Reversing in a straight line

[billS]

A touch of the bowthruster button when the front begins to swing works for me.

[johnmck]

Already got my coat, but...

 

 

A bow thruster makes reversing a doddle.

[Guest]

Bowthrusters are for whimps That's what I tell out neghbour when he reverses in perfectly onto the pontoons, and we get blown all over the place!

[WotEver]

Kevin at Springwood Haven used to do exactly that, both with private boats and with the hire fleet at considerable speed.

Yup, seen him do that many times.

 

OT I note that the hire fleet has now moved out of Springwood and onto Cov Basin.

 

Tony

[BD3Bill]

Not much use to you single-handed folk I know but...

 

I put the lovely Jayne ashore on the towpath. She holds a line to the T-stud on the bow.

 

I reverse in a straight line along the towpath side.

 

She doesn't have to haul or strain on the line, mostly it is slack.

 

It works.

 

When I've finished the reverse, she pulls the bow in, steps on with a push off and I start winding/turning.

 

Saves a lot of stress.

 

Cheers Bill

[Athy]

Yup, seen him do that many times.

 

OT I note that the hire fleet has now moved out of Springwood and onto Cov Basin.

 

Tony

Yes, at least a year ago. But seeing him reversing the hire boats at speed and round a bend into those spaces where they used to moor was awe-inspiring, if perhaps not good for the gearboxes.

[ChimneyChain]

Reversing is all about positioning your tiller in the opposite direction to where the bow is drifting, once the bow is straight the tiller should also be straight, and only moving the tiller if and when needed IE bow starts to drift left or right. Tiller doesn't need to be hard over just holding against the strain of the wash.

 

Darren

[Keeping Up]

As long as I don't get too close to the edge or into the shallows, I've found that our boat reverses best at a moderate speed of about 3mph. I watch the bows 90% of the time with only a quick glance to where I'm going, which tells me immediately if it starts to swing off course, and if it starts to divert excessively it can usually be pulled back on line by speeding up. I have managed to reverse almost a mile like this on occasions, but one problem is that after several instances of correcting by speeding up you can end up by travelling very very fast indeed, which makes the possibility of an almighty cock-up rather likely.

 

Probably the best tip I ever heard was not to waste time trying to put the boat where you want it; use your time profitably in thinking up your excuses as to why you wanted to be where it puts you (eg "yes you're right you do get a good view of Braunston Church from this reed-bed")

[Dave_P]

As long as I don't get too close to the edge or into the shallows, I've found that our boat reverses best at a moderate speed of about 3mph. I watch the bows 90% of the time with only a quick glance to where I'm going, which tells me immediately if it starts to swing off course, and if it starts to divert excessively it can usually be pulled back on line by speeding up. I have managed to reverse almost a mile like this on occasions, but one problem is that after several instances of correcting by speeding up you can end up by travelling very very fast indeed, which makes the possibility of an almighty cock-up rather likely.

 

Probably the best tip I ever heard was not to waste time trying to put the boat where you want it; use your time profitably in thinking up your excuses as to why you wanted to be where it puts you (eg "yes you're right you do get a good view of Braunston Church from this reed-bed")

3mph??? That's pretty brisk going forwards!

[Loafer]

I also have a 'good reverser' boat. I'm quite convinced that it's all about bottom profile (fnarr fnarr). IF you have a good reverser! (there can be other reasons why certain boats don't go backwards well). On deep water, we get a straight line with a central rudder. Prop walk doesn't happen much because the wash is all going forward.

 

I regularly reverse a mile or so from the Anchor Inn (SUC Br42) to Grub St winding hole, to save an hour going ahead to the next one. It always goes wrong just after Grub St bridge. The disturbance is always in the same direction, and it's always impossible to oppose with rudder! Once clear, normality resumes.

 

I'm interested in the heavy weight over the bow, but I doubt if a a bucket would work well. Not enough speed, I think.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Loafer

[nb Innisfree]

I also have a 'good reverser' boat. I'm quite convinced that it's all about bottom profile (fnarr fnarr). IF you have a good reverser! (there can be other reasons why certain boats don't go backwards well). On deep water, we get a straight line with a central rudder. Prop walk doesn't happen much because the wash is all going forward.

 

I regularly reverse a mile or so from the Anchor Inn (SUC Br42) to Grub St winding hole, to save an hour going ahead to the next one. It always goes wrong just after Grub St bridge. The disturbance is always in the same direction, and it's always impossible to oppose with rudder! Once clear, normality resumes.

 

I'm interested in the heavy weight over the bow, but I doubt if a a bucket would work well. Not enough speed, I think.

I think that prop walk only accounts for a small part of stern wander, I believe that when near the bankside in shallow water the corkscrew from a prop in reverse spirals around the swim and bounces off the bank and into the side of the swim. Deep water allows this rebound to pass under the swim with minimal effect on the stern.

 

That's my theory anyway.

[NickF]

The key to it as far as our boat is concerned is to go slowly, keep looking both forwards and backwards to see what is going on, and don't worry if it all goes to ratchet. Lots of practice helps, but even then success isn't guaranteed.

