Collision While at Anchor

[Manateeman]

Greetings. Two questions. 1. If you have had another vessel drag down upon you while at anchor, what actions did you do to separate the vessels and how successful was it.
2. Please describe any legal ramifications and what you believe were the laws.
Thank you in advance for all who take the time to respond.
Happy collision free trails to you
Mark and his “life is a pinball machine and manatees feel like the balls” manatee crew.

[Montanan]

1) Start engines on both vessels so as to be prepared to aid in holding position or maneuver, be sure to position transmission into neutral. Maintain constant awareness of the position of rodes and evaluate the potential for tangling with propellers, if uncertain whether the rodes are not well clear of the propellers do NOT engage the drive shaft into propulsive mode.

1a) Deploy bumpers to mitigate contact damage, with exercise of caution as to potential of endangerment of persons. Keep feet, legs, hands and arms away from pinch points.

2) Play out rode of vessel that is dragging their anchor to allow the vessel to move past the vessel it has drag into; or if the vessel that has dragged down has stabilized its position [i.e., is no longer drifting] then play out the rode of the vessel that was drifted into. Immediate goals being to first separate the boats if one can do so safely.

3) Prepare to fasten a float to the rode of the vessel that has dragged down so as to be able to release the vessel from the rode all the while allowing for ease of future location and recovery of the rode and anchor of the vessel. In the alternative, or simultaneously, prepare to fasten a float to the rode of vessel that was dragged into so as to release that vessel from its rode. Goal: To avail freedom of separation and of maneuvering, if the vessels are endangered when attached to the rode and anchor. This is where it is wise to keep a very large, bright orange, fender / buoy at your bow, or to be prepared to gang several fenders together to provide the floatation capable of keeping the rode at the surface when it is cast free from the boat. Note: Better to loose the rode and anchor then incur damage to persons or the boat, including being dragged on to the hard or into the surf.

4) Don't be shy about calling for assistance on the radio, or hailer if there are nearby vessels that could be of assistance.

4) When the situation calms, note the name and hailing port of the vessel(s) that have come into contact with each other. Exchange owner information, insurance company and policy number. If damage is other than nil or minor, promptly file any and all requisite reports of collision / allision with the appropriate authorities, e.g. USCG, State agency. In this regard, one needs to know the laws of the jurisdiction the vessel is residing. Contact, your insurance company, provide full report and information, file claim with your insurance company which will pursue resolution with the other boat.

Prioritize immediate safety of persons over mitigation of instantaneous contact damage to the vessels. Maneuver the boats apart by deploying extra length of rode(s), determine whether to reset anchors or transit to a safer location.

If your anchor is remaining well set, consider passing a rode to the boat that is dragging down and secure that boat to the aft of your boat so as to keep them from dragging further and potentially into harms way.

Remain calm and thoughtful.

[Dogscout]

This may not be the answer you are looking for but it is part of my experience.

I have been soundly anchored at night and awakened to my boat bumping another. Okay I am fully responsible for my boat. What I did not like was that another boat had hooked my set anchor and let it loose. That captain entered the anchorage late at night, hooked me and set me loose. when I confronted him the bastard he set off arguing and in the end it was a loosing argument of one person against another without wittness.

Chalk it up to another day another lesson. But I'll keep an eye out for that bastard from now on.

[Lepke]

Some years I spend about 200 nights a year at anchor. Same when I was a commercial fisherman. The best way to avoid someone banging into your boat because of a dragging anchor is don't anchor where other yachts anchor. There's always one that don't know how to anchor or maintain their ground tackle.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

Greetings. Two questions. 1. If you have had another vessel drag down upon you while at anchor, what actions did you do to separate the vessels and how successful was it.
2. Please describe any legal ramifications and what you believe were the laws.
Thank you in advance for all who take the time to respond.
Happy collision free trails to you
Mark and his “life is a pinball machine and manatees feel like the balls” manatee crew.

I've read it here so often and laughed, until it happened to me.


Downwind boat: You're dragging down onto me.
Upwind boat: No I'm not, you're coming at me!


Then some bozo did it to me! I can't believe people who can figure out how to make a sailboat sail can't figure out which way the wind is coming from.


In my case, in broad daylight, I was lucky enough that the other guy missed me AND my rode.


So, I haven't had that happen (yet) in 40 years of anchoring (although not daily as many of you do).


I did, however, have a bozo slam into me T-bone midships when I was anchored and after he was leaving a pub. His bow got high enough up my side to take out the lifelines and a few stanchions and the bow pulpit (from the lifeline tension).


He did apologize much, much later. I got his insurance stuff and he assumed blame.


Good luck, manatee man.

[Montanan]

I have found that it is more typical in a crowded anchorage that someone has inadvertently or ignorantly anchored inside another boat's swing radius which will create a conflict when the wind shifts wherein a difference in rode lengths will induce an overlapping and contact. This often happens when someone arrives and does not drop anchor off the stern of another boat and does not ascertain the length of scope that other boats are deploying nearby. Uniformity of scope and depth so as to retain non-overlapping swings is key to not crossing or bumping.

Untangling rodes and hooked anchors can be a tad challenging.

Whereas, a dragging down can become an entertaining adventure.

