6 knots wind and a 5 knot current???

CM

"Nav" wrote in message
...
| What's to stop you letting the stream take you past the obstructions
| while you add minor adjustmets using the wind???
|
| Cheers
|
| Bart Senior wrote:
|
| You are in a difficult docking situation. You want
| to depart the dock and sail on a gorgeous day, but
| must leave now. Any later and you will lose your
| light, and have to cancel sailing for the day.
|
| You docked are on a river, facing down stream.
|
| There is a 5 knot ebb current and it is max ebb.
|
| The wind is coming directly across the beam of your
| boat and also directly across the river. It is blowing
| 6 knots.
|
| The boat is an Etchells keelboat, skeg hung rudder
| without a motor.
|
| Down current are two obstacles---both are docks
| that are parallel to the river. The closest dock does not
| project out as far as the second but has a motorsailer
| tied up pointed upriver that you must clear.
|
| If you clear the first dock, you still have to contend
| with clearing the second dock which extends even farther
| out into the river. If you can't clear that dock, you are
| trapped in a cul-de-sac and will collide with something,
| either the inside of the dock and pilings, which are free
| of boats, or else into the club house with your forestay
| and likely damage your rig, if not lose it entirely.
|
| Questions:
| 1. What is your strategy? What are all the factors you
| need to consider in planning this departure.
|
| 2. What can you do to insure you clear both docks?
|
| 3. What are your bail out options?
|
|
|

Yep, the current is strongest in the middle so you just have to stay
there and watch all the obstruction drift by. The wind is easily strong
enough to add some direction control.

Cheers

Capt. Mooron wrote:

6 knots wind and a 5 knot current???

CM

"Nav" wrote in message
...
| What's to stop you letting the stream take you past the obstructions
| while you add minor adjustmets using the wind???
|
| Cheers
|
| Bart Senior wrote:
|
| You are in a difficult docking situation. You want
| to depart the dock and sail on a gorgeous day, but
| must leave now. Any later and you will lose your
| light, and have to cancel sailing for the day.
|
| You docked are on a river, facing down stream.
|
| There is a 5 knot ebb current and it is max ebb.
|
| The wind is coming directly across the beam of your
| boat and also directly across the river. It is blowing
| 6 knots.
|
| The boat is an Etchells keelboat, skeg hung rudder
| without a motor.
|
| Down current are two obstacles---both are docks
| that are parallel to the river. The closest dock does not
| project out as far as the second but has a motorsailer
| tied up pointed upriver that you must clear.
|
| If you clear the first dock, you still have to contend
| with clearing the second dock which extends even farther
| out into the river. If you can't clear that dock, you are
| trapped in a cul-de-sac and will collide with something,
| either the inside of the dock and pilings, which are free
| of boats, or else into the club house with your forestay
| and likely damage your rig, if not lose it entirely.
|
| Questions:
| 1. What is your strategy? What are all the factors you
| need to consider in planning this departure.
|
| 2. What can you do to insure you clear both docks?
|
| 3. What are your bail out options?
|
|
|

Bart Senior wrote:

1. What is your strategy? What are all the factors you
need to consider in planning this departure.

Walk the boat around at the dock to point upstream. Cast off and reach
gently upstream at a speed slightly less than the ebb current.


2. What can you do to insure you clear both docks?

Sailing 'backwards' against the current will keep the rudder working and
provide good steerageway to maintain control of your position across the
width of the river.


3. What are your bail out options?

The nett slow downstream speed will make it easier to fend off. Be ready to
drop the anchor if things get hairy. Could maybe sheet in to get enough
speed to overcome the current, effectively providing brakes against your
downstream motion.


--
Wally
www.artbywally.com
www.wally.myby.co.uk

Nope... that I can't understand even at night... you folks have radar down
there? Does the sweep turn counter-clockwise? ;-)

Radar??
What for, we rarely have anything but clear skys.

G Interestin statement......

Subject: Docking Situation Question #1
From: "OooooozeOne
Date: 08/20/2004 16:49 Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

On 20 Aug 2004 17:12:51 GMT, (Shen44) scribbled
thusly:

Nope... that I can't understand even at night... you folks have radar down
there? Does the sweep turn counter-clockwise? ;-)

Radar??
What for, we rarely have anything but clear skys.

G Interestin statement......

