Anchoring Wind against Tide Conditions

[nigel1]

A few weeks a go I was anchored in the harbour of Youghal on the south coast of Ireland (famous as the location of the film Moby Dick).
Had anchored such that at low water there was 1m water below the keel, and at HW, 4.5m below the keel. The ebb tide runs at 3 kts and the flood at 2.5kts.
Ground tackle was a 60lb manson anchor with 45m x 10mm chain, including about 8m of nylon snubber.
As the whole harbour has over the last few centuries been a big mooring field, the anchor was also buoyed off.
In the afternoon, with the tide on the ebb (setting to the south), a southerly wind picked up, maybe up to 15 kts gusting to 20 kts, and I noticed that the anchor buoy was now a few meters on the quarter. Quick check up forward and I see the snubber is leading aft.
Boat is still heading north lying to the tide, but the wind is shunting her forward.
Main concern was riding over the snubber, and fouling it on the keel.
Lots of ideas to mull over, but I settled for the following:
Dropped the sprayhood to reduce the windage.
Rigged a kellet. I dont have a dedicated one, I used a couple of old 4 kg anodes which I rigged on a riding shackle over the snubber and then hung off the bow so that the weight was about 0.5m below the keel.
Other ideas which I considered and then dismissed were
1) Drop the furled foresails to reduce windage (too much like hard work)
2) Jury rig a drogue (might foul the bottom as the tide eased)

Any thing else I could have tried. I did not consider shortening the snubber as I want to keep the chain slack and not have it against the hull

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by nigel1

A few weeks a go I was anchored in the harbour of Youghal on the south coast of Ireland (famous as the location of the film Moby Dick).
Had anchored such that at low water there was 1m water below the keel, and at HW, 4.5m below the keel. The ebb tide runs at 3 kts and the flood at 2.5kts.
Ground tackle was a 60lb manson anchor with 45m x 10mm chain, including about 8m of nylon snubber.
As the whole harbour has over the last few centuries been a big mooring field, the anchor was also buoyed off.
In the afternoon, with the tide on the ebb (setting to the south), a southerly wind picked up, maybe up to 15 kts gusting to 20 kts, and I noticed that the anchor buoy was now a few meters on the quarter. Quick check up forward and I see the snubber is leading aft.
Boat is still heading north lying to the tide, but the wind is shunting her forward.
Main concern was riding over the snubber, and fouling it on the keel.
Lots of ideas to mull over, but I settled for the following:
Dropped the sprayhood to reduce the windage.
Rigged a kellet. I dont have a dedicated one, I used a couple of old 4 kg anodes which I rigged on a riding shackle over the snubber and then hung off the bow so that the weight was about 0.5m below the keel.
Other ideas which I considered and then dismissed were
1) Drop the furled foresails to reduce windage (too much like hard work)
2) Jury rig a drogue (might foul the bottom as the tide eased)

Any thing else I could have tried. I did not consider shortening the snubber as I want to keep the chain slack and not have it against the hull

Well. I'm being serious when I say I'd find a better spot to anchor. Definitely would learn from my experience, and not anchor there again.

Are there any other possibilities for anchorage nearby? At least where the current is less and maybe sheltered better from the wind?

I was anchored at Huahine in French Polynesia where a boat at anchor sailed right into my boat due wind rode conditions. Up and moved...

[atoll]

with 45 meters of chain out in 5m of water the chances of dragging were probably quite slim!

[Vasco]

I would just shorten the snubber so that when it's up and down the chainhook is still above the bottom of the keel. Your snubber will not foul then and, as there is not much weight on the chain, you don't really need such a long snubber. The hardest thing in these situations is when the next boat comes in and anchors thinking you are lying to your anchor rather than sitting on top of it. This happens a lot in the Bahamas where some of the anchorages have a strong tidal flow.

[Cheechako]

Pretty common situation up here in the PNW. Finding a better anchorage not always an option. No easy answers but often a real short snubber helps. Sometimes setting the rudder in a particular position helps too. Riding sail might help if the wind is brisk, but often up here not much wind while it's going on.

[nigel1]

Are there any other possibilities for anchorage nearby? At least where the current is less and maybe sheltered better from the wind?

Youghal is one of the better anchorages on the south coast, prevailing wind is normally SW to W, a south wind is much less common. There is one spot in the harbour which offers marginally more sheltered, but that is where all the private moorings are. I also saw that all the boats on the moorings were lying alongside their mooring buoys.
The only other decent anchorage was the one I had come from, and besides that, I had an appointment with a few pints of Smithwicks at the Moby Dick pub

I would just shorten the snubber so that when it's up and down the chainhook is still above the bottom of the keel. Your snubber will not foul then and, as there is not much weight on the chain, you don't really need such a long snubber.

