Found out a new anchoring rule today

[Ken Honeycutt]

So we're anchored out watching the Chicago air and water show when a sailboat with six people aboard that had been anchored approximately 150 yards upwind of us starts to drift over our anchor line. I'm scrambling to grab a fender and the boat hook to fend them off and all six start screaming at the admiral and myself that we're drifting over their 'point of anchor' and that we need to start our engine and get off their 'point of anchor' Now as far as I know, the laws of physics haven't changed and there is no freaking way I coud drift 150 yds UPWIND unless Lake Michigan has suddenly developed 12 knot currents against the wind a mile offshore.. so I finally lost my cool and answered back that they can ask any of the boats around me and confirm that none of us have moved in the last 2 hours. The skipper finally tells one of the guests to check the anchor. The guest pulls on the anchor rode and you can see a look of bewilderment as he relizes that there is NO FREAKING TENSION on the line. The whole time the rest of the crew is still yelling at me that I need to start my engine and move from their 'point of anchor'. I finally answered back that there's no *#$@ way I'm starting my engine and fouling my prop in their line. They finally realized that they are the ones drifting...no apology no nothin.:cussing:

About hour later, a small power boat dragging 2 anchors UNDER POWER snags my anchor line and pulls my anchor out - now I'm drifting into another power boat scrambling to get out of his way and reset the anchor. Got the situation under control, pulled anchor, told the admiral the heck with it, and sailed back to my can..Waited all day to see the Blue Angels for nothing.:neutral:
Next year I'm just going to head out a couple of miles from the idiots and watch it.

Rant over.

 

[rfrye1]

Ken, you just confirm that there are no shortage of goofballs in this world and unfortunatly the are breeding. Next time you might want to tie a BIG orange bouy to your actual anchor that shows/marks the location of where your anchor is on the bottom. Might help those who assume your anchor is under your boat.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Ken, that's exactly what started happening around here for Fleet Week every October. I told a dock buddy not to try to anchor in 50 feet of water east of Alcatraz, but he did and learned the hard way. I always, when I do bother to go anymore, sail well west of the maddening crowds and the idiots.

Point of anchor? Point of stupidity, more like.

 

[Maine Sail]

Ken,

You'll be glad to know that we were awakened today by the drum of a generator at 7:00 am, on a SUNDAY MORNING, in a beautiful and quiet Maine anchorage, by couple of Carver Condo's rafted together.

Don't worry though I got video and plan to publicly post it on Youtube as "WHAT RUDE LOOKS LIKE"...... I even held up my wrist watch in front of the camera to emphasize the point..:cussing::cussing:

Next time this type of crap happens MAKE A VIDEO and post it on the net for the world to see WHO NOT TO ANCHOR NEAR. That is my new resolution and and I'm officially starting the fight against incompetent and rude boating behavior through public humiliation...

P.S. The generator was promptly shut off at 8:00 am ONCE EVERY ONE WAS AWAKENED....!The ONE day my 3 1/2 year old was till asleep at 7:00 am and brooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..........

 

[cephius (Dave)]

At a similar popular event I watched in dismay as a slope dropped their anchor with their stern to the wind. Of course they immediately started to drift over the anchor they just dropped. It didn't cause any concern from that clueless crew.

In my cursing grounds there are several marinas and not many places that attract sailboats to drop an anchor. As a result there are many sailors here who have zero ground tackle experience.

Most at this event didn't understand scope or swing room. I was glad the winds were light and the lake was flat. You didn't need to set the anchor to stay in place.

 

[Bad Obsession]

Too bad we can't mount swivel cannons on our boats and fire warning shots across people's bows. LOL

I hate, hate, hate, hate anchoring around people who don't know how to anchor. You know, the ones with a tiny little anchor and they let out 12 feet of rode in 10 foot deep water.

Sorry to hear your woes.

 

[seadaddler]

Main Sail

People ask me all the time why I have a 2000 inverter charger and Panda Gen on my H-36,it's because I am an early riser and need my coffee when I wake.
Before I go to bed I set up my electric coffee pot and when I am still trying to wake up I hit the inverter and the coffee starts making,I am too sleepy to get out the perker and this way I don't wake any one in the anchorage.
Those big events on the water can be a real pain.
Nick

 

[Gail R]

Ken,

You'll be glad to know that we were awakened today by the drum of a generator at 7:00 am, on a SUNDAY MORNING, in a beautiful and quiet Maine anchorage, by couple of Carver Condo's rafted together.

Don't worry though I got video and plan to publicly post it on Youtube as "WHAT RUDE LOOKS LIKE"...... I even held up my wrist watch in front of the camera to emphasize the point..:cussing::cussing:

Next time this type of crap happens MAKE A VIDEO and post it on the net for the world to see WHO NOT TO ANCHOR NEAR. That is my new resolution and and I'm officially starting the fight against incompetent and rude boating behavior through public humiliation...

P.S. The generator was promptly shut off at 8:00 am ONCE EVERY ONE WAS AWAKENED....!The ONE day my 3 1/2 year old was till asleep at 7:00 am and brooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..........

Hey MS, was this part of the same group that was up till something like 3 a.m. talking loud enough so that the entire anchorage could hear??

