How Close Is Too Close?

[Delancey]

Maybe I have it wrong. So that I know better in the future, please tell me how close is too close to anchor next to somebody?

Thanks

[Tayana42]

Sitting in your cockpit, if you can put your wine glass down on the other boat's cockpit table, that is too close.

[MarkJ]

When I drop the anchor I sit and wait 30 minutes till the boat settles. After that if I keep looking at the other boat its too close.

[LoudMusic]

Seems like the next arriving boat should always take the center of the largest open space, within reason. Certainly don't break any mooring rules, but being in the center of the largest space should mean you're the furthest from everyone else around as well.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by LoudMusic

Seems like the next arriving boat should always take the center of the largest open space, within reason. Certainly don't break any mooring rules, but being in the center of the largest space should mean you're the furthest from everyone else around as well.

Yes but....

Lets say the swinging room requires a circle with a diameter of '1'.

We shall assume a linear situation here... land to the left and the shipping channel to the right.


The biggest open space has a diameter of '5' between boats A and B.

New boat C anchors in the middle.... but this only leaves room for 2 boats on either side... a total of 5 boats in this empty space....

However if this boat had anchored .6 of the distance from boat A and .4 from B there would be room for 6 boats in total........ a far superior solution in a crowded anchorage

My brain is starting to hurt...

I know... just lob up and raft up

[LoudMusic]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Yes but....

Lets say the swinging room requires a circle with a diameter of '1'.

We shall assume a linear situation here... land to the left and the shipping channel to the right.


The biggest open space has a diameter of '5' between boats A and B.

New boat C anchors in the middle.... but this only leaves room for 2 boats on either side... a total of 5 boats in this empty space....

However if this boat had anchored .6 of the distance from boat A and .4 from B there would be room for 6 boats in total........ a far superior solution in a crowded anchorage

My brain is starting to hurt...

I know... just lob up and raft up

That's true! But you also can't predict the future. Being courteous and personal space conscientious is rarely a bad thing.

[Delancey]

Also, if you come in and anchor real close to someone, let's say you drop your hook within their swing and there is a tidal current, it's a good idea to put a second anchor down? Even if no one else in the anchorage does?

I just want to make sure I have it right.

Thanks

[Don C L]

I usually think in terms of how likely it is that we will bump into each other, not how close we are. If everyone is on one hook then you have to be sure you are all swinging together, and you won't be in someone's way if everyone swings 180. Unfortunately if everyone is on one and you decide to put down a second you may cause some problems. If in doubt I'd say best to move. In my neighborhood everyone, or almost everyone, puts down two hooks so we can pack into smaller anchorages. It is also preferable since the breeze usually reverses at night. Strangely enough though, even then we have to watch it because I have seen a current override a breeze even between two boats that are within 10 or 20 yards of each other.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Delancey

Maybe I have it wrong. So that I know better in the future, please tell me how close is too close to anchor next to somebody?

Thanks

When you swing into each other

[Paul L]

As far as I can tell it is nationality dependent.

[cayennita]

Remember that if there is no or very little wind and some current, the boats might wind up stern to stern and bang away.

[MikeFergie]

When dropping the hook always think of the worst way for the boats to lay and if your boat will not be within 20m of any other boat at any time that's okay

[Sandero]

Technically too close is if the surrounding boats can come close enough to contact or foul a dinghy tied astern... under and condition of wind and tide. This is not easy to determine... so when in doubt for any reason... you're too close.

And who wants to anchor close to another boat anyway? This may "have to" happen when the anchorage is crowded and no good holding / protected / accessible is available.... Then boat spacing gets "halved"... of so it seems.

[Privleoplag]

Too close, it's simple.. If you could be further away, you're to friggen close!

[noelex 77]

This is an example of a yacht I felt was too close:



What tends to be more important is how close the anchors of the respective vessels are to each other (assuming they have similar scopes). So in light or variable wind it is worth knowing where your anchor is located. This is easy to fix, but you need the anchor position, not the position of the GPS aerial (which is usually near the back of the boat) when the anchor is dropped.

As the new boat drops, you can reasonably estimate how close their anchor is to yours providing you know the distance and bearing of your own anchor. A laser rangefinder makes it much easier and more accurate.

Most problems occur not from boats anchoring too close, but from boats dropping their anchor close to yours.

However, boats swinging into each other are quite rare. Boats dragging into each other is far more common, and in this latter case the boat will hit with much more force.

If you watch the other boat anchor, you will know how close their anchor is to yours as well as well as what scope, technique and type of ground tackle they have.