Yep, interesting alright.
Our waters are virtually free of traffic compared to yours, weather
conditions are clear all but a few days of the year, and even a thick
fog is nowhere near as thick as some of yours.
Most waterways are wide and easy to navigate and those that aren't
usually have steep hills either side making radar virtually useless
because you can easily see your path.


In other words, you don't know much about radar. Ever used one?

Shen

Umm yep, and if you can see a path thru the returns then it'd be
great.
Unfortunately in that area there is no discernable path without the
colours of the nav aids. the rest are unmaked piles and other jun

Looking at the "chartlet" you sent, I can see your problem. However, it's no
different than many other places.
My only suggestion would be to run the area with radar in good conditions so
that you can get a feel for what the radar is showing versus what you see.
This can help to draw a "mind" picture of how your set shows various objects
and where the buoys are versus other junk.
Since they appear to be buoyed channels with nearby land, there should be a
visible path through.
Don't get hung up on using the lowest range scale .... use the one which shows
you the the greatest area (within reason ... i.e. you might want to be on 1.5
or 3 mi scale at times) so that so that your screen more closely resembles you
chart.

Shen

One other point here.
Although I'd normally agree that the radar should help show the buoys
against a land background and make your "path" clear, it's hard to judge
what you "do" see on "your" set against what we think you should see.
The point I'd stress, is "practice". Don't just use the radar when
conditions are bad. You need to use it frequently when conditions are
good, so that you learn to interpret what you see .... probably the
biggest problem most recreational (and a lot of professional) boaters
have using radar.

otn

Shen44 wrote:
Umm yep, and if you can see a path thru the returns then it'd be
great.
Unfortunately in that area there is no discernable path without the
colours of the nav aids. the rest are unmaked piles and other jun


Looking at the "chartlet" you sent, I can see your problem. However, it's no
different than many other places.
My only suggestion would be to run the area with radar in good conditions so
that you can get a feel for what the radar is showing versus what you see.
This can help to draw a "mind" picture of how your set shows various objects
and where the buoys are versus other junk.
Since they appear to be buoyed channels with nearby land, there should be a
visible path through.
Don't get hung up on using the lowest range scale .... use the one which shows
you the the greatest area (within reason ... i.e. you might want to be on 1.5
or 3 mi scale at times) so that so that your screen more closely resembles you
chart.

Shen

Spoken like a powerboater who "needs" radar on a sunny day.
You only need to run it once in a while, and understand how it
works. Most power boaters run it constantly for ego gratification.

"otnmbrd" wrote

The point I'd stress, is "practice". Don't just use the radar when
conditions are bad. You need to use it frequently when conditions are
good, so that you learn to interpret what you see .... probably the
biggest problem most recreational (and a lot of professional) boaters
have using radar.

Bart,
I don't care if you're a "seasonal weekend warrior" or "daily
professional", "sailor" or "powerboater". The only way you will become
proficient with radar, is to use it.
Probably one of the best ways to learn that is to use it during clear,
daylight conditions where you can easily compare what you see visually
with what is on your screen.
The person who thinks that by simply installing radar and having it they
are now a "qualified" operator of radar and only uses it when they
"NEED" to, is an accident waiting to happen.
Understanding how radar works, is one thing. Knowing how to use it and
being proficient at using it, is another.

G off the soapbox

otn


Bart Senior wrote:
Spoken like a powerboater who "needs" radar on a sunny day.
You only need to run it once in a while, and understand how it
works. Most power boaters run it constantly for ego gratification.

"otnmbrd" wrote


The point I'd stress, is "practice". Don't just use the radar when
conditions are bad. You need to use it frequently when conditions are
good, so that you learn to interpret what you see .... probably the
biggest problem most recreational (and a lot of professional) boaters
have using radar.

Right, but you don't need to run it every day!

"otnmbrd" wrote

Bart,
I don't care if you're a "seasonal weekend warrior" or "daily
professional", "sailor" or "powerboater". The only way you will become
proficient with radar, is to use it.
Probably one of the best ways to learn that is to use it during clear,
daylight conditions where you can easily compare what you see visually
with what is on your screen.
The person who thinks that by simply installing radar and having it they
are now a "qualified" operator of radar and only uses it when they
"NEED" to, is an accident waiting to happen.
Understanding how radar works, is one thing. Knowing how to use it and
being proficient at using it, is another.

G off the soapbox

otn