I fully understand that there are many ways to skin a cat. I am fairly confident I could walk a twin screw vessel to starboard, however I’m getting lost in the weeds, is there a “More right” way to do it? Across a range of source material I’m finding conflicting information. Do twin screw ships hand…

Many mariners have forgotten what it’s like to learn a new skill. Learning to walk a boat is similar to learning to ride a bicycle, Once the basics are learned the motor skills become part of long-term memory. When the boat starts to creep ahead for example the correction becomes automatic. Once t…

I have the basics and I’ve seen a lot of variations. I find that I need to get the “feel” of any new boat/barge. Once I have the feel it becomes almost automatic. The only thing I need to think about is how to use the wx and current to my advantage.

The other important element is feedback. Feedback is why it’s quicker and easier to learn how to drive a car then run a boat. If the control forces are high and the environmental forces are low the boat will respond well and will be quicker to learn. Learning with a tug and barge is going to take…

From the little boat angle, the sweetest walkers were the twin screw lifeboats on the NCL Pride of America. I was cox’n of one in 2004. The screws were spaced wide and I don’t recall if they were inboard or outboard, but using A she walked like a Disneyland ride on a straight rail.

[image] Jemplayer: Think of it as having both wheels spinning in the direction you want the boat to go. That is a good way to visualize this. My understanding is outboard turning props are more efficient but inboard turning produce more traverse thrust when the boat is being ‘walked’. Crui…

Yeah, too far into the weeds for me. I know a single screw ship with a right-handed propeller will walk to port when backed and it’s not a subtle thing.

I count on that myself, I usually come into the dock with the dock on the port side at an angle, full reverse stops the boat dead and sucks the stern right into the dock :slight_smile:

[image] Meme.Lord: Do twin screw ships handle differently than twin screw tugs? Are you more likely to find Inboard or Outboard turning screws on one vs the other? To add further confusion, kort nozzles negate any transverse thrust from the propellers so the direction of spin is meaningless a…

When using twin screw for ship handling you have three considerations, torque, transverse thrust and rudder. Fixed pitch outward turning screws are more efficient for ship handling as transverse thrust works with the screw torque when using one engine ahead and the other astern. Fixed pitch inward…

Twin Screw Walking

Professional Mariner Forum

Capt_Phoenix January 18, 2024, 4:49pm 23

I remember being taught that inboard turning props created more thrust, similar to Cappy’s observations here:

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Twin Screw Walking

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