Not tried Loddon's trick yet but I reckon it would help.

Don't bother with too much backwards looking, 90% of the time your eye needs to be on the bow in my experience ... that's the only way to spot it starting to swing off course.

[mattlad]

Don't bother with too much backwards looking, 90% of the time your eye needs to be on the bow in my experience ... that's the only way to spot it starting to swing off course.

I agree. If you look over the stern and only occasionally at the bows you'll suddenly find yourself swinging a boat width and have to go ahead to get steerage and get the boat re-aligned again. if you look mostly over the bows you'll see straight away if the boat starts to move the wrong way and be able to correct it without having to adjust the power at all.

[Bunny]

I mainly watch the stern . Greyfisher is fairly considerate when she is in reverse, once you get her going . Moderate speed , not too slow , otherwise when you need to correct she goes back over the ground you have just covered . The trick with her is to correct but still drift backwards . Also there is a speed at which she travels back more evenly . All very good until it's blowing a hooley . Plan B then . Bunny

[Machpoint005]

Erm - I advocated looking both forwards and backwards. I didn't suggest any apportionment!

 

I'd say the same about going forwards in a car, but there you have mirrors.

[Keeping Up]

Erm - I advocated looking both forwards and backwards. I didn't suggest any apportionment!

 

I'd say the same about going forwards in a car, but there you have mirrors.

No but I did. I suggested looking at the bow 90% and the stern 10% of the time, and others seem to agree.

[Dalesman]

Hang a 20kg weight off the bow on a line and this will stop the bow wandering and enable you to reverse in a straight line.

Just remember to haul it in when you go forward.......

I find a 56Ib mud weight over the bow and on the bottom works well

[blackrose]

Reversing is all about positioning your tiller in the opposite direction to where the bow is drifting, once the bow is straight the tiller should also be straight, and only moving the tiller if and when needed IE bow starts to drift left or right. Tiller doesn't need to be hard over just holding against the strain of the wash.

 

Darren

Not on my boat. The tiller has absolutely no effect on where the bow goes in reverse.

I agree. If you look over the stern and only occasionally at the bows you'll suddenly find yourself swinging a boat width and have to go ahead to get steerage and get the boat re-aligned again. if you look mostly over the bows you'll see straight away if the boat starts to move the wrong way and be able to correct it without having to adjust the power at all.

How do you correct it if you don't adjust the power to come out of astern and into forward? You mean adjust it with the rudder? That won't work on my boat.

 

No but I did. I suggested looking at the bow 90% and the stern 10% of the time, and others seem to agree.

Yes that's what I do.

Edited February 25, 2016 by blackrose

[Richard10002]

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?? Practise Practise Practise!!

 

 

I practise at every opportunity. If I'm going to the clubhouse for any reason, I usually reverse back to the mooring - only a few hundred yards, and other boaters laugh at me from time to time... but every now and then I do it so well, and swing it onto the mooring like a pro, and those watch generally suggest that there is no way they could do it like that.

 

Admittedly, The Bridgewater is deep, but I can only work with what I've got. Hopefully, if ever I have to reverse in anger, I'll have a pretty good idea of what I'm trying to achieve.

 

(Had to look up the difference between "practise" and "practice" verb and noun respectively )

[blackrose]

I take the opposite approach. I don't move my boat all winter so when I come to move it's all new to me again and I have to relearn everything.

[Bee]

Only way mine goes backwards in a straight line is if I pull it with a rope from the bank.

[MtB]

I find a 56Ib mud weight over the bow and on the bottom works well

 

 

I find this makes no difference at all. I've tried various weights and a galvanised bucket and with my boats, all are less than useless.

 

As others have said, looking at the bows rather than where one is going allows one to to detect the boat beginning to turn slightly and correction at the rudder applied in good time. Along with a sweet spot of speed about 2.5mph. Any faster and if things get out of shape too fast!

[furnessvale]

I find a 56Ib mud weight over the bow and on the bottom works well

I have found anything like that is far too likely to snag in the assorted prams, shopping trolleys etc on the bottom.

 

I have used a length of 1" iron pipe filled with scrap metal. Use a blanking cap at the bottom and a reducing coupling at the top for the rope to pass through, knotted internally. Make it long enough so the bottom can scrape along the bottom of the cut, but the leading edge is suspended by the fairly short rope you deploy it on. That way there is nothing to snag.

 

I have used the device on many occasions to reverse from Furness Vale to the junction at Bridgemont on the Peak Forest. About 3/4 mile with several narrows and bends.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

Edit: of course you must still spend 90% of the time looking at the bows for that slight movement off course and correct it.

Edited February 26, 2016 by furnessvale

[FadeToScarlet]

Sounds a lot like the 1 cwt iron "pigs" used to control horseboats on the Severn, shaped so it rides over any obstructions.

[peterboat]

mine is ok at 1300 rpm anymore or less is disaster wind is always a problem especially after mushy peas