aiming for one of those long docks (based on satellite images)? Are you looking to spin the boat around before docking, or after departing to head home?

Away wrote:Sorry guys, but I am not familiar with the ( back and fill technique ). Can anyone please clue me in.

Some of the wording and advice in here is sub-optimal, but here is the concept : http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/backfill.htm It's basically a method of turning a single screw boat around in a confined space.

Thanks Captain!

Many Thanks Captain, Just visited the site, more info for us newbi's.

captainmaniac wrote:You just added a new parameter to the problem. A BIG parameter!!! A very slow current isn't much of a problem. 2-4 knots is a LOT of current!

So what exactly are you trying to do? Forgive my lack of knowledge about your local conditions - I don't know if the current you are talking about is tidal (hence varying and reversing), or river (hence consistent and unidirectional). Are you approaching the bridge from the north, and aiming for one of those long docks (based on satellite images)? Are you looking to spin the boat around before docking, or after departing to head home?

Because the bridge has a 6 foot clearance and my boat has a 9 foot height, I have to come in from the North. With a 2 - 4 mph current and side-to docking, I need to dock into the current. I'm going to try to time my approach so the current is running South to North so I won't have to spin my boat around to dock. The concern is that the current is tidal, and is based on the Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay tides. Since the current is based off of these two tides, the current is not consistent with regard to either tide. I might not guess correctly and end up needing to spin the boat around with the current on my stern in order to dock into the current. My previous 24 foot sterndrive could make the turn very easily. The question is can my current 26 foot inboard make the turn? I plan on practicing in open water a lot this Spring to try and figure out the answer to that question. I appreciate any tips people can give me to improve my performance.

Ok... got it now. On the occasions when you do need to spin it, you are probably still okay. When you try the maneuver in open water, have someone time how long it takes you. Take the average of several attempts. When in the river you will be drifting with the current, but the current itself shouldn't materially affect how long it takes to spin the boat - you are just spinning it on moving water, not still water. (the same can not be said for wind... if there is a prevailing wind being channeled down the river that will affect turning time)

The hardest part might be the math... based on how long the maneuver takes, figure out how far you are likely to drift based on the speed of the tide, and make sure you start your spin well before you run out of that space. You can probably do the math and make up a little table ahead of time - current vs distance - based on current from .25 - 4 knots in quarter knot increments, then use a chart to figure out landmarks for the 'point of no return' is for each speed.

Worst case, you can spin the boat around quite a bit upstream of where you intend to tie up, and just let it drift backwards past your docking spot (occasional taps into forward to keep control and maintain position in the mid channel), then engage forward to counter the current and crawl up to your spot. People will think it looks weird, but it would be a huge stress reducer to be already spun and in full control long before you need to worry about the bridge or coming in to the dock.