Mooring Etiquette : Questions

[Don C L]

Either that or you just pull the rudder out of the gudgeons while anchored
What you said made me remember an occasion I have posted about before about a big boat I crewed on whose spade rudder just fell off of because of stress occurred earlier in the trip. The rudder had been weakened but we had no way of knowing really how bad it was till it just was gone after beating to windward for a few days. Now I don't know for sure if anchoring off the stern will stress a spade rudder, or any rudder, to a breaking point. In MOST cases I am fairly sure it won't. I am just thinking I'd prefer not to test it.

[Scotty Kiwi]

Can't agree with the comment that raft ups take more space, not less. Surprised no-one's taken issue with that, just IMO.

This with the rider that if its going to blow up a bit of sea, then rafting is not sensible due to the potential damage, lack of holding, damaging tangles. Can only tighten the springs so much.

(Not to mention if the holding isn't good enough for single tackle (avoiding tangles when the raft pivots with tide), or if multiple boats' bow stern anchors (preventing pivot) can be used).

The following (yes: experience! <grin>) goes to the behaviour of boats in a raft up in a bit of a seaway ... :

The last raft up I was in ... I remember it well (Mike, it was at Punga, 16 years ago, if you and Ann are familiar with Endeavour Inlet), had about three to four boats either side, calm as anything. We kicked in most reluctantly around 3 p.m but got a bit of a head of steam up and the last revellers turned in 4 to 5 a.m. At 7 a.m. the admiral was yearning for the long anticipated restaurant cooked breakfast. Punga Cove wasn't opening until late, but across the inlet about 2 miles was.

I reckon it be poor etiquette to not have make sure everyone can have a really good feed after a night like that, so:

7.30 am, upped the Pick by main winch, not windlass, graciously so as not to disturb everyone, all still asleep, crept around tightening all springs on all boats, and set of chugging the whole raft up across the bay to the restaurant. It was mirror calm, all appeared to go well enough, at under a knot, maybe two, ..... as the admiral got hungrier, maybe 2 and a half ...

Except for the third boat out of four out on one side. About 30 ft, fibreglass job, maybe similar to a Jeanneau type, quite modern, joined late, and had rafted in backwards, which I hadn't noticed .... I think I can claim I couldn't see it, shielded as it was by a couple of others, perhaps a 50 and a 40. With hindsight though, I just wasn't thinking straight ..

No complaints by him of rudder damage, going backwards at 2 - 3 knots for an hour, (that is the bit that's relevant to the thread) but ... well he took a LOT of water over the stern ... Filled his boat, pretty much more or less. Well down on the waterline, but still well afloat - by a foot I guess. He and his wife really didn't appreciate the early bath. They both looked like different people soaking wet. Not happy. Maybe they would have sunk if it was not for the tight springs to the boat wither side.

Gave em some dry gear, shouted breakfast, filled 'em up with hair of the dog, spent most of the day mopping and carrying fresh water to clean, with them and we promised to remain friends, and I did see them again from time to time.

Very poor etiquette to give your mates an unexpected wash, or to nearly sink them.

The moral - life is better when you are all facing in the same direction.

Oh ... never had anyone from the area ask raft to me again since then!

[Pelagic]

LoL Scotty....no good deed goes unpunished[emoji3]

[kmacdonald]

I dismissed those that claimed rafting-up takes more space as trolls. It wasn't worth dignifying their comments with a response.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

I dismissed those that claimed rafting-up takes more space as trolls. It wasn't worth dignifying their comments with a response.

But you just did.

[bobnlesley]

Are you Guys still feeding the Troll?

Actually, I suppose that he's worth putting up with/ignoring for the sake of a half decent thread.

Having just anchored at the top of North River – east side of the ICW, just before it turns into the narrow/wiggly bit going up to Coinjock – in 20-25 knot N/NNE winds that're forecast to increase by another ten knots at least over the next few hours, I'm reminded of another anchoring point that is very much self-inflicted: The 'herd instinct'.

