Deck General · Shiphandling — Propeller Walk

A vessel with a single right-handed fixed propeller backing down (engine astern) will tend to walk her stern to:

Explanation

Transverse thrust (propeller walk) from a right-handed propeller going astern throws the stern to port (bow swings to starboard). Mariners use this predictable effect to twist or to bring the stern alongside a port-side berth.

Authority: Knight's Modern Seamanship

Practice the full Deck General bank

Free spaced-repetition quizzing across 2190 USCG exam questions — it schedules your reviews so the ones you miss come back until they stick.

Related Deck General questions