How Close Is Too Close?

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by 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.

I laughed when I read this because I've done the same thing more times than I can count. Mark, you've pretty much hit the nail on the head.

All circumstances being different with respect to available space, the other boats and their rode, wind, current, expected weather blah blah blah I think this is just about the best measure there is for evaluating whether you're too close or not. Any other "rule of thumb" is kinda useless bull@&$%.

I will add that if I anchor next to someone and they ask me to move, and their concern seems remotely reasonable, I'll move. I can think of only one instance where I did not move...the guy was a nutcase.

[rwidman]

Given the choice, I anchor as far away as I can from boats already anchored. Lacking the choice, I try to split the distance between two boats. I try to respect the privacy of other boats.


Too close is when there is a chance of swinging into another boat.

[barnakiel]

Australia Wessel Islands - within a pistol shot - too close.

Martinique Le Marin lagoon - within 10ft - too close.

If my boat is 40' of steel while the intruder is 25' of high gloss varnished wood - nothing is too close.

Cheers,
b.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by 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.

Not too uncommon in some of our local anchorages especially in summer. Since we are all on 2 hooks it's all (usually) good, and sometimes you know ( or get to know!) your neighbors! The only downside typically is someone wants to leave early and you have to get up to pull up on the rode or have some fenders ready just in case. We usually warn each other the night before.

[CaptRory]

It's dependent upon scope and scope is dependent on conditions. I don't like to be over someone's anchor or them over mine. I occasionally use an anchor ball to identify it's location. I would add that a little common curtesy would dictate that I place my 4.5 draft boat in 6-8 feet of water and leave deeper areas for deeper draft boats.

[thinwater]

I find it simple to drop the anchor about 1 rode length + one boat length off the beam. Makes a nice stagger. Yes, farther is better, and I will go closer if I must. But this makes for a logical starting point that is easy to remember.

[Scorpius]

Put a buoy over your anchor so everyone knows where it is (and if the buoy line is tied to the anchor crown you can use it to pull the anchor out backwards should it foul). Also watch out for the boats with rope rodes. Typically they will put out much more line and swing in a much larger circle. It's a crapshoot. Getting there early, putting out lots of fenders, and having a steel boat are all comfort factors.

[EveningTide]

You also have to know "local customs." In the Santa Barbara Channel Island anchorages many are small coves and the custom is that everyone uses two anchors and there isn't much space between boats. Parallel parking. I'm talking about Fry's, Pelican, Albert's or Willows. In larger places (Cuyler's, Becher's or Smuggler's) everyone is on a single anchor and at least 50 or more yards apart.

[Rhwins]

Using the "should I put a reef in?" rule seems appropriate. If I think I might be too close, I am. Mathematical formulas are not practical because things like chain vs rope rode affect swing and scope, and how wind affects different boats differently.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by thinwater

I find it simple to drop the anchor about 1 rode length + one boat length off the beam. Makes a nice stagger. Yes, farther is better, and I will go closer if I must. But this makes for a logical starting point that is easy to remember.

This is how I usually try and arrange our boat as well if the anchorage is busy or small. Doesn’t take up too much room, leaves good space between boats, and makes the odds of ever coming into contact near zero.

If we ever come within two boat lengths of another anchored vessel I get concerned. Less than that and I likely move, or have a discussion with my neighbour.

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by thinwater

I find it simple to drop the anchor about 1 rode length + one boat length off the beam. Makes a nice stagger. Yes, farther is better, and I will go closer if I must. But this makes for a logical starting point that is easy to remember.

DO you have any tricks for estimating your distance ... If I drop 50m of chain, I want about 60m of space, but I have discovered that I am very bad at estimating my distance away from shore, docks, boats etc.

so far, since getting my boat, it's been winter so I've usually had the luxury of having anchorages to myself ... but that is going to change once it starts warming up ... and just dropping the anchor in the middle of the anchorage isn't always going to be an option.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by thinwater

I find it simple to drop the anchor about 1 rode length + one boat length off the beam. Makes a nice stagger. Yes, farther is better, and I will go closer if I must. But this makes for a logical starting point that is easy to remember.

That's what I do, when there's room. This configuration gives you pretty much ideal, even spacing.

The answer to the OP's question is -- you're not too close if you're at the same distance as everyone else. How close this is depends on how crowded the anchorage is. I've been in anchorages where you could definitely toss a beer from one boat to the next.

As long as people have roughly the same kind of scope out, and are roughly the same type of boat, they tend to swing together. I've never seen boats swing into each other in an anchorage, but I've seen plenty of tangles where one anchor chain goes down over another, so be careful about that.

And for God's sake, don't use a second anchor (or a shore tie) unless everyone else is. That will make you swing around a much tighter circle and create conflicts with other boats.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

DO you have any tricks for estimating your distance ... If I drop 50m of chain, I want about 60m of space, but I have discovered that I am very bad at estimating my distance away from shore, docks, boats etc.

Aristotle said that true wisdom is knowing what you don't know. Good on you, Kelkara.

Yes, the naked eye tells you hardly anything this case. I know one guy who uses a golf rangefinder. I use -- radar. Seriously. It's incredibly useful to have a bird's eye view of how boats are laid out in an anchorage, with exact distances. The Navico CW radars, which don't have a main bang, and can give you accurate distances down to 10 meters or less, are ideal for this.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Scorpius99eh

Put a buoy over your anchor so everyone knows where it is (and if the buoy line is tied to the anchor crown you can use it to pull the anchor out backwards should it foul).. . ..

Please do not, actually, do this. This causes real chaos as other boats try to avoid getting your buoy line in their props. In a crowded anchorage, other boats will swing over your anchor as a matter of course. Putting a buoy in their way is just -- not good.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

As long as people have roughly the same kind of scope out, and are roughly the same type of boat, they tend to swing together. I've never seen boats swing into each other in an anchorage, but I've seen plenty of tangles where one anchor chain goes down over another, so be careful about that.

And for God's sake, don't use a second anchor (or a shore tie) unless everyone else is. That will make you swing around a much tighter circle and create conflicts with other boats.

on both points. (And don’t use a buoy unless you need a trip line). I usually make a point of asking boaters who are already anchored how much rode they have out. And pay attention to rope vs chain rode. In light airs boats with rope can behave quite a bit differently than all-chain.