Anchoring Stories

[noelex 77]

True Story number 2.

The wind picks up to about 25K and a private 38 foot boat starts dragging.
I go over in the dingy and no one is aboard. Its now blowing 35K 40K and we are dragging very quickly. There is a rocky lee shore approaching.
No sign of any owners.

The boat has all its anchor chain out and a manual anchor winch
No sign of any additional anchors.
Do I stay on bord and wait as the yacht piles up on the rocks?
Do I leave the boat to its own devices?

I conclude if it was my boat I would want someone to do something.
So I go to start the engine.
No Joy (It turns out there a two battery switches that need turning on and they are in different locations.)
Now the rocks are getting very close and its obvious with the swell that the boat will be wrecked.

Now I have very limited options.

The anchor is still not touching the bottom so there is still the option of sailing off the lee shore, but if I put up sails and the boat is wrecked I would be in serious trouble.
Anyway perhaps foolishly that’s what I did.
I could not have been more relieved, if it was my boat, when the yacht started gaining some ground from the danger.

The only problem is I am in a Italy on a Danish boat, that’s not mine, sailing off the coast. With no witness (other than my wife back at my boat) that I have not just stolen it.

Anyway, It all had a happy ending the owners could see the whole drama from shore, but their dingy was a long way off and had no outboard. They said they were on their knees praying I would do something.


They became good friends and I hope someone would do the same for my boat.

[CruisingKitty]

Originally Posted by CaptPatAg

What color is your helm while anchoring? Mine is always Pink while Blue is up front where the hard nasty stuff is. Pink follows hand signals just fine and Blue gets to have fine dinners thanks to Pink. Life on our boat....

I'm with you...pink at the helm, blue at the pointy end usually. BUT, we both have to know how to do it all, just in case.

[John A]

Originally Posted by CruisingKitty

I'm with you...pink at the helm, blue at the pointy end usually. BUT, we both have to know how to do it all, just in case.

Put thr brains at the helm and the muscle at the ouinty end.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

True Story number 2.

. . .

The only problem is I am in a Italy on a Danish boat, that’s not mine, sailing off the coast. With no witness (other than my wife back at my boat) that I have not just stolen it.

Anyway, It all had a happy ending the owners could see the whole drama from shore, but their dingy was a long way off and had no outboard. They said they were on their knees praying I would do something.


They became good friends and I hope someone would do the same for my boat.

A wonderful, inspiring story!!

[tager]

I didn't know any better, and anchored a 24' sailboat with a 10lb mushroom, some old tire chains, and a cinder block. It held all summer, through plenty of storms. A good anchorage is much more important than a good anchor.

Funny tale:

My dad had about 40 feet of nylon rope tied to a cinder block to anchor us for a 4th of July show in the inner harbor. He threw it over the gunwale, and watched as the rope uncoiled, and made a satisfying plop as the tail went over the side. Bye bye anchor and line!

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

A wonderful, inspiring story!!

And one in which he was very lucky... some folks have come badly unstuck doing things like this... end up carrying the blame and get sued by the owners or the insurance...
Don't get me wrong... I applaud his actions and great result but.... if the boat had wrecked while he was on board would the owners have been as appreciative of his efforts on behalf of their sunken wreck... would the insurers...??
I used to do similar things way back until someone waved me over on my way back from a dragging charter boat...
he'd been severely mauled for doing the same thing... but the boat ended up wrecked....

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

A wonderful, inspiring story!!

Thanks!

Originally Posted by boatman61

And one in which he was very lucky... some folks have come badly unstuck doing things like this... end up carrying the blame and get sued by the owners or the insurance...

I think this is a very valid point. Unfortunately in this day an age its a sad reflection that you need to think about these things.
I used to teach people how to fly gliders and the trick there, especially when teaching them land, was to let them make mistakes, but you had to take over in time to still be able to make a safe landing. I felt this situation was similar in that I had to make a decision if I could recover the situation.

There were several moments when I doubted my decision. The yacht was homebuilt and have several quirks. It took me what seemed like a long time for example to release the tiller which was locked in a rather ingenious way.

I have reflected on the decision and would do it again, but if possible I would go over to another boat in the anchorage (there was none in this case) and get some help. More hands are always going to be helpful and it removes the risk that you can be accused of stealing the boat.