Anchoring Jerks

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by nautical62

It's one of the reasons I tend to seek out more isolated anchorages.

I've had a few times, I've just pulled up anchor and moved when someone anchored too close or was very noisy. I'd rather move (assuming there is a place to move to), than sit up all night at anchor watch or worrying constantly)

If everyone did that, wouldn't it "get around" and then all the late comers would get the best spots because they'
d get everyone who was there first to move?

[Capt Phil]

I've found that the rare times when someone has anchored on top of me or started to give me curry over some imagined sin, I just break out my cleaning kit and do a field service of one of my firearms on deck... seems to quiet down the turkey flock... Capt Phil

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by Capt Phil

I've found that the rare times when someone has anchored on top of me or started to give me curry over some imagined sin, I just break out my cleaning kit and do a field service of one of my firearms on deck... seems to quiet down the turkey flock... Capt Phil

Had a guy try to influence me once by comming up on deck with a hand gun, set it up on the coming in clear sight so I would see it..
I went below, grabed the large wooden box, came up on deck and proceeded to pull out my 18 inch, fully functionable, Cannon, that sports a 1 inch ball. and dropped it into the custom mount that sits atop my #56 LewMar winches.
He picked up his pistol and went below... didnt see him for the rest of the weekend..

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Pacificcatalyst

My approach, preferable to loosing a night's sleep, or letting someone live rent free inside my head by my being irrationally pissed off at them, is to call the anchoring vessel on the rafio while they're still manouvering. I'm always polite and friendly.

It seems you are the sort I'd be happy to share an anchorage with.

[goboatingnow]

I spent a lot of time on the cote d'azure I just got used to crowded anchorages. Rarely anything bad happens. Just be cool. We're all sharing the planet

Dave

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Randyonr3

Had a guy try to influence me once by comming up on deck with a hand gun, set it up on the coming in clear sight so I would see it..
I went below, grabed the large wooden box, came up on deck and proceeded to pull out my 18 inch, fully functionable, Cannon, that sports a 1 inch ball. and dropped it into the custom mount that sits atop my #56 LewMar winches.
He picked up his pistol and went below... didnt see him for the rest of the weekend..

Lol!

[avb3]

Originally Posted by Capt Phil

I've found that the rare times when someone has anchored on top of me or started to give me curry over some imagined sin, I just break out my cleaning kit and do a field service of one of my firearms on deck... seems to quiet down the turkey flock... Capt Phil

That's funny.

When my daughter was about 14 she asked what I would do if she brought a boy over to visit.

I told her, "No problem dear, as long as he helps me clean my guns."

I thought she got the message.

A couple of months later, she announced she would bring "Darren" over, because Darren wanted to learn how to clean guns properly.

I HATE my bluff being called!!!

[wolfenzee]

A friend of mine's boat ended up on the rocks with a hole punched in the side and the rudder trashed because someone else dragged anchor and when they were leaving cut his anchor line wth thier prop...the disappeared never o bee identified.
I have moved my boat a number of times because I didn't feel comfortable about the way someone else anchored theirs.

[Pacificcatalyst]

Many years ago we hid from a predicted gale in Roscoe Bay, in Canada's Desolation Sound. Several boats were already there, and more came in as the afternoon progressed. I started by setting an anchor about in the middle of the narrow bay, and backed toward the shore where I put a line around a tree as a stern line. Pretty much standard pratice in that area.

In the early evening, a 50'+ powerboat with an older (about the age I am now) couple on board pulled in a began to anchor in the middle of the bay. All the boats around us watched them carefully, because all of our anchors were about in that area. The gentleman was on the bow, and the wife sat in the drifting boat calling out the depths. He let the anchor out to the depth she called out (as deduced from their converations), went inside and shut down his engines. Oh oh, I thought.

It was dead calm until late, when the wind started up. There were powerful willawahs bouncing off the surrounding mountains and hitting the bay from all directions. It was pitch dark, and the many anchor lights, in varying heights and brightnesses, made it very difficult to tell where anyone was. Almost as soon as the wind started, the powerboat started wandering around the cove, and the couple aboard was on the radio, scared to death (which seemed a real possibility). A couple of guys from other boats rowed to them, helped them reset their anchor, and stayed with them until daylight.

Meanwhile, We were being held abeam to the wind by our stern line and anchor, and our anchor was dragging. I decided to move my stern line off of the stern cleat and move it forward to the bow. This let us weathercock with the shifting winds, and eased the pressure on the anchor which reset.

During all of this I was worried about a 3 sailboat raft to windward, and sure enough, they started dragging toward us almost as soon as we got ourselves stabilized. I shone our spotlight on them, but never got a response (the wind in the trees around us was so loud that shouting wasn't an option, and I wasn't about to go out in the skiff to try and raise them). They eventually drifting into our shoreline, which provided enough easing that their anchor was able to hold them, about 20' off the steep rocky shore.

Come morning, they rose and glared at me, as if I had somehow been responsible for their dragging.

Oh well.

Each boat has an anchor/rode combination that works best for them, and each area has different needs for sand, mud, rock, reef, etc. To imply that one is better than another is counter productive. Use an anchor one or two sizes larger than the tables tell you is needed, and use as much chain as you can carry.

Our anchor on our 102 ton power boat is a 650# Navy, and we use all chain, 1" crosslinked. We do not drag. However, when we move on to our next boat (probably a trimaran) I know I can't use the same approach.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

If everyone did that, wouldn't it "get around" and then all the late comers would get the best spots because they'
d get everyone who was there first to move?

You can't force other people to move. Sometimes all you can do is move yourself. It's a nuisance, but no activity is perfect.

[senormechanico]

"Come morning, they rose and glared at me, as if I had somehow been responsible for their dragging."

All you can do is bust out laughing in their faces. They'll get the message loud and clear.

[sv Winterlude]

Just had something similar happen last night ... we were happily and respectfully anchored between several boats. We go off to watch the manatees and when we return, there are not one but THREE boats rafted together just in front of our anchor chain. David dinghied over to politely ask if they were planning to stay rafted up as the forecast was for the wind to pipe up to 20. Yes, they planned to stay that way, but not to worry the guy in the center says ... we have a 55 lb anchor out with 85 feet of chain ... for three boats. OK, so I do the math... 9 ft of water, 5 ft to his bow, 14 feet total so a 6-1 scope, but three boats.... do you have to divide by 3 so now it's really 2-1 scope?

We didn't know, so we just reanchored well away from these jerks. Got everything settled about 4 PM. Then right at sunset, another boat comes in, and you guessed it, anchored RIGHT on us. I give up. David says we'll have to go back to the dock to get any privacy! He might be right...

You'd think these people live in a trailer park ... sorry for the rant. Grumble...

[Opie91]

I would rather have someone who knows how to set ground tackle at 20ft than a anchor jerk at 100ft.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Opie91

I would rather have someone who knows how to set ground tackle at 20ft than a anchor jerk at 100ft.

I'd rather have neither, and would see to it that I was away from the 20' one. Anyone who does that is also a jerk, and I have no way of knowing what he or she knows about anchoring.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by wolfenzee

A friend of mine's boat ended up on the rocks with a hole punched in the side and the rudder trashed because someone else dragged anchor and when they were leaving cut his anchor line wth thier prop...the disappeared never o bee identified.
I have moved my boat a number of times because I didn't feel comfortable about the way someone else anchored theirs.

All the more reason for all chain rode. Your mates boat is not only one.