How to turn a boat around single handed ?

[BlueBelle1]

My boat isn't very long probably 42ft ish how difficult or easy is it to turn around possibly on my own.. tips please ..I know there are winding holes and putting a rope from the center of the boat will help...

[Keeping Up]

You don't need anybody else, nor (usually) do you need a rope.

 

Simply steer the bows of the boat gently into the winding hole and keep going slowly forward until they touch the bank at the furthest point of the hole. Then keep the tiller about half-way over in the same direction as you used to turn into the hole, and apply a little bit of throttle (about one-quarter throttle is usually plenty) then stand there and wait as the boat does all the work by itself. You can even play with it a bit, move the tiller a bit further over or bring it back a bit, and note the effect for future reference.

 

When it has turned most of the way around, reverse back out of the winding hole and drive forward on your merry way.

 

DON'T try this in the car, all you'd get is a bent bumper!

[matty40s]

Practice, practice, no rope needed to turn a narrowboat.

As a general rule, always put the front end into a winding hole as they can be shallow at the turning point. Then you can rest the pointy end against the bank and with tiller over one way, put forward revs a

on and slowly turn. When most of the way round, select reverse...boat should keep drifting in tne same direction as you were turning.

wind sometimes helps, and is sometimes your enemy.

eventually you will be able to do it without touching the bank. ( on a good day)

[Victor Vectis]

Should be dead easy in a 42' boat.

• Find winding 'ole.
• Do a LH or RH (as appropriate) turn into said 'ole so boat is at 90⁰ ish across cut.
• Center tiller and reverse
• Continue the LH or RH manouver and Robert should be your mother's/father's brother.
• If not repeat steps until he is.
• Continue on your way rejoicing!

It's one of these things that is much easier to do than describe.

 

Hope this helps.

 

SAM

Ryde

IOW

[FadeToScarlet]

Just as easy as it is with someone else.

 

If you don't want to touch the bank....

 

Go slowly up to the winding hole, on the side of the canal opposite it, point the tiller towards it and reverse to start the turn, then tiller away from the hole and give it a bit of oomph from the engine, but not too much or else bad things happen more quickly!

 

If you can't get "round in one" you'll need to put the engine in reverse and put the tiller the other way, then resume going forwards.

 

With practice, you can do this-

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqesCLFOd3U'> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqesCLFOd3U

Edited January 31, 2014 by FadeToScarlet

[ETS Jess]

Easy peasy!

Mine is 46' and I can *just* turn her on the spot without needing to use the winding hole. But that will obviously depend on the width of the cut where you are.

If you take her to the winding hole, just take your time. Full lock in, the boat starts to turn. Once she's turning, give her a good bit of power to keep her going. then point the tiller full lock the other way and put her into reverse. She wont turn much going backwards, you're basically just pulling the bow back away from the side of the winding hole. once bow is well clear, full lock in the first direction again and give her some power, and again, once the bow gets close to the bank, full lock the other way and into reverse. repeat until you're turned

 

The wind can help you turn too, it can also have the opposite effect, so just take your time and you'll be reet!

Jess x

[scrunch]

Excellent description keeping up

[BlueBelle1]

Thanks so no real mysteries then, just practice...I'll be attempting this soon hopefully if the weather picks up next wk...you might see it on youtube (hope not)

[Rob-M]

Practice makes perfect. Get used to understanding how the wind can help you by blowing the boat round. Once you have a feel for how the wind will help it will be much easier. If you are trying to turn in to the wind and it keeps blowing you broadside then I normally put the bows gently against the bank and give it some revs with the tiller hard over.

[MtB]

Easy peasy!

Mine is 46' and I can *just* turn her on the spot without needing to use the winding hole. But that will obviously depend on the width of the cut where you are.

If you take her to the winding hole, just take your time. Full lock in, the boat starts to turn. Once she's turning, give her a good bit of power to keep her going. then point the tiller full lock the other way and put her into reverse. She wont turn much going backwards, you're basically just pulling the bow back away from the side of the winding hole. once bow is well clear, full lock in the first direction again and give her some power, and again, once the bow gets close to the bank, full lock the other way and into reverse. repeat until you're turned

 

The wind can help you turn too, it can also have the opposite effect, so just take your time and you'll be reet!

Jess x

 

 

Not sure why you would need to do this.

 

Do as Keeping Up suggests, and let the bow touch the bank in the back of winding hole. Then with the bow pressing against the bank (which stops the boat moving forwards), move the tiller across to one side and the back of the boat will just keep on moving round.

 

 

Thanks so no real mysteries then, just practice...I'll be attempting this soon hopefully if the weather picks up next wk...you might see it on youtube (hope not)

 

Can we all come and watch and take videos please?

