Anchored unattended?

[jviss]

Do you leave your boat anchored unattended? Would you ever? For how long? In what kind of weather? I've certainly gone ashore and left no one aboard, but don't make it a practice. to leave it overnight on the hook (when anchored at night I show an anchor light).

 

[higgs]

Anchoring

Certainly I will go ashore for a few hours and leave the boat unattended. I have never left it overnight, but under the right conditions (calm weather) I would do so. I never do feel confident about my boat's safety when anchored.

 

[chuckr]

did carefully

two years ago i was at the end of a dock in miami and hurricane francis did not take kindly to us - so for the next two storm i anchored in a small cove - in 8'mlw i put out 70' of 3/8 chain and another 30' of 3/4 3 strand rode on a 40# cqr and a 40# plow. Boat is 40' - she rode out the next two storms in stride --However, the next hurricane season i stayed in the marina for good reason. to many of the other boats in the cove were breaking lose and dragging anchor - the other boats would then hit an anchored boat or help pull it's ground tackle. When we visit other location however, bahamas - fla keys we often leave the boat on one hook for many hours - example in key west over mem day we dingyed in at 10am and spent the day and dingyed out at 2400 - it was a fun day and yes i was sober -- good luck chuck and soulmates

 

[George]

Anchor Unattended

Every year we have a number of small boats (less than 30 feet) that arrive in Grand Traverse Bay in late spring, throw out a hook and stay there all summer. Most of these people live pretty far away and can't/don't spend money on a mooring or slip. I seldom see anyone on these boats. No anchor lights and no enforcement by the DEQ.Every now and a severe storm will come through and you'll see a few of these boats on the rocks or if they are lucky on the beach.

 

[jviss]

Anchor light

George, these boats that are anchored - do any of them show an anchor light at night?

 

[Joe11688]

Anchoring is the way to go

I've left my boat anchored many times, but it all depends on where you anchor it, the holding ground, the depth of the water, the amount of anchor line scope, the prevailing winds, and whether a current exists. If you think that the wind will change later on in the day, then you may want to add another anchor about 180 degrees aft, with the same amount of scope as the bow anchor. This aft line needs to be tied at the bow for when the boat turns in the other direction. A lot of boaters are leery about anchoring because they're always afraid that the anchor is going to slip on them during the night when they're asleep. If this should happen, you'll wake up instantly. Believe me, you'll know. When a boat slips the anchor,it drifts sideways and rocks with waves slapping the side of the hull. The important thing to remember when anchoring is to find a place with good holding ground that is pretty much protected from high winds and currents, and use enough anchor line scope to keep the anchor rode as horizontal as possible as the tide rises. A long chain attached to the anchor will keep the line horizontal, and keep that anchor dug in. If you anchor often and take a bearing on an object on shore, to make sure you're not slipping, anchoring becomes "old Hat" after a while. If your boat is out of the way of boating traffic in an anchorage, you can forego the anchor light, but that is up to the captain of the boat to decide. Happy anchoring!

 

[jviss]

Thanks

Hey Joe, thanks for the tutorial on anchoring, 101. But as far as the anchor light goes, it's not just up to the captain. Any boat over 7 meters that is anchored, unless in a "special anchorage" that doesn't require it, must display an anchor light.

 

[George]

Anchoring

Another anchoring tip: Bigger boats use chain to increase holding power of their anchor. Small boat sailors can achieve somewhat the same result by using a sentinal. I use a 25lb mushroom that I send down the line about two thirds the distance of the scope. I've never had an anchor drag.

 

[Franklin]

Are you slipping?

"If you anchor often and take a bearing on an object on shore, to make sure you're not slipping"The best way is to remember the cordinates on the gps if you can. This will tell you percisely, within 3' of movement. Of course, you need to understand the swing of the boat so watch the cordinates after you get it set...watching for 5-10 minutes should be enough to get an idea of the normal corindates of the swing. I have found trying to deterime if I'm moving without the cordinates is a pain, especially at night when the wind shifts.