looking for reverse and trailer loading tips

[monteroy]

After 17 years with an I/O, I just made the leap to an inboard motor with a 24VE. I love the way the boat handles out on the water, but am struggling a bit with manuevering in tight quarters. I am looking for an tips all you experienced inboard drivers might have with reverse, and loading the boat onto the trailer.

[Wake Bandits]

It's a tough one.
They don't like backing and stubbornly wanna go to the right in reverse.

The company that first offers counter rotating props will have a big selling point that's for sure.

Also, more speed when docking usually gives a bit more control but of course that can be trouble.
Never approach a dock faster than ya wanna hit it, and V and directs don't give ya much choice.

We go in nose first to a dock with ample slack in the lines, put a crew member on the dock and then tighten up the parking with the ropes.

Or:

Nose in first, then reverse with the wheel turned in an extreme direction,(depending on the side you're docked on of course), and the reverse motion will square up the stern of the boat to the dock.
Tie your bumpers first before approaching the dock, and on the I series, most cases ya have to tie them high.

When departing, the front dock line is un-tied last, when docking it's tied first, and a good push by someone on the dock helps a lot.

Some people back into slips.
Seems easier, or perhaps they have it down better.
Some don't care if their gell-coat gets a fracture. We do.

[chpthril]

I feel your pain, after 10 years of I/O's it is a tough transition. after a year, I'm still learning to dock this thing.

One thing I learned, at idle and reverse, these thing always go t the right. I like to approach with the dock on the starboard at a 45* to 90* angle, bumping it into fwd and rvs to slow down but keep it going straight. At about 5 to 6 feet from the dock, turn the wheel hard to the left. Just as the boat starts to swing around, shift into reverse and turn the wheel hard back to the right and it will slide right up to the dock.

I've found trailering works about the same. Approach as slow as possible from the left. Just as the bow reaches the trailer opening, shift into reverse. This will swing the back of the boat around to the right and bring the boat to almost a stop. You should be pretty well lined up with the trailer now, so just bump it in and out of fwd and ease it onto the trailer.

Good luck and welcome to the site.

[scoot18]

It is a tough transition to make. It's a learning curve that's for sure. There certainly will be variables in your situation that others of us here won't be able to compare to. Every dock, ramp and marina most of the times all have their own quirks. Throw wind into the equasion and man it gets even tougher. The best advise I have for you, is to go to where you will launch most often, weekday, during the middle of the day or early in the morning, when there is no one else around, back the trailer in the water unload, and begin practicing. Manuever around, to the dock, away from the dock, load onto the trailer, unload again, over and over, it will really give you some real time results as to what works and what doesn't work, because you just did the same thing a few minutes ago. Instead of several days in between unloading & loading to compare results, you only have minutes in between your trys. If there are ramps on either side of a dock, do it on both sides, that way your approach from the dock will be different. When engaging the drive, just put it in gear with very little or no throttle, nice and easy movements. Also remember, the guide polls on the trailer are your friends, use them gently to help pivot the boat in the direction you need it to go. Yeah I am sure if there are any spectators they will wonder what is up with this guy, but people you don't know wondering that, is better than a damaged $70k boat. If the day you practice on is windy, that will make you a pro in a hurry, makes the calm days seem like a walk in the park.

Good luck,

[whitlock87]

We dock like chptril, but trailer a little difrent

To trailer the boat,
First my wife drives the boat, and I drive the truck.
So I back the truck down until the front of the trailer fender is just under the water.
My wife will line up about 30 feet out and drive straight in.
At about 5 feet out she put the boat to ideal and lets it cost onto the trailer.
( we have an extreme trailer with side rails)
This will put the bow of the boat about 4 feet from the bow stop. I connect up the strap and winch it on ( if the ram is shallow, she will need to use the gas to help the boat on)
Then I pull it out. Takes just a few min.

[zad0030]

Trailering:
Approach slow and "bump" it into forward. Try not to use reverse if you dont have to. Make small corrections, and it only turns with throttle.

Docking:
Approach a slip slow and Bump in and out of forward.
Approaching a dock bring your nose in on the starboard sideat about a 45* angle. Float in, Turn wheel all the way left and use reverse to drag the back in and forward move the nose.
Approaching a dock on the port, We usually get someone to hop off with a rope.

Go out when no one is around and just practice doing some manuevers. Idiling is one of the tougher things to do in an inboard. With a little practice you will get it. Im a better driver than my dad and hes been driving inboards almost his whole life.

[ddmracing05]

Im pretty new to the inboards also. Ive been a Offshore fishing upsessive person with the outboard engines till i moved to TN, But anyways when you go into reverse the back will go in one direction. I beleive the Tiges go to the left when in reverse? So kind of approach to the trailer, from the right then when i get close when i go to slow down i just put it in reverse then the boat will streigten at that time, then i just go foward onto it. Kind of hard to explain really. Reverse has no steering it will always go left i beleive if not always right.

