Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 18-10-2016, 11:23   #1
Registered User
 
Kelkara's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Vancouver Island
Boat: Hullmaster 27
Posts: 1,041
First Nights at Anchor

No way to learn about anchoring tied up to a dock ... so out sailing I go ...

Night 1:

Pull in to a nice little anchorage sheltered behind an island. The place is empty so I have all the room I need, and nobody to watch me screw-up. But just then a topsail schooner arrives, and despite being crewed by schoolkids effortlessly anchors itself. I locate a nice spot - 15ft of water, is that enough? Heck I don't even know if my depth sounder is calibrated for water under the keel or total water depth! Probably should have thought of that before I left. But I only draw 5ft and although it's near high tide, the tide will only go out about 7ft tonight, so that should be plenty. I release the CQR anchor from the bow roller, and start to feed out chain. I get to a mark on the chain - I probably should have measured how far apart these marks were before I got to this point too! well it's probably either 10m or 50ft, so lets guess 10m to be safe - so I keep letting out chain until 3 markers are out - that should be about 6:1 scope in the worst case. Is that enough scope?

Uneasy sleep ... keep waking up ... is the boat ok? has the anchor dragged? Check GPS ... no, the boat is exactly where it was. The wind starts to pick up until it reaches a dizzying 15kts, and a few waves refract round the island and start to gently rock the boat. I wake up again ... "There's a storm blowing out there! I must be in trouble!" But no the boat hasn't moved, and once I'm awake it doesn't really seem that windy. Bump!! Bump!! Bump!! "Oh no, the tide's gone out, that's the keel hitting rocks!" No, that's the dinghy bumping against the hull, besides there's plenty of water. "But not if I've dragged!" There's maybe 15kts of wind, and now at low tide I must have 10:1 all chain scope ... check the GPS, the boat hasn't moved. Bump!! Bump!! Bump!! "Am I sure it's the dinghy and not rocks? I'd better go out to check" So I open the companion way and go outside. The boat is sitting low in the water, and the bow is almost submerged, the sudden realisation that my boat is sinking sends a jolt of adrenaline through my body strong enough to wake me up ... I'm still in bed, that was just a dream ... Bump! Bump! sounds like the dinghy ... check the GPS, the boat hasn't moved. Finally morning arrives, after a fretful nights sleep I look out - "surely those rocks are closer than they were last night?" Check the GPS once more ... no, the boat hasn't moved - it spent all night in exactly the same place, it didn't even swing on the anchor.

Night 2:
This time the anchorage is a nice secluded cove, all the best spots are taken up by boats on permanent mooring balls, so I'm anchored a little further into the middle in water about 35ft. I let out what I think will be 5:1 of chain, and backed down with the engine. The anchor set ok, but it left me perilously close to the only other anchored boat. So I hauled in the chain, moved away a bit and tried again ... this time good, so I turn in for the night. Periodically checking the GPS during the night - the boat behaves itself again, and I sleep well.

This anchoring game isn't such a big deal after all. But the VHF weather broadcast had a different opinion. "Environment Canada has issued a severe weather warning for the Southern Gulf Islands, winds SE 40 gusting to 50 knots." Mother Nature was about to up the stakes.

Throughout the afternoon the winds picked up. The boat tugged at the anchor, but held fast. Until about 2:00pm, a larger gust of wind and ... oh ... that didn't feel right!! Check the GPS, yes I'm skidding across the anchorage at about 1kt! yikes!! The first thing I think of doing is to let out all the rest of my chain - I really should have done this last night, it's not like this storm wasn't forecast - this gives me about 7:1, and fortunately the anchor re-sets and holds. There then followed tense waiting as I watched out the window, and down at the GPS to see if I was still holding. That was when I realised the GPS actually had an anchor drag alarm. Setting the alarm relieved some of the panic, but not the worry. Sure enough about an hour later ... BEEP! BEEP! ... I was dragging again. Not sure if adding even more scope would help again, I did it anyway. At the end of my chain is a length of rope, so I let out about 30m more of rope. Again the anchor re-set. The boat swung around a lot more in the gusts on the rope rather than just the chain, and the stretch in the rope softened some of the gusts. After a fretful 2 hours of worrying about what I would do next time it started dragging, the wind started to calm down, so I hauled in the anchor, and motored back to the upwind side of the anchorage to start again.

