Moving Off Anchor At Night. (Not Fun)

[JD-Odyssey]

No matter how much I've had to drink during the evening having to haul anchor and move the boat at night sobers me up real quick. Fortunately, we have radar which helps us to see fish traps at night (if there are reflecting metal pie pans on them). Not a pleasant thought to get caught up in those. Glad to hear everything worked out well.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by JD-Odyssey

No matter how much I've had to drink during the evening having to haul anchor and move the boat at night sobers me up real quick. Fortunately, we have radar which helps us to see fish traps at night (if there are reflecting metal pie pans on them). Not a pleasant thought to get caught up in those. Glad to hear everything worked out well.

Thanks for the input.

I was thinking radar the whole time. I was a radar tech back in the day from 1975 on up. Both PAR and ASR for landing aircraft and now with the airborne radar planes but I'm the manager now

In Yuma Arizona we could see the cars on the highway with mti on and the fighters 30 miles away dog fighting plus the mountains to the East and the rare weather that came thru

A radar would be nice to have but I would want the smallest one I could find with a display (scope) I could move into the cockpit

[AndyEss]

Originally Posted by thomm225

. I happened to spot one of them with my light but had trouble getting the boat to stay away due to the wind and my 5 hp engine at a lower speed. Waves were popping it out also. I had furled the jib earlier to see better. I had to reverse course and go back out into the waves a while to get around that trap line

I have a 7 ft inflatable dinghy with a 5 hp outboard. I doubt my whole setup weighs 250 lbs. Depending on cargo/passenger weight, the engine doesn't have enough power to get me on a plane if I am not riding solo.
I know there is an engineless thread/group here. I have been chastised for having the effrontery of saying that maybe being engineless is an irresponsible choice for any boat not easily rowed in any weather/current situation you are likely to be out in.
Maybe along with an MFD you might consider investing in a more powerful/longer shafted outboard for your boat.
There are plenty of rules of thumb for appropriate engine power. 5hp is inadequate from your own account in weather/current that wasn't particularly bad. Tides, if you hadn't noticed, are dependent on the phases of the moon, rather than mysteriously increasing and decreasing with no rhyme or reason. We just went past a new moon, with higher tides than usual, but not as high as during a full moon.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by AndyEss

I have a 7 ft inflatable dinghy with a 5 hp outboard. I doubt my whole setup weighs 250 lbs. Depending on cargo/passenger weight, the engine doesn't have enough power to get me on a plane if I am not riding solo.
I know there is an engineless thread/group here. I have been chastised for having the effrontery of saying that maybe being engineless is an irresponsible choice for any boat not easily rowed in any weather/current situation you are likely to be out in.
Maybe along with an MFD you might consider investing in a more powerful/longer shafted outboard for your boat.
There are plenty of rules of thumb for appropriate engine power. 5hp is inadequate from your own account in weather/current that wasn't particularly bad. Tides, if you hadn't noticed, are dependent on the phases of the moon, rather than mysteriously increasing and decreasing with no rhyme or reason. We just went past a new moon, with higher tides than usual, but not as high as during a full moon.

You are totally correct!

But I like the way they did it back in the day. I wanted to go engineless but that isn't practical with my marina situation and my schedule. Sometimes I have to motor or motor sail home 20 miles or more for work

Btw I grew up on the bay (actually between the bay and the ocean) and you could smell low tide in class at my High School which was on a creek off the bay 50 miles north of where this fiasco took place so I do know a bit about the tides in this area

I was on a weekend vacation sail and let my brain be on vacation also. Plus, I may have been able to wait out the situation where I was or I could have re-anchored after 5 minutes since I was in 20' plus water but I decided to got for it.....a calm anchorage

I knew there were only one or two unlit buoys on my course to the sunken ships which were more off shore that I was. I also knew my main worry were the unlit ships and the fish trap pilings

As far as the engine, I was only down on the second hole of a possible 4 down. I could have lowered it more but due to experience with it popping out of the water, I figured it would be fine. I did speed it up a bit though above the near idle setting I was on

