How Do You Anchor In Deep Ocean?

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by weavis

I always forget to add to the list of volatile threads: Anchors, guns and politics.... the issue of solo sailing...

LOL. Anchoring and Solo in one thread Yeah!!!! Hopefully the OP is an anti-gun liberal commie on a Cat...

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by jkindredpdx

LOL. Anchoring and Solo in one thread Yeah!!!! Hopefully the OP is an anti-gun liberal commie on a Cat...

betcha he's got a CQR

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

betcha he's got a CQR

Made in China!


JimK

[topmast]

May not apply to most sailors but I usually hooked on the the lee side of the biggest ice pan around ,figuring it would deflect the smaller faster chunks. Worked for me most of the time and allowed me to fill water tanks in the morning..

[buzzstar]

Maybe I've missed an option (it happens more frequently than I like), but assuming the query is serious -and we all know what "assume" can mean) no one has mentioned being hove to. Yeah, it is still a violation of Colregs, but it does work, and is not all that far from being anchored. Anchor light on definitely. Also, the idea is far less good if you are in or very near a shipping lane or concerned about piracy (the latter is even less frequent mid ocean). Use alarms, radar, GPS etc. for the same reason you would at night. Also use clock alarms at regular intervals (how often a matter of considerable disagreement) to wake up and take a look/see. Single handling can be tough and definitely involves adjustments and compromise. When I've done it, I often, probably usually, sailed at night and stayed hove to while sleeping (with alarms, lighting, andproper visual display) for at least a part of the day.

[FLJim]

I get this question surprisingly often from land-based people. When I'm feeling nice, I simply say it's too deep to anchor, and we sail all night. When I'm mischievous, I tell them there are Motel 6's stationed every 100 miles or so in the ocean and we tie up there, then I wait to see how long before they call me on that.

[El Pinguino]

If you really want to anchor in deep water ( lets say out to 200 metres ) just use pot line..... no chain ..... just pot line.

[jackdale]

I thought we had been around the block on this one.

[hpeer]

This post is gonna hurt....me.
Sometimes having 2 on board is no better than having 1.
I wacked a big steel bouy this summer, tons of excuses, no reasons. Broad daylight. In retrospect I could/should have done several things to prevent this embarrassing and expensive event, but I screwed up and didn't.

But...we all screw up sometimes. We need to plan on screwing up and having some latitude for survival.

I've sailed up to 7 days solo with 20 min cat naps. I was ready for a good long doze. AIS and radar are good things. But not all boats have AIS and radar is a power suck. My Wife, when not semi comatose from sea sickness is not very good on watch, her eyes are bad and she has trouble interpretation lights and such.

I don't like inshore solo, need to get off soundings.

But I've made decisions that help my chances.

Heavy steel boat to make a hell of a reflector of radar waves and things that go bump.
AIS transciever, so 2 people need to screw up to collide.
Radar to use when appropriate.

It's not perfect but it's also not just a solo issue. Even with 2 or more on board you can be left in a solo situation due to illness, or injury at any time. IMHO even if you don't INTEND to solo you should prep as though you WILL.

Inshore coastal with many ports is different. But as soon as you need to go over night you need to be prepped.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by roverhi

After 3 nights without sleep you don't need a television for entertainment.

OK who has heard the voices?????

[Jim Cate]

IMO:

Relative risk

1. Sailing solo has inherently greater risk than with two crew.
2. Sailing with two crew is inherently riskier than with three or more active crew.

Absolute risk

All cases, quite small risk compared to many normal activities like driving on the freeway.

Risk to other mariners

Typical cruising yacht will not cause damage to commercial ships in a collision, nor harm their crew. It will not cause significant damage to commercial fishing vessels, but could perhaps foul their gear. It could, in a collision, cause significant damage to another small craft and/or its crew.

Thus, the total additional risk involved in sailing solo is low but not zero. The morality of assuming that additional risk is arguable. Each sailor must weigh such issues before setting out on a voyage. It seems inevitable that different individuals will reach different conclusions, and that internet discussions will not much influence these decisions.

Lots of sailors sail alone. there are inherent risks involved. A few come to grief. Very few cause damage to others. Why are we so concerned about them?

Jim

[Goodall_M1]

Originally Posted by weavis

I always forget to add to the list of volatile threads: Anchors, guns and politics.... the issue of solo sailing...

I would also add Racing Sailors, some of whom seem to assume that because they are racing (and what signal do they fly to tell you that?), then everyone else should get the heck out of their way regardless of what the Colregs say.

Does a solo racing sailor reduce sail when sleeping, or just rely on rule 1 above?

[ALAIN97133]

Originally Posted by nicholastanguma

Newb question: in making a solo ocean crossing one needs to sleep at night, presumably. But oceans are deep; how could one possibly spool enough chain for an anchor to hit the ocean floor thousands of feet below? Just how does a solo sailor anchor at night in deep ocean?

Hi ! I met a half crazy Belgium girl who went from Canary Island to Barbados on a 30' 1970 Contest with a girl friend and a new born baby! Her "boyfriend" sold her self steering gear just before departure to pay for his return ticket to Belgium ! The girls + baby end up heaving to every single night while they went under to sleep The problem is that Canary Islands/West Indies is kind of a crowded highway in early winter; they could have been overtaken during the night by other/bigger sailboats whose owners (Like I always did) set the sails & go under to sleep as well The probability of being run over by a tanker or another sailboat is rather small but who knows

[Bleemus]

This is a joke right?

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by nicholastanguma

Newb question: in making a solo ocean crossing one needs to sleep at night, presumably. But oceans are deep; how could one possibly spool enough chain for an anchor to hit the ocean floor thousands of feet below?

Just how does a solo sailor anchor at night in deep ocean?

You can't use a normal anchor in deep water, You could use a sea anchor though, (which is like a parachute) and many people do, although it's usually for heavy weather.

Retrieving a sea anchor is a big job, so few will use it just to stop for the night.