Mooring Etiquette : Questions

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by liveaboard60

Clearly you do not travel with your significant other <LOL>.. flk k

I do sometimes. She doesn't read the forum though.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

See Sanderos excellent post above. ASK. It's always a good approach to putter around the anchorage, scope it out, talk to people, before choosing a spot.

Sent from my D6633 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

I usually ask them where their anchor is. That's much more useful knowledge than asking their scope.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Don C L

I usually ask them where their anchor is. That's much more useful knowledge than asking their scope.

Don, in stronger winds I might have a decent idea where my anchor is (other than at the end of the chain!), but in other conditions, I really have no idea. With chain rode and light and variable winds, one tends to lie to loops in the chain, not to the anchor, and the bloody thing can be just about anywhere within the possible swinging circle.

Knowing this, I usually ask how much chain because I really doubt if the other guys really know where their hook is lying!

But, any info is better than none, and a friendly, concerned contact with folks who share the anchorage is always a good thing.

Jim

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Don, in stronger winds I might have a decent idea where my anchor is (other than at the end of the chain!), but in other conditions, I really have no idea. With chain rode and light and variable winds, one tends to lie to loops in the chain, not to the anchor, and the bloody thing can be just about anywhere within the possible swinging circle.

That's where a smartphone/tablet app like Anchor Alert comes in useful. It tells me how far away my anchor is and in what direction.

[Juho]

Originally Posted by StuM

That's where a smartphone/tablet app like Anchor Alert comes in useful. It tells me how far away my anchor is and in what direction.

I usually let my navigation app plot my route. I leave it on for few minutes after I have anchored. I can then see from the drawn path where I came from, where I dropped the anchor, where I backed up next, and how much I moved during the first few minutes.

If I open the navigation app later, I can see if I have moved (usually it is not plotting any more, but I can see where the boat is now), if the wind is pushing me in a new direction, and where the anchor is. I'll set also anchor alerts if I have any doubts about the holding power of the anchor.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by StuM

That's where a smartphone/tablet app like Anchor Alert comes in useful. It tells me how far away my anchor is and in what direction.

Good point, Stu, and it shows how tradition directed my thinking is! In fact, my Vesper Vision AIS anchor watch function does the same thing, and I often use it as a dragging alarm... but I didn't remember that it too gives range and bearing to (where it thinks) the anchor is.

On Insatiable ii, the gps antenna (in the Vesper) is in the cockpit, some 35 feet from the bow, and this leads to some minor discrepancies in anchor location. I use track data to fine tune the position after a while when it is important (hazard to leeward, etc), but I surely should use it to answer the "where's your hook?" question when asked.

Thanks for making me think about this!

Jim

[a64pilot]

I think Vesper will soon fix it so that you can put a distance from anchor to antenna in so it will correct for that.
Not sure where I read that though.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I think Vesper will soon fix it so that you can put a distance from anchor to antenna in so it will correct for that.
Not sure where I read that though.

Vesper have been unusually responsive to user requests in the past, so Isuspect that you are correct... one of the reasons I paid the extra money to buy one of their units.

Jim

[Pelagic]

Same here Jim.....Service trumps hype

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Swinging to 'within 40 feet ' is not 'right on top of'. You really should try and get out more.

"WITHIN 40 feet" means less than 40 feet. It could be 40 thousandths of an inch....

Anyway. 40 feet is bloody close.

[barboak]

Enjoyed many good thoughtful posts, and a few silly ones, on this subject. Something I try to do, and I do mean try, is allow an anchoring skipper to drop his hook before I show my displeasure of where he dropped it! Certain nationalities seem to be quick to run to the bow while the other boat is struggling to find a spot in a tight anchorage. Of course they often have a too small speedo bathing suit on and have their hands on their hips making what a friend calls "bitch wings" while showing their displeasure while you try and gauge the situation! I prefer to allow the anchoring boat to get settled to his scope and conditions before letting him know I think he is too close if he doesn't realize it himself.

