"Bart Senior" wrote in message . net...
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.

First I would release the stern line and flip the boat around Kerry
Style.

With my bow upstream I would hold the stern line tight as a spring and
let the bow drift out... raise the jib just past the dead on wind,
hold the stern until I started getting way then cast off on a windward
tack downstream using the wind and current to my advantage to gain
enough speed to clear the Motersailer.

Another option might be to toss a anchor off your port bow and swing
out into the current , raise all sails as you pull up your kedge and
sail away from the dock using the rudder and hydrodynamic against your
anchor.


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

Nothing a sure thing,........ call a towboat?


3. What are your bail out options?
A fast deployed anchor


Joe