Backing a 26X into a narrow slip!

[bbenkert26x]

Hello again!

Well as you all can tell, I am still getting used to, and a lot of good information from everybody about the 26X, thank you, working on the transformation from a keel haul 33ft 1981 Hunter to my 26X!

I have never really had to back my Hunter into a slip that I can remember, but I do know how to back her out, but the prop in in front of the ruder, not besides it, lol

I have a very narrow slip I keep her in, almost zero margin for any leeway, 8 out of 10 time now, I can not get her in with out problems drifting, etc.

What is the best procedure? CB up? rudders up? Stay hard on the throttle? I can't seem to find the right combo unless there is no wind, then I can back right in..... sure making me look like a novice, and well, I guess I am when it comes to the 26X

Thanks again for the info!

Capt. B

P.S. My 1st mate is ready to divorce me over this!!

[Russ]

Tell the Admiral to have patience, it will get better.

The Mac has a lot above the water and little below, so she blows around easily. So try to get as much "grip" in the water as possible. That means all fins (rudders, dagger) down as far as possible. Hopefully your slip is not shallow and you can do this. Also make sure the motor and rudders are attached to steering.
I find coming in too slow will reduce "traction" of the fins. Not too fast that it's dangerous, but not at a creep. Give it a little speed.
Compared to your Hunter, it will not pivot on the center keel. That takes some getting used to. Line it up as best you can before entering the slip.

Maybe go out and learn the turning properties on open water. Like I said, without a proper keel, she won't pivot, so learn how to deal with that.

Some have backed in and claim it's easier by standing in front of the wheel facing back. I'm not brave enough to try that. I'm afraid of hitting rudders and breaking them.

What kind of dock do you have? We have floating docks and I line them with dock guards and fenders. I can hit the dock and not hurt the boat. That give me confidence to be able to hit the dock. If you have pilings, maybe add guards to them.

Be aware of wind. These boats blow around a LOT with wind. Compensate if necessary.

Practice, practice, practice.

--Russ

[bbenkert26x]

Hello Russ!

I am at a wooden short slip with pilings on each side and about 6" maybe of clearance on each side, and as I get closer to the Seawall, the shallower it gets, I am afraid of catching a rudder on a piling as well as the seawall, not to concerned about dragging the CB. Last time in, I tried all combos as well, and still drifted, lined it up about 10 ft out, got to the pilings and started to go sideways, but I did back off the throttle, so that might be what it takes, just like back up my Hunter, hit it hard in reverse, then back off!

Will try your advice!

Thanks,

Capt. B.

[Russ]

I think if you hit those pilings, the rubrail of the Mac would bounce off. Still not a good feeling. My Hunter 34 was a LOT different. It pivoted perfectly on the keel at low speeds. Backed to port predictably. The Mac is a different kind of boat.

My best advice is fins down with some speed on. Not too slow, but not too fast as to be unable to stop. The Mac will actually stop on a dime though in reverse. Benefit of big motor.

Just remember that wind is your enemy here. Most of the boat is affected by wind and there's little below the water to grip. It took me a while to get used to it and I'm still not good at getting her on the trailer.

--Russ

[Tomfoolery]

As already stated, the skitters around like a dog on ice without the centerboard and at least one rudder down. I even put it on the trailer with the CB halfway down, pulling it up right before it hits the rear bunk, though it would just swing up even if it did hit. The rudders I leave uncleated for such slow speed maneuvers if there's a risk of hitting something. They'll stay down just fine at idle speeds. Won't kick up in reverse, though, and the centerboard will dig in rather than kick up in reverse, too, so you have to be aware of the bottom.

With the rudder(s) down as well as the CB, and the engine linked to the rudders, it's a strange technique that's required for docking. With a keelboat, if you want to swing the stern close to a dock that's on the starboard side while you're moving forward, you just spin the wheel to port while moving forward and run the engine up in reverse to slow down at the same time. The stern will continue to move to starboard while the boat slows and stops. With the X, if you do that, the engine will pull you to port when in reverse, and overpower the rudder(s). Took me a while to get used to this. Come in with the engine in neutral or at idle, and it handles more or less like a keelboat. Run the engine up in reverse, and it behaves like a powerboat, so you have to spin the wheel to starboard and hit reverse, which will overpower the rudder(s) and pull the stern towards the dock on the starboard side.

It's not hard when you get used to it, but I have to turn around and eyeball the OB to remind myself which way it's pointed before giving it power at slow speeds so I don't kick it (forward or reverse) the wrong way.

I've tried it with no rudders, but I don't like it. I use one rudder for docking virtually always, as well as the CB down about half way or so.

[bbenkert26x]

Nice, I was just wondering about the prop spin as in a keel boat with the prop before the ruder, same affect, almost! This weekend I am going to take her out away from everything and see what I can come up with!

Thank you for your help and suggestions, well noted!

Capt. B.

[Kittiwake]

I often leave the rudders at home along with the mast, and keep the daggerboard raised.
But in a related thread some months ago I picked up a couple of docking tips that have proven useful to me:
i) be very gentle with the throttle in reverse, because the controls are such that a small shift in throttle position in reverse makes a big change in the gas going to the engine (not so in forward)
ii) use little bursts of engine power especially in reverse, rather than say ramming the throttle into reverse and leaving it.

But gosh parking a Mac in a stiff breeze is a real challenge: don't hesitate to call the warfinger on your radio for help as you come in. They may even suggest you park temporarily at a less cramped dock.
Kittiwake

[BOAT]

Wow, it sure seems like a lot of you guys used to have those big Hunter boats! I wonder why so many people with Hunter boats also buy MAC's?