 

 

MtB

Edited January 31, 2014 by Mike the Boilerman

[FadeToScarlet]

Easy peasy!

Mine is 46' and I can *just* turn her on the spot without needing to use the winding hole. But that will obviously depend on the width of the cut where you are.

If you take her to the winding hole, just take your time. Full lock in, the boat starts to turn. Once she's turning, give her a good bit of power to keep her going. then point the tiller full lock the other way and put her into reverse. She wont turn much going backwards, you're basically just pulling the bow back away from the side of the winding hole. once bow is well clear, full lock in the first direction again and give her some power, and again, once the bow gets close to the bank, full lock the other way and into reverse. repeat until you're turned

 

The wind can help you turn too, it can also have the opposite effect, so just take your time and you'll be reet!

Jess x

But if "full lock" puts the rudder at right angles to the flow of water from the prop, that's too much, the boat won't turn as well. The best angle.varies boat to boat, but putting the rudder over between 45 and 70ish degrees seems to work well on most.

[matty40s]

If you struggle, down the Shroppie, across the Middlewich branch and back up the Trent and Mersey/ Bridgewater. You are now facing the other way. However, if time is of the essence, keep working at all the above.

[FadeToScarlet]

Not sure why you would need to do this.

'Cos doing doughnuts is MUCH more fun?

[ETS Jess]

I've only been on the water since last May, It's the way I was shown how to do it by my neighbours is all, but yes, every boat is different, not absolute full lock, you'll feel the "biting point" I guess.

Anyway, i'm hoping to be in Parbold next weekend (8th/9th) if you would like a hand x

[Victor Vectis]

'Cos doing doughnuts is MUCH more fun?

[BlueBelle1]

I've only been on the water since last May, It's the way I was shown how to do it by my neighbours is all, but yes, every boat is different, not absolute full lock, you'll feel the "biting point" I guess.

Anyway, i'm hoping to be in Parbold next weekend (8th/9th) if you would like a hand x

Hey Thanks ETS, that would be great, I'll see if the wkend 8/9th will be okay (not sure if I'm at work, I just requested a change in hrs due to my Mum currently in hosp)..

[ETS Jess]

Okie dokie, no worries, i'll PM you my number, feel free to txt me if you're free that weekend, My boyfriend lives in the village, i'll be up from Friday night till sunday night x

[Guest]

On the wide canals up north you don't have to look for a winding hole.

 

If we are turning around after being moored I will often just step off the boat with a bow or stern line and let any available flow or the wind turn the boat. It can work on rivers too but don't let go!

 

It just saves a bit of fuel.

[bottle]

Shall we now discus the angle at which the rudder is most efficient, I'll start....

 

any thing greater than about 35° from straight ahead, is inefficient.

 

lets add the amount of 'power' setting as well....

 

anything greater than approx 1,000 rpm (assuming modern engine) is also inefficient and a waste of fuel.

 

Over to you.

 

[blackrose]

But if "full lock" puts the rudder at right angles to the flow of water from the prop, that's too much, the boat won't turn as well. The best angle.varies boat to boat, but putting the rudder over between 45 and 70ish degrees seems to work well on most.

 

I think it's actually called rudder "hard over" rather than "full lock" as on a car, but anyway, yes every boat is different.

[BlueBelle1]

On the wide canals up north you don't have to look for a winding hole.

 

If we are turning around after being moored I will often just step off the boat with a bow or stern line and let any available flow or the wind turn the boat. It can work on rivers too but don't let go!

 

It just saves a bit of fuel.

Thats good advice, I may end up doing this if I get stuck I'll just use a barge pole and hopefully I won't fall in the cut

[blackrose]

'Cos doing doughnuts is MUCH more fun?

 

 

Being a doughnut on the Thames on my 57' boat - Rudder hard over, 1000 rpm, no bow thruster used. That's the sound of a plane taking off from Heathrow in the background at about 1.00, not my engine!

Edited January 31, 2014 by blackrose

[bigste]

Steer into middle of WH slowly. When it hits the bank keep going a bit to get your tail end further over then reverse out. You'll do it in on go with your boat.

[Guest]

Thats good advice, I may end up doing this if I get stuck I'll just use a barge pole and hopefully I won't fall in the cut

Poling a boat around is different though from what I was describing. If I was on the boat then I would use it's engine to turn it.

 

Besides up here you would need a very long pole to do that!

[MtB]

Point of order m'lud.

 

Correct name for a 'barge pole' is a long shaft.

 

A bargepole is designed for not touching something with, rather than turning a boat

 

 

MtB