Powerboat Handling in Reverse – Tight Turns and Tricky Spaces
Everyone expects to use forward gear in a powerboat — but the real finesse? That comes when you go backwards.
Whether you’re trying to back away from a pontoon, reverse into a tight mooring, or adjust your position while holding station on a gusty day, reverse gear is your best friend… if you know how to use it properly.
Why Reverse Matters
Powerboats don’t have brakes.
They stop by going into neutral and slowing naturally, or by using reverse gear to slow or pull back.
When you're in tight quarters — a narrow river slipway, a crowded pontoon, or trying not to crash into a dinghy during a rescue — reverse gear gives you that extra level of control.
How Reverse Steering Works
Reverse steering feels opposite to what you'd expect:
In reverse, the stern swings in the direction of the tiller or wheel
The pivot point shifts towards the stern (about one-third from the back of the boat)
Even a small amount of throttle can have a big effect — so be gentle
Key Tips for Reversing a Powerboat
✅ Steer before gear: Set your direction before applying power
✅ Use short bursts: Don’t hold the throttle — pulse in and out of gear
✅ Watch your prop walk: Some engines cause the stern to drift sideways in reverse
✅ Keep calm and take your time: Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast
✅ Practise on a calm day: Wind and stream will add layers of complexity later
When Reversing Is Critical
Recovering someone overboard who is behind you
Getting out of a congested slipway or launching ramp
Approaching a pontoon with no space to turn
Holding position near a race mark without drifting forward
At first glance, mooring might seem like the easiest part of sailing: you’re stopping, not moving. How hard can it be?
But mooring on a river isn’t as simple as it looks.
The combination of wind, current, limited space, and sometimes a rather inconvenient tree makes it one of the trickiest manoeuvres you’ll need to master — especially when the eyes of the boat park are watching.
Why River Mooring Is Tricky
Current vs Wind: Unlike in a marina or on a lake, you’ve got two forces acting on your boat. Sometimes they agree. Often they don’t.
Narrow Channels: On the Thames, mooring is rarely a wide-open affair. You’re squeezing into a spot near a pontoon, jetty, or against a moored boat.
❌ Approaching too fast — you need a slow, controlled glide, not a crash landing
❌ Leaving the rudder in the wrong position — remember “steer, then gear”
❌ Forgetting wind and stream may cancel each other out — or worse, combine
❌ Not having crew ready with lines — and having to go round again
Tips for Practising
Practise upstream or upwind approaches at 45 degrees, let go of the sails for the final few metres. Remember, there are no brakes on a boat!
Try it first in light wind and low stream
Keep lines ready and crew briefed before you start
If it goes wrong — just go around. No shame in it. Only scratches.
Safety Boat Drivers Take Note
If you’re operating a safety boat, river mooring is just as important. Always think Plan, Approach, Manoeuvre, Escape.
You often need to hold position or approach under pressure — and sometimes act fast if a dinghy needs help.
In sailing, the term leeward (pronounced loo-erd) describes the side of the boat that is sheltered from the wind — the opposite of windward, which faces into it. Understanding this concept is essential for everything from balancing the boat to knowing who has right of way during a race.
What “Leeward” Means
When the wind blows across your boat, the leeward side is the one the wind passes over and away from. It’s where the sails fill and where you’ll feel less breeze on your face. In contrast, the windward side faces into the wind.
On most dinghies and keelboats, the sails are set on the leeward side, catching the airflow and generating lift to drive the boat forward.
Why It Matters
Balance: Crew often hike out to the windward side to counteract the heeling caused by wind pressure on the leeward side.
Rules of the Road: In racing, the leeward boat usually has right of way when overlapped with a windward boat.
Tactics: Knowing which side is leeward helps you anticipate gusts, manoeuvre efficiently, and avoid collisions.
Visualising Leeward
Imagine standing in your boat with the wind coming over your left shoulder. The right-hand side (starboard) would be leeward. If the wind shifts, so does the leeward side — it always depends on wind direction, not the boat’s layout.
The Takeaway
Leeward is one of sailing’s simplest but most important terms. It defines how the boat moves, how you balance it, and how you interact with other sailors on the water. Once you understand leeward, you’ve grasped one of the key building blocks of sailing knowledge.
Here is a diagram of the points of sailing. It illustrates the different sailing angles relative to the wind direction, showing: Close-Hauled at 45° and 315° Close Reach at 60° and 300° Beam Reach at 90° and 270° Broad Reach at 120° and 240° Running at 180° The wind direction is indicated as coming from the top of the diagram (north).
Why Boats Can’t Sail Straight Into the Wind
And What Tacking Angles Have to Do With It
“Why can’t we just point the boat where we want to go?”
It’s the question every new sailor asks the first time they try to sail into the wind — and find the boat stalls, flaps, and stubbornly refuses to go.
The truth is, boats can’t sail straight into the wind. They have to zigzag towards it. And that’s where tacking angles come in.
The No-Go Zone
Every sailboat has a ‘no-go zone’ — an angle of about 40 to 45 degrees either side of the wind direction.
Try to sail into this zone, and your sails lose lift. The boat stalls. The sails flap. You're stuck.