Night 3:
The night was mercifully calm (relatively), as was the morning, but this storm was ready for round 2.

Night 4:
Again 40-50kt forecast, but this time if anything happened it would happen in the dark! With my anchor alarm set, with all my chain out and a bunch of rope, I tried to get some sleep with the wind screaming through the rigging, and the sudden boat movements as the gusts hit. BEEP! BEEP! Periodically the alarm would sound, but checking the GPS, that was just the boat swinging acceptably as the wind shifted.

By morning it was all over, the anchorage was calm. Talking to the man at the fuel dock I suggested that I perhaps hadn't picked the best season to learn about boating, to which he replied "I don't know, anyone can safely anchor here in July and August. Last night is about as rough as it gets round here - It's just going to get easier for you from now on." I hope he's right.

Two nights later arriving back at my dock - in the dark - nervously dodging the unlit moored boats outside the marina, I locate my entrance, and narrowly missing an unlit jetty(distances seem so different in the dark) I make the approach to my dock ... but I completely mess up the turn ... I try to steer back into the fairway, but it's too late I'm heading straight for a piling ... hard astern!!! The propwalk pulls me nicely against the side of the dock ... stepping off I just walk the boat back a few paces and she's home (but backwards). Anyone watching might have thought it was deliberate - until they saw me panicking that all my fenders and dock-lines were on the other side of the boat!
Kelkara is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2016, 11:29   #2
Moderator Emeritus
 
Paul Elliott's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,663
Images: 4
Re: First Nights at Anchor

Well done! If it always went perfectly we'd never learn anything new.
__________________
Paul Elliott, S/V VALIS - Pacific Seacraft 44 #16 - Friday Harbor, WA
www.sailvalis.com
Paul Elliott is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2016, 11:34   #3
Senior Cruiser
 
skipmac's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
Re: First Nights at Anchor

Nice write-up.

Of course, no one else on this forum has ever experienced anything like this.
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
skipmac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2016, 11:50   #4
Moderator
 
Don C L's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Channel Islands, CA
Boat: 1962 Columbia 29 MK 1 #37
Posts: 14,262
Images: 66
Re: First Nights at Anchor

Good job! Thanks for the chuckle... anyone who says they've never been there is lying! Makes you wonder sometimes why folks spend so much money to do it!
__________________
DL
Pythagoras
1962 Columbia 29 MKI #37
Don C L is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2016, 12:28   #5
Moderator
 
Jim Cate's Avatar

Join Date: May 2008
Location: cruising SW Pacific
Boat: Jon Sayer 1-off 46 ft fract rig sloop strip plank in W Red Cedar
Posts: 21,134
Re: First Nights at Anchor

Brought back some distant memories, that did! You're on your way...

And I hope that by now you have laid out your chain and measured and marked it, and that you have checked the calibration of your depth sounder, and thought about a snubber for those times you don't have all the chain deployed.

You will sleep better the next time!

Jim
__________________
Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II, lying Port Cygnet Tasmania once again.
Jim Cate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2016, 12:41   #6
Registered User
 
Franziska's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Panschwitz, Germany
Boat: Woods Mira 35 Catamaran
Posts: 4,205
Re: First Nights at Anchor

Great!

By the way most anchor alarm apps allow you to set a guard zone.
That allows you to set a bigger circle before the alarm goes off.

If you are keeping a little more then necessary off the shore (which you should) you can use this to allow for inaccuracies of the GPS (they exist!) and inaccuracies of you putting the anchor position in the alarm.

Btw, as the tide drops, your swing circle enlarges to some degree as well, sometimes that triggers tightly set alarms.

Have fun!

www.ladyrover.com
__________________
www.ladyrover.com
Franziska is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2016, 12:56   #7
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 349
Re: First Nights at Anchor

I love the write up! I do have a slight inkling of the thoughts going through your mind having recently done my first solo anchoring overnight in Dead Man's Bay in the BVI's. It is funny how a perfectly calm afternoon will turn into 15kt cross winds from the opposite direction you've anchored for at exactly the time it is too late to bail out and go find a mooring ball on your first time trying to do it on your own! Thankfully I was the only boat there because nobody else is crazy enough to go sailing during hurricane season, but still I could swear I had moved at every point I got up to check...