Worth giving a go next time, but would mean increasing the snubber length as the tide turned.

Riding sail might help if the wind is brisk, but often up here not much wind while it's going on.

Admit I did consider this one, I have a riding sail on the boat. In hindsight I should have tried it, does not take long to rig. At the time I was thinking that I might end up all over the place using the riding sail, should have tried it then would know for next time.

Thanks for the tips

[Wrong]

"There is one spot in the harbour which offers marginally more sheltered, but that is where all the private moorings are."

Sucks doesn't it? Once open, sheltered anchorages have now gone to moorings or have restrictions in place. Can't say moorings in this particular area isn't the best solution though.

I'm stuck in a hurricane zone because of anchoring restrictions in San Diego and San Francisco. If it weren't for the restrictions I'd truck my boat outta here in a heartbeat.

[MarkJ]

Hi Nigel,

I would have rigged for dinner aboard.

If you have all your chain out then I think its a good time to watch and see what happens. You only know where your chain goes into the water. You dont really know where the pick is. There may be no pull on the anchor at all.
Anyway you have a good anchor and it will reset quickly... so try to have a bit of re-setting space.

I think I would just watch what happens as a test so you can gain knowledge for the future.

Just because it looks weird doesnt mean its a disaster waiting.




Hope this helps


Mark

[Cheechako]

Yeah... at 20 knots the riding sail thing might have been dicey....

[zeehag]

wrong--so, where are you stuck in hurricane zone?

i am sitting happily in barra de navidad.... yes there have been 5 named storms form overhead, directly, damnear, but it is not a big deal at this time. there is no danger nor is there any drama.

named storms of import will not be forming here until oct.
i have been in furycame zones in mexico fro 3 years now. isnt any big deal. just be smart. mexico is gorgeous in summer. you are prolly nowhere near your boat, anyway, as most greengoes with boats go home in summer and miss the beauty of mexico.

just think--your boat could be stuck in ice somewhere instead of safely placed in lovely mexico.

[Stu Jackson]

Kellet would be my first idea. Usually, IMHO, wind against tide is only a problem of tripping over the keel with the rode when the current changes. That's when the kellet will keep the rode vertical and less likely to catch on the keel.

[Dockhead]

Hi Nigel:

That situation is just par for the course here in the tide-swept English Channel. It's practically inevitable as the wind usually blows from one direction, but the tide changes direction twice a day.

If the wind isn't up, then you swing with the tide. If the wind is up enough to compete with the tide for your boat's attitude, however, chaos ensues. I always have chain marks in my antifoul, and antifoul on my snubber, from these encounters. I have never had the snubber actually foul the keel, nor have I ever heard of anyone around here having that problem. The boat may swing against the rode, but it would have to spin all the way around to foul anything, which generally wouldn't happen.

I really wouldn't worry about it if I were you. If by chance you did foul something with your snubber, I would think you could work it loose by walking it around the boat. But like I said -- don't think it happens much in any case.

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by zeehag

wrong--so, where are you stuck in hurricane zone?

i am sitting happily in barra de navidad.... yes there have been 5 named storms form overhead, directly, damnear, but it is not a big deal at this time. there is no danger nor is there any drama.

named storms of import will not be forming here until oct.
i have been in furycame zones in mexico fro 3 years now. isnt any big deal. just be smart. mexico is gorgeous in summer. you are prolly nowhere near your boat, anyway, as most greengoes with boats go home in summer and miss the beauty of mexico.

just think--your boat could be stuck in ice somewhere instead of safely placed in lovely mexico.

Well, I'll excuse you for assuming "prolly nowhere near your boat, anyway, as most greengoes with boats go home in summer and miss the beauty of mexico" 'cause I and my boat are far from Mexico.

Hint: I and my boat were here in '05 when hurricane Rita hit smack dab on my location in September 21, 2005. Hurricane Rita - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

August is the beginning of the 'dangerous' period here. If necessary will use the same hurricane hole I used in '05.

Reason I'm not permanently based in B'ham, Wa. is because I don't enjoy winter...

Plan: truck her to San Diego in November then Mexico. May see you in barra de navidad. Never sure though. I could head for the Marquesas and beyond again.

[Jimbo485]

Stern anchor.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Jimbo485

Stern anchor.

I would think a stern anchor is the last thing you need in these conditions. Lots of swinging room, good scope, just let the boat lie the way she wants to go. Other than the chain maybe taking a bit of bottom paint off, nothing to worry about. Putting out a stern anchor would just complicate matters, especially if the wind starts to honk a bit.