[quote=NCC320;502594]Just a comment and perhaps a sign that I don't understand something. For me, 15 kts. is enough to make holding the boat boat difficult, especially when it gets on the beam. Lots of the suggestions, perhaps most, will work just fine when the wind at the pier is 5-7 kts., but I believe that many of the above suggestions aren't just going to do it in 15 kts. Perhaps others 15 kts. of wind is different from mine and a bit more gentle.
If you are responding to my post, I didn't suggest "Holding the boat". In fact, I said, let the wind help you back the boat out of the slip. I'm in San Francisco where 15 knots is an afternoon breeze, and I have the exact same set up as the OP. With my method , you are not stopping the boat, you are simply keeping the bow from falling off the wind (big difference). In fact, you want the boat to move back wards as fast as possible to allow the rudder to do it's job. As someone else said in this thread "the wind is your friend". I would say, figure out how to use the wind to your advantage, because if you don't, it can also be your enemy. By the way, in the example the OP gave, the boat would not have the wind on the "beam" until it is clearly out of the slip. As far as I'm concerned, if you are still "holding" on to the boat by then, you've lost the battle! You should be on board, and the motor and rudder should be doing the work. One of the things I love about sailboats is that (unlike power boats) they work with nature, and don't attempt to dominate her. Even our "auxiliary engines" are grossly under powered for the size of the vessel (by power boat standards) because they are just that...auxillary. I try to keep it simple, work with the boat and existing conditions. Use
lines only when absolutely necessary. I often turn my boat around without the motor (don't like to fire it up for a two minute move), to work on the other side. I use the method described by another poster in this thread. One time, it was windy and I was pulling the stern around and had a fair amount of tension on the
line. I didn't realize the the line had hooked something on the stern, and suddenly the line popped off the object, making the line about a foot longer! I came so close to going into the drink it still makes me shudder! Now, I think twice when it's that windy, and I don't commit that much lean away from the boat and to wards the water. In any case, it's an example of how lines can become a problem, and why I try to avoid using them in complicated schemes unless absolutely necessary. I think that if my plan doesn't work for the OP, he doesn't have adequate space behind his berth. It certainly works for me.