madmike wrote:
FWIW, here are two pictures of our anchoring platform.
Of course, it's pitching moment might be canceled out by all the crap (davits, solar, bimini) on the stern of the boat...
Cool anchoring platform. All the crap on the back of your boat adds to the pitching moment. FWIW, first order factor in pitching moment for our boats is overall weight and then it comes down to weight distribution. More weight at the ends adds to moment of inertia or "gyradius". Weight at the bow effectively adds more pitching moment than weight at the stern because of the effects of waterplane area - less waterplane, less pitch damping.
I recall once sailing at low speed and being hit by a particularly nasty set of Ches Bay powerboat chop. The boat just sat there at basically zero speed hobby horsing for what seemed like 30 seconds. Our boats are heavy at the ends and the rigging but this is also what makes them a bit more comfortable in a seaway because the pitch motion period is slower. I definitely found this to be the case in the ocean last summer beating 120 miles down the coast in 25-30 knots. It was not bad and the boat was remarkably dry on deck from the mast aft. But, I digress...