A little steering advice needed

[bedouin]

Took my out yesterday for the first time in months (long story but after my mechanic did the 300 hour service on my etec - it was misfiring - to the point where my mechanic said "over the phone" it was my injectors and he wanted another $500 or $600 to have them cleaned - I got another mechanic and it turned out to be the bottom cylinder spark plug wire was not connected to the coil - cheapest work I have had done on the boat yet). But it sat there for 7 months as I was half heartedly dealing with my ex-mechanic.

I have my on an airdock, so got it out pretty easy and went out into the ICW to check out some of the sunk boats from TS Collin. Spent an enjoyable hour on the water (mast is not up yet so I can get under bridges quickly) engine was running good so it was time to come back home.

This is the part I dread, not a problem getting the into the slip and up on the air dock but it is the wind a currents going down the canal.

I am on the main canal (about 90 feet wide with docks on either side - some parallel and some perpendicular to the seawall). There is current and wind 90 percent of the time pushing me down the canal as I make a 180 degree turn and come back up into the wind which is great to get to my dock which is parallel to the seawall.

My problem is with the turn..... being pushed with wind and current (this is only my second time to do this - first time was great) I make my turn at the first side canal off the main canal which gives me even more space for the turn. As I was headed to this point I noticed a new very large twin engine boat, docked perpendicular to the seawall on the right so it was out into the main canal about 30 feet, so now I have even less turn space (in my mind). I am at idle speed and rudders down (no dagger board down because I know it would hit my air dock and did not think I could raise it in time before I came to my slip which is the second dock in after my 180 turn). I am being pushed pretty hard my mother nature, I make my turn, I can feel I am to fast so I have my boaters hook extended and ready just in case.

Sure enough my stern is sliding with the starboard side coming way too close to the seawall.... I use my pole to try and push out of the way but end up hitting the rubrail on the seawall anyway. Ugh! I hate that, just ruins the whole boating experience. I get my into the slip just fine (which is not very easy task either as the first dock after the turn has a lift and boat, so I have to pass that and then angle the boat in towards my dock and aim my bow at an angle to get it in between my pilings which holds the air dock).

But that is easier than making that stupid u-trun! So trying to rethink this.... and yesterday reading a post here by someone saying it is easier to back up the than going forward (I find that is so true, I go to the marina and fill up with gas and back out of the slip no problem, she does handle much better in reverse!) so I wonder if I would not be better off if I make a quick left and the first side canal (with wind and current pushing me) and then back up turning as go back into the main canal and straighten up and then head forward to my slip.

The first time I did this there was no wind and no current... the water was still as glass so it was easy. But most of the time we have wind and current so I need to get this maneuver down as second nature.

Or, should I have dropped the dagger board down full and it would have slowed my stern from sliding as I made my turn??

Would love to hears some thoughts on this.

TIA

Matthew

[bedouin]

By the way... the water ballast was full.

[NiceAft]

With the daggerboard up, you just don't have great stearing control, so daggerboard should be down. If the rudders are also down, then you are (or should be) doing 6mph or less. If you put the prop not neutral and glide along, shouldn't you be able to raise the daggerboard in time? I realize it is easy for me to hypothesize, but hey, you asked

Ray

[Jimmyt]

Boy, does that sound familiar... Ray's right. Even a foot of dagger board will make a big difference. The situation you describe is virtually impossible to deal with without the dagger down. If you can't put the board down, you almost have to go in reverse in conditions like that.

I leave the board down and dock NEAR my final destination. Then, I pull the board and rudders up, tilt the motor, and guide the boat onto the trailer by hand (can't get on the trailer very well with the board down either).

If you had crew, you might be able to snatch the board up at the last minute before you run onto your lift, but I wouldn't try it by myself in the conditions you describe.

If you think it was fun with the ballast in, try it empty, no board, and strong cross wind. Then you can get the big "L" tatoo'd to your forehead just like me...

Maybe bow thrusters?

