Anchor dragging by night, 45 knots wind, 1.5 m waves, between 3 boats and the beach

[Kerry1]

Well done, and glad to hear it worked, in a situation like that I have often thought I would do the same, given that the storm was short forecast and short lived.

I havn't read all the postmortem posts, but just wondering if a technique that I saw posted on CF might have helped in this situation. I have used it in easy conditions but it might not apply here. But for my purposes it was a brilliant little trick.

When the wind gets up a bit the first thing to ensure holding is to give the boat more scope if you have room. If the problem is that the current is laying you beam on to the wind, or even partly beam on, and thus loading your anchoring sysem up unnecessarily- you want to bring the boat bow on to the wind to ease the pressure or you just want a more comfortable ride at anchor. If you can afford to let out more chain then you could also temporarily tie on a warp to the chain before you let more out and then run this back to a point like a headsail winch on the stern quarter. By cranking in on the winch you alter the center of pull creating a bridle to bring the boat head to wind. Obviously choose the winch on the quarter you want to pull around.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Kerry1

Well done, and glad to hear it worked, in a situation like that I have often thought I would do the same, given that the storm was short forecast and short lived.
.

While the severe storm warning from the weather bureau may only have given relatively short notice the signs are there for all to see.

In these parts a stinking hot day and building northerly winds is a precursor to storms being sucked up from the s/w.
Storms from that direction usually have some bite to them and the clouds were visible punching skyward on the horizon from about lunchtime onwards.

Always keep a weather eye and have an escape plan.

We had a guy sitting on his foredeck watching us in amusement as we rapidly pulled anchor and moved out several weeks back.

As we came along side I yelled out had he seen the storm coming and he said "what storm" while looking over the bow to the north.
Big rolling wall of greeny grey to the sw was impossible to miss if only he'd turned his head.

[Jim Cate]

for the OP: were you anchored between the wrecks and the beach or in the more open area south of the wrecks? We've seen a few folks come to grief in the narrow gutter by the wrecks, yet that's where everyone seems to want to anchor. The protection afforded by those wrecks is mostly illusory, the room is limited and the tidal flow accelerated! Bad juju IMO!

But the advice above to not depend upon Tangalooma if there are TS warnings, let alone severe TS alerts is spot on! As Alan said, Sand Hills at least allows much more room and little influence from tidal streams... but none of the Moreton Island anchorages are much good in W'ly winds... and summer TSs often have a W'ly component. Solution? Well, we would head for Canaipa or some other spot in the Broadwater with all round protection, even if that wasn't where we really wanted to be!
Those summer storms can pack 80+ knot winds...

Jim

[dakno]

My 2 cents. You can always tell who has a CQR. Its the boat dragging thru the anchorage . You said a CQR type, so probably a clone...not the same as original but replace anyhow. Your chain sounds correct and if your 30' boat is a production model I"m sure it"s between 7-10,000 #'s. I was in your shoes once and was only saved when I threw my 3rd anchor out. Scary stuff those lee shores. Glad you came out okay.

[Compass790]

I agree with the anti-CQR brigade. Found in sand & mud Danforth works way better provided of course it hasnt been fouled with something. Much easier to set & much less prone to dragging. I find a 2 anchor setup on a single rode works good PROVIDED YOU DONT GET 180 degree current/wind changes. Cant comment on nxt gen anchors as have had limited use, only on OP's boats. Where there are waves I use a thick rubber shockcord ( Actually a large pressure vessel o-ring ) this takes the shockloading out of the hit when your vessel gets flung back. We dont have all chain rode & it's installed in a loop in the nylon. Need a pic really but I'm on land sadly. Of course you wouldnt have been able to set that up in your situation as you had your hands full

[Mike Banks]

Firstly, having no anchor windlass is a bad idea--even if it is a manual one it is better than none at all. That allows you to have a larger storm anchor set--preferably with a kellet or angel as the Australians often call them, to improve the chain to anchor angle and soften the jerks on the anchor as each wave passes under the prow.

