How do you back up your boat?

I turn around and use my right hand on the shifters. Nothing on the throttle.
 
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After reviewing your inputs, the next time I go out I'm going to try the following when backing into a slip.
1. Facing aft, to the port side of the shifters, and use my left hand to shift both engines.
2. Facing aft, but this time to the starboard of the shifters, and use my right hand to shift both engines.
3. Using my artistic diagram above, I'll place the boat parallel to the dock. Turn the wheel hard to port and place the starboard engine in idle forward while at the same time placing the port engine in idle reverse. I would think the starboard engine in forward would cause the boat to rotate counter-clockwise, while the port engine in reverse would pull the stern to the left. The result should be the boat moving to port and into the dock.
I would expect the port engine to be more effective than the starboard engine, because it has a shorter moment, so I would anticipate keeping the starboard engine in idle forward and take the port engine in and out of idle reverse as needed.
Wadda you think?
 
Korkie said:
Works great for inboards. Stern drives don't have a great response with just using shifters.
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Everyone learns differently. On my 280DA I struggled when backing in due to the narrow beam and the drives so close together. Also, the shift cables were not smooth despite service and replacement and one handed operation was difficult with major jumps in RPMs when I pushed too hard on one side. My current boat has DTS. I can one-hand the shifters with great precision and steer the boat into the slip with confidence. On the 3rd we came in hot in a storms blowing 30 plus kts on the lake. When we got to the marina we had the benefit of the wind getting blocked by the surrounding land. Still blowing 15-20 kts. My slip is 2nd from the end on the dock. I came in bow straight to the slip on a slight angle, spun the engines/boat counter rotating, then forward back out 20' to get a better line and backed straight in.
 
Korkie said:
Works great for inboards. Stern drives don't have a great response with just using shifters.
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Took some practice, but after I swapped out my port alpha 1 drive for a counter rotating unit in my 300 Sundancer I found it much easier to just use the shifters when backing that boat in to a slip or in close quarters.
The boat was horrible around the dock with the original 2 standard rotation drives.
Going with counter rotating drives was one of the best things I ever did to that old gal.
 
My gas 420DA is too benign to use only shifters only in anything but dead calm situations. You have to use the throttles to get it to move with any authority if fighting a wind, or just to make things happen faster. So needing to have access to 4 controls makes simply standing backwards difficult for me. I sit with my seat rotated about 45% from forward looking over my left shoulder manipulating the shifters while rolling off and on the throttles for fine tuning. On the rare occasion I want to use the bow thruster it's a bit of an awkward reach but still possible.
 
Bart, do you have a remote for your thruster? Having it hanging around your neck makes it soooo much easier.
 
Gofirstclass said:
Bart, do you have a remote for your thruster? Having it hanging around your neck makes it soooo much easier.
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No, I didn't even know there was a such a thing. I'm not sure how much I'd be willing to pay for one though as I've been doing the twin engine boat thing for 30 years and don't use it all that much.

But the cool factor is worth something for sure ;-)
 
I stand to the right of the shifters facing aft. I find it much easier to reverse my body than to reverse my brain.
 
bobeast said:
I stand to the right of the shifters facing aft. I find it much easier to reverse my body than to reverse my brain.
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This is what I do, it gives me a center view looking back, plus, I am using the same (left) hand to shift as I normally do
 
wayne0 said:
Bow thrusters? Pussy. JK LOL.
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WHO YOU CALLING A PUSSY?
Kitten-2.png

Meow?
 
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