You are setting your anchors badly and then blaming the anchors

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

What's the EC?

English Channel - I'm lazy. Now my fingers hurt…

Mark

[Dockhead]

[QUOTE=Robin3;1572517]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

So the Med, as a superprime charter destination, is awful.



Because The French in Southern Brittany Biscay anchorages are mostly on charter boats, with smallish anchors and string rodes?



We always said mobos that went places were fine, the ones who just 'day blasted' out and back from the home marina much less so.

I was brought up thinking in terms of 3:1 scope on all chain and 5:1 on rope was a good starting point for normal conditions. We usually set the anchor on 3:1 on all chain and based on the expected HW depth plus an extra allowance for the bow roller height then ease the anchor in under Engine, gradually increasing engine revs to full astern whilst watching transits. Oft times because we would be anchoring at less than HW we would therefore be doing the initial set on a greater scope . If we expected stronger winds later we would let out a bit more rode too , but we always added a nylon snubber line with a wound- in rubber mooring compensator 'dog bone' included in it to take snatch out of the equation as the boat swings, IMO snatch loads are a top cause of dislodged anchors. Most of the time over 50 years of anchoring in UK Channel/ Biscay waters we avoided anchoring in strong streams and rarely did the anchor release and need to re-set itself on turn of tide, it either just carved it's way round in situ OR we even laid for a while on the weight of the chain and with the anchor in it's existing set orientation. We took great care to avoid locations with strong currents especially if wind direction blowing against current were possible or predicted later. Location Location Location!! WE could always find somewhere that was out of the main stream and sheltered from the wind as much as possible. we are starting a new learning curve here in the USA but will start off as we began over there and adapt if as and when we need to. With our now 36 footer, We have a 45lb genuine Delta on 150ft of of 3/8 HT chain ( with more warp available if needs be, but in the skinny waters round here we should be on all chain most of the time). We also have the inherited 'Dock Queen's' polished S/S claw with chain /warp we could add to the mix if we feel we need to, but do not want to complicate things by Bahamian moor techniques or fore/aft stuff. We live overlooking a popular passage anchorage on the ICW and I naturally watch the people using that area with interest. Mostly nobody drags, at least not obviously, but some take a few attempts to do their initial set but thereafter some wander around a long way on their very long string rodes, whereas those on chain alone seem much more considerate of space usage and remain in a smaller area with any changes of current or wind.

But South Brittany is not in the Channel!

But anyway, the rest of this post proves my point. I never knew a U.S. sailor who would ever consider a 3:1 scope to be enough; but this was commonly taught in the UK and still followed by many. I'm not saying it's wrong; obviously Robin's experience proves that it can work in the right hands. So it's hard to tell where people's anchors are around here -- they might be on anything from 3:1 to 8:1.

Enjoy the skinny Florida waters, Robin! The main thing there is not to run aground! Do you have Boat U.S. or Towboat USA insurance? Highly recommended!

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by colemj

English Channel - I'm lazy. Now my fingers hurt…

Mark

Ah, I see. We don't use that abbreviation. Around here it's either "The Channel", or "La Manche, you ignorant Rostbiff!", depending on what side of it you come from!




P.S., that last is a joke, playing only to our own anglospheric prejudices -- the French sailors are exceptionally friendly.

[Robin3]

[QUOTE=Dockhead;1572538]

Originally Posted by Robin3

But South Brittany is not in the Channel!

But anyway, the rest of this post proves my point. I never knew a U.S. sailor who would ever consider a 3:1 scope to be enough; but this was commonly taught in the UK and still followed by many. I'm not saying it's wrong; obviously Robin's experience proves that it can work in the right hands. So it's hard to tell where people's anchors are around here -- they might be on anything from 3:1 to 8:1.

Enjoy the skinny Florida waters, Robin! The main thing there is not to run aground! Do you have Boat U.S. or Towboat USA insurance? Highly recommended!

Us (ex in my case)Channel based yotties got our experiences and subsequent opinions of French anchoring antics in Brittany or 'darn west' in the UK when the French visited us.

Bearing in mind with the greater tidal height ranges over there a 3:1 scope at theoretical HW depth applie when arriving at LW or half tide would be a much greater scope st the time of setting, you develop 'feel' for the right angle of pull and if i old faithful skips even an inch just let out a tad more chain . 'feel' more important than numbers alone?

WE lived on a trawler Mobo for a year prior to my stroke and moving back on dirt, and that mobo had < 5ft draught, rather less than the 7ft of our last UK sailboat but I had quite a few missed heartbeats in the ICW watching the depthsounder readings plummet We joined Towboat US before we left the dock first time out in the mobo, but haven't had to use them yet and we renewed the subscription again for our now 5.3ft draught Beneteau which has a winged keel that is vaguely reminiscent of a flattened Rocna so maybe we will have another anchoring option with that and no scope at all needed!