[zad0030]

Im pretty new to the inboards also. Ive been a Offshore fishing upsessive person with the outboard engines till i moved to TN, But anyways when you go into reverse the back will go in one direction. I beleive the Tiges go to the left when in reverse? So kind of approach to the trailer, from the right then when i get close when i go to slow down i just put it in reverse then the boat will streigten at that time, then i just go foward onto it. Kind of hard to explain really. Reverse has no steering it will always go left i beleive if not always right.

Yup the right. Has to do with prop rotation. The only inboard that goes left is a Correct Craft Nautique.

[Jetrey]

Ive been in inboards for 19 seasons now, for all those years dropping or picking someone up at the dock, I would go bow straight in to the dock, and as I tell my wife, you can never approach TO SLOW!!! you can always bump the throttle to move you closer, and you'll still look like a pro. Come in to fast, and have to slam reverse will make you look bad, and may cause bad things to happen. Now with a 22ve Ive found that I cant see the tip of the bow as well. so now i tend to want to drop at the starboard side from the walk thru transom. just nose in at about a 45 degree angle, then turn wheel all the way to the right and reverse to slow you down and it will pull the stern right and gently to the dock. trailering, just remember these boats wont turn at idle, dont be afraid to give the throttle a quick thrust against the rudder, with it turned in the direction you want to go. Im still getting used to a new boat, practice, practice and more practice. good luck!

[ddmracing05]

yea i drove a nautique yesterday and it confused me on left and right.... but when i go to the dock i go to where its on my right then approach it at a angle then when im some what near it I swing the back end left, then put it in reverse and it will get to the point where it will just go to the dock sideways and docks perfectly. Thats how I do.

[ragboy]

I am new to inboards also, just got a 24Ve after years with a new 1995 four winns, then a 98 four winns. However, I got reverse and trailering down, after practicing.

First, you have to reverse your thinking. On an I/O, its always easy to back out of anything. In the inboard, always go forward when possible. For instance, when I used to push off the dock, I would push the back off first, then one of my kids would pull the front back and push off and get in, leaving me to reverse almost perpendicular off the dock. I had to completely change my thinking, but now I do the opposite. We push the front off hard, and pull the back up, and leave the dock foward, kid getting on the swim step as he pushed off. You would NEVER do this on an I/O, cause the prop is off the back, and into the dock chains. But better on an inboard.

Also, go to a place where you have lots of room to practice. Turn the wheel all the way to the right. Normally, on an I/O its like a car, to make tight turns, you reverse left, forward right, alternating. Don't do this on the inboard, just leave the wheel all the way to the right. engage forward till the front of the boat starts to move to the right, and it will quickly. Then engage reverse right away. You will find you will reverse, and the bow will still move right, even though your wheel should make the bow move left. Now just keep going from forward to reverse. Depending on how long you leave in reverse verses forward, you can either back to the left, or you can turn boat as if on a dime. It works great, and I do this all time. I back off the trailer, then use this technique to turn 180 on a dime, and pull away. You can do this either way, left or right. I even get looks from other inboarders like, dude, that was cool. I feel like I have been inboarding for years!

Anyway, take some time to practice in some secluded cove like I did, and you will go back to feeling 100% confident in tight situations and docking. When I first got my boat, I was VERY nervous docking and trailering. Not anymore. I am just as confident as I was with the I/O.

HTH.

[sparky216]

We dock like chptril, but trailer a little difrent

To trailer the boat,
First my wife drives the boat, and I drive the truck.
So I back the truck down until the front of the trailer fender is just under the water.
My wife will line up about 30 feet out and drive straight in.
At about 5 feet out she put the boat to ideal and lets it cost onto the trailer.
( we have an extreme trailer with side rails)
This will put the bow of the boat about 4 feet from the bow stop. I connect up the strap and winch it on ( if the ram is shallow, she will need to use the gas to help the boat on)
Then I pull it out. Takes just a few min.

We do the same, EXCEPT no idle! Just drive it on, I never winch it on, throttle until the bow hook hit's the stopper.

[monteroy]

Thanks to all of you for your helpful tips. I think i am over the hump now.

[dogbert]

One more thing, don't be afraid to shut off the engine and use a rope to pull yourself into position. Also, there's no shame in making several attempts and everyone will appreciate the fact that you're not coming in too hot and wreaking havoc.

[da.bell]

Good luck... A lot of people have mentioned it but will do it again becuase I feel it is worth noting. When in reverse, the boat will move to the right. Too many times when we were first learning we would park close to the dock and eventually have to run to the starboard side of the boat before we would hit the dock. It isn't fun removing scratches from a boat. Wax on Wax off