Not sure how things in Oz work but in the US a
government agency (NOAA) broadcasts local
weather conditions on the lower
VHF channels 24/7, and warnings if necessary. Several web sites I can pick up with my
cell phone also have real time
radar and
weather information. Most folks who live on boats in the US use these, and other sources as well, to keep up with
current and expected weather conditions. For longer passages the resources you mentioned come into play but I suggest you hold off on that for a while.
The only topic at CF causing more arguments than which
anchor is best is firearms on a
boat. Still there is something to be learned about
anchoring by reading some of the threads. The key in my mind is that you don't need a good
anchor, you need good ground tackle. To me this includes at least two anchors on the bow ready to quickly deploy and more spares elsewhere. Both the two primary anchors should have adequate chain for the conditions. Most cat skippers also use a
bridle and several folks also use snubbers. There are lively arguments on how to attach the
bridle to the bows of the cat and to the anchor chain as well. Even with a less than idea anchor if the spot chosen to drop the anchor has good holding and plenty of chain is let out along with a bridle that is set well you will most likely be better off than if you have a brand new expensive anchor on a bad bottom with a short chain. I always look for a sandy spot in 8-10 feet of
water, drop the anchor and maybe 15 feet of chain, let it get tight, let out 10-15 more; and keep repeating till I have a 7-1
rode (e.g. 7 feet of chain for each foot of
water depth. Then I set the bridle. As a
rule both sides of the bridle are the same length; but if the
wind and
current are not from the same direction you can adjust one side shorter/longer than the other to get the waves to meet the bows
head on. The result is not only a more comfortable night's sleep but less strain on the anchor. I then sit down in the
salon; turn on my anchor
alarm, I use Drag Queen, a free
cell phone app but there are plenty of these. I try to get a feel for how the
boat is swinging at anchor. I also take some bearings on landmarks if possible. Next I back down the anchor; another contentious subject as to should this be done at 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, or full reverse. In any case after spending probably half an hour or more
anchoring I feel comfortable assessing if the anchor will hold or if I need to pull up the hook and look for another spot.
The simple definition of how to balance a boat is to get the CE (Center of Effort) directly above the CLR (Center of Lateral Resistance). If you float a match stick in a bowl of water and push one end the end moves, but if you push in the exact center of the match stick the whole match stick moves sideways; both ends move the same. This is the CLR. If you hold up a 4X4 sheet of
plywood in the
wind and put a stick in the exact center the sheet will not blow over. The same holds true for a
single sail. Simple physics will allow the calculation if two
sails are flying.
So far we have only talked about static concepts, but
sails are dynamic, same for boat hulls moving through water with waves. If you sheet in a sail the CE moves aft, if you sheet out it moves forward, same goes for adjusting the traveler. Not sure about your main but many modern sails like square tops and fat heads are described as opening up (the top part of the sail twists out more than lower parts) as the traveler is adjusted. Another factor is what is called the slot, the space between a
head sail and main looking from the
cockpit to the bow. As a
rule you want the curve of the trailing edge of the head sail to look like the curve of the main where the trailing edge of the head sail is in relation to the main. But adjusting any of these things can shift the CE fore or aft of the CLR. Spending time at the
wheel and playing with the
sheets and traveler is the only way to get to know how your boat will react to changes.
Just remember the first rule of sailing; I would rather be in port and wish I was at sea than be at sea and wish I was in port.
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