[Benz]

I simply put out fenders and fend off. Once I tied a dragging boat to mine so it wouldn't drag further--I had a pretty well-set anchor. If you have a kedge and rode you could set it off the dragger's bow at 45 degrees to his dragging path and ease him out onto it so he swung away from you, as long as you were sure you'd get it back later. Some people don't thank you for favors.
If it was a huge boat I'd prepare to bouy and slip my cable, and anchor with the spare until he went by.

[RickG]

We had a vessel not under command drag down on us. We set fenders, fended off, and alerted the harbor on the hailing channel that the boat was dragging. Winds and momentum meant that we could not secure the vessel. Dinghys in the harbor responded and the vessel was secured.

We filed a report with Florida Fish and Wildlife and contacted our insurance. The owner had not registered the vessel and the expired registration was in a previous owners name. The vessel eventually sank and warrants were sworn on the owner.

Cheers, RickG

[Davidhoy]

Technically, contact between two vessels where one is not moving (i.e. docked or at anchor) is an "allision". https://naylorlaw.com/blog/allision/
Sadly I know this from personal experience, when my docked Morgan 462 was t-boned at it's dock by a 100ft motoryacht.

From a legal perspective you have a strong case, though I suspect the bar is a little higher for an anchored vessel than for one that is docked. A good anchor watch monitor can prove that you were not the one dragging, and bolster your case. Many modern MFDs have something like this that shows you a diagram of your historical position relative to your anchor - they use this to also trigger an alarm if you move too far from that point.

[Captain Puget]

Your insurance company may inquire about you anchor light and anchor signal status (black ball) if daylight. Some of them get stinky if you don’t keep the proper signal up and most people don’t even have a day anchor signal ...

[Tomodore]

Good point about anchor ball, I don’t use mine often although I did display it yesterday after going for a morning sail we got a call from our dock mate that we had forgotten our hose. I said we were not gone but just out for a sail. Well there’s a boat in your slip, we anchored near the entrance of the marina while it got straightened out. Put up my anchor ball since it was an unusual spot to anchor. Truth is alot of current boaters don’t know what an anchor ball is.

[Cheechako]

When it's blowing suddenly, keep watch on the anchorage. You can tell when a boat starts moving.
Try to notify them with your air horn as they start to move fast.
Have engine on.
Place multiple fenders at the ready as the boats close in on each other.
Use them.
One boat pull the anchor and move on.

[Shrew]

It all depends on how much time you have, how fast they are coming at you and if you see them in time. There is no right answer. Here is what I've done in the past.

Step #1: (In all cases) Start your engine

1) Jump into a dinghy and push the dragging boat out of the way. He might miss you but this causes a problem for the next person in line. There is also a chance that their anchor fouls your anchor or line.

2) Jump in a dinghy and push your boat out of the way. He might miss you but this causes a problem for the next person in line. There is also a chance that their anchor fouls your anchor or line.

I've had a dinghy push a dragging boat just enough out of the way for me to put a line on my midship and loop the dragging boats midship as they pass and raft them up to me. It almost takes 3 people (at least one dinghy and either both people on your boat, or one on yours and one on theirs).

3) Dump a ton of anchor rode (watch the room behind you) both to get the chain on the bottom and to give yourself some maneuvering room. Turn the wheel hard to Port or Starboard (depending on which direction gives you more room) Then put the boat in FWD gear. You are essentially springing off of your anchor line. This will put your boat sideways. This should get you free of the path of the dragging boat. Going to neutral should slowly snap you straight again. I prefer turning to STBD, so that if the boat is going to hit my stern, I can put it in reverse (boat walks to Stbd) in reverse, to swing the stern STBD out of the way.

I've done all of the above and sometimes a combination.

IF the boat is on you (or going to be too quickly to take action) then fenders. Don't be afraid to drab the dinghy to the bow and use it as a giant fender. Push the boat to the side and try and raft it. Ba careful to try to avoid fouling his running gear or keel in your anchor rode.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Lepke

Some years I spend about 200 nights a year at anchor. Same when I was a commercial fisherman. The best way to avoid someone banging into your boat because of a dragging anchor is don't anchor where other yachts anchor. There's always one that don't know how to anchor or maintain their ground tackle.

Pretty much us as well and anyone that does decide to anchor to close to us I make a bit of a scene taking photographs of there vessel for insurance purposes.

Anyone wanting to anchor in front gets extra attention and a plough usually gets words said.

9 times out of 10 that's enough to make them reassess their position.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Tomodore

Good point about anchor ball, I don’t use mine often although I did display it yesterday after going for a morning sail we got a call from our dock mate that we had forgotten our hose. I said we were not gone but just out for a sail. Well there’s a boat in your slip, we anchored near the entrance of the marina while it got straightened out. Put up my anchor ball since it was an unusual spot to anchor. Truth is alot of current boaters don’t know what an anchor ball is.

Totally agree as to the use of proper day shapes as to signaling the status of a vessel [and thence from a COLREGs basis the according mitigation of sharing by apportionment of liability associated with an allision / collision with one's anchored vessel, and / or the disallowance by an insurer of a claim wherein the anchored vessel was not displaying an anchor day shape].

Now as to the second point astutely made by Tomodore, in regard to the frequency [or infrequency] of deployment of the anchor ball day shape, well one does not need to look far for an example of the typical lack of use of such, just look up at the banner photo of this thread and all the pages of this Cruisers Forum. Nary a single anchor ball is being displayed in that photo. Perhaps the Cruisers Forum should upload another banner photo so as to lead by proper example in this regard.