Because when you go full astern on power with a single screw vessel - there's no steering but the prop walks the stern to port. Physics. Pilot/helm panicked, went full aft to avoid what they saw was coming and made it worse. Drift forward then into the support.
That's per a Navy helmsman and other sea guys I talked to yesterday.
Interesting Teal. Just so I understand better:
“Full astern” mean full reverse?
If so, why does that walk the stern to the left side? Is it because of the location of the prop, the direction it is spinning, or something else?
Also, was the steering out, but the prop was functioning? I haven’t seen any clear reports on that.
Just trying to understand better.
They lost power - putting them in a drift, power comes on, smoke goes out as they slam full astern (roll coal) but that doesn't provide steering.
Yes - full astern means full reverse. The prop spins the other direction but doing so doesn't push any water over the rudder for steering. The spinning prop then spins the stern of the boat to port because of it's spin direction.
A twin screw boat can steer in reverse because one engine in reverse, one is forward - causing a pivot like a tank and one side IS pushing water over a rudder for control.
