Leeway/drifting

[Momentum M]

Thank again to all....and to the one that PMed me directly. 
I'll send the pics to Ken and I'll post my finding once I'm convinced that the keel is the right one.

Serge

[Momentum M]

  Ok guys...here's my report!!!!  All I can say is that your were right....I was on the "scary" side and way to slow.

Last Saturday they launched the boat and we've stayed on the boat overnight.  The weather was pitifully and decided that Sunday was (or let says couldn't be worse)  our best bet.

So the wind was from the East and we had to head west to our marina.  The current is in the 6/7 knots from the west so with these conditions you can expect white caps.  Also, to add to our misery it was pourring rain so wet gears were in order with our inflatable life vest.

It's about a 2 hrs. ride by motor.  I didn't use my sails because of the conditions.

So we made it and our marina that opens only this w-end so there was no welcoming parties or no help for our first docking of the year (understandable with the weather conditions).  Keep in mind that in our slip we face west, I dock on my port side,  and the wind was there to "push" me in !!

So here we are...in rough conditions and no help around.  I'm quite decided that I'll go in with a better than usual speed.   My wife being used to our slowwww approach and ready to jump on the finger with the rope.  She kept on telling me  to slow down but I ignored her comments!!!

You have to know that the finger itself is no more than 2 ft wide ....so as I made my final approach I was a bit distant of our finger so she certainly wasn't going to jump so she stared at me with BIG eyes.

When the time came I cut the throttle, engage in reverse and gave it a good revere thrush and...almost a miracle,  almost as if the boat add air breaks....it stop dead and the entire boat moved against the finger (prop walk).   My wife basically walked off the deck unto the finger and hitched me.

The only sad thing is that there was nobody around to see my "expert" docking !!!!  It would have been nice to have a bunch of peoples witnessing this and applauding the result and, at the same time "patting" my ego.  Well if it's a good sign for the future then I might get a chance later on this summer to get welcoming party (*_*)   (Now this here is just a joke...I'm laughing at myself)

None the less....I did send the pics of my keel to be compared with a similar boat and also did received the blue print of the keel and everything was fine so the problem was right behind the wheel.

Thanks you all for your support and good advice.

This site is quite the forum and I'm learning more and more everyday!!!  I do come on this site 2/3 time a day and now my wife says that if I continue like this I'll get a degree in Enginering!!
Certainly not this year!!!



Serge