Anchoring in Tidal Estuary With a Bridle

[thlamers]

When we anchor our 26 foot cat in a tidal river we use a bridle but our cat switches between laying to the current or to the wind. In light airs it points to the current, a strong puff from aft or abeam can lay us across the current swinging wildly. With wind opposite current the bridle may point aft under the bridgedeck.

Suggestions?

[Don C L]

A Bahamian Mooring?
https://www.sailingtoday.co.uk/pract...bahamian-moor/

[CalebF]

Bahamian is absolutely the way to go. Did this for my first time a week ago in a tidal cut in the marshes of coastal Louisiana. Not a lot of tidal Flux in feet, but there was enough current to turn me stern to an 8 knot wind without swinging. When the current did fall off, it was a gentle rotation to wind on the beam followed by bow to the wind, eventually swung around about a 15 foot radius circle where the rolling hitch combined the two rodes over the tide cycle. This was in a mono, but i would think a shortened bridle might work for a cat, such that you aren't straddling the bridle between the hulls.

[Tupaia]

You could probably get away with a bucket or drogue on a bridle between the sterns.

[Izikalvo]

If you mean that the gust pushes you upstream and the bridle gets under the bridge deck a riding sail might help to turn the boat around.

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by Izikalvo

If you mean that the gust pushes you upstream and the bridle gets under the bridge deck a riding sail might help to turn the boat around.

That would make things worse he is already being wind driven opposite to the flowing tide.

[Tin Tin]

Happens all the time with all manner of catamarans with tides winds at odds. If the mooring ball banging on the hull is an issue, get a short dockline from each forward mooring cleat and loop to mooring ball eye, or shackle (underneath) so the ball cannot hit the boat. When it comes time to leave un-cleat and pull lines through.

[thlamers]

Responses are appreciated and we will be trying these out when we are next in the situation.

A little extra background: our cat has a substantial canvas enclosure behind the mast which has the effect of an oversized riding sail. Without the enclosure windage is reduced and more centered and swinging less likely.

When Bahamian anchoring on a multi does should one use a bridle on both ends?

[MicHughV]

Many boat have the uncanny ability to sail against their anchor rode, when the wind is blowing against the tide.

It's an unnerving sight to see the anchor rode alongside your hull instead of streaming out from the bow.

Only when the tide switches so that wind and tide are from the same direction will the boat lay to it's anchor again.

I don't really know of a good way to address this. Setting out a second anchor does not seem to make any noticeable difference.

Using an all chain rode might help.

Sometimes when the above happens the rode catches on the keel or rudder, so be mindful of that, as it could trip the anchor.

[catsketcher]

Im with Tupaia on this. I have had this happen a few times and if it was a common thing I would try to find a small parachute and put it in the water just off the stern. For your small cat, a large sail bag or tinny sea anchor may work.

https://www.marine-deals.com.au/drog...it-large-107cm

[SailingHarmonie]

I guess the real question when the wind and tide push the boat around is: So what? Other than the esthetics of the situation, why is this a problem?

All the ideas about dropping a drag device do not do anything except change the wind and current strengths where the issue occurs at the cost of much more to go wrong. A Bahamian moor dose not prevent this happening at all either, although it can be a good idea for other reasons.

If you don’t have a fair lead for your bridle when this happens, fix that. Maybe shorten it a bit. But overall you can’t stop it from happening. You can sometimes make it better by tying the rudder off to one side, but that doesn’t always work either.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

I guess the real question when the wind and tide push the boat around is: So what? Other than the esthetics of the situation, why is this a problem?

All the ideas about dropping a drag device do not do anything except change the wind and current strengths where the issue occurs at the cost of much more to go wrong. A Bahamian moor dose not prevent this happening at all either, although it can be a good idea for other reasons.

If you don’t have a fair lead for your bridle when this happens, fix that. Maybe shorten it a bit. But overall you can’t stop it from happening. You can sometimes make it better by tying the rudder off to one side, but that doesn’t always work either.

I was going to make the same post but I didn’t have the courage I thought I was going to get yelled at. Lol

Exactly. Go about your business and who cares? If it’s not causing damage to the hull, which the bridle will not, then it’s just a transitory phase where it goes underneath. No big deal. Nothing to worry about. I also almost posted to just put the rudders off the one side. Sometimes that works as well.

[smj]

Originally Posted by Chotu

I was going to make the same post but I didn’t have the courage I thought I was going to get yelled at. Lol



Exactly. Go about your business and who cares? If it’s not causing damage to the hull, which the bridle will not, then it’s just a transitory phase where it goes underneath. No big deal. Nothing to worry about. I also almost posted to just put the rudders off the one side. Sometimes that works as well.

I’ve been in a couple situations where the bridle was under the boat and bar right. If I had 3/8” glass I wouldn’t worry but ours is about 1/16” of glass over foam core so chafe may be an issue at some point? And hopefully the bridle is long enough where the chain doesn’t contact the hull.

[MicHughV]

The keel and/or the rudder/skeg could get caught up in the rode alongside the hull as happened to me, I was fortunate to be on the boat to get it all sorted out.

I simply have no answer to this situation, other than stand an anchor watch to make the best of it.

[team karst]

Our last cruise we were tied to a lump of concrete, 8 feet deep, in a tidal current. For 2 months.
I tried lots of tricks; what eventually worked were floats at mid depth, a short enough bridle where no hull made contact, and anti-chafing that worked with the chain going behind the boat.
A surface float was a disaster, where it would get pulled u/w and then pop up outside a hull.
Short story: shorten the bridal to prevent hull contact with anything but water. Good luck.

ps. use fairly thin bridle rope. There will be times of significant jerk, depending on wind velocity, especially with a 1.5 scope, like ours.