Quote:
Originally Posted by Dockhead
Have we come to any conclusions about this? I recall it was much discussed over the years.
The problem with lying to an anchor in a really bad storm is that the center of aerodynamic pressure of your boat with the sails down is ahead of the boats center of gravity as well as the boat's keel. That means that wind pressure tends to make the boat's head fall off -- tends to blow the bow off. It means that being anchored bow-to is inherently unstable in a strong wind.
That's the same principle which explains why it can be hard to get your boat's head through the wind when it's really blowing. And why backing up into a strong wind is the best way to maneuvre in close quarters and strong wind. Your boat will back into a strong wind with stability, because the wind will not blow the stern around like it does the bow. That's because the center of pressure is behind your keel, when you're backing up, so the effect of wind when backing upwind is just to keep you on course, not blow you off.
Apparently that's the same principle that makes a boat yaw at anchor in a strong wind. This yawing can break your anchor rode or snubbers or bridle in a really bad storm. There are many accounts of boats anchored in hurricanes yawing wildly, and being knocked on their beam ends at the end of every yaw, putting huge stresses on the ground tackle.
So someone recommended anchoring stern-to in such conditions, claiming that the boat will lie stably like that.
Has anyone actually tried this out in anger? Any thoughts?
|
A few thoughts. What you've postulated makes sense of a recent attempt to leave
dock with my
new boat. Had wind 30' off port bow at 15 kts. I figured it was perfect and would aid my backing out to starboard and leaving forward in a port turn. Not so. A hodgepodge of line handlers notwithstanding, the bow blew off to starboard pinning the boat aft port to the
dock and nothing I tried altered the situtation. Fact was the stern kept cocking into the wind as the bow blew off.
If true, that backing into the wind is a stable event with a double-ender, that will add a big arrow to my quiver. We shall see at next opportunity to practice, a month at least hence, probably two with xmas travel and re-rigging on plan.
If that does pan, the ways indicated above, then
anchoring stern to the wind might make good sense for my new old boat, except for driving rain issue which is smaller with my boat's hardtop. She looks to be almost finer in the butt than the bow. The
rudder tactic then becomes crucial. How does
water move into/under the boat with a pointy stern in a storm? Side loads? Lock amidships? Lock to one side, based on what?
Interesting discussion, thanks.