10-4-02, South Chesapeake Bay - We took the boat out with little to no wind at all. A little was blowing from the S, but not much. We intended to anchor out for the night… so we motor-sailed to south of the power plant and found a spot just outside of the crab pots, in about 12-13 feet of water. There was another two hours before low tide, so I planned for the current of an incoming tide, so I positioned the boat - SSE with the big anchor off the bow and smaller anchor off the stern. We put up the screen cover over the companionway to let the air in and keep the bugs out. It had been a warm day. Bon heated crab soup for dinner. We were sitting eating the soup noticing the wind so starting to blow and cool things down. Felt good. The wind got harder and harder and the waves started to hit the back of the boat. The wind was now blowing out of the NE so the waves were hitting the port stern. Not good. The water was breaking over the stern and coming through the screen door. I put up the door, but the cover is about a foot higher then the door and the water was still coming in. Hmmm, that needs the waters about 4 foot in the air. Not easily, we changed the screen to the plastic, but the plastic piece had nothing to fasten to the door… so the water still was coming in. With great difficulty we took the cover off and shut up the boat hatches. By this time the boat was lifting and falling at least 3 if not 4 feet. We were exhausted and Bon was getting sick. I sat there, shut my eyes and wondered what I was going to do. We were trapped. It was dark. The wind was blowing a good 20 knots. The waves a good 3 foot-hitting me in the butt, exploding over the cockpit. I’ve got two anchors holding me in place… hopefully; at least I’m not going anywhere. It is the smaller anchor that’s holding us! It’s only 8:00P! Bon went into the bathroom and stayed there till about 2 or 3 in the morning, before she came out and lied down on the seat. I just sat there till about 1A and I finally laid down using my junk bag as a pillow. I had been dozing off, but only for moments at a time. The water hitting the back of the boat sounded like a cannon. By dawn, the wind had died to a 10-15 knot, still from the NE and the waves maybe 1-2 feet. How do I get us out of here? The high waves were still washing over the cockpit. Fortunately we're on a H260, which has an open stern, so the water can easily wash out. So, wetsuit on, with a good Columbia rain coat, life jacket, and tether line. Can’t move… I checked the anchor lines and the bow anchor was slack. The smaller anchor had been holding us all night. First start the motor. That’s been getting washed over for the last 12 hours. We had at least one light on most of the night, so I used the pull cord. It’s a Honda 9.9 and it started in about 4 pulls. I pulled the stern anchor up first; thinking the wind would start swinging us around and I’d motor over top the bow anchor. With the stern anchor up and sitting over top of the bow anchor the motor died. I started it again. It ran for a couple of minutes and it died again. 4 or 5 times this happened. I looked at the gas tank and it had turned upside down. I up-righted the tank and started pulling the cord again. Still it would run for a couple minutes and then die. I had managed not to get sick all night, but hanging over the boat did it. I got sick. Not good. Those two crackers and three swallows of coke I had for breakfast are out of here… Ok,- My wife says maybe something is wrong with the gas? Hmmm, I’ve run on this tank of gas for a couple of hours and it was fine, but maybe the upside down thing did something. I shifted to my reserve tank. It started, ran for a couple minutes and died. Hmmm, maybe water in the line. I started it again and it stayed running. Thank you, God! I pulled up the bow anchor and we motored home. Hey hon, Looks like a nice day for sailing – Naaaaa… Locked her up and went home. Late that afternoon, after getting ourselves cleaned up, taking naps and eating some light food; we went back to the boat and cleaned her up. Not a good weekend. A horrible 12 hours! Lesson one - Never, "Never" anchor directly on the Chesapeake Bay!!! I wish someone had told me that...
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Yuck, sorry to hear that...
That sounds like one of those times you decide it's time to take up a new hobby... Would it have been possible to either get the stern anchor up or bouy it with something and cast it off overnight? I bet the boat would have been a lot more comfortable lying bow to the wind/waves on long scope. Even then it wouldn't be much fun. I hope your next trip is better!
That sounds like one of those times you decide it's time to take up a new hobby... Would it have been possible to either get the stern anchor up or bouy it with something and cast it off overnight? I bet the boat would have been a lot more comfortable lying bow to the wind/waves on long scope. Even then it wouldn't be much fun. I hope your next trip is better!