[bedouin]

I think someone should create some type of low rider Macs. With hydraulics that would raise it up and down in the water.....

I will try again with the dagger board down and see how it goes..... I can just hit the air dock and then pull up the board at that point.

Don't want to slide sideways like that again...... or I will tatoo double L's on my forehead!

[DaveC426913]

No harm in adding an extension to your daggerboard line so you can operate it from the helm position.

[NiceAft]

No harm in adding an extension to your daggerboard line so you can operate it from the helm position.

That's where mine goes. Since my Mac came that way, I assumed all came that way.

Ray

[bedouin]

So everyone is in agreement that the dagger board down and the stern will not slide..... as much?

I have the Halyards aft kit from BWY with 3 rope clutches mounted up by the winch. How would I do the extension for the dagger board?

[DaveC426913]

I have the Halyards aft kit from BWY with 3 rope clutches mounted up by the winch. How would I do the extension for the dagger board?

That's the same arrangement I have.
Can't you tie a line to the daggerboard-line stopper-knot that's long enough to reach back to the helm?

Even though the clam cleat is on the deck top, 4 fet away, you should be able to lift it out to pull the board up.

[Jimmyt]

What's happening is, that wonderful cabin area we love is grabbing the wind, and everything forward of the rudders and motor is being blown sideways - pivoting about the rudders - the only lateral resistance. So it isn't the stern that's sliding, it's everything forward of the stern. Basically the operation is similar to a flat bottom power skiff, where you have to outrun the bow with the stern to steer. Dropping the board will give the boat a bite forward and allow the stern to pivot about the board in lieu of trying to outrun the sliding boat with the stern.

You've still got a lot of windage, so if it's blowin' hard you may have your hands full. But, it will be much better with some board down.

[Baha]

Great discussion!

The PO on my installed a daggerboard uphaul that is easily reached from the cockpit. I have been VERY glad on lots of occasions that it is there. It only takes me about 15 seconds to raise the daggerboard up. This also allows me to play with the amound of board I have down with different conditions and points of sail.

[Tomfoolery]

With my swing CB all the way up, the boat goes anywhere it or the wind wants it to go, at low speeds. No rudders is worse. I learned that right away when I got this boat. Yikes!

I drop my CB about half way (or even less), and control is improved hugely. In my case, it's long with a shallow angle off the horizontal (and horizontal is fully inside the trunk), but having that fin down even a little makes all the difference. Even half-way down, with just one rudder down (uncleated for shallow water docking, in case it hits bottom) the boat will spin on a dime, with the directed thrust of the OB.

As to the CB line, when I replaced mine, I just bought a few extra feet so I can have it in hand when putting it on the trailer. I just walk it back to the helm, and take a turn around something (no knot) so it's there when I need it. The cam cleat allow you to pull through, so you don't have to lift up to raise the board. Rope clutches are the same way. So no worries about raising it at the last second; just pull. Unless you don't get it high enough fast enough, and you smash your trailer's ID lights (assuming you have them).

[bedouin]

I think I need to put in an uphaul for the dagger board. Anyone have some good details on that. I may want to do that on the rudders too.

Now I need to get my nerve up and do this again in wind and current so feel the difference with the dagger Board down.... as far as I can get it!

When I had a different docking location, I could bring her in with no rudders and no dagger board down..... so much for that!

[NiceAft]

Mathew,

Does the line to lift your daggerboard go back to your cockpit? I don't think this was ever established.

Ray

[bobbob]

I drop my CB about half way (or even less), and control is improved hugely. In my case, it's long with a shallow angle off the horizontal (and horizontal is fully inside the trunk), but having that fin down even a little makes all the difference. Even half-way down, with just one rudder down (uncleated for shallow water docking, in case it hits bottom) the boat will spin on a dime, with the directed thrust of the OB.

That's exactly right IMO. I find having the CB partly down is superior to having it fully down when docking - that long horizontal fin does a better job of tracking a straight line at low speed then fully down.