New Slip

Neil advised me two months ago that the marina planned to move me from the 45 ft slip that I've been using for about a year now to a 40 ft slip more appropriate for my 39 ft boat. Today he gave me a Heads Up on the move sometime next week.

The first question I had was the orientation of the slip because the high amount of prop walk to port (i.e. the tendency of the stern of the boat to pull to the left when I put the engine in reverse) would dictate whether I would go into the new slip bow first or stern first.  In the present slip I must back into the slip because were I to go in bow first then when reversing to leave the marina the prop walk would force me to go up the fairway and toward the marina exit in reverse, which makes steering and control very difficult.

The proposed new slip faces the opposite way and will be very much like my slip at the Fremantle Sailing Club.  I will make my entry by motoring down the fairway and entering the slip bow first with a sharp turn to starboard.  To exit I will put the engine in reverse which will back me out in an arc that will leave me facing the marina entrance.

As usual there are tradeoffs. The new slip is on a much quieter jetty, and I will have more privacy given that I will be presenting my bow to the jetty.  On the other hand, I'll miss the colorful activities associated with the fleet of pangas berthed on the other side of my current jetty.

The marina layout is very well shown in the Marina de La Paz web site.  Visit http://www.marinadelapaz.com/
then click on "layout" at the left.  I expect to be moving from slip 111 at the right to 317 at the left.