As we pulled into here, we followed two other yachts in who'd possibly had a similar thought to us (Will the Alligator River Bridge open in these winds?) and there was one yacht already anchored when we arrived; we're now sat securely on 60m/200' of chain in 3m/10' water. This is an anchorage that'd accommodate 500+ yachts and even if you held to the belief that 'no swinging circle should ever intersect', you could still fit 50-100 boats in here.

Whilst the nearest of the other three yachts is perhaps ¼ mile away on our port beam, the other three are sat together in a group that probably covers no more than a 150m/500' circle. They're all well clear of each other and I'm sure they're well dug in with plenty of scope; the holding appears to be solid so there's no risk in their positions, but given the available space and the likelyhood that we'll not have more than another half dozen boats – more likely none – joining us during the day, why do we feel the need to group up? It's not even as if there's a bar or open wifi ashore that you might want/need to get close to.

[Dockhead]

I have been thanked now a few times by PM for the anchoring diagrams in Post 88 and 92.

I'm glad people have found them useful, but I would like to reiterate that these are NOT MY WORK! The sources are indicated in the posts. One is from Sail, and the other from an excellent blog called A Lifestyle of Sailing and Traveling.. Proper credit and attribution, where it's due.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by bobnlesley

. . . Whilst the nearest of the other three yachts is perhaps ¼ mile away on our port beam, the other three are sat together in a group that probably covers no more than a 150m/500' circle. They're all well clear of each other and I'm sure they're well dug in with plenty of scope; the holding appears to be solid so there's no risk in their positions, but given the available space and the likelyhood that we'll not have more than another half dozen boats – more likely none – joining us during the day, why do we feel the need to group up? It's not even as if there's a bar or open wifi ashore that you might want/need to get close to.

Human nature!

"It must be a good spot, if someone's already in it."

It doesn't bother me as long as there is no loud music involved, and as long as they're not upwind of me. Boats almost never swing into each other, and the paranoia about it is not justified. Damage in anchorages is almost always caused by dragging.

[Jim Cate]

A ploy we've used in areas thronged with rent-a-boats:

Anchor somewhere else than where you wish to spend the night. As the charterers flock in in the late afternoon, they'll congregate around you. They are not supposed to move after 1600, so just before supper time we pick up the hook and go where we wanted in the first place. Doesn't always work out, but has in some cases.

The other thing si to avoid anchoring anywhere near the little anchor symbol in the local guide books. But as DH (and I, for that matter) have said, swinging isn't the cause of damage in anchorages... it's dragging, and that is sometimes hard to predict, for it often accompanies squalls with big wind shifts. Eternal vigilance, that's the answer!

Jim

[uncle stinkybob]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

Never had a problem with the rudder on my Catalina Capri 22 when anchored from the stern. Must be Catalinas superior quality.

How about the other boats you've owned? The ones you racked up thousands of nights anchoring out in. Did any of them sustain any kind of rudder damage from all those many thousands of hour's stern anchored?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by uncle stinkybob

How about the other boats you've owned? The ones you racked up thousands of nights anchoring out in. Did any of them sustain any kind of rudder damage from all those many thousands of hour's stern anchored?

The trouble with rudders is.. you don't usually see anything till they fail..

[markpierce]

Wish people would start their own thread instead of hijacking another's.



Mooring versus rudders???

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by uncle stinkybob

How about the other boats you've owned? The ones you racked up thousands of nights anchoring out in. Did any of them sustain any kind of rudder damage from all those many thousands of hour's stern anchored?

No damage to any boat.

[Zai]

After reading this thread a picture comes to my mind. I see a small anchorage will all of the participants of this thread (including myself). It could be quite humorous, but in the end I believe would all work out even with all of the differences.

I guess I am the eternal optimist.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Zai

After reading this thread a picture comes to my mind. I see a small anchorage will all of the participants of this thread (including myself). It could be quite humorous, but in the end I believe would all work out even with all of the differences.

I guess I am the eternal optimist.

Yeah! Let's all raft up!