I was solo over the weekend and anchored at Tices Shoal on Saturday night. @Ward H gave me fair warning that winds in the morning would be 20+, which I basically didn't heed because I wanted to visit the beach on the ocean side. Sure enough, Sue was expecting me home early on Sunday and I had to call to tell her that I may not be able to leave until the wind was down, possibly having to wait until evening! That didn't go over very well.
So this was my first experience trying to pull up anchor on a boat that I can't manhandle in a wind on my own. Anchorage depth is only about 6' and I have 4'-9" wing keel. The anchorage is a roadstead and exposed. Wind was 20 to 25 knots, waves are not really an issue because the whole area is so shallow, but in these conditions, they were 1' to 2'. Not uncomfortable to stay there, just a nuisance for the task. Tices Shoal is a huge boat party scene on weekend days. I thought at first that it would be a light crowd due to the wind, but I was wrong. I waited on anchor, doing other tasks, waiting for the wind to abate. But by noon the party was filling in and I was thinking that I would go crazy if I didn't get out of there. With the scope I had out, oblivious moboats were driving uncomfortably close to my bow, even though the rode was clear as day and bar tight!
I have a Lewmar Claw anchor and it holds solid as a rock in the soft sand and mud bottom. This site has excellent holding and one of my biggest concerns was being able to break out. I didn't know how I would be able to hold the boat in position with the chain vertical, or even if I could get to that point. I had nobody to drive the boat! It took me almost an hour to get out, all that time running back and forth from the bow to stern. I had mobs of people all around me, but I guess I'm too shy to ask for help. State police and County Sheriff boats were even circling all around (it takes an army to patrol these waters when the parties are in full swing). I was half hoping somebody would notice and offer to lend a hand, if they could. But no, I guess I was just an exhibit of helplessness!
I have about 25 to 30' of chain and then rope. I have a windlass with a smooth gypsy wheel that is made for rope, but not chain. So I start the engine and put her in forward gear. I provide just enough power to slacken the rode without over-running it. The last thing I want is to get rode wrapped on the keel or even worse, the prop. I tried to use autopilot to bear directly into the wind, but it is useless as the wind and waves just overpower the boat, and I struggled with the boat sailing back and forth. After a long struggle, I gave up on the autopilot and it finally worked better when I used the brake on the wheel in the centered position. I was successful right away getting the rode all the way in and securing it, but I could not gather in the chain without losing it all right back. I would gather 10' of chain in before the boat sailed to one side or other and I could not secure it on the cleat before the force just took it all back. This went on seemingly for ever with me repeatedly going back to the stern to try to better adjust speed and direction, all to no use. Over and over, I kept losing the chain after I fought to recover 10' of it. I was exhausted and almost ready to give up. I finally devised a way to secure the chain when I gained 10' of it. Then it didn't take long and on the second chance at gathering chain I got another 10' and suddenly broke out.
But I was quickly drifting towards shallow water and other boats and I had to run back to the stern before I could get the anchor off the bottom! I ran back to the stern (I'm still pretty agile) and basically powered my way forward, dragging the anchor across the bottom! I'm thinking that it must be dragging upside down and as long as I was moving forward slowly, I may as well keep going until I was in the clear. I had to signal, waving and shouting, to boats that were maneuvering around and I had to weave around a few anchored boats! It was about the least graceful thing I've ever done on a boat, but as long as I was moving slowly forward, I wasn't going to stop until I was in the clear. I finally got to a place where drifting wouldn't be a problem (this is all in water about 6' deep), and I got the anchor secured on deck.
I need a better technique for this situation!
So this was my first experience trying to pull up anchor on a boat that I can't manhandle in a wind on my own. Anchorage depth is only about 6' and I have 4'-9" wing keel. The anchorage is a roadstead and exposed. Wind was 20 to 25 knots, waves are not really an issue because the whole area is so shallow, but in these conditions, they were 1' to 2'. Not uncomfortable to stay there, just a nuisance for the task. Tices Shoal is a huge boat party scene on weekend days. I thought at first that it would be a light crowd due to the wind, but I was wrong. I waited on anchor, doing other tasks, waiting for the wind to abate. But by noon the party was filling in and I was thinking that I would go crazy if I didn't get out of there. With the scope I had out, oblivious moboats were driving uncomfortably close to my bow, even though the rode was clear as day and bar tight!
I have a Lewmar Claw anchor and it holds solid as a rock in the soft sand and mud bottom. This site has excellent holding and one of my biggest concerns was being able to break out. I didn't know how I would be able to hold the boat in position with the chain vertical, or even if I could get to that point. I had nobody to drive the boat! It took me almost an hour to get out, all that time running back and forth from the bow to stern. I had mobs of people all around me, but I guess I'm too shy to ask for help. State police and County Sheriff boats were even circling all around (it takes an army to patrol these waters when the parties are in full swing). I was half hoping somebody would notice and offer to lend a hand, if they could. But no, I guess I was just an exhibit of helplessness!
I have about 25 to 30' of chain and then rope. I have a windlass with a smooth gypsy wheel that is made for rope, but not chain. So I start the engine and put her in forward gear. I provide just enough power to slacken the rode without over-running it. The last thing I want is to get rode wrapped on the keel or even worse, the prop. I tried to use autopilot to bear directly into the wind, but it is useless as the wind and waves just overpower the boat, and I struggled with the boat sailing back and forth. After a long struggle, I gave up on the autopilot and it finally worked better when I used the brake on the wheel in the centered position. I was successful right away getting the rode all the way in and securing it, but I could not gather in the chain without losing it all right back. I would gather 10' of chain in before the boat sailed to one side or other and I could not secure it on the cleat before the force just took it all back. This went on seemingly for ever with me repeatedly going back to the stern to try to better adjust speed and direction, all to no use. Over and over, I kept losing the chain after I fought to recover 10' of it. I was exhausted and almost ready to give up. I finally devised a way to secure the chain when I gained 10' of it. Then it didn't take long and on the second chance at gathering chain I got another 10' and suddenly broke out.
But I was quickly drifting towards shallow water and other boats and I had to run back to the stern before I could get the anchor off the bottom! I ran back to the stern (I'm still pretty agile) and basically powered my way forward, dragging the anchor across the bottom! I'm thinking that it must be dragging upside down and as long as I was moving forward slowly, I may as well keep going until I was in the clear. I had to signal, waving and shouting, to boats that were maneuvering around and I had to weave around a few anchored boats! It was about the least graceful thing I've ever done on a boat, but as long as I was moving slowly forward, I wasn't going to stop until I was in the clear. I finally got to a place where drifting wouldn't be a problem (this is all in water about 6' deep), and I got the anchor secured on deck.
I need a better technique for this situation!