[Public-List] Reversing the A-30

Mon Apr 4 05:30:35 PDT 2011

Good for you, Mike!

On 04/04/11 8:26 AM, "John Birch" <Sunstone at cogeco.ca> wrote:

> Bow thrusters Mike - that is too funny
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Lehman" <Sail_505 at hotmail.com>
> To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
> Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 8:08 AM
> Subject: Re: [Public-List] Reversing the A-30
> 
> 
>> Practice, practice and more practice.
>> 
>> Take the boat out into open water and practice backing, it will help you
>> see how the boat responds without hitting anything.
>> 
>> It is funny, the surveyor last week recommended bow thrusters. I had to
>> take the boat home after the 'out of water' survey. The surveyor was going
>> to meet me at my dock and help me tie up. I back into my slip. The wind
>> was 5-10 out of the north. My slip is East/West with the stern pointed
>> east. I beat the surveyor to the dock and by the time he arrived I was
>> already tied up, he just had to hand me the bow line. He remarked at how
>> easily I backed up the boat...I asked "what was that you said about bow
>> thrusters?" end of conversation.
>> 
>> It comes with practice!
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Gordon Laco
>> Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2011 10:41 AM
>> To: Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all
>> Subject: Re: [Public-List] Reversing the A-30
>> 
>> Well I guess I asked for it.... Sorry this is so long but it's not easy to
>> describe briefly without access to diagrams
>> 
>> When backing up, the key is to only engage the transmission in short
>> bursts.
>> Remember that the boat will always try to weathercock her head down wind
>> and
>> make a plan that accommodates this.   If you have to make a turn while
>> reversing, don't rely on the rudder to be effective;  instead, use 'burps'
>> of power ahead (with lots of rudder) to shove the stern in the direction
>> you
>> need it to go.  Be aggressive with the throttle and picture a blast or jet
>> of water being directed by the rudder when doing this, but not so
>> aggressive
>> that you stop movement astern.
>> 
>> Where we keep SURPRISE a south wind, luckily rare here, can make getting
>> out
>> of our slip complicated because the usual backing out and turning involves
>> turning the stern away from the wind, the opposite to what the boat wants
>> to
>> do.  Since I know SURPRISE just won't want to turn her stern away from the
>> wind while backing out, I don't ask it of her.  We either turn the 'wrong'
>> way until she's done a 180 in reverse ( a complete U), then apply full
>> opposite rudder with full throttle to shove her head up so we can turn
>> again
>> and get out.... Or just back out.   The A30 will quite happily track
>> straight in reverse if she's backing upwind.  The natural tendency for the
>> bow to fall off helps in this case.   Once can avoid prop walk being a
>> problem by keeping the engine in neutral or just idling in reverse with
>> burps of reverse power keeping her moving.  If a sharper course adjustment
>> is needed, one can put the transmission in forward and give it a hard bash
>> instantly followed by going back into neutral before sternway is lost.  At
>> the first opportunity, we spin the boat in her length so that we can more
>> elegantly leave in forward.
>> 
>> To spin the boat in her length, a useful thing in tight quarters, one can
>> use the A30's weight and overhangs to help.  If at rest, get her moving
>> astern, but before she gets much way on, put the helm hard over and burp
>> sharply in reverse.  She'll stop, stunned, but her head will begin
>> swinging.
>> Get her moving astern again, but before much speed gets on her, do it
>> again.
>> The A30, like most traditional vessels, can use the heavy ends' tremendous
>> momentum which is developed once she starts a swinging motion.
>> 
>> This is easier if the boat has forward way on, such as for example coming
>> up
>> to a wharf that has a space between boats made fast alongside.  (in a car
>> we'd call it parallel parking)  Say we want to spin to port so as to slide
>> into the space, ending up with the bow facing the way back out...
>> approach
>> slowly... Start a turn in as if aiming for the centre of the space with
>> full
>> rudder then as the bow begins to spin to port put the transmission in
>> reverse and burp up to full power for a second.  The boat will stop
>> (stunned
>> is how I visualize it) but keep swinging to port... Let her start backing
>> then give her a burp ahead - remember the helm is still hard over causeing
>> the prop wash to shove the bow to port again.  She'll start moving forward
>> but before she gets much way on, go into reverse and stun her again.
>> She'll
>> swing faster.  Do this a couple or a few times and the boat will be halted
>> with regard to way through the water, but will be swinging.  Once she has
>> nearly done her 180, give her a little reverse helm and slow ahead...
>> She'll
>> gently stop swinging and slowly slide forward into the space.
>> 
>> I appreciate this may be unclear when one is not watching it being done...
>> But I recommend people try it out in open water on a quiet day.
>> 
>> The reason we can do this better than most fin keeled yachts is because
>> the
>> prop wash plays directly upon the rudder.  The cut out and the rudder
>> position in our boats is about perfect to direct the prop wash as a jet of
>> water shoving the stern forward or aft.  The A30's relatively great weight
>> imparts great momentum.... The prop wash will tend to spin the boat before
>> it starts it moving ahead or astern.
>> 
>> Back to reversing.... Imagine the boat doing 1.5 or 2 knots astern backing
>> down a channel.  The prop walk, the wind or whatever starts her tending
>> off
>> course.  You know the rudder won't do anything so you krank the helm over
>> to
>> full in the direction you want the bow to swing... And burp a lot of power
>> just for a second, in forward.  The boat will slow... But so long as you
>> judge the amount of power correctly she won't stop, and you'll have shoved
>> the stern back into line and you can burp in reverse to keep her moving.
>> Obviously one can't do this too many times in a row or she will stop...
>> But
>> that's good, because now you can spin her and finish the passage out in
>> forward.
>> 
>> In a cross wind, you'd be better off spinning as described above and then
>> motoring out normally because nothing will prevent the bow from falling
>> away
>> from the wind.
>> 
>> Sorry this is so Long and I hope it makes sense.
>> 
>> Gord #426 SURPRISE
>> 
>> 
>> On 03/04/11 8:18 AM, "Greg Bover" <gregbover at cbfisk.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> <<<<<<I've heard of that sort of thing.  My feeling is that full keeled
>>> yachts are
>>> 'less maneauvreable' than fin keeled yachts only when they are handled by
>>> sailors who aren't used to them.   Any full keeled yacht with a prop in
>>> an
>>> aperture can be made to spin in its own length by use of rudder and
>>> engine.
>>> Fin keeled yachts have made people lazy and forget how to handle their
>>> boats.
>>> Do I sound like I'm getting on a high horse?  I guess so! Sorry.
>>> Gord<<<<<<
>>> 
>>> All right, Gord, I'll admit it. I can't back up Linnet worth a damn. Care
>>> to
>>> expand on your comment with some instruction?
>>> 
>>> Greg
>>> 
>>> Greg Bover
>>> Frances Fitch
>>> Linnet #114
>>> Gloucester
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Gregory R. Bover
>>> VP Operations, Project Manager
>>> C. B. Fisk, Inc
>>> 978 283 1909
>>> www.cbfisk.com
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
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> 
> 
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