Hi Everyone,
I've just joined and am looking to buy a Twister. My sailing to date has mainly been in bilge keelers or fin and skeg.
I have just one concern; going astern. I would be grateful for advice and in particular if anyone would be willing to show me how it is done. I live in SW London so anywhere along south/south east coast would be good.
Thanks very much in advance.
John
If by going astern you mean being able to steer astern at will, then I'm afraid you'd be buying the wrong boat!
But if you just want to reverse out of a marina berth in a straight line and then turn and go ahead for the exit, then that is quite possible using the technique described in Duncan Wells' book "Stress-Free Sailing: Single and Short-handed Techniques' and in this YouTube video:
But please don't be discouraged from buying a Twister. They are super boats.
Thanks, both of you, very helpful. Peter - you are very relaxed especially as you say the tiller makes little difference.
Years ago with a 22' ft yacht with the engine difficult astern we'd warp her out of tight berths. I'll just have to think more. I'm not put off buying - getting out of marinas should be the smallest possible amount of time aboard.
I'm also thinking of an alongside berth as opposed to finger pontoon which I guess will be easier to exit in forward on a spring.
Ive got 2 bigger moboats next to me now and I often walk her backwards using whichever guardrail is more convenient. Although she's a heavy boat by modern standards it's still easy to warp or manhandle as required.
Watching the chaps at FBC launch her with just a push in the right direction was a delight she did a lovely pirouette in just the right spot.
1 minute 20 seconds.
I don't want an inboard motor on my Twister. I am a weird dude who believes that Sailboats 30 feet and under are perfectly usable with an outboard only - having had this set up on my previous boat, a Contessa 26, I can tell you that the ability to turn that Outboard and vector out of a berth no matter the wind strength or direction is an absolute stress reliever in the extreme.
Assuming though you are going to keep your inboard - here is what I would do: Purahse a removable outboard bracket or get one forged up - Spartan marine in USA make them off the shelf. Get an extra extra long electric outboard - 3hp equivalent will be enough. Or go petrol outboard - doesn't really matter, but the one thing the electric outboards have over the petrol ones is thrust. You don't need range out of your outboard if you are keeping your inboard.
Before leaving your berth attach outboard bracket and outboard motor, then start inboard engine and leave in neutral. Use outboard for the hard part - getting out of your berth, and putting your bow in the direction you want to go -- when that done, put the inboard from neutral into forward gear, and off down the marina channel you go.
I know this is a unique solution, but it is perfect solution that will work with ALL wind direction, without you fearing of smashing into other boats.
Photo attached of the removable Spartan mount -- this is ideal as when not in use you just stow the bracket below so it does not clutter up your stern.
And on stowing things below -- an electric outboard is also ideal to be stowed below. And it can also double as use for your tender. A little petrol outboard will work, but will end up stored on your stern rail - which is also fine if you don't mind the extra little bit of clutter.
One thought, given going astern has come up again: I am increasingly persuaded that in a twister, the unpredictability is inevitable, unless somehow you have a stern gear set up that provides a really marked prop walk (which Offcutt doesn't have) that allows you to positively and confidently move the stern one way in astern using the prop walk and not the rudder. The reason I think it is inevitable is because of the underwater profile of a Twister, in particular the lower end of the forefoot being relatively far aft (this is also responsible for the nose diving when dried out effect), means that in effect when going astern, almost all of the major part of the keel is aft of the pivot point. In ahead, this is an asset, helps with directional stabilty, but in astern it is a major liability, because it makes movement astern highly unstable. The best way I can describe it is to imagine holding say a DL envelope by its short edge in your hand, and then moving your hand. If you pull the envelope through the air, it will settle neatly behind your hand. But if you try to push it through the air (analogous to going astern), then it will be highly unstable, and flip this way and that - which is exactly what a Twister does when going astern!
The solution, hinted at above, is to have a stern gear set up that guarantees prop walk in a particular direction, but achieving such a set up by design is a black art, since no one really understands what actually cause prop wash and so walk to behave the way it does. I do know Offcutt's prop wash is about 55% to starboard, 45% to port, meaning she has only a very very mild walk (kick) to port, but do I know what to do to make the wash say 90% to starboard, 10% to port, to ensure a positive walk to port? No!
85
7