Turn the Rudder, Turn the Engine  The key thing to remember is: when you turn your rudder, turn your engine at the same time and to the same angle. I  have backed many small sailboats using the engine and rudder in tandem, and all are, if anything, too responsive to that  kind of control input. There is none of the sideways propwalk and sluggish response to the helm seen in many larger,  inboard-powered sailboats when backing. Yes, it is a bit more trouble to handle an outboard, reaching over here to throttle and steer it, over there to shift the gears,  and all of it over the transom of the boat, which is not a great place to focus your attention when approaching a dock. But  once you master the simple techniques of outboard engine control, you will find your small sailboat very easy to control in  any kind of docking situation. 10