Re: Handling a single screw inboard
Just purchased Chris Craft Catalina 251 with single GM350 inboard.
It is my first inboard single screw boat.
Do not have any experience with maneuvering this vessel to the slip.Having a trouble with reverse parking.
Anybody with experience on this kind of craft,if you have any tips or advice,please can you share with me.
Thank you.
To add, when in reverse your prop is turning CCW pulling the boat back and to the left. So when Backing into a silp note your bow needs to be more left then center, so when you start to back the stern moves to port as it starts backing. The turn will be slower than the backing. Do not keep it in gear for any length of time, short bust so to speak. You want to move slowly and the more speed you increase the less time to react.
I line myself up at an angle to the slip and start the backing with drive facing a bit to starboard, once moving backwards at an angle but not yet allowing the stern to move much to starboard, it comes out of gear. Inertia continues to move to the rear, as I get close to the slip entrance I put the shifter in forward and the drive still to starboard. This forward thrust moves the bow to starboard and the stern to port with a short burst(s). The boat should be about straight now, turn drive to straight back but be ready for slight corrections.
As Bamaman1 mentioned, lots of practice and also do it slowly.
To dock alongside port or starboard and you just missed getting close (port works best due to prop rotation) to the side of the dock. Let's say to port, turn helm hard to starboard (your not moving much at this point, your just a bit too far away to grab hold), shift to reverse until boat starts moving backwards, then shift to forward and wait for boat to start moving forward, then repeat until you walk her in sideways.
