Leaving this dock - How would you do it?

[GreySky]

I have a single screw boat and am looking for ideas on how best to leave the docking scenario in the picture below. It's a long fairway with a short 90 degree leg at the end. LH prop, no thrusters, and single handing (so any spring line placement from any cleat but the midship cleat is difficult).

The only thing I can come up with is the following:
Hard starboard rudder with quick burst of power to get the stern kicking over to port. Then back down as far as I can (less than a full boat length). Then keep doing back & fill clockwise for 270 degrees until my bow is pointed to the left in the picture.

Any other ideas? What if the boat in front of me wasn't there and I could pull forward more, would that give me better options?

 

[Cigatoo]

Exactly right but......back all of the way out. You will have much more control / ability to maneuver while backing. Especially if wind and or current is present.

 

[Lepke]

Easting is Exactly right. The only change I would make is using a spring line to get the stern over quicker.

 

[Bay Pelican]

Don't know if this will work with a LH prop depends on the amount of the walk. If a fender on the starboard bow and wheel all the way to starboard I would pull forward kicking the stern to port. Then I would back as far as possible while turning the wheel to port. Then pull forward behind the two docked boats. Then back and fill to turn the bow 90 degrees to port so you can pull forward.

I have done this several times with Bay Pelican but she has a RH prop.

 

[dhays]

The other option if your stern walks to Starboard in reverse is back into the slip.

 

[bayview]

Agree with above comments. If you have a big enough rudder there is a fair amount of control when backing with enough speed. Not knowing the ple situation I wonder if it would be easier if the boat faced the opposite direction.

 

[GreySky]

Thanks all for the feedback.

Don't know if this will work with a LH prop depends on the amount of the walk. If a fender on the starboard bow and wheel all the way to starboard I would pull forward kicking the stern to port. Then I would back as far as possible while turning the wheel to port. Then pull forward behind the two docked boats. Then back and fill to turn the bow 90 degrees to port so you can pull forward.

This is pretty much the maneuver I tried to describe in my post with the exception of back/fill counter-clockwise vs clockwise.

As far as backing the entire way out goes, I'm not at that comfort level yet. It's a relatively long fairway oriented 90 degrees to the Columbia River flow so you get moved sideways quite a bit. I don't have much prop walk and the rudder does very little against the current at the speeds I'm comfortable going near other peoples boats/property. I guess I know where I need more practice. Thanks.

 

[Cigatoo]

Don't count on the rudder when backing. I do the following all of the time with current and or wind.

Let's say that while backing you have a current that wants to push your boat to port. While backing, Turn your wheel all the way to port and kick the boat into forward...just a short pulse. No throttle!!!!!That will swing the stern to stbd. Then continue backing. The whole idea is to swing the stern in the direction that you want to go and drag the bow behind you. You are not using the rudder to steer but combining it with the prop thrust to point the stern in the direction that you want to go. With this procedure you will learn to back the boat pretty much anywhere you want to go.

Get up early get out of the slip and practice where you have room and there is no one around to distract you.

If you want to go forward you are talking to the wrong guy