I have been in lots higher waves with the engine as main power in the past

The motor has a 25" extra long shaft and can push my 6600 lb displacement full keel sailboat to near 5 knots in flat water

This from a couple years earlier. I'm was motoring back only but unfurled the jib when the wind picked up from a passing cloudline. I was also using the jib for most of my move on Friday night

The motor is on the 3rd hole down out of 4 here on my adjustable bracket. Simrad autopilot is driving in video

Btw, I've had this setup since 2011

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz9x5oRthfk

[thomm225]

Same area 4 years earlier motoring against a very strong outgoing tide. (same 5 hp outboard but maxed out) I had already bounced off the bottom on the SE end of the Latimer Shoal.

I'm hitting almost 2.5 knots. Pilings are moving back and forth in the current

I made the ships but later the wind turned South/Southeast and cranked up to about 25 knots. That made it an onshore wind and I was anchored 70 yards off the beach.

Not a fun night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6sHpweobRM

[StuM]

> I have taken many chances with this boat and have been lucky at times,but when you pay $2,000 for a boat you can do that.

That is an attitude that endangers both yourself and others, and is nothing to be proud of.


> My boat is also a Bluewater Boat which I think is pretty cool for the price I got it for

For a certain definition of "bluewater boat".

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by StuM

> I have taken many chances with this boat and have been lucky at times,but when you pay $2,000 for a boat you can do that.

That is an attitude that endangers both yourself and others, and is nothing to be proud of.


> My boat is also a Bluewater Boat which I think is pretty cool for the price I got it for

For a certain definition of "bluewater boat".

Thanks for your input Stu.

I really appreciate it. I wish you had warned me about the Latimer Shoal on low tide a few years back. I'm sure you know the best place to cross it.

Any other things you can tell me about the bay would be great since it seems you think you know this area well and all the problems one can cause miles away from boats and structures

So, since I first came into the area of my Friday night adventure when I was 5 years old and riding on the ferry it could be I have an idea of the risk

At 16, I bought my first boat. (in Wachapreague, VA)

Are we learning yet Stu?

Do you know the population near Kiptopeke, Smith's Beach, or Parker's March where I take my chances? Probably not.

You're like the guy from Utah teaching me about tides in the bay which was totally awesome, and I certainly appreciated it

Stu's location to mine
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Howa...1!2d-9.4438004

Wachapreague, VA
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Cape...2!2d37.6042998

[contrail]

I take it that if you had gotten into trouble, as you almost did, you would have relied only on yourself, so as not to endanger others who might have had to come and help?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by contrail

I take it that if you had gotten into trouble, as you almost did, you would have relied only on yourself, so as not to endanger others who might have had to come and help?

I wouldn't have called anyone else.

If you knew the situation, you would understand a little better.

I could have anchored after I moved off anchor. I was in 20' of water within a couple minutes

My close call was the fishing trap pilings which I didn't want to chance going thru

It was dark but I knew the area as you can see from my previous posts

I thought I should post this for new sailors that many on CF recommend to "GO FOR IT"

I knew the bottom. I knew the tide. I knew the wind had turned southerly blowing me into more shallow water otherwise I would have had 10 -12 hours between max low to max low again

Worst case the boat would have hit bottom and been beat on for a while and I would have had to take my kayak to the beach and freeze until I could change clothes or stay on the boat and deal with it. Wind was Southerly. Onshore

High tide was maybe 10 am but I would have been able to take the boat off before that

If you jump in the water in this area, chances are you sink knee deep in mud

I was maybe 250 yards off Fisherman Island

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Fisherman_Island/about.html

[sailorboy1]

It happened to me once when I was cruising on my inner tube. But I had been doing that since I was 6, (months old that is). So I knew to just float over to a sand spot. Floated over a toothpick on way and put a hole in my tube. But wasn’t a problem as I had some bandaids.