[AngeW]

At anchor here in Mljet Croatia we had 30 knots last night and sure enough saw a 450 charter catamaran come off its anchor to the great consternation of the downwind boat. I do think some of the charter companies are to blame: skitty little anchors and hardly any chain.

We apply the full engine test before putting on the bridle, but still find it hard to sleep soundly when the wind is gusting high. Anchor alarm app helps a bit, haven't set it off so far, except when forgetting to unset it and leaving an anchorage!

Ange

[montenido]

As one who anchors in Mexico quite often, I don't see many cases of someone anchoring in 10' of water with 200' of rode out. In fact, I often don't have any other boats in the same anchorages, which is sweet.

I'm sure there are bone-heads down there, but I have yet to run into them. BTW, I have an 80# Manson Supreme on all chain. I drop it in, let the wind put some tension on the chain, let out 4:1, and back down with the engine. Once set, I apply my snubber using a rolling hitch, and let out another 30 or so feet. So far so good.

Cheers, Bill

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Ah, I see. We don't use that abbreviation. Around here it's either "The Channel", or "La Manche, you ignorant Rostbiff!", depending on what side of it you come from!




P.S., that last is a joke, playing only to our own anglospheric prejudices -- the French sailors are exceptionally friendly.

Absolument mais les allemands ......

Joke also, unless they beat USA in Brazil, right now on half time!

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Robin3

Absolument mais les allemands ......

Joke also, unless they beat USA in Brazil, right now on half time!

Germany just scored. 1-0. $#!#$#!@$^%%$^!!!

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by colemj

Actually, we call them "bitch wings" - I wrote it wrong.

Mark

We had a guy pull this on us a couple of days ago, we called him "fender boy" because of the 30 fenders he had deployed on his 45ft sailboat. When the knucklehead had finally had enough of us ignoring him, he pulled up his 350-400ft of light chain, moved and spent the next hour or two bothering someone else. Depth here in Soller is around 25ft in a crowded anchorage.

[goboatingnow]

several things

Firstly I f%^king hate anchor nazis. You'll see it occasionally in the med, some guy ( usually an anglo type) will arrive early and try to claim massive swinging circles in a popular days anchorage.

In these anchorages, most people do not anchor overnight, so I drop a "lunch hook" , short scope etc. Then when all the day trippers leaves I re anchor for the night "properly"

During the day, if I drag or they do, hey so what, put out the fenders, and offer them a glass of wine, you''re going to be neighbours for a while.

PS if you read "hinz" in shallow waters you need 8-10:1 scope.

As for people with "bitch wings" that tends to bring out my Gaelic side and exacerbates my tourretts syndrome !!!

dave

[Dockhead]

[QUOTE=Robin3;1572556]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Us (ex in my case)Channel based yotties got our experiences and subsequent opinions of French anchoring antics in Brittany or 'darn west' in the UK when the French visited us.

Bearing in mind with the greater tidal height ranges over there a 3:1 scope at theoretical HW depth applie when arriving at LW or half tide would be a much greater scope st the time of setting, you develop 'feel' for the right angle of pull and if i old faithful skips even an inch just let out a tad more chain . 'feel' more important than numbers alone?

WE lived on a trawler Mobo for a year prior to my stroke and moving back on dirt, and that mobo had < 5ft draught, rather less than the 7ft of our last UK sailboat but I had quite a few missed heartbeats in the ICW watching the depthsounder readings plummet We joined Towboat US before we left the dock first time out in the mobo, but haven't had to use them yet and we renewed the subscription again for our now 5.3ft draught Beneteau which has a winged keel that is vaguely reminiscent of a flattened Rocna so maybe we will have another anchoring option with that and no scope at all needed!

You've not used Towboat US even once???? That's incredible. I never used them less than once a year, often twice, and maybe more than that (but I ain't tellin'), during the years I was cruising in SW Florida in a boat with 4.5ft of draft.

[goboatingnow]

PS, just did a delivery of a Mobo with 1000HP, we could drag the anchor all over the place at will !


dave

[Robin3]

[QUOTE=Dockhead;1572600]

Originally Posted by Robin3

You've not used Towboat US even once???? That's incredible. I never used them less than once a year, often twice, and maybe more than that (but I ain't tellin'), during the years I was cruising in SW Florida in a boat with 4.5ft of draft.

Alarm set at 10ft! I like round figures , specially ones with a Florda tan..

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Germany just scored. 1-0. $#!#$#!@$^%%$^!!!

Not really deserved but the USA do get through to the final 16, beats England anyway, so I still have someone to cheer on

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Germany just scored. 1-0. $#!#$#!@$^%%$^!!!

Congrats on getting to Round 16

dave