Rudder angle. Issues in reverse.

[Cnilejr]

In my marina, I have very limited distance in between docks. I have minimal distance to back out and turn. My rudder max’s out, hard over, at 28 degrees. My neighbor, who has a different boat, rudders is at 38 degrees hard over. Has no issues backing out. Is there something wrong with my rudder angle? Its a 2004 Bavaria 38. What are your rudder angles? Is there a way to adjust the rudder angle? If so, how? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Symphony]

Rudder angle has little to do with the ability to turn tightly at low speed in reverse. Rudders do not work unless they have water flow over them and this is minimal in reverse (when the prop wash is going forwards away from the rudder). It could well be that your neighbour has a different underwater configuration and "prop walk" which pulls the stern when reverse is engaged. Your Bavaria has minimal prop walk so wants to go straight until you get speed up and water flow over the rudder. Turning the rudder to a greater angle will make no difference.

The only real answer is a bow thruster which pushes the bow round if you want to berth so that you have to reverse to leave. Alternatively you may find it easier to back in as you will then have more control in reverse and leave forward where again you have more control because greater water flow increases the effectiveness of the rudder.

I have exactly the same problem of a tight berth so reverse in, although on my current boat I also have a bow thruster which makes it easier to do singlehanded.

[Salty]

An alternative to a bow thruster when reversing out of your marina berth in order to turn your boat and to prevent an accidental collision with a boat on the opposite side is the use of a slip rope secured onboard your boat near the stern and on the side to which you want the stern to turn towards. It needs to be long enough to allow your boat to reverse to a point where when the bow starts to turn you will miss the boat berthed next to you or the end of the finger pier, but not so long that it would allow you to go right across the waterway to collide with a boat opposite. It also needs to be long enough for you to have both ends of the rope onboard while leaving the middle of the rope to pass freely around but not be secured to a cleat onshore. Reverse out gently, and as the rope tightens it will cause your boat to start to tun. Once the turn has progressed far enough, put the prop out of gear, let go one end of the slip rope and pull it in fast. The action of pulling the slip rope in from the cockpit on an aft cockpit boat will also help to turn your boat. Once the line is onboard put the engine ahead and rudder over to steady the turn, and that’s it, job done, but you do need to practice the manoeuvre somewhere where the berths are empty. Also ensure that there are no knots in the end of the slip rope that might otherwise cause it to jam up and give smart ass onlookers something to shout about.

[IslandAlchemy]

Or you could ask to move to an easier berth?

[Clivert]

Use short bursts power rather than continious power.

[dawntreader]

I always park stern-to. The Admiral has a dicky knee and it makes it easy to step on/off. The other advantage to this is that you can get a 'run-up' on the approach (going backwards) to your pontoon which allows the rudder to turn the boat in good time. If windy give it more power or she will just go backwards in a straight line regardless of how hard you turn the wheel 

[Salty]

Or you could ask to move to an easier berth?

Or better still go on to a swinging mooring within the harbour where nobody berths that close to you anyway, you always berth, unberth and lay head to wind, only one line is used for mooring so mooring is completed within a couple of minutes and can be done single handed and without the need for engine power. Fenders are not needed save only for a fender step. No mains electricity cable to connect or remove and no mains water, but that is not a problem. And when it’s time to go onboard or to return to shore we just call up the club launch and that takes us to or from our boat and where the fender step then comes in handy.
Marina charges are avoided though there is a relatively small annual fee (under £1100 for my B36) and which covers the cost of a club mooring (April to October inclusive), and the launch service, both of which the club maintains.