Anyone good at 'crabbing' the boat?

[Seif911]

Hey all,
So I just learned what 'crabbing' the boat does. It is pretty cool to move your boat total sideways. My question is, when you have a 20 knot wind, can you still crab the boat sideways by increasing 1 or the other throttle or will this just not work? I, btw, could not get it to work in 20 knot winds, I just pushed the boat forward.

For those who don't know what I am talking about (I just learned this)...I will briefly give a description, though it may be not so good. Crabbing will move your boat totally sideways with no forward or reverse direction. Lets say you want to crab to your port side,
Put the port gear in reverse
Put the starboard gear in forward
Turn the steering wheel to the starboard

[waybomb]

Like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W36rDKl4T5s&feature=related

[Seif911]

Exactly! That was impressive. Now try to do that in 20 knot winds.

[AaHubb]

Sorta depends on which way the wind is blowing. If you want to move the same way the wind is blown' tis real easy, other directions not so much.

[Dpoelstra]

Guys...that you tube video is simply massive use of thrusters and NOT really that impressive.

[Dpoelstra]

I have seen, and now can not find, a YouTube video that was a demonstration of doing just what you describe as crabbing. The use of the rudder along with gears and throttles was what it took. The problem is that it just won't work well with some boats. It depends on how big or small your rudders are, and even how close the rudders are to the props.

Some boats respond well to a burst of thrust against the rudder, some just dont. Once the helm is hard over, the throttles make the difference. Prop walk comes into play here too. Depends on which engine rotates which way.

One engine may need to be throttled up more, and its all a balancing act. I really wish I can find that video again...it was very well done and described very well. I just can't find it.

[1000islands]

I've tried it in my boat with poor results. But there is a 3207(?) in our marina and he does it all the time, and so does a few others.

I plan to try again this coming season and use more throttle.

[Seif911]

I am also going to try it again this year. I did a little last year but every time I remember to try it, it seems that the wind is kicking up and it kind of throws out the whole aspect of doing it right.

[Lake Erie Monster]

i look forward to trying this once i get her in the water, but first i have to re align my rudders any insights onto that?

[Lyndon670]

There are only 3 ways of doing this. The first 2 are simple. You either have a bow thruster or bow thruster/stern thruster combination, or you have pods instead of conventional inboards/shafts, or you have a bunch of room.

If you have a conventional propulsion system, you give the transmission that is opposite to the direction you want to go a quick jab of gear WITH THE RUDDERS TURNED TOWARDS THE DIRECTION YOU WANT TO CRAB. When the momentum has stopped, you reverse the rudders to the opposite direction, use the opposite transmission and go in the OPPOSITE direction.

With practice, one should be able to do this within 1.5 - 2 boat lengths.

This can't be done with I/Os.