Prop walk

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okchance
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Prop walk

Post by okchance »

Any ideas for minimizing prop walk?
1977 C-22 S/V Bailout
1962 Pearson Triton Tramp
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CaptainScott
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Post by CaptainScott »

There are a few NO COST responses here!

Remember prop walk occurs when you are changing the speed of your boat. Mostly in reverse from zero speed to moving backwards.

By being very light on the throttle you can minimize prop walk. By assisting your boat to get moving you can help.

For example if you have port side prop walk, you are bow in a slip and have a port side tie there are two things to assist in backing out.

When leaving the dock, do not rely solely on the motor to get your boat moving. as you leave the dock, you can push your boat back and away from the dock as you jump aboard. The extra momentum lowers the prop walk affect and the extra space gives room for a bit of prop walk. Also do not throttle hard when your boat is transitioning from standing still to reverse. I knock in and out of gear just to get her moving then very slowly increase throttle. It helps a LOT.

You can consider changing props. I'm not sure what to use on an outboard but the inboards have the option of a "MaxProp" which is a feathering prop. Our 40'er can back straight back with so little walk I do not notice it. Kiwi's also a composite prop that is supposed to be great but I've never tried it.


Lastly consider this:
Instead of trying to diminish prop walk which is almost always a "reversing" problem and tends to be pricey to fix, Learn it and work with it.

For example, lets assume you have portside walk since most boats do. Now, we take your boat into a tight marina and are looking for an open slip. We find none and must turn our boat around in a tight fairway with minimum room. You can plan for and USE prop walk to your benefit!!!

Port side prop walk dictates you turn your boat around clockwise and here is why: picture being dead center of fairway you would move to the left, then start you turn to the right being careful to not get to close to the boats on port. You will quickly realize there is not enough room for a turn so with your rudder STILL turned for a starboard turn, put her in reverse and give a quick burst of throttle. This will slow and eventually stop the forward movement while swinging the stern STILL to port! Yeah baby! As you boat comes to a stop from forward momentum and still in reverse you THEN turn your rudder over to port and you slowly back continuing the clockwise rotation of the boat! as you close on the boats to stern put her slowly into neutral then forward as she comes to a stop from stern momentum swing your rudder to starboard and finish the turn!


OK, I re read that and reading it is far from seeing it!
Either way, you can spend a lot of bananas trying to "fix" prop walk thinking it is a problem.

OR . . . . . . .
you can learn to use it, take advantage of it and amaze other boaters with your abilities!

Classic case, I was teaching an experienced sailor who had just moved from a 28' San Juan to a 54 ketch. I showed him how to turn his boat completely around using prop walk in just over the boats own length! I explained it, took his new baby into tight quarters. It was one of two pump outs in our marina where the "bigger" boats never go. We did a tight quarters turn around and he was shocked and amazed! He told me point blank that he thought no way we could turn around and would have to back out!

If you were closer to me, I'd very happily demonstrate in person on a boat, yours or mine!

Scott
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mcrandall
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Post by mcrandall »

Thanks Scott! Great explanation. I want to try it out, but the water's too hard right now!
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astrorad
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Post by astrorad »

Some video concerning prop walk...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLFVcEIct_8 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-_rldH48rg....plenty more on youtube.
Bill
okchance
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Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:04 am
Location: Fort Smith, AR

Post by okchance »

Scott, thanks for the detailed reply. I'm going out in the middle of the lake tomorrow where there is nothing to hit but fish and mess around with it. I'm loving this Pearson so far, but the prop walk has got me worried enough that I hate going in and out of my slip without knowing I've got help standing by on the dock.
1977 C-22 S/V Bailout
1962 Pearson Triton Tramp
okchance
Posts: 36
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:04 am
Location: Fort Smith, AR

Post by okchance »

Bill, I'm going to watch the videos right now. Thanks.
1977 C-22 S/V Bailout
1962 Pearson Triton Tramp
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