Walks to Port in reverse.

[capttb]

Find someone who makes it look as easy as parking a car and ask them to teach you.

[rockDAWG]

Sailing is fun.

[SlowButSteady]

Prop walk is something you have to work with, rather than against. Treat it as a Zen sorta thing and life will be much more harmonious.

Also, as PorFin mentioned above, it helps to take the boat out on a dead calm day and practice "using" the prop walk. It often helps to set a little temporary buoy (maybe a fender with some line and a little weight as an anchor), so you have a reference point for your maneuvers. Try backing from a dead stop at various throttle settings, then doing the same thing in forward. If the boat walks to port in reverse, it should walk to starboard in forward (although, prop walk in forward is often less pronounced). Also try idling forward (like you're coming up to the dock) and then "goosing" the engine a bit in reverse to see what the prop walk is like when you have to suddenly stop (such as when you misjudge your momentum while docking).

[svHyLyte]

It will sometimes help to power-up at bit in reverse to get a flow started over your rudder before you release the bow lines. Once you can see water swirling around with side of the transom, cast off you lines, leave your power on for a moment more to get the boat moving and then shift to neutral. That will give your rudder enough "bit" to give you a bit more control as you leave the slip and you can give yourself a short shot of power as necessay to keep the yacht moving.

Another trick, particularly if you have to steer into a cross-wind, is to use a snubbing line from your starboard stern cleat, around your starboard aft piling and back to your starboard stern cleat. As you ease out of the slip let one end of the line run but snub it intermittently to swing/hold your stern to starboard. Once your bow is clear ahead, snub the line hard which will cause your stern to pivot around the piling as you continue powering aft at modest throttle. With this you won't even need your rudder which can be preset for a port turn. Continue powering aft until the yacht is perpendicular to your slip. Then power ahead and as the yacht begins to move, cast the line off and let it run back and around the piling as your power ahead and to port clear into your fairway. The line will trail out behind the yacht as you make headway and can be gathered aboard. The snubbing line does not need to be very large for this exercise and can be made of material that will float to insure it won't get pulled into your prop but so long as you wait until you have headway before you cast off, it won't. This approach is particularly helpful for yachts with rolled headsail in a cross-wind as the windage of the rolled headsail will drive the head off without a bit of help. BTDT.

FWIW...

[MarkSF]

I found the best solution was to change to a slip where the prop walk helps you. In our marina, those are upwind too. Get on the waiting list for one!

[scratchee]

Originally Posted by SlowButSteady

Also, as PorFin mentioned above, it helps to take the boat out on a dead calm day and practice "using" the prop walk.

I'm a new guy with a new boat in a tricky slip (90-degree turn that I have to back into, with boats to left and right and in front of the slip.) I went out with one able-bodied crewmate (no "passengers" or marginally coordinated family members) and just made multiple passes at the slip. It didn't take long to feel what the boat felt like, including the prop walk, and figure out how to get in and out of the slip.

If at all possible, figure out a way to approach the slip so the prop walk works for you. It may require a maneuver or approach path that are not obvious at first (that was the case for me.)

[H and E]

Completely normal....and quite amusing....there's a guy 2 slips down from me with the same boat as you....and watching him try to back out or come back in is hilarious at times. I stand by with a large pole ready to push him away from me, and other slip owners run around in a panic and shouting warnings whenever he fires up his boat. You can cut the tension with a knife as everyone stands around in fear.

Didn't know I scared you that much. Just knew it scares me.

I have tried the in and out of reverse and that helps and would work if I had a little more room. I am going to try the line to the starboard finger pole-that sounds like a workable solution

[ehmanta]

Do yourself a favor, Take the boat out into an open area and practice backing up to feel how the boat responds to various factors. Try different rpms, rudder angle, and try different wind angles relative to the boat. You will find that the wind will have more to do with pushing your boat from the side than the prop walk, or at least have a huge impact. Current also will swing your boat from side to side. Practice, practice, practice....oh, by the way, make sure your prop is free from barnacles.....they will greatly affect the prop performance.

[Sublime]

Originally Posted by H and E

I have a Catalina 25 with inboard diesel that always walks to port when in reverse. Getting out of my slip is difficult because of this. Is there anything I can do to help this condition? I thought of building a SS ring to go around the propeller arc but am not sure this will help.

It's only a 25' boat.

I put mine in reverse at idle and hold the stern line in my hand so I can pull her butt over until she's got enough way to counter propwalk. When she has enough way, back in neutral she goes.

Returning, propwalk isn't much of an issue for me. I come in slow to start with and in neutral. I know a lot of people come in hot and throw it into reverse to stop in the slip, but I'm not fond of that.

Propwalk counters the turns I need to make for my slip so I've learned how to minimize it. The slips on the other side back up to powerboats so I'm not moving. I've seen enough of them slam into the back of other boats while they figure out docking.

[Silvio]

Originally Posted by Sublime

...The slips on the other side back up to powerboats so I'm not moving. I've seen enough of them slam into the back of other boats while they figure out docking.

Had a dock neighbor that would hang two rather large fenders from the stern of his boat in the slip because he got nailed several times by the trawlers on either side of him.