What Anchoring Term Is This?

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

But doesn’t floating ice have 9/10ths below the waterline?....Tough sailing!

Yup, you usually have to let the nylon down to the bottom to let an ice piece float by and then tension it back up. This is usually not so much of a problem with the stern lines, because the ice down not typically get between you and shore, but in those icy areas we sometimes also have bow lines out to big rocks and they can ocasionally snag a growler.

[Pelagic]

Thanks Estarzinger, that makes sense.

Welcome to CF….I took a look at your website and was very impressed.

Hope to hear more from you in the future….Cheers!

[Jolly Roger]

I sure hope we are only talking about a temporary daytime moor here, not an overnighter? After a few very close calls I decided early on in my sailing career to never, never, never, ever! lie overnight to one anchor. So notwithstanding the number of replies to this one, I call it a BDM, (bloody dangerous method). All the systems rely entirely on the bow anchor holding, but if the wind shifted or gets up during the night you could be on the beach or scraping the cliff before you know it.
I would never sleep easy without an anchor watch.

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

I sure hope we are only talking about a temporary daytime moor here, not an overnighter?

No - in the correct situations it's perhaps the best possible overnight storm anchoring technique. Done incorrectly it's, of course, and as you correctly suggest, a nightmare.

Wind on the beam is the fear, and that's why people who med moor a lot put out a ton of extra scope (mentionned in a post above).

In the Chilean coves, the storm winds (except in the winter) come from the NW and SW, so you park with your stern to the west and you two shore lines going NW and SW and they take all the strain and the anchor in fact does almost nothing. These coves typically have very steep sides, so if you are snugged in far enough, if the wind does come on the beam it will blow well over the top of the boat.

We also used this technique quite a bit in the PNW and in scotland, but for different reasons and with slightly different technique.

[Pelagic]

I can understand your concern JR, especially if you have had a scare in the past.

A strong beam wind is the biggest danger if you are secured fore and aft in tight places as you quadruple the forces (similar to pulling on a bow string.). Some ship handling books state that you actually ¼ your holding power when anchored fore and aft and get hit by a side wind.

Estarzinger explained in his example that his lines are doing all the work and in tight coves he even puts out bow lines to secure his position. (Not unlike what you would do at your own marina if tied between 2 slips)

In my more open scenario, the solution is in the details.

By keeping my anchor and beach line(s) tight, so as to prevent any “break-out momentum” to overstress or shift the strong holding points. I can sleep soundly but always with a weather eye as in any situation and a check for line chafe ashore before retiring.

My ground tackle and beach line have been factored to be more than 20 times what I need, so by keeping them tight and having a failsafe departure plan, I can leave at any time, day or night, if my weather prediction is wrong.

I am not a fan of putting 2 anchors down as they can foul together or complicate leaving. I usually prefer to swing on one anchor somewhere less convenient to the shore, if available, rather than tuck in with the crowd.

[Ashoreschool]

I'd put my money on Beth and Evans. If they say that's the way to do it, and it works for them, you can count on it. From reading their book, The Voyager's Handbook, there isn't much that escapes them.

OK Beth and Evan. What do you call anchoring like that?