Thought I would post my little story about our close call this summer. Just posted it on another forum under Plan "B", and since it is PNW appropriate, well time to share it here.
Been to Ganges Harbor many times over the years. Quaint, friendly, and if you're into BC Bud, well this destination is for you (never have, never will). Since the harbor opens to the south with a very, very long fetch, blows can be nasty in s southerly. Also, local boaters over the years have managed to fill the harbor with mooring balls, forcing visiting boaters to anchor further out.
This summer we had a nice sail through Swanson Channel all the way to the Ganges Harbor entrance. My old anchor spot on the east side of Ganges Harbor, now taken over by a mooring ball, caused me to find a spot over by the old fishing marina breakwater where I've never before anchored. Got a good set and settled in for the night with Patti my wife, and our oldest son and his two kids from Texas. A blow came in that night, but the boat did not move.
Saturday was farmer's market day with lots of locals coming together for food and entertainment. We dingy motored the short distance from the boat to the dock and join in the fun. The kids enjoy the play ground park. By early afternoon the wind has really picked up. I can see Belle-Vie's mast in the distance and check it periodically just to make sure she stays put.
Mid afternoon the wind has increased considerably. I just happened to glance over and see that Belle-Vie has decided to come over and join in the festivities. I tell Patti I gotta go and make a mad dash for the dinghy. These docks use wooden planks for covering and as I come up on the dinghy, my toe catches the edge of one of the planks and down I go. My son helps me up and we get to Belle-Vie just before she reaches the boulder breakwater. Engine fires right up and I make way forward in order to bring up the anchor.
My son takes the helm as I work to bring up the anchor, which is very difficult due to the wind pressure. Finally, the anchor appears and behold, wedged across between the flukes and shank is an inch and a half thick by eight foot long piece of steel cable. I figure that this cable prevented the flukes from digging in deeper as the wind piped up causing the anchor to drag. In the past our Danforth has always done good job of digging in deeper and deeper as the wind pressure increases.
Needless to say, we managed to move Belle-Vie out of harms way just in the nick of time. That was a close call and has caused me to ponder, on more than one occasion, what if?
After that close call I motored over to Ganges Harbor Marina to pick up Patti and the kids, as the marina was full, then over to well protected Annette Inlet where we enjoyed a very quiet and peaceful remainder of the day and night.
Been to Ganges Harbor many times over the years. Quaint, friendly, and if you're into BC Bud, well this destination is for you (never have, never will). Since the harbor opens to the south with a very, very long fetch, blows can be nasty in s southerly. Also, local boaters over the years have managed to fill the harbor with mooring balls, forcing visiting boaters to anchor further out.
This summer we had a nice sail through Swanson Channel all the way to the Ganges Harbor entrance. My old anchor spot on the east side of Ganges Harbor, now taken over by a mooring ball, caused me to find a spot over by the old fishing marina breakwater where I've never before anchored. Got a good set and settled in for the night with Patti my wife, and our oldest son and his two kids from Texas. A blow came in that night, but the boat did not move.
Saturday was farmer's market day with lots of locals coming together for food and entertainment. We dingy motored the short distance from the boat to the dock and join in the fun. The kids enjoy the play ground park. By early afternoon the wind has really picked up. I can see Belle-Vie's mast in the distance and check it periodically just to make sure she stays put.
Mid afternoon the wind has increased considerably. I just happened to glance over and see that Belle-Vie has decided to come over and join in the festivities. I tell Patti I gotta go and make a mad dash for the dinghy. These docks use wooden planks for covering and as I come up on the dinghy, my toe catches the edge of one of the planks and down I go. My son helps me up and we get to Belle-Vie just before she reaches the boulder breakwater. Engine fires right up and I make way forward in order to bring up the anchor.
My son takes the helm as I work to bring up the anchor, which is very difficult due to the wind pressure. Finally, the anchor appears and behold, wedged across between the flukes and shank is an inch and a half thick by eight foot long piece of steel cable. I figure that this cable prevented the flukes from digging in deeper as the wind piped up causing the anchor to drag. In the past our Danforth has always done good job of digging in deeper and deeper as the wind pressure increases.
Needless to say, we managed to move Belle-Vie out of harms way just in the nick of time. That was a close call and has caused me to ponder, on more than one occasion, what if?
After that close call I motored over to Ganges Harbor Marina to pick up Patti and the kids, as the marina was full, then over to well protected Annette Inlet where we enjoyed a very quiet and peaceful remainder of the day and night.