Hello All-- I've been sailing a couple of years, mostly in a local sailing club's benehunter 30 - somethings. I can handle them okay in the marina and slips-- I know how prop walk/ wash works, effects of wind, backing and filling, etc. I just bought a Bristol 40, and it handles quite differently from the boats I'm used to. Heavier boat, small rudder attached to long keel has less authority at low speeds, and the boat has a larger turning radius. On the other hand, its substantial prop walk and "kick" with the rudder over in forward gear makes it easy to back and fill.
When I go to make the right turn from the fairway into my slip, it seems like the boat's turning radius is too great-- like I either won't complete the turn and run into the outside dock finger, or start the turn earlier and get the bow into the slip but the boat will still be at too much of an angle to enter the slip cleanly. (It's a right turn from the fairway into the upwind slip.) What I did last weekend, when it looked like I wouldn't make the turn in time, was give it a quick goose of throttle in forward with the rudder over, which kicked the bow over enough to get into the slip. But it was kind of a last second scramble that was a little unnerving.
So, any advice from experienced fullish-keel skippers would be appreciated. "Kick" it with throttle (either in forward or reverse) early in the turn to tighten the radius? Do a more leisurely half a back and fill in front of the slip? Just get better at gliding it in at idle or in neutral ? (feels like threading the needle now). Or?
Thanks,
Steve H
When I go to make the right turn from the fairway into my slip, it seems like the boat's turning radius is too great-- like I either won't complete the turn and run into the outside dock finger, or start the turn earlier and get the bow into the slip but the boat will still be at too much of an angle to enter the slip cleanly. (It's a right turn from the fairway into the upwind slip.) What I did last weekend, when it looked like I wouldn't make the turn in time, was give it a quick goose of throttle in forward with the rudder over, which kicked the bow over enough to get into the slip. But it was kind of a last second scramble that was a little unnerving.
So, any advice from experienced fullish-keel skippers would be appreciated. "Kick" it with throttle (either in forward or reverse) early in the turn to tighten the radius? Do a more leisurely half a back and fill in front of the slip? Just get better at gliding it in at idle or in neutral ? (feels like threading the needle now). Or?
Thanks,
Steve H