Yes. If the boat works as I expect it does, the diesel controls are run on air pressure. Too many changes in too short a time can cause you to lose pressure, and run out of “starts”. So you move the bridge telegraph, and nothing happens. This boat may not have such a system, I don’t know. But you definitely want the engine in reverse to slow your approach. Changing from forward to reverse is one of those situations that put stress on things. If it is going to break, that might be the time. On the big ships, part of our pre-arrival tests are stopping offshore and testing reverse.
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