Doris Got us in the Caribbean too

[carstenb]

I saw a thread by Dockhead about sailing in the Channel while Doris was lurking aobut and how only someone with a lower I.Q. Quotient would be out there.

Doris hit us here in the CAribbean too. Last Monday the weather reports said the winds would turn to the west, but only blow about 5-10 knots.

Of course in teh caribbean - all the harbours and anchorages are on the west side of the islands because the trades blow from the east all the time.


We were in Fort de France (martinique) an anchroage that is completely open to the west when we were hit with 35+ knot winds and swels of 2+ meters.

As you can imagine - not a comfortable place

Monday morning we were 25+ boats there - during the day, a Ketch dragged onto the shallow mus & sand close to shore - we couldn't get him off until the pilot boat showed up with its big engine.

Also during the day - most of the other boats started dragging and they uped anchor adnn bugged out.

By tuesday morning we were 4 boats left.

We have a 30kg Mantus and 100 meters of chain ( 50 meters out) - despite a 180 degree reversal of the pull (due to the wind change) the anchor held dead right where we dropped it. And the anchor had reversed itself - must have just turned right around and dug straight back in.

Anyway - I think I was the only one who went to bed below and slept that night - all the others said they stayed in the cockpit and held an anchor watch. I slept like a baby without a care in the world.

Heard later that all up and down the islands - lots of. boats dragged and quite a few hit the shores.

I think the biggest issues here are anchoring techniques - we see far too many boats that simply drop teh hook over adn then just allow the wind/swells to pulle the rode tight. They do not back down onn their anchor.
We don't consider ourselves ad anchor gurus by any means - but we back down with everything our engine can do - 3000 rpm for at least 30 seconds - if it holds for than - then we can go to sleep.