[Mr B]

sailing Late at night can be fun, Hahahaha NOT,
I sailed out of Fiji late at night, No moon light to see any thing,
I had a hand held spot light, 150 watts to see where I was going,
The breaking waves on the reefs and the gap in the middle,
64 foot depth,
The gap in the reef was about half a mile wide, and 12000 feet beyond it, Safety,
Between the depth sounder and the spotlight I made it out into the ocean,
No, I had no previous knowledge on the water I was sailing in,


I have now two light bars on my top spreaders, Melts bitumen at 3 miles,
One each side so my Genoa dont block the lights forward beam,
There are times when you have to sail at night, It Happens,
Even to just get a better anchorage as you did,
Powerfull lights just make it all that much safer,

[StuM]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Thanks for your input Stu.

I really appreciate it. I wish you had warned me about the Latimer Shoal on low tide a few years back. I'm sure you know the best place to cross it.

Any other things you can tell me about the bay would be great since it seems you think you know this area well and all the problems one can cause miles away from boats and structures

When have I ever tried to tell you about your local sailing area?


Good seamanship is good seamanship no matter where you are sailing.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Mr B

sailing Late at night can be fun, Hahahaha NOT,
I sailed out of Fiji late at night, No moon light to see any thing,
I had a hand held spot light, 150 watts to see where I was going,
The breaking waves on the reefs and the gap in the middle,
64 foot depth,
The gap in the reef was about half a mile wide, and 12000 feet beyond it, Safety,
Between the depth sounder and the spotlight I made it out into the ocean,
No, I had no previous knowledge on the water I was sailing in,


I have now two light bars on my top spreaders, Melts bitumen at 3 miles,
One each side so my Genoa dont block the lights forward beam,
There are times when you have to sail at night, It Happens,
Even to just get a better anchorage as you did,
Powerfull lights just make it all that much safer,

Yeah, strong lights would be a good idea when you are out cruising full time.

I have a strong handheld spot light, but it's in my Jeep. I was using it while fixing a problem recently. It plugs into the 12 volt receptacle. I'd have to wiring it in direct on the boat. I used it before with alligator clips

On Friday night, I was using one of those little maintenance flashlights that are powered by two AA batteries!

It worked quite well.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by StuM

When have I ever tried to tell you about your local sailing area?

Good seamanship is good seamanship no matter where you are sailing.

Sure is but when your are in your home waters you do relax a bit more I think

The thing is I had options on Friday Night.

Other nights when I had just bought this boat and was overnighting I didn't. (I didn't have anchors on my beach cats so I/we didn't stop plus we were usually racing and didn't anchor overnight exposed on the 16' and 17' fishing boats I owned back in the day)

I'd be anchored at Kiptopeke under a strong 25 knot plus onshore wind that came up way above forecast in the middle of the night with 3' waves coming in and I'd be totally dependent on my anchor. My 5 hp outboard would have been of no use getting out of there. Temp one time was mid 40's

Sailing out would have been iffy. Just getting the anchor up I would have been drenched so I rode it out. It got so bad I rigged my second anchor one night and had it ready to go but didn't deploy it for fear of fouling the main bow anchor.

My trusty CQR.

So usually these days I will spend the extra time sailing up a nice quiet creek on the western side so I can get some decent sleep even if I'm not the only boat there....

I was meeting family members on Saturday am this time though at the park to walk the trails and let the dog swim. Winds had mostly laid down by 3:30-4:00am

Old ferry plus info on the sunken ships

http://www.abandonedcountry.com/2013...-to-obscurity/

This guy's video shows the trails quite nicely...….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDZULUImw7Q

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

It happened to me once when I was cruising on my inner tube. But I had been doing that since I was 6, (months old that is). So I knew to just float over to a sand spot. Floated over a toothpick on way and put a hole in my tube. But wasn’t a problem as I had some bandaids.

That's great, but it looks like it was a scary experience for you since you are now sailing a 40' plus boat in the same type water you did on your inner tube at age 6 months

Maybe soon you will gain more confidence though and branch out a bit.....it takes time for some though so don't give up.

Keep trying!

We are here to support you!

Btw, how's the budget this month? Any beans left?