My boat won't back worth a darn, (due to , I think, a too small rudder) and if I try backing out of my slip I never know where I will wind up...unless I use a spring! I keep a spring line about 45 feet long (I am a 42 footer) on my aft starboard pole. I bring it micely coiled into the cockpit and let it pay out around the stbd winch (or use a cleat towards the aft end of your cockpit, as long as you can reach it as you are backing up). as I back out I pay out the spring from the cockpit and when I am clear of the slip I tighten the spring around the sheet winch and like magic the boat will do a 90 turn to port and I'm now headed right out of my marina in the channel! I throw the line (nylon) back into the water near the entrance to my slip. It sinks, and I've never had a problem fouling it when I return. This works like magic, even with 20 to 25 knot beam winds while backing out. The bow will aboslutely not fall off to leeward! Try it!!