Anchoring etiquette

[Steel sails]

Anchoring etiquette
I understand last person in an anchorage has the burden to move if required. Last week chartering in Croatia, 50 ft Cat. I pulled into a cove behind a 35 ish foot monohull. 10 minutes later they were still motoring in circles looking for a spot to drop.
I only intended a lunch hook so chose a spot where they had turned away from, motored over and dropped the anchor in 15 m of water let out 50 m of chain and just a gentle back down.

Other boat comes back round and drops his anchor about 40 ft from ours, hands on hips like I stole his space. Luckily when he backed down he dragged about 100 ft before he realized it wasn't going to get a set on a rocky bottom like that. There was plenty of room and no need for him to come that close so I am sure it was in response to me dropping first.
My question who has the right? first person there or first to anchor.

Regards
Paul

[Cheechako]

I say let you conscience be your guide; I'm not going to wait around while some anal yayhoo spends half an hour choosing his spot, but if I see someone locating a spot as I pull into the anchorage, I will usually wait a short bit until he decides....or just go for the other side of the bay... I'm usually checking the anchorage out while he does anyway. Be aware that people will motor over a specific spot to check it out and then turn back and anchor... I wont slip in there before they turn...
Basically I think it's first to drop though.
BTW, be careful when you come into a crowded anchorage and what looks like the best spot is unoccupied.... I've discovered a couple times that that "wonderful spot" has a sunken wreck or other issues!

[MarkJ]

If he turned away its your spot.
If he turned away to take another run at that spot he may think it was his, but who is gunna know.

I think you are in rights.

Jump in the dink and rush ashore. Stuff him.

[Therapy]

I thought cruisers were nicer than that to each other?

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Therapy

I thought cruisers were nicer than that to each other?

There is often a noticeable difference between cruisers and charterers, in skills, etiquette and general attitude.

Jim

[Liam Wald]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

There is often a noticeable difference between cruisers and charterers, in skills, etiquette and general attitude.

Jim

So true.
And it is also true that there are always, without question, two sides to every story and seldom are they the same.
That is why I would never ever make any kind of judgement after hearing only one side of it and have a basic distrust of anyone that would ask me to do so.
I am sure that it would be fascinating to hear the other side of this one.

[Jammer Six]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

There is often a noticeable difference between cruisers and charterers, in skills, etiquette and general attitude.

Very true.

Charterers, being aware that they don't know everything, are far more prone to asking questions and taking things slow, and are far more polite.

I have no idea when the transformation occurs or what causes it, but then I'm a charterer.

[fjwiley1]

You got the right idea MarkJ......

S/V Water Wimgs

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Steel sails

Other boat comes back round and drops his anchor about 40 ft from ours, hands on hips like I stole his space.

The hands-on-hips posture immediately after dropping an anchor 40 feet from yours is the universal signal for "I'm a jerk!"

I find myself wishing we had a code flag for indicating a temporary set. Maybe we need a new double-flag signal, like Lima Hotel, for Lunch Hook?

Meanwhile, it occurs to me that the longer people take to decide where to drop the hook, the more likely they will be to drag while setting it. This is because they haven't learned never to anger the anchor gods.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Jammer Six

Very true.

Charterers, being aware that they don't know everything, are far more prone to asking questions and taking things slow, and are far more polite.

I have no idea when the transformation occurs or what causes it, but then I'm a charterer.

I'm glad you explained that because I was wondering what the difference was. Guess I would have thought the oppsite but I would have only been guessing. I'm never that certain about where to drop the hook and I can't afford to charter...

[Steel sails]

Both were charter boats. My initial thoughts were he was looking for a shallower spot. I didn't care about the depth 40 kg anchor and 13 mm chain calm conditions. I was just hanging on the dead weight.
It bothered me that I had done something wrong and not let him choose his place before I chose mine as he was there 1st, but he had circled the whole cove twice and had made no attempt to lower the anchor. There was plenty of room, a 3 rd boat anchored there a little later.
The crux of the question though is it the 1st there or 1 st to anchor.
I am going to accept Mark J thoughts 1 st to anchor and forgive myself if I wronged him.
Regards
Paul

[MarkJ]

I have seen charter people world wide and very rarely see them do weird things. Sure bad things occasionally happen to anyone on an unfamiliar boat. But when I hear cruiser complaints about charterers it tells me more about the cruiser....


Mark

[sailorboy1]

aren't charters CFers who flew in somewhere to sail on someone else's boat?

[barnakiel]

Not everybody knows of this etiquette and when they come it is too late to teach them.

I row over to the other guy and make it clear I think he is too close and "that he knows should we touch, his insurance will pay".

Sometimes I move because I know the other guy is green and simply cannot tell the right distance yet.

Too bad there are so many boats and so few anchorages.

b.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Not everybody knows of this etiquette and when they come it is too late to teach them.

I row over to the other guy and make it clear I think he is too close and "that he knows should we touch, his insurance will pay".

Sometimes I move because I know the other guy is green and simply cannot tell the right distance yet.

Too bad there are so many boats and so few anchorages.

b.

I once had a major yelling match and then moved after a wind shift took me right at him.

He complained about me being anchored at 4:1 (50 feet chain and 110 feet rope in 40 feet). A big ketch heard him make that comment and responded that he was about to use 200 feet of chain.

BTW - radar is great for determining distance to the other boats in an anchorage. I have used it at night, in fog and in daylight.