popingley
regular
Reged: 20/12/2007
Posts: 17
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Can’t seem to pluck up courage to reverse out of my very awkward marina berth. I can enter bow first keeping in the middle of a 200 foot channel which is chocker block with boats (some very expensive) on either side leaving me with a couple of foot port and starboard. My boat (my first) is a pretty good motorsailer (11m), long keeled and beamy but it does have a bowthruster.
It’s probably a psychological problem rather than a lack of spatial awareness – maybe I’m just paranoid about denting another boat(s). Not much experience, just the DS practical and a 200 nm maiden voyage (two handed) which included a 2 am arrival into an unfamiliar port, which was quite challenging. I’ve since had a couple of days instruction concentrating on close quarter manoeuvring (without using the thrusters) and am confident picking up moorings (single handed on occasion), parking up on open pontoons and even reversing up and down river (away from other boats).
Any helpful suggestions, even serious ones, would be welcome as I am very reluctant to entertain family and friends onboard until I can deal with this. I have recently topped up on fenders and now have 2 huge ball fenders and 10 regular ones…..
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webcraft
regular
Reged: 08/07/2001
Posts: 4494
Loc: al shop for local people
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Did you say it DOES have a bow thruster?
- W
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Comprehensive UK sail cruising website
BlueMoment - blown away into the blue . . .
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popingley
regular
Reged: 20/12/2007
Posts: 17
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Er, yes.
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Stingo
regular
Reged: 17/10/2001
Posts: 6707
Loc: sailing the seven seas.
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Sounds like you will be just fine.
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Cruising and Sailing Wiki By Cruisers
Anecdotes From Stingo
Thank You Madiba (Nelson Mandela)
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webcraft
regular
Reged: 08/07/2001
Posts: 4494
Loc: al shop for local people
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Then I am not sure what your problem is . . . like Stingo, I suspect you don;t have one 
Deploy all fenders in likely places, reverse straight back slowly then push the bow through 90 degrees using the bow thruster. Or try it without the bow thruster but be prepared to engage it if you are trying to tuen against the propwalk.
Have you tried it, or are you just too feart to have a go? If you are well-fendered and take it easy you won't harm anyone else's boat, although you may be a trifle embarrassed. Embarrassment you can live with though - we have years of experience reversing our long keeler with offset prop (no bow thruster) out of marina berths, and we still get it wrong sometimes.
Worse things happen at sea!
- W
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Comprehensive UK sail cruising website
BlueMoment - blown away into the blue . . .
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Tranona
regular
Reged: 10/11/2007
Posts: 1894
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Depends to an extent on wind (and any tide if it runs thru marina). But assuming no significant wind effects, then with my long keeled underpowered boat, I go with the prop walk, in my case to port going out and reverse down the alleyway if I am on my own. If I have an agile crew member I get them to walk me back, holding the bow into the pontoon to get the stern to starboard before jumping aboard and then go out forward. Both are effective. Stern first gets applause, but really is no more difficult.
Find an empty berth with plenty of space behind it and practice achieving the same effect with the bow thruster. You should soon get the hang of it.
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bobbobbin
regular
Reged: 03/05/2005
Posts: 684
Loc: Kidderminster, West Mid.
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Go find a couple of friends and some empty spaces. Put out lots of fenders and practice. It's the only way to get over nerves.
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jpcarter30
regular
Reged: 09/03/2008
Posts: 56
Loc: Medway
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I've had similar prob's but most advice above is sound. I practiced entering and exiting and now my son sits on the bow just to watch we don't snag one of the pontoon poles as I have to move astern and quickly to starboard . I am now more aware of the problems and we just put a set of procedures in place to ensure we minimise any future problems.
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Slow_boat
regular
Reged: 13/09/2005
Posts: 5230
Loc: My own cosy little world where...
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I wouldn't worry overmuch. You can get your boat to go backwards in a straight line, which is more than I can do!
When I came back to sailing after 25 odd years away, I was still trying to get everything to go perfectly as when I had been a joint services instructor. Then I realised that the standard of seamanship and boat handling I see is, to be honest, pretty poor.
Relax, things don't have to be perfect, just good enough.
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Funny old world, innit?
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graham
regular
Reged: 16/05/2001
Posts: 6383
Loc: South Wales
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Nice to hear from someone who cares about not damaging other peoples boats.
If you have a strong cross wind to contend with on a particular day it can be a good idea to land one crewmember somewhere easier then have them walk around to take your lines.
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http://banjocoronado25.blogspot.com/
One mans junk is another mans treasure.Recycle it with http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Marinaskip/
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