I would recommend a Manson Supreme of about forty pounds as a storm anchor for a vessel of fibreglass ten metres or so--larger if possible. One can never have too much anchor and too much chain unless the swing will take you on to a reef--but a kellet makes a huge difference in a storm.

[NevisDog]

Originally Posted by Mike Banks

...but a kellet makes a huge difference in a storm.

Just google 'do kellets work' or similar. In light winds yes, when waves are smashing over your bow, not so much. Far better solutions have been shown on CF ('tandem' anchors, second anchor on short scope attached to main anchor rode, etc, etc....) but I'm not good at how to search them on here.

[JPA Cate]

^^^^

Try a CF Custom Google Search on "anchoring techniques", it's about 5th down under the Search button. That search is better on concepts than the plain Search, which requires an exact match, and is also case sensitive, so you can "crap out" for a Capital (or lower case) that doesn't match.

Ann

[peter57]

Hi,

I have a Manson supreme 45lb for sale 3years old- $250, Stain less swivel- $100 Redland Bay.

Tangalooma it is easy to caught out there, behind the wrecks on the north side for SW and south side behind the wrecks for NW if you can fit as it is a popular place.

It can be also dangerous place to leave in a squall like the other night.

[RichandHelen]

Originally Posted by danielamartindm

What a God-awful situation. You didn't mention time of day, so I'll assume it was end of day or night, and you and your crew were tired. Pilots are always warned about "get-there-itis," how the push to arrive at a destination can affect our decision making from lift-off through approach. That applies to cruising as well; but once we've moored for the day in what we deem a safe harbor, we have a tendency to want to tough out the conditions there until we leave. I think that that mindset sometimes betrays us, especially when we're tired, when weather changes radically. You did the right thing, as you prevailed; I'd have been sorely tempted to buoy the anchor chain, make for deep water, and heave to until the storm passed. That might have worked, but what you did DEFINITELY worked.

You would go to deeper water and HOIST SAILS so you could heave to in 45 knots of (gusting) wind!?

[JPA Cate]

Yes, it was the end of day, but he said 4 pm.

There is nowhere to go to go heave to, look at the charts for Moreton Bay in Queensland.

Mud island is about 8 miles away. The OP could have stopped there when he heard the hazardous thunderstorm warning, or gone there, and waited for them to pass. It is summer here, and the T/S's go away at dusk. He could then have gone on towards Tangalooma. The lead lights work just fine for a night time entrance, have done it a number of times. All of the foregoing is 20/20 hindsight and not meant to criticize the OP, because s/he did a good job of keeping his boat safe, and it was difficult conditions, with the tide and the strong winds.

Ann

[elandra65]

Tangalooma is notorious for this. It is a fair weather anchorage only Not the place to be with a wind with any west in it Even though it is in a bay (Moreton)there is 20nm of fetch in a westerley. Local boats know this and avoid accordingly. The breakwater of wrecks do little to curb the seas.

Yes CQR anchors are pretty poor holding in sand which is why you generally only see them on older cruising boats The world has moved on.

Good luck
Andrew

[Factor]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

I can add that I don't particularly like the Tangalooma anchorage. If I was going to be on that coast, I would have been at the Sandhills (where the tidal current is close to nil so you sit only to the wind as a rule)

Thunderstorm season is like that. Plenty of opportunity to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And not easy to know where the right place is.

Agree Alan, Tangalooma is a place I rarely stay for the night, I usually end up at the Sandhills or even up around the corner at North Point if its a consistent southerly

[Glenn.Brooks]

Lots of people have suggested loosing the CQR and replacing it with a plow type anchor. Very good advice. It’s a terrible anchor. Iam sold on Rocna, after 40 years of boating, I put a Rocna22# on my Alberg 30 for a trip into,the So Pacific, and found it was the best design I ever owned or used. New owner of boat is now cruising China, outside of Macau and loves it. Set up at least 30’ of 5/16” chain and 300’ 5/8” three strand nylon, or heavier for your 30’ boat and you’ll be good to go next time.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by peter57

Hi,

I have a Manson supreme 45lb for sale 3years old.

There you go op
You won't regret it.