Found out a new anchoring rule today

[Ross]

Only one time did Nancy have the helm when we came into an anchorage and fail to turn into the wind. She didn't yet know and understand that we had to set the anchor. The wind was very light and I didn't notice which way we were headed. She stopped the boat and said this is a good place. I dropped the hook and I asked her to back up and she did ,,,,,,,,,,,,for about the length of the boat. We worked that out and since then she knows that we face the wind and back down until the boat can't go any more.

 

[Winkfish]

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

I wouldn't feel bad then. Looked at the link, yeah that would be tricky to get out of under sail!!

 

[NotCook]

There goes the neighborhood

Ken,
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.

Then, of course, only the yahoos will be left all alone in the best anchorages. Somehow that doesn't seem fair...

 

[Winkfish]

Re: There goes the neighborhood

I think the best thing to do when someone's having trouble is to offer assistance. A lot of folks just (Ken's people excepted) don't have the experience and are trying their best, and they just need a little guidance. We were all beginners at one time, and a helping hand from a more experienced person was always appreciated by me.

 

[FourPoints]

couple great anchoring mishap stories I wrote about a few months back over at sailnet..
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gener...-pull-painter-line-learn-anchor-properly.html

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gener...-line-learn-anchor-properly-3.html#post608000

 

[RAD]

I had a similar situation when two boats rafted were dragging and they asked "are you dragging anchor?" I looked at my GPS that was set for anchor drag and said not according to my Garmin and then said to myself....two drunken captains rafted together that set anchor while rafted together caused they moved from a previous spot and they're asking if I'm dragging.
Two hours later after the wind piped up and they reset anchor up wind I decided to leave cause I had that gut feeling and low and behold I was told later they dragged and hit another boat downwind

 

[Cayennita]

Many years ago in Gorda Sound BVI I watched 6 large Hatteras Sport Fisherman Convertibles with tuna towers make a 3 abreast with fenders and only one anchor from the middle boat. The other 3 then tied up stern to the first three. Big party, lots of spot lights, generators making a lot of noise and fumes.
Poor little me in my 35 foot sailboat could only watch and watch while they slowly drifted away until finally the raft stopped at the nearest reef. By this time it was around 3 am. 3 boats managed to finish damaging their props and rudders as they tried to extricate them selves from the reef. When all was said and done. 3 boats towed 3 boats back to Puerto Rico. We finally got to sleep. I still feel guilty about no warning them. Nah.

 

[moparv104x4]

Every summer near where I keep my boat here in Michigan the have a big summer celebration with concerts at night. Every night there will be up to 100 boats anchored to listen to the music and watch the party on shore and on the boats. It is amazing to watch late arrivals come chugging through the moored boats trying to get a good spot or raft up with friends. They never seam to care where other boats anchors are and few have the knowledge or proper equipment to get the job done. It always amazes me how many attempts it takes some boaters to get in position and get their hook down and some never get it done. One year about half way through the evening a front blew through and the wind shifted 180 degrees and became quite strong. It turned into a Chinese fire drill trying to keep boats from bumping together because some boats were anchored bow and stern with two anchors and a lot of others were only using a single anchor off the bow or stern and of course there were the huge groups of rafted up power boats.

 

[druid]

You find a lot of idiots at "events" - at out Symphony of Fire, easily 50% of the boats "anchored" to watch the fireworks have never anchored before, and/or never run at night. The resulting chaos is frightening.

I rarely have trouble with others dragging onto me, etc. because I anchor in bays that are mainly visited by cruisers who know what they're doing.

I make sure I'm not dragging by lining up two marks ashore and making sure they stay lined up.

And there's nothing better than sailing off the anchor, drifting silently out of the anchorage while suppin morning coffee...

druid

 

[Bruce Roberts]

Amazing that there is such a lack of 'common sense' surrounding our lives.
What we take for granted others are clueless, don't ya know, for sure.

 

[zeehag]

commonsense is not learned--is innate.

 

[Winkfish]

commonsense is not learned

but anchoring is. One thing that strikes me about all the posters is that no one has talked about how they tried to help the other boaters. (Obviously the guy who was accused of drifting upwind couldn't do much, and cluster-f**ks of boats are never an easy thing to deal with.) But we've all been beginners before, and we all had to learn how to anchor properly. I always welcome a little help, especially when I'm in a new place, and I'm always glad to give help when needed. Sometimes, all it takes is for you to offer help, as a lot of people are shy about asking for help.

As for me, I was always taught to take my time and re-set as many times as I need to for me to be comfortable with the set. If someone looks down on me for doing that, so be it, but at least I won't drift into someone else's boat.

And I would never watch another boat or boat drift into a reef without trying to give a warning or offer some kind of assistance, no matter how aggravating they were.

A little kindness goes a long way, folks, and you never know when you might need some yourself.

 

[wonkodsane]

Well said, Winkfish.

The site tells me I have to spread more reputation around before I can give to you or Maine Sail again.

 

[LuzSD]

but anchoring is. One thing that strikes me about all the posters is that no one has talked about how they tried to help the other boaters. (Obviously the guy who was accused of drifting upwind couldn't do much, and cluster-f**ks of boats are never an easy thing to deal with.) But we've all been beginners before, and we all had to learn how to anchor properly. I always welcome a little help, especially when I'm in a new place, and I'm always glad to give help when needed. Sometimes, all it takes is for you to offer help, as a lot of people are shy about asking for help.

As for me, I was always taught to take my time and re-set as many times as I need to for me to be comfortable with the set. If someone looks down on me for doing that, so be it, but at least I won't drift into someone else's boat.

And I would never watch another boat or boat drift into a reef without trying to give a warning or offer some kind of assistance, no matter how aggravating they were.

A little kindness goes a long way, folks, and you never know when you might need some yourself.

We have not had an opportunity to anchor yet, believe it or not, but we already know what it feels like to be the "idiot:. When we first got our boat, it was a real challenge to back out of our slip so we (once we managed) went out into the marina to practice backing up and just figuring out our boat. We noticed at one point that when we were getting ready to leave our slip, people seemed to be gathering at the outer edge of the docks with beach chairs in hand!
To this day we laugh when we think about all the entertainment we provided in those first weeks. Yep, we would have loved a little assistance and look forward to finding some when we do anchor!

 

[zeehag]

please , as you first time anchor, make sure you add the distance from waterline to deck as well as the depth and then some. then we will all applaud and say well done and you will feel great! oh yes--back down until it wont go anymore...if keeps going--aint set.
i