[bobnlesley]

"...cruise by and if anyone is on deck I ask them what scope they have out. I've been surprised be the number of boats that simply don't know how much rode they have out..."

I've found that quite often too; though one of the things experience has taught us is how to ask the question in six different languages, it's up there with hello/goodbye/yes/no/please/thankyou/two beers as one of the key-phrase to learn.

There were several posts about following boats zooming-in and snagging your intended spot and someone, Barra or ScottUK? Referred to such a thing in Canna off the west of Scotland, that raised a memorable smile, perhaps we met the same boat? We were manouvering slowly in that very anchorage perhaps 12-14 years ago, edging to windward with the anchor already dangling when another yacht chopped in across our starboard bow doing perhas 4-5 five knots whilst shouting that he was "stand-on vessel and we needed to give way"; we'd no option, it was either swerve port or t-bone him. Whilst regaining our composure and muttering a few choice phrases, we watched said yacht swing his own bow around and continue on directly toward our chosen spot for perhaps five to six seconds, before he went hard aground; there was a well charted shallow area that our 4' draft comfortably cleared even at low tide, but obviously not his 6-7'; kharma does sometimes work

[CareKnot]

Originally Posted by bobnlesley

"...cruise by and if anyone is on deck I ask them what scope they have out. I've been surprised be the number of boats that simply don't know how much rode they have out..."

I've found that quite often too; though one of the things experience has taught us is how to ask the question in six different languages, it's up there with hello/goodbye/yes/no/please/thankyou/two beers as one of the key-phrase to learn.

There were several posts about following boats zooming-in and snagging your intended spot and someone, Barra or ScottUK? Referred to such a thing in Canna off the west of Scotland, that raised a memorable smile, perhaps we met the same boat? We were manouvering slowly in that very anchorage perhaps 12-14 years ago, edging to windward with the anchor already dangling when another yacht chopped in across our starboard bow doing perhas 4-5 five knots whilst shouting that he was "stand-on vessel and we needed to give way"; we'd no option, it was either swerve port or t-bone him. Whilst regaining our composure and muttering a few choice phrases, we watched said yacht swing his own bow around and continue on directly toward our chosen spot for perhaps five to six seconds, before he went hard aground; there was a well charted shallow area that our 4' draft comfortably cleared even at low tide, but obviously not his 6-7'; kharma does sometimes work

Thanks for the chuckle. Two questions: Was the tide going out? Did you swing by to ask, "Is everyone alright?" and offer well wishes?

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Don, in stronger winds I might have a decent idea where my anchor is (other than at the end of the chain!), but in other conditions, I really have no idea. With chain rode and light and variable winds, one tends to lie to loops in the chain, not to the anchor, and the bloody thing can be just about anywhere within the possible swinging circle.

Knowing this, I usually ask how much chain because I really doubt if the other guys really know where their hook is lying!

But, any info is better than none, and a friendly, concerned contact with folks who share the anchorage is always a good thing.

Jim

Yeah, I might be asking too much of some folks with that... but it's just one of those things I think folks oughta know... I don't use anything electronic yet, I just take a rough fix between landmarks or some other angulation and range so I know within 10 or 15 feet or so where it is in case I have an issue of some sort....

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Yeah, I might be asking too much of some folks with that... but it's just one of those things I think folks oughta know... I don't use anything electronic yet, I just take a rough fix between landmarks or some other angulation and range so I know within 10 or 15 feet or so where it is in case I have an issue of some srt....

If you can locate your anchor's position within 10 or 15 feet that way, you are a MUCH better judge than I am... good onya!

But still, you really need to know how much rode they have deployed, even if they have an anchor buoy which precisely locates their anchor for you. Why? because you can't know if their rode is stretched out straight or is lying in loops, laid down as the boat wanders in light conditions. If it is blowing harder, it is a reasonable assumption that it is straight or nearly so, but not otherwise.

Anyhow, just making the contact is a good start to joining the anchored fleet.

Jim