Just be patient and learn how to maneuver your boat. Take the time to learn how to drive the boat like a master. It does not take long, truly. When you actually think about it, you still need thrust to turn EXCEPT when you are coasting to a stop, in which case a fin might help a little, directionally, but not much for over 3000 pounds of boat coming to a stop. If this is the "slow speed assist" a fin provides, it isn't worth the 3-400 bucks or whatever they cost, but I digress......If you want to turn, you need thrust. As example, a week or so ago I was coming in a tight runway, not my usual ramp which was closed for a fair and a bass fishing contest. This ramp I was forced to use - I hate it - but is one used by the bass boats which are a breeze to turn at this tight ramp. You have to come in a narrow stretch of about 75 yards - long pier on the right, land on the left, and maybe 25 feet wide - yes, only one boat can traverse this "canal" at a time, unless you take one of the rental canoes out which launch from here. At the end, you must execute an immediate 90 degree left onto the ramp, which is not wide. I came in, turned sharp using the thrust, and docked along the left side of the ramp. We unloaded and I had to get the truck, and back it in. I had to angle the trailer back, because my docked boat was taking up much of the ramp width, it was that narrow. It was dusk, and all the contest fisherman were flying in one after the other as there were two ramps. Then the fun started, as well as the pressure. All those fisherman watching and thinking "No way this guy's gonna' put that on the trailer." I'm sure they had wanted me to put on a "crash into the dock" show, as I was the one ripping up and down the river on tubes and boards all day, probably disturbing the hell out of them even though I respected them by no waking constantly as I passed them. So after dunking the trailer in, I had to get back in the boat, and back up - of course, there was barely any room to maneuver, because of the long "runway" pier which runs the length to the rear where on the other side, you can hook up to for a rest or to get gas. Plus my trailer was backed in at an angle. What fun. Considering there was zero margin for error with both the turning radius, the sides of the dock, and the long pier which outlined the runway in the rear, I thought "Oh well, this is it. I will crash the dock and laugh, saying it's my first day out" to the fishermen. Like hell. I backed the sucker up, and knowing how you have to trust your instinct and the power of hard thrust/turns/ forward/backward throttles at the same time, I backed up. As I got moving, there was no room for error as I started closing in on the pier behind me. Boom, power thrust forward left, a touch of medium reverse right and that thing started to turn on a dime - slow, but it started to turn. I mean, to do this you have to hit the power hard forward on one side reverse on the other to make that baby move. I may have the motions mixed up as it is only natural to me when on the boat, and not in re-hashing instant replay. Once I got it moving the way I needed, I had to reverse/opposite the thrust to stop the motion that direction and to get it to "straighten out" for my angled trailer. Then slam both into reverse slide straight back from the angled trailer. All the while I'm thinking "Holy shit" this really works! (Yes, years of practice) As I was now enough behind the trailer, and straight on at the "angle." As I profess, you have to trust the power of thrusting forward and backwards at the same time to make the boat dance. I quickly hit the forward thrust hard to not only stop the retreat into the pier, but to start the forward momentum, as I was moving backwards and closer to hitting the pier. Then I cut power as I drifted right onto the center of the boards. Unfortunately I didn't power long enough, so I had to jump out, hook the winch, and pull it up about 6 feet. If I kept the power on another second, I would have been able to hit the bow stop but figured better safe than sorry. All told, this maneuver, thinking back, took perhaps 45 seconds. Boom boom boom no time for error and trust the power to make the boat dance! As you can imagine, it was a great feeling watching all those clowns preparing to snicker their asses off, have to go back to their business with nary a word to me. They had no choice but to acknowledge, albeit silently, that they were in the presence of a master, and witnessed The Master making his monster (in comparison to a bass boat) dance in place, basically, without missing a beat. Would fins have helped in this tight, tight space? Absolutely not. I had to either control the boat with raw thrusting power, or crash into the dock. Practice and experience is all it takes. Do not believe the over marketed hype regarding the fins. Take the time to learn the physics of your boat, and don't throw your hands up and buy fins in frustration They are simply not needed to make the boat dance.
. It was a good day for me.
