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AussieAmigos · 02-01-2017, 14:01

Hi, had a traumatic morning. Dropped our anchor and in the process caught the anchor chain of someone who was anchored nearby. There was a brisk breeze, 10 to 15knots. Not sure what the tide was doing. In hindsight, we should have known i guess. We had been in this bay for several days ( Port Stephens, Australia) and had up anchor to go and get water. Returned to what we thought was our original position and an easy re anchoring. Boy were we wrong. It all went pear shaped fast. It soon became obvious that we were towing the other boat. They were very upset understandably, we were stressed and embarrassed. To our utter amazement, we somehow became untangled. Question. If we hadnt become untangled, what could have we done to get untangled? Any advice appreciated. Never ever want to experience this again.

thinwater · 02-01-2017, 14:11

^^ You didn't say how you tangled. Explain.

Cheechako · 02-01-2017, 14:18

Well, not much info, but it sounds like your neighbor had a long scope out? Still... hard to believe you anchored right in front of them? or maybe there wasn't enough wind for their boat to straighten out the rode and it was looped around?
To get free, I'm thinking you both need to work together so you can raise your anchor, lifting their rode up slowly, then un hooking your anchor. It would help if they motor forward slowly to release tension on their rode.

scuba0_1 · 02-01-2017, 14:24

Yep. You both have to raise it together and separate it while motoring the same direction and speed. Oh you both have to be calm for this to work.

44'cruisingcat · 02-01-2017, 14:26

We had a similar experience. Our anchor was snagged by a houseboat full of non-English speaking tourists. They'd tried to anchor right in front of us, like 5 metres away, and when we told them they were too close they left, taking our anchor and us, with them.

They then refused to stop, they may have thought we were chasing them or something!

Luckily a guy with a jetski had seen it happen, and stopped them, and separated our anchors. Without his intervention, I'm not sure what would have happened. Those guys weren't stopping.

In the OP's situation, you'd probably have to retrieve your anchor till you could reach the other boat's chain with a boathook, and free it from yours.

**roverhi** · 02-01-2017, 15:06

Years ago when we were cruising in the Marquesas, got towed out to sea twice by the same inter island freighter in two different anchorages. We were on onboard down below both times, felt the change in motion, and came on deck to find us heading out to sea behind the ship. They untangled our anchor, dropped it back in the water, and took off. Had to crank in the anchor with the manual windlass, motor back to our anchor spot and redrop the hook. We were already anchored both times and they dropped their hook on ours.

PaulinOz · 02-01-2017, 15:22

Quote 44'cruisingcat "Without his intervention, I'm not sure what would have happened. Those guys weren't stopping."

Dare I say could be a situation in which you may agree a heavy Cat with big engines in full reverse may have been of some use.

I bet that is one of the few times you have been glad to see a Jetski in the same area.

44'cruisingcat · 02-01-2017, 15:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by scuba0_1

Yep. You both have to raise it together and separate it while motoring the same direction and speed. .

I don't agree with this. IMO one boat (you) should retrieve chain, while the other if anything, should let out more chain. You want to keep the boats apart!

44'cruisingcat · 02-01-2017, 15:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulinOz

Quote 44'cruisingcat "Without his intervention, I'm not sure what would have happened. Those guys weren't stopping."

Dare I say could be a situation in which you may agree a heavy Cat with big engines in full reverse may have been of some use.

I bet that is one of the few times you have been glad to see a Jetski in the same area.

I don't really mind jetskis too much. Modern ones are usually pretty quiet, and they don't make much of a wake. There are a small minority of operators who seem to do their best to make them all look bad though.

daletournier · 02-01-2017, 16:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

I don't really mind jetskis too much. Modern ones are usually pretty quiet, and they don't make much of a wake. There are a small minority of operators who seem to do their best to make them all look bad though.

That's the other thing I've noticed since being back, jetskis numbers have increased at least 10 fold.

Sent from my vivo Y35 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

scuba0_1 · 02-01-2017, 18:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

I don't agree with this. IMO one boat (you) should retrieve chain, while the other if anything, should let out more chain. You want to keep the boats apart!

Obviously only 1 is going to pull it in Ither way when the chains come off the bottom you better be moving in any kind of current. Your not just gonna sit there. And usually the shore is close.

Pelagic · 02-01-2017, 18:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by AussieAmigos

Hi, had a traumatic morning. Dropped our anchor and in the process caught the anchor chain of someone who was anchored nearby. There was a brisk breeze, 10 to 15knots. Not sure what the tide was doing. In hindsight, we should have known i guess. We had been in this bay for several days ( Port Stephens, Australia) and had up anchor to go and get water. Returned to what we thought was our original position and an easy re anchoring. Boy were we wrong. It all went pear shaped fast. It soon became obvious that we were towing the other boat. They were very upset understandably, we were stressed and embarrassed. To our utter amazement, we somehow became untangled. Question. If we hadnt become untangled, what could have we done to get untangled? Any advice appreciated. Never ever want to experience this again.

It happens !....so good to review practical remedies and protocols.

If you snagged an already anchored yacht when anchoring, then the onus is on you to do the work..(unless the other boat is much larger)

First alert the other boat crew that there is a problem.(for your safety and theirs).

As you are basically controlling the other vessel, first priority is to slowly tow them away from any danger by going astern upwind and when safe hold and shorten your anchor chain till you are straight up and down on the other boats ground tackle.

If you are too close together, politely ask them to pay out more chain, while you lift their chain and/or anchor.

Using a strong bow cleat and boat hook, put eye on cleat then slip your line around their chain or anchor, when you have lifted it out of water with your anchor.

Figure 8 this slip line on same or opposite bow cleat and then let it take the strain while you loosen and untangle your anchor from their tackle while maintaining separation by jogging astern upwind.

Once untangled, get their permission before you drop their line and standby to help if they have problems.

Sometimes if you catch a loop or ball of their anchor chain, you are shorthanded and it is too blustery to drift under control.... You may need to deploy a stern anchor to stabilize and maintain separation while you untangle the mess perhaps with the use of a tender.

Lesson you have already learned is not to assume you know where the other yachts chain is.

Good to circle and ask their opinion before becoming unwanted dance partners.

Apologize before you leave and if you really screwed up their time for a couple of hours...offering a nice bottle of wine is appropriate.

MarkJ · 02-01-2017, 19:34

Pelagic has it.
Its dead easy with a bit of experience. In fact you should practise by dragging through an anchorage...

Anyway: pick your anchor up and this pulls his chain up. Lash the head of your anchor to the pulpit (I have a line thru the retreval hole) or pass a lashing under the anchor forward of the other boats chain. Lash. Ease out anchor chain and the shank will drop letting chain slip off pick.

If you do this fast enough and quietly enough the other boat may not notice

The real professionals at this are the tourist boats in the Med who Med moor to the dock. Their chains r all over the place. A Turkish Gulet can disentangle In about 30 seconds. I kid u not.

44'cruisingcat · 02-01-2017, 19:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by scuba0_1

Obviously only 1 is going to pull it in Ither way when the chains come off the bottom you better be moving in any kind of current. Your not just gonna sit there. And usually the shore is close.

Your previous post certainly didn't make that "obvious".

Quote:

Originally Posted by scuba0_1

Yep. You both have to raise it together ....

It's pretty unlikely any current will be running towards the shore.

And most likely in an anchorage, the breeze will be offshore.