Sterndrive maneuverability in reverse?

[Philster]

Most common reversing error: doing it at idle or such low RPM that it's not very reactive. You might be best to give it some juice to get your way and cut it to nuetral, once you got you intended momentum/direction/swing. Then, brief pause to neutral and move to forward. Whatever RPM you putter/dock with for control in forward, well, you're gonna have to be decisive, firm and add some real darn RPM in reverse. Give it the juice, take control, move to neutral, move to forward.

In reverse, you have a flat transom, props made for going forward and the crap angle of the drive leading the way (angle sucks... like pushing a shopping cart backwards). It requires you to wrestle control.

Push a shopping cart backwards and see if it likes delicate actions, or if has its own mind. You'll find you need firmer hands and more force.

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[nycdad]

Most common reversing error: doing it at idle or such low RPM that it's not very reactive. You might be best to give it some juice to get your way and cut it to nuetral, once you got you intended momentum/direction/swing. Then, brief pause to neutral and move to forward. Whatever RPM you putter/dock with for control in forward, well, you're gonna have to be decisive, firm and add some real darn RPM in reverse. Give it the juice, take control, move to neutral, move to forward.

In reverse, you have a flat transom, props made for going forward and the crap angle of the drive leading the way (angle sucks... like pushing a shopping cart backwards). It requires you to wrestle control.

Push a shopping cart backwards and see if it likes delicate actions, or if has its own mind. You'll find you need firmer hands and more force.

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Thanks for that awesome description and example. I do sense it's the transom etc. Thank you everyone on this thread, can't wait to go out this weekend, good to know it's me (and not the vessel!)