Our last two nights were spent at anchor with gusts up to thirty and other boats upwind. I do sleep in the
cockpit at these times to best hear my anchor drag
alarm and to keep an occasional watch on other vessels. I leave my
GPS track application on at anchor and like the constant reference to where I am in relation to my anchor and what
arc I'm drawing about my anchor. This is a simple technique and probably a common practice for many, but just to share here for those that might find it new.
Here you can see that I'm maintaining a 100 ft. distance from my anchor an I've spent time with the winds from both the north and the south. Once the
arc is drawn, it is evident when you drift outside your circle if the anchor is not holding and, of course, the distance to the anchor (arrow icon) will increase.