This is why upwind sailing always involves tacking — turning the bow of the boat through the wind in a zigzag pattern to slowly make progress toward your destination.
What Are Tacking Angles?
Tacking angle is the total angle between one tack and the next.
Most dinghies can sail 45 degrees off the wind on each side — giving a tacking angle of around 90 degrees.
That means, if you want to go directly into the wind, you need to:
Sail at 45 degrees to the wind on one side (starboard tack)
Then tack and sail at 45 degrees on the other side (port tack)
Repeat as needed until you reach your goal
Why Not Just Use a Motor?
Good question. You could. But sailing is about skill — and using the wind rather than fighting it.
Learning to tack efficiently is a core part of becoming a confident sailor.
It is physically impossible to sail directly into the wind. This is the dead zone. This zone is an approximately 90-degree arc (45 degrees on either side) into the wind, where the sails cannot generate the lift necessary for forward motion. A boat attempting to sail directly into the wind will lose momentum, its sails will flap uselessly, and it will drift to a stop—a state known as being "in irons".
How to navigate past the dead zone
Instead of trying to go through the no-sail zone, sailors use a strategic technique called tacking to make progress toward an upwind destination. Tacking involves zigzagging around the dead area by repeatedly turning the bow of the boat through the wind.
The process works as follows:
Sailing "close-hauled": A sailboat can be angled as close as 45 degrees to the wind. This is called sailing "close-hauled," and at this angle, the sails are pulled in tight and act like an aeroplane wing to create lift, propelling the boat forward.
Tacking through the wind: To change direction, the sailor steers the boat's bow into the no-sail zone. It uses its momentum to carry it through the zone until the wind is coming from the opposite side.
Returning to close-hauled: Once on the other side, the sailor trims the sails for the new wind angle and continues sailing close-hauled. The boat now moves forward on the opposite "tack".
By repeating this zigzag pattern, a sailor can make gradual progress directly against the wind without ever entering the no-sail zone
River Sailing Makes It Trickier
On the Thames, tacking angles are even more important.
You’ve got narrow banks, trees affecting the wind, and boats on moorings
You might not be able to hold a tack for long before needing to change
You need to time your tack with gusts, stream, and space
Getting it right can feel like solving a puzzle — but it’s incredibly satisfying when you do.
Top Tips for Beginners
✅ Practice your tacks on a wide section of river
✅ Watch your sail telltales — they tell you when you’re pinching too close
✅ Don’t pull the jib in too soon — let the bow cross the wind first
✅ Balance the boat as you go through the tack — weight matters
The trees are dropped their leaves, the sun is lower, the clocks have fallen back, and the wind has a definite bite. But we’re still sailing.
Just… a little more carefully layered.
As the Thames cools and the weather changes, sailing becomes less about sunhats and more about smart preparation. If you want to enjoy the river without shivering or swimming unexpectedly, here’s how we get ready for late-season sailing.
Even more so. The water is now cold enough to cause cold shock. If you go in unexpectedly, your best chance is to be afloat and visible — fast.
3. Pre-Rig Everything Indoors (If You Can)
Untangling halyards with numb fingers is not fun. If you’re lucky enough to have space, prep as much as you can before getting down to the club.
4. Check Your Kit for Winter Wear
Cold sailing means:
Spray jackets need to be in good condition
Ropes should be flexible, not stiff and frozen
Hulls need to be bailed before launching (leaves and rain collect fast)
5. Know When to Say No
Gusting to 30 knots in 3°C? That’s not character-building, it’s foolhardy.
Be brave — but be sensible. Cold injuries, capsizes, and long recoveries are harder now.
Final Word
Sailing in cold weather can be beautiful — quieter water, stunning low light, and a real sense of adventure.
Just don’t forget the hat, the flask of tea, and maybe a hot water bottle for afterwards.
Should safety crews call out racing rule breaches — or just keep quiet?
When you're crewing the safety boat during a dinghy race, your primary job is clear: keep sailors safe.
But what if you're also the only one who saw a blatant rule breach? A port boat failing to give way. A windward boat not keeping clear. A questionable mark rounding. Should the safety boat act as an umpire?
The Dilemma
You're in the best position to see everything.
You’re close to the action.
You probably know the rules.
You may even know the sailors.
So when you see something go wrong, it’s tempting to shout:
“That’s a foul!”
Or
“You didn’t give room at the mark!”
But should you?
The RYA and Racing Rules Say... No
The safety boat’s job is not to officiate, but to observe and act if there’s a danger. The moment you become judge, jury, and protest committee, you compromise:
Your neutrality
The trust of all competitors
The focus on safety, which must come first
What You Can Do
✅ Watch closely
✅ Take mental (or written) notes
✅ Report to the Race Officer if asked
✅ Be a witness in a protest — if called upon
But let the racers protest, not the Safety Boat.
Why This Matters
Small clubs like ours often rely on volunteers for safety cover, race management, and sometimes coaching. It’s easy for roles to blur.
But separating safety from adjudication keeps things fair and calm.
The sailors need to:
Know the rules
Call their own fouls
Protest if necessary
And the safety boat?
Stay alert, stay ready, and stay neutral.
Final Thought
The best safety boat teams are like good referees — visible, calm, and only stepping in when absolutely necessary.
Reefing: When to Shorten Sail and Why It Saves Races (and Swims)
If your boat feels a bit out of control, you’re heeling too far, the helm feels heavy, or the crew has developed that wide-eyed look of mild panic… it might be time to reef.
Reefing means reducing the area of your sail, and it’s one of the most important safety and performance skills in sailing. Reef too late, and you risk losing control, capsizing, or simply exhausting your crew. Reef early, and you sail smoother, faster, and safer.
Why Reef at All?
Because full sails are designed for light-to-moderate winds. As wind speed increases, so does the pressure on your sails. Eventually, more sail becomes a liability — not a benefit.
Reefing:
Reduces heeling
Makes the helm lighter and more responsive
Helps you point higher into the wind
Keeps your boat flatter and faster
Makes it much harder to capsize
When Should You Reef?
Rule of thumb: If you’re thinking about reefing… reef.
More specifically:
Before leaving the shore, if gusts are forecast above your comfort level
When whitecaps appear and your boat becomes hard to steer
If the boat is constantly rounding up into the wind (weather helm)
If crew weight can’t keep the boat level
On a gusty river like the Thames, local wind shadows and gust funnels make reefing even more important. You might have a flat calm by the club but 22-knot gusts just around the bend.
Practice reefing onshore or in light winds — you don’t want to learn during a squall.
A Real-Life Lesson
We once reefed our RS Toura in double-digit winds before a race.
Boats that didn’t reef? A few ended up on their side.
We didn’t win the race — but we stayed upright, dry(ish), and in control.
Reefing Is Not Just About Safety. It’s About Speed.
A flat, balanced boat is a faster boat. Reefing gives you control — and control gives you the ability to race smarter, not just harder.
They are bulkier, sometimes have built-in harnesses, and are a must when you’re far from shore, sailing solo, or in unpredictable seas.
When to Wear Each
Situation
Buoyancy Aid
Lifejacket
Dinghy sailing on a river
✅ Yes
❌ No
Kayaking or paddleboarding
✅ Yes
❌ No
Coastal cruising on a yacht
❌ No
✅ Yes
Offshore sailing or racing
❌ No
✅ Yes
Safety boat duty (calm river)
✅ Yes
❌ No
River Thames Advice
At Upper Thames Sailing Club, most sailors wear buoyancy aids. For many races, they are Mandatory. No buoyancy aid, no Racing.
The water is shallow, the banks are close, and safety boats are always near.
But remember:
It must be securely fastened
It must be the right size for your body
And it only works if you wear it
Key Takeaway
A buoyancy aid helps you float. A lifejacket helps you survive.
Make sure you choose the right one for the conditions — and the right one for you.
📖 Learn more about safe river sailing and equipment at: https://pmrsailing.uk/sailing-lessons/sailing-terms-list/life-or-buoyancy.html
If you’re learning to race a dinghy, there’s one golden rule you’ll hear over and over: Wide in, tight out.
It sounds like driving advice — and it is. But on the water, this principle can mean the difference between gaining two boat lengths or losing five, and we are the experts at losing five or more places, but rarely at the mark, because by then all the other boats have passed us.
So What Does It Mean?
As you approach a mark (a buoy you must round during a race), the temptation is to cut in close early. Don’t.
Instead, come in wide, giving yourself room to manoeuvre. As you round the mark, tighten your turn so your exit puts you on the next leg, trimmed and pointing in the right direction, with speed.
This technique is especially important on windward marks, where traffic builds up and clear air is hard to find.
Practice Tip
Next time you’re out training, set a buoy and approach it multiple times from different angles. Feel the difference between turning tight early versus giving yourself room.
If you’re sailing with a crew, communicate! A smooth mark rounding is a team effort — with sail trim, weight shift, and tiller control all working in sync.
Final Thought
Most gains and losses in a race don’t happen on the start line — they happen at the marks. Learn to round them well, and you’ll find yourself overtaking even faster boats.
The goal: real-world use over several weeks — safety boat duties, filming, setting marks, light ferrying.
The Real-World Results
We didn’t just do a lab test. We did real powerboat jobs on real days with real wind, current, and unpredictability. Here’s what we found:
Typical safety boat usage (start/stop, 60% throttle):
~20 hours of operation before dropping to 20% battery. The advantage of the Electric Boat is that when we are not moving, we use no power.
Light cruising (50% throttle):
Around 85km range as advertised — especially in calm conditions.
Full throttle (getting to a capsize quickly):
Power consumption jumps — range more like 40–50km.
Cold weather performance:
Slightly less range (about 10% drop on colder mornings).
Things We Learned
Slow and steady wins the battery race.
The moment you crank the throttle, your range falls fast.
Regenerative braking? Not a thing on boats.
Wind and stream matter. Fighting the current costs power.
But best of all, it’s silent. No petrol smell, no ear-rattling outboard noise. Just the quiet hum of the water and a low electric whirr.
So, How Long Does It Last?
For our kind of use — club safety boat, filming, and general duty — we easily get through a full day (usually two or more) before recharging.