After you left (I think) some other clown in a lobster-style boat fired up his VERY LOUD engine and proceeded to run it for a good half hour. This was one of those engines that reverberates for miles.

As for coffee making, does no one use Melitas or French presses any more? All you need for those is hot water from the stove. No 'trons necessary, and very quick and easy.

Will have to check out your youtube!

 

[cb32863]

Common sense seems to be not as common as it used to be...... :bang:

 

[woodster]

Common sense seems to be not as common as it used to be...... :bang:

A MEN!!!!!

regards

woody

 

[Ross]

I must be the luckiest boater on this forum. I haven't been within shotgun range of anouther anchored boat in ten years, it has been more like a long rifle shot to the next boat. It isn't that there is a shortage of boats here and maybe it is because we try not to sail on weekends.

 

[FroggyAZ]

There was a time when part of the pleasure of sailing was to be surrounded with courteous people. Now, it seems it tends to become a little bit like on the road, with the rage that comes with it. "Water rage" versus "Road rage".

 

[seadaddler]

No weekends

Yes if you can do your sailing on week days is so much better,and not I only use drip coffee maker at home on the boat and motor home all same unit same filters so easy to do and auto no guessing,only have others for backup.
I love my coffee.
Nick
PS come down to Charlotte Harbor never to many boats,yes the anchorage does get crowded with sailboats and powerboats up on the beach but never had a problem yet.

 

[zeehag]

aye--nothing quite like the sound of briggs and stratton in the morning....but, i pray, NOT before 0800....no i no longer own a nasty one--i still have my honda and my solar panels and my melitta cone with filters and hand ground coffee beans....and chocolate and cream.....

but ye gotta admit the anchoring practices of many folks right out of the marinas is most intriguing....love watching the anchor be let down to just below the surface of the water by wifee and hubby maneuvers his twin screw wtfboat into no position and every time is the same...they never figger the lack of holding was due to wifee not stepping on the switch long enough. funny because everyone else managed to get stuck well in the mud......

 

[Winkfish]

love watching the anchor be let down to just below the surface of the water by wifee and hubby maneuvers his twin screw wtfboat into no position and every time is the same...they never figger the lack of holding was due to wifee not stepping on the switch long enough. funny because everyone else managed to get stuck well in the mud......

Ha ha!! Brings back fond memories of the first time my wife manned the anchor windlass on a bareboat charter, me at the helm. She did exactly as you described. I'd say "let go the anchor!" and she'd let out about 5 '. My fault completely for not completely explaining her job, and for assuming she just "knew how to do it." We still laugh about that.

And then there was... Well, maybe I'll leave that for another day!

 

[Bob S]

Bad Spent the weekend on a hook in Martha's Vineyard. Got back from dinner and a movie around 10:30 Friday night only to find a large catamaran anchored behind us. Not a problem except for their crying dog. Stopped around midnight! Cute little bugger but definitely doesn't like being left alone.

Good Dinghying back from the beach Saturday around 2:00 we saw a local fisherman with traps on a float. While passing I asked if he'd be willing to sell us a few lobsters. Got 2 for $15.00:dance:. Back at the boat and I realized my pot was too small.:cussing:Either I cook them one at a time or bake stuff them. The admiral was freaking when I said I'd bake stuff them. She jumped on a floaty and happened by a couple reading on a power boater anchored just to our port. She asked if they had a pot big enough to steam a few lobsters. "Raven" out of Falmouth, very friendly couple loaned us a new never been used Cuisinart pot. I only wish I had four lobster to share with them.

Not sure: Sunday morning I started my engine around 6:30 AM to raise anchor. I needed to catch a favorable current through Woods Hole to be home in time to celebrate my youngest daughter's 18th birthday! I hated starting my engine that early!

 

[Winkfish]

Not sure: Sunday morning I started my engine around 6:30 AM to raise anchor. I needed to catch a favorable current through Woods Hole to be home in time to celebrate my youngest daughter's 18th birthday! I hated starting my engine that early!

At least you had a valid purpose for starting up that early. One of the favorite things I leasrned in an ASA course was weighing anchor under sail. Haven't had a chance to try it since, but that's a useful thing to know how to do.

 

[zeehag]

only way to watch the anchoring drama is with your cuppajoe and thoroughly well stuck ground tackle from 100 yards off....just laugh quietly.....we all go thru it--in some fashion--but is fun to watch--so many new methods to learn...

sailboat engines are well muffled--i find that, in my moorage, when a sailboat starts, i donot hear it, but a stinkpot--yipes--noisey..generators---ouchies---gensets are noisier than hondas...despite muffling of hullls.

 

[Bob S]

Winkfish, I do sail off my mooring but not off an anchor yet. Tough to sail out off Lake Tashmoo. The entrance can be challenging under power.

Before I started my engine there must have been 1/2 dozen center consoles go by on the way out to fish.

BTW we perk our coffee


http://www.oceanscience.net/estuaries/images/aerial/Lake Tashmoo.jpg

 

[Hermit Scott]

I always keep an eye on the chartplotter to make sure I am not dragging. I am still amazed at their accuracy. It's neat to see how the wind will sway the boat around like a pendulum.
I got my lesson in not setting the anchor last time we were fishing near the shallows. It dragged some and then the tide flew out.