I am always a little fast coming into a dock because it makes the rudders and dagger-board work better - I sort of rush the dock front first at a 45 degree angle and then turn the motor towards the dock and give it a good short blast in reverse. The motor will usually pull the stern into the dock and also slow me down to near stop. If I go too slow the boat drifts away from the dock before I can get a line down so I just back up an do it again.

In slips and tight docks that are surrounded with other boats I open the helm seat and drive the boat in backwards standing down in the motor well because it's so low I can just step right off onto the dock with both a stern line and a bow line in hand. (That was how Mike Inmon taught us to park the MAC at Rogers slip.) It works pretty good! Then i use ropes to move the boat around from there. I may look dumb using a bow line to pull the front of boat into the dock but I don't care. I know the power boaters probably make fun of me because I don't 'drive' 'boat' onto the trailer - I use dock lines.

I use dock lines for EVERYTHING - I use them to take the boat off the trailer, ON the trailer I use them to pull the furler when I connect it - Use em to pull dinghy ,(I even use them to tie the stern when towing).

Your slip sounds really tight - it would be neat to watch movies of you parking the boat. That would be cool.

[mastreb]

Get as much board down as possible, and go about 3 knots. Any less and the boat won't be very responsive to the helm. In windy conditions or with a current pushing abeam, I will usually come to the end of the slip, hop off with a stern dock line, and line handle the boat around the corner into the slip.

However, I go generally go bow into the slip vice stern in. Less likely to hit the motor on the dock if something goes wrong, and I prefer to back out of the slip because the Mac sometimes cannot turn into the wind or current inside the width of the fairway going bow out, but it can always reverse out.

I like BOAT's method of stepping off through the transom--I'll have to try that next time I reverse in.

[bbenkert26x]

Hello Boat!!

And yet another great idea!! Thank you, I will try this as well!! And as for a video, not a chance, lol!!! Give me my Hunter back and I will give you all the video you want!! BTW, I lost her Christmas day to a sandbar just west of Stump Pass in Englewood, Fl. Put the rudder thru the stern, sunk her in about an hour, had to do the may day hail to the Coast Guard as well.............. someone had moved the day marker way off the channel, out going tide and 2-4 ft seas, it didn't take long! After looking at other sailboats and our wallet, the 26X looked like, and has done everything us weekend warriors wanted to do, except docking!!!

Capt. B

[BOAT]

That's SO WIERD! We almost lost a whole family out here in the Coronados because they LOST THEIR RUDDER ON A HUNTER! I know Hunters are damn fine boats but I sure see a lot of Hunter owners playing with MACS.

[DaveB]

Remember how I backed my Macx against a strong beam wind and anchored and beached stern to landing on the beach this past weekend at Cayo.
That required Rudders up and 12 inch centerboard down.
Same thing is applied to backing into a slip but if you have depth you want rudders down and about 12 inches of centerboard down.
Use the throttle to control boats location, it responds very quickly even in cross winds.
Try doing some control methods in a open channel and practise diffrent docking manovers.
Takes a little practise but you will master it in quick time.
Remember that rudders down and partial 12 inch down centerboard will give you control on leeway and that is a must in docking.
Ps: Make sure your boarding ladder is up going stearn to the beach.
Dave

Hello again!

Well as you all can tell, I am still getting used to, and a lot of good information from everybody about the 26X, thank you, working on the transformation from a keel haul 33ft 1981 Hunter to my 26X!

I have never really had to back my Hunter into a slip that I can remember, but I do know how to back her out, but the prop in in front of the ruder, not besides it, lol

I have a very narrow slip I keep her in, almost zero margin for any leeway, 8 out of 10 time now, I can not get her in with out problems drifting, etc.

What is the best procedure? CB up? rudders up? Stay hard on the throttle? I can't seem to find the right combo unless there is no wind, then I can back right in..... sure making me look like a novice, and well, I guess I am when it comes to the 26X

Thanks again for the info!

Capt. B

P.S. My 1st mate is ready to divorce me over this!!

[Russ]

Remember how I backed my Macx against a strong beam wind and anchored and beached stern to landing on the beach this past weekend at Cayo.
...
Ps: Make sure your boarding ladder is up going stearn to the beach.
Dave

I've always wanted to do this, but I'm afraid of chewing up my prop on the beach. What I have done is drop anchor off the bow, drift back toward the beach and hop off with a line once I'm close to shore. Then tie to something and pull the stern of the boat in to shore (ladder and prop up). I'm also worried about snapping the depth transducer if the transom touches the beach so I keep her just a bit from the actual beach.

--Russ

[Johnacuda]

Freeboard+wind is a killer when I dock my
i have the depth to keep all my boards down, take it at medium speed, and am pretty handy with my boat hook too. I also tie off my bow-line onto the side rail, turning it into a spring-line for grabbing/ wrangling.

[BOAT]

Boat Wranglers!

Yeah, remember when beaching stern first it is okay to tilt the motor almost all the way out of the water. That helps a LOT. (Churns up the bottom pretty good too)

In the old boat we beached in Sea of Cortez a lot - but the old boat had a swing centerboard and a huge rudder inside the cockpit. It was hard to pull up at just the right moment so a stern beaching was out of the question. We would throw out an anchor THEN beach bow first THEN tie the stern off to the land THEN back off the beach do a little flip turn and pull the boat back to shore with the stern line we set on land all without getting our feet wet. I remember one time in Mexico we tried it at night and the beach we came into was a LOT steeper than we thought so when I went over the bow I went into the water all the way up to my shoulders and then the boat was trying to push me underwater. I was real mad that night and really wet.