Good times, thankfully I survived as did the boat.
ol1970 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2016, 13:03   #8
Moderator
 
JPA Cate's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: aboard, cruising in Australia
Boat: Sayer 46' Solent rig sloop
Posts: 28,400
Re: First Nights at Anchor

Hi, Kelkara,

Nicely written, lovely story.

I don't know if you've seen them, but CF has two very interesting threads about anchoring, "Pictures of Anchors setting", started by noelex, and "Videos of Anchors Setting", by Panope Steve.

By the way, genuine CQRs do have a failure mode, the pin and hole can become worn, which keeps the anchor from attaining the correct angle to dig in, and such anchors will drag. Should this become the case for you, it can be repaired by building up the pin and hole and re-galvanizing it. .... Some friends had this done and are satisfied with the result, here in Australia, at the moment.

Ann
__________________
Who scorns the calm has forgotten the storm.
JPA Cate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2016, 13:21   #9
Registered User
 
Sun and Moon's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Florida Atlantic coast
Boat: Bristol 29
Posts: 353
Re: First Nights at Anchor

Great story!

If you want to learn more about anchoring, check out this thread. In my opinion, the best information about anchoring available anywhere. And only 174 pages!
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ng-126073.html
Sun and Moon is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2016, 13:56   #10
Marine Service Provider

Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Victoria BC
Boat: Cal 2-46'
Posts: 672
Re: First Nights at Anchor

Kelkara, I have a similiar story with our Lecomte 35' in Mexico. Firm believer in my genuine bruce and I know what I'm doing. Ended up on the beach at 0300, didnt loose the boat and a very funny story. I'll write it up proper and post it one day.
Now I sell anchors...
Ground Tackle Marine
Our anchor chateau is in Sidney, probabably not far from you. I would love to show you what we have to offer. For the first time in my life of boating I am relaxed and slept great.
I feel more stories will start coming. Is there an anchor story thread? guess I could spend the .18 seconds and look myself.
Chris Eldridge
250.516.7888
groundtackle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2016, 15:07   #11
CF Adviser
 
Pelagic's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2007
Boat: Van Helleman Schooner 65ft StarGazer
Posts: 10,280
Re: First Nights at Anchor

Great, well written trip down memory lane for most of us Kelkera.

In reality, it doesn't change too much, ....the more you learn about what can go wrong, the lighter you sleep at a blustery anchorage...(steady winds above 35knts and I am curled up in the wheelhouse, rather than in bed)


The fact that you take all of this seriously, is your best defence as you become tuned to a new environment.
Pelagic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2016, 15:33   #12
Registered User
 
Cheechako's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,453
Re: First Nights at Anchor

Well done! Nice write up! Yep sounds like a typical cruise.
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard











Cheechako is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2016, 08:04   #13
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Maryland
Boat: Outbound 46
Posts: 323
Re: First Nights at Anchor

In all things cruising, practice makes perfect.

You will experience way more situations than you can anticipate, just learn from each one. Good ground tackle and lots of scope, with a little vigilance, will keep you safe.
DMCantor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2016, 08:16   #14
Registered User
 
akprb's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Alaska
Boat: Boatless
Posts: 928
Re: First Nights at Anchor

Radar.

On rare occasions with a lot of wind, no moon and other boats around I'll fire up the radar with a tight guard zone in addition to the anchor alarm.

This gives a bit of warning if someone is dragging down on us or vise versa.

Just crossed my mind, thought worth a share. Good Job and great story!
akprb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2016, 08:24   #15
Registered User

Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Marina di Ragusa, Sicily
Boat: Antares 44i
Posts: 155
Re: First Nights at Anchor

I've been sailing cruising boats for 15 years, and you just described my first 3 nights back at anchor every season!
AZUS is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
anchor

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Suggestions On Itinerary In The S. Pacific For 6 Nights discostu General Sailing Forum 1 16-10-2012 14:30
Two Nights in November Off the Jersey Coast ? allanpeda Atlantic & the Caribbean 3 28-10-2011 15:15
This Will Keep You Up Nights tsl Construction, Maintenance & Refit 7 09-08-2011 05:56
Anchor Rodes and Restless Nights motion30 Anchoring & Mooring 49 12-07-2011 10:16
Freaky Dreams and a good nights sleep. mudnut Flotsam & Sailing Miscellany 11 06-03-2007 02:59

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 20:07.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.