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Anyone good at 'crabbing' the boat?
- Seif911
- Captain
- Posts: 233
- Joined: April 11th, 2013, 6:46 am
- Vessel Info: 1977 Carver Mariner 33'
- Location: Sheboygan, WI
- Been thanked: 4 times
Anyone good at 'crabbing' the boat?
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
Steve
22' Godfrey Hurricane Fun Deck, Fiberglass hull, 175 HP, Deck boat
24' Chrysler Cruiseliner III (Lonestar), 120 HP, Aluminum Hull, Cabin, 1968
33' Carver Mariner, fiberglass hull, 520 HP, Yacht, 1977
- waybomb
- CYO Moderator
- Posts: 2517
- Joined: February 5th, 2013, 9:24 pm
- Vessel Info: 1995 Boston Whaler Rage15
1987 3697 Carver Mariner
1988 Cougar 46 Kevlar Vee offshore
1969 15' Glasspar / 1967 Johnson Electromatic 85 - Location: Saint Joseph,Mi
- Has thanked: 54 times
- Been thanked: 436 times
Re: Anyone good at 'crabbing' the boat?
Fred
1969 Glaspar Avalon /1967 Johnson Electromatic 85
1987 Carver Mariner
1988 Cougar Kevlar 46' with triple blown 572 ci
1995 Boston Whaler Rage
Past - 1988 2807, 1989 4207 Aft
- Seif911
- Captain
- Posts: 233
- Joined: April 11th, 2013, 6:46 am
- Vessel Info: 1977 Carver Mariner 33'
- Location: Sheboygan, WI
- Been thanked: 4 times
Re: Anyone good at 'crabbing' the boat?
Steve
22' Godfrey Hurricane Fun Deck, Fiberglass hull, 175 HP, Deck boat
24' Chrysler Cruiseliner III (Lonestar), 120 HP, Aluminum Hull, Cabin, 1968
33' Carver Mariner, fiberglass hull, 520 HP, Yacht, 1977
- AaHubb
- Commander
- Posts: 315
- Joined: February 16th, 2013, 5:46 pm
- Vessel Info: '99 404 CPMY
my twin diesel pusher - Location: Kennewick, Wa
- Has thanked: 15 times
- Been thanked: 61 times
Re: Anyone good at 'crabbing' the boat?

SeaDragon
-
- Scurvy Dog
- Posts: 24
- Joined: April 25th, 2013, 9:37 pm
Re: Anyone good at 'crabbing' the boat?
"Brown Eyed Girl"
1981 Carver 3007 30ft. Aft Cabin
Huntington Harbour, Ca
"But why's the rum gone....?"
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- Scurvy Dog
- Posts: 24
- Joined: April 25th, 2013, 9:37 pm
Re: Anyone good at 'crabbing' the boat?
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.
"Brown Eyed Girl"
1981 Carver 3007 30ft. Aft Cabin
Huntington Harbour, Ca
"But why's the rum gone....?"
- 1000islands
- Scurvy Dog
- Posts: 14
- Joined: February 3rd, 2014, 10:26 pm
- Vessel Info: 1989 Carver 3607 Aft Cabin
SeaDoo Sportster - Has thanked: 4 times
- Been thanked: 1 time
Re: Anyone good at 'crabbing' the boat?
I plan to try again this coming season and use more throttle.
- Seif911
- Captain
- Posts: 233
- Joined: April 11th, 2013, 6:46 am
- Vessel Info: 1977 Carver Mariner 33'
- Location: Sheboygan, WI
- Been thanked: 4 times
Re: Anyone good at 'crabbing' the boat?
Steve
22' Godfrey Hurricane Fun Deck, Fiberglass hull, 175 HP, Deck boat
24' Chrysler Cruiseliner III (Lonestar), 120 HP, Aluminum Hull, Cabin, 1968
33' Carver Mariner, fiberglass hull, 520 HP, Yacht, 1977
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- Scurvy Dog
- Posts: 27
- Joined: March 2nd, 2014, 3:21 pm
Re: Anyone good at 'crabbing' the boat?
28' Mariner twin 302's
"My other vessel is a Klingon Bird of Prey"
- Lyndon670
- Admiral
- Posts: 657
- Joined: July 29th, 2013, 11:35 pm
- Vessel Info: 2000 Carver 506
Volvo TAMD74EDC - Location: Georgian Bay
- Has thanked: 124 times
- Been thanked: 140 times
Re: Anyone good at 'crabbing' the boat?
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.
2000 Carver 506
FOXY JOE
Volvo 7.4TAMD
Queens Cove Marina
Georgian Bay, Ontario
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