How to turn a boat around in its slip

[@mooky407]

For those who've disliked this or say, "Well I just use my engine..." - This is an invaluable skill that should be taught in EVERY basic sailing course. My boat steers poorly (at best) in reverse, and can't use prop walk due to the proximity of the opposite slips. It's very tight. Manhandling it around pilings with the engine off is the ONLY way to get it into its slip stern first. Thanks for posting this.

[@lutzweb]

i agree is useful skill, however no wind makes everything supersimple and paddling or pushing from a rowing dinghy are equivalenr options, with wind this maneuver becones a nightmare if u have no engine and not on board

[@Mad1Mike]

But my boat is a 14-ton Catamaran.

[@dumpjeep]

Its only possible because your boat is tiny and you did it when there is no wind or current, otherwise it would have been absolutely hilarious to watch you smash up your boat. If it can only be done the 1% of the time that conditions allow it then it isn't a thing, sorry.

[@MrRobertkhall]

@@dumpjeep I can flip the boat around in the slip in conditions where the wind is roughly 12-14 kts in a contrary direction. Obviously if it's blowing 15kts or more I wouldn't even try.

[@daveopincarne3718]

​@@dumpjeep yea, because my boat is never affected by wind and currents and always goes exactly where I intend it to in reverse with minimal flow over the rudder. And of course when I am getting knocked around like a ping pong ball, the last thing I'm looking for is getting a line on the dock.

[@dmitripogosian5084]

One thing I would do (if not sailing out and back in) is to actually make use of that spare fender lying aimlessly on the dock :) Even though that corner of the dock is protected, it is a pretty sharp angle, I'd be worried to push on it with my hull

[@mkaplan99]

Thanks for posting. There ARE viewers who appreciate manuevering a boat without an engine. Even with an engine my full keel Cape Dory 26 won’t steer in reverse. I often leave a slip with lines only.

[@racemode]

I was looking at my 27ft sailboat and thought this was possible. Then I see this video proving me right. Thanks for the upload.

[@evinwhiteson4902]

Great boat. I had a yankee 30 from 88 to 99.. that boat would do 160 mile days in south pacific all the time. My now boat a tayana 37 rarely does 140. But there apples and oranges. I love both boats.

[@peterbooth2804]

I always watch things like this because it it always good to have a backup plan should things go wrong or other scenarios. It was/is often better to see things demonstrated in calm conditions first after all only a fool would try in poor conditions such as strong winds/tide. One thing i think was odd and that is the nav lights, are they on? If so why? Personally I wouldn't do this with our boat single handed but would with a well briefed partner. Anyway its just a thought. Thank you for the clear, calm and concise demonstration.

[@68Thunderbird]

Thank you for this. Any skill I learn is applicable. Good to know!💖

[@victor-charlesscafati]

Good stuff.

[@ctndiaye1]

Thank you. I'm going to try this.

[@jacobrothschild42936]

My slip mate is going to love watching me spin our 40' around next to his boat this weekend. lol. This is a great video though for someone like me who is most comfortable going bow in to our slip, but prefer it being stern to as to avoid terrible transom slap while sleeping.

[@GregFrascadore]

Nice. Came looking just for this skill after I had to flip a sailboat so I could work on the engine from dock. What was the purpose of the line attached to the 'shroud on the opposite side'? You didn't seem to use it?

[@MrRobertkhall]

It was so calm on that day that I didn't need to tug on that line. But the line is needed in case wind or current pushes the bow towards my neighbor. If there had been a 5-10 knot breeze blowing toward the camera I definitely would have been using that line at some point.

[@hosoiarchives4858]

What state are you in?

[@ShroomKeppie]

This works great if you your finger pier reaches all the way to your stern. If it doesn't -- like mine doesn't -- forget about it.

[@ctndiaye1]

I want to try that!

[@zeilgenot]

I agree that ‘power’ (i.e. engine) is not always the solution but under these conditions (no wind nor current) one could actually do it swimming.

[@MrRobertkhall]

You'd think that, but if you ask the average person with a 30' sailboat to get their vessel bow out on a calm day without using the engine I think you'd be in for a treat watching them fumble. I don't pretend this is any great skill. It only took me a little bit of intentional practicing. I made the video to hopefully get more folks to learn these basic skills.

[@dmitripogosian5084]

It is highly inadviaible (and often prohibited) to swim in a marina, if swimming is literally what I you meant

[@fakiirification]

Ive seen the stuff that lurks below in my marina, I wont be going in that water of my own free will.

[@TheBlueGumby]

Sweet!

[@florianazur8958]

wonderful thank you

[@christians6734]

neat, this is not the first time you did that

[@lutzweb]

Fenders pleaseeeee !!! she s pivoting on the docking pontoon edge

[@MrRobertkhall]

This dock has rubber padding on the end. Otherwise, yes you'd want to slip a fender there

[@dmitripogosian5084]

@@MrRobertkhall Yes, but it is still 90 degrees sharp, you are protected from scratches, but if you push on the hull hard enough, you can still crack it.

[@abdulkkhan5095]

Fabulous.

[@grantpedder7719]

And this boats *_displacement_* is? Only in my dreams. Cape Town South Africa.

[@berndk476]

for smaller boats like this may be ok, but I do not see the sense. I have a long keel and can go backwards with my boat.

[@LNM0000]

Ace.

[@ichewtoast111]

Neat

[@michaelkiteboarder3184]

Wow

[@sebastianodifende8688]

Cos e sta boiata?

[@garyschwabel6053]

Are you in gig harbor

[@migration-man7077]

Looks like a jetty outside of the marina and it doesn’t look anything like whats around here. (Gig Harbor)

[@MrRobertkhall]

Shilshole Marina

[@jeffhodge7333]

Looks like a Cal 40.

[@robertbodell7221]

Looks like a good day to get some practice handeling it with the engine.

[@daveopincarne3718]

@MrRobertkhall Yankee 30?

[@MrRobertkhall]

Yup!

[@mrbee3377]

Wow… who’d a thunk it!! Yup

[@tuouro]

Works only with a small boat.

[@sailingsegundo4644]

I would like to see him do that with my boat 41 foot 14 tons

[@fakiirification]

could probably do it. just in slow motion. lol

[@walkwithdezi]

Why you did not use Prop Walk??

[@kellyneason5887]

not in its slip,,,,maybe at its slip

[@kylefng]

I just fire up the engine and turn it around. Is this for a dead engine?

[@MrRobertkhall]

There's no motor on this boat

[@massisoca7399]

ma un parabordo no.........

[@dickbeany6068]

No wind

[@MrRobertkhall]

There happened to be very light wind when this was recorded but I can flip the boat around when there is 15 knots blowing in an unfavorable direction. While I don't believe I'm displaying any great skill, my bet is that the average sailor could not get their boat turned around gracefully without a motor in 10 knots of wind. The purpose of this video is to demonstrate that it's not hard to do with some practice.

[@stephendullea5307]

I just back my boat in to begin with, so I've never had to do that. It has to be challenging in that extraordinarily still water and minimal balmy breeze blowing onshore. Sorry, forgot my anti-snarky meds.

[@MrRobertkhall]

There's no motor on this boat. I practiced turning the boat around in a calm at first, but using this technique I can flip it even when there is 15-17kts of contrary wind without any issue. Once there is more wind than that, it's almost impossible to do single handed. When I lived aboard, my favorite time to flip it was at 1am after getting home from the pub: dead calm and no other traffic.

[@joshuamills2868]

How to loose a boat in 30 seconds

[@davidgardinerhill]

Why all the rope, it was flat calm. Just much simpler to do it under engine.

[@MrRobertkhall]

Good point!, However there's no engine on this boat. I keep it pointed bow-out to make sailing out of the slip easier. The wind was calm that day but using this method I can flip the boat around even when the wind is blowing 15kts from an unfavorable direction.

[@gregorytimmons4777]

Somehow I just cannot imagine trying to get my sailboat in and out of the marina without an engine or at least an electric trolling motor.