Firstbeam Sailing

Welcome To Firstbeam

Sailing Club

dd

Upcoming Events

View Calendar
October 2026
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
No comments to show.

– Firstbeam Sailing Club –

Forums
Sailing the Lakes
Docking, Handling &…
backing in a crossw…
 
Notifications
Clear all

backing in a crosswind… how much throttle?

 
Docking, Handling & Crew
Last Post by davep31 1 month ago
3 Posts
3 Users
0 Reactions
14 Views
RSS
 amyw
(@amy-w)
Active Member
Joined: 1 month ago
Posts: 8
Topic starter 13/09/2026 7:24 am   [#13]

I am probably being too timid with reverse. In a crosswind I keep trying to creep in and then the bow gets away from me. How much throttle are people actually using for a short burst when backing into a slip?



   
Quote
 mikec30
(@mikec30)
Active Member
Joined: 1 month ago
Posts: 10
13/09/2026 8:51 am  

short burst is the key. enough to get steerage, then back to neutral and see what the boat is doing. slow overall does not mean no throttle ever. wind gets a vote too.



   
ReplyQuote
 davep31
(@davep31)
Active Member
Joined: 1 month ago
Posts: 7
13/09/2026 12:40 pm  

Use the engine when you need it. Neutral is a gear too. Burst, neutral, let the boat answer. If you keep power on the whole time you usually create the next problem while fixing the first one.



   
ReplyQuote
Forum Jump:
  Previous Topic
Share:

Latest Sailing News

Recent sailing headlines from Scuttlebutt Sailing News.

Scuttlebutt

  • Curmudgeon’s Observation
    One good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others. Providing “insight” since 1997, the […]
  • How Andre Hoek rewrote history
    by Kieran Flatt, Yachting World Andre Hoek, and his eponymous design company, has long been one of yachting’s […]

World Sailing

SailGP

Sailing World

Yachting World

Firstbeam Sailing

Practical sailing, seamanship, and sailboat maintenance for everyday sailors. Learn the boat, share what works, and keep getting better on the water.

Explore

Send a note

Have a question, idea, or something Firstbeam should cover? Send a short message.

[contact-form-7 id="2279" title="Firstbeam Footer Message"]

© 2026 Firstbeam Sailing Club. All rights reserved.

Sailing knowledge grows one project at a time.