A Learning Experience
Frank, I don't think there's anybody who has done much cruising who doesn't have at least one sleepless night at anchor to their credit and they are sure not much fun. I had Shibumi about two feet off the rocks during a gale in Desolation Sound the summer before last and it scared the devil out of me. At least you and your boat escaped unharmed. Miles suggestion is a good one. Dropping the hook in a more protected spot is another. But sometimes an anchorage you thought was going to be good becomes uncomfortable or even dangerous and you just have to move. That can be dicey at night but it might be preferable to getting beat up all night or blown onto a lee shore. Part of the adventure of sailing is that there's some exciting times that go along with all those peaceful sunsets while sipping wine in the cockpit. As the saying goes with horses, when they buck you off, get right back on them. What are you doing this weekend?
Gary Wyngarden S/V Shibumi H335
Frank, I don't think there's anybody who has done much cruising who doesn't have at least one sleepless night at anchor to their credit and they are sure not much fun. I had Shibumi about two feet off the rocks during a gale in Desolation Sound the summer before last and it scared the devil out of me. At least you and your boat escaped unharmed. Miles suggestion is a good one. Dropping the hook in a more protected spot is another. But sometimes an anchorage you thought was going to be good becomes uncomfortable or even dangerous and you just have to move. That can be dicey at night but it might be preferable to getting beat up all night or blown onto a lee shore. Part of the adventure of sailing is that there's some exciting times that go along with all those peaceful sunsets while sipping wine in the cockpit. As the saying goes with horses, when they buck you off, get right back on them. What are you doing this weekend?
Gary Wyngarden S/V Shibumi H335Wow!
Wow! Sounds like one hell of a Friday night. I had similar experience once out in the Great South Bay of the South Shore of Long Island, NY with my wife & two kids. I learned to only over-night in protected waters. More important, though, I realized that I have to learn much more about the weather, especially wind. Those 20 MPH winds should have been forecast somewhere. As much as I love sailing, I love it for its relaxation and peacefulness. I have no desire to go out to be terrified. Most of my efforts I spend studying the wind on "iwindsurf.com", "boatersbox.com" & "NOAA? (the Federal Government) - excellant resources. By the way, I am curious why you didn't loose the stern anchor so the boat would take the weather on the bow. Better luck next time!
Wow! Sounds like one hell of a Friday night. I had similar experience once out in the Great South Bay of the South Shore of Long Island, NY with my wife & two kids. I learned to only over-night in protected waters. More important, though, I realized that I have to learn much more about the weather, especially wind. Those 20 MPH winds should have been forecast somewhere. As much as I love sailing, I love it for its relaxation and peacefulness. I have no desire to go out to be terrified. Most of my efforts I spend studying the wind on "iwindsurf.com", "boatersbox.com" & "NOAA? (the Federal Government) - excellant resources. By the way, I am curious why you didn't loose the stern anchor so the boat would take the weather on the bow. Better luck next time!
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So why did you not release the stern anchor and take it around to the bow. Two anchors down and bow into the wind sounds good for me? Regards
So why did you not release the stern anchor and take it around to the bow. Two anchors down and bow into the wind sounds good for me? Regards
Two anchors = TROUBLE
Sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience. You didn't say why you set the stern anchor in the first place. Not a good idea unless in a crowded or small anchorage with no room to swing with reversing tide. Most boats that we see in trouble are in trouble because they have set two anchors. I can list many reasons why not to use two anchors in almost all situations. Good luck in the future and hope the experience didn't scare you away from anchoring out. We just spent over six months in the Abacos and only stayed in a marina four nights.
Sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience. You didn't say why you set the stern anchor in the first place. Not a good idea unless in a crowded or small anchorage with no room to swing with reversing tide. Most boats that we see in trouble are in trouble because they have set two anchors. I can list many reasons why not to use two anchors in almost all situations. Good luck in the future and hope the experience didn't scare you away from anchoring out. We just spent over six months in the Abacos and only stayed in a marina four nights.
All good advice!
Frank, You learn something very special. Don't set a stern anchor unless you are in a protected crowded anchorage to keep from swinging. On the bay or anywhere else - let it swing. We had the same thing happen to us on the Bay a few years ago and at two in the morning found us running for harbor. Write this one in the log book and remember it. Happy sailing. Jim
Frank, You learn something very special. Don't set a stern anchor unless you are in a protected crowded anchorage to keep from swinging. On the bay or anywhere else - let it swing. We had the same thing happen to us on the Bay a few years ago and at two in the morning found us running for harbor. Write this one in the log book and remember it. Happy sailing. Jim
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