Gathering Headway____________________________
When a stern drive is not moving forward or reverse in the water
and the propeller is not turning (shift in neutral), the boat will not
react to the helm steering wheel. As soon as the vessel is shifted into
forward gear, the propellers action creates a discharge motion and
generates energy in the form of thrust. If the stern drive is centered,
the discharge motion is directed straight back causing the vessel to
advance forward. You may notice prop walk to starboard during
initial take off or when quickly opening the throttle. This is because
the trim tab on the stern drive isn’t receiving the fast water fl ow it
needs to counteract this effect. Simply turn your steering wheel to
counter the prop walk.
When gathering headway, the bow will lead any movement of the
boat before the vessel actually starts turning. Remember, there is no
replacement for hands on experience.
Turning______________________________________
Once the helm wheel is turned to the right or starboard, the stern
drive unit is turned in the same direction. This redirects the thrust
to starboard, forcing the stern to port. Water pushing past the hull
now strikes the drive’s broadside, and acting like a rudder, also aids
in turning the boat to starboard. As the stern is directed to port, the
bow is forced to starboard. Similarly, if the helm is turned to the left
or port, the stern drive turns to port, and the stern of the boat goes
to starboard. This therefore directs the bow to port.
Remember boats turn about their center of gravity To completely
make a turn, a wide berth is needed, and the radius of the turn will
depend on a variety of factors such as hull shape and speed. At slow
speeds there appears to be a delay between turning the helm wheel,
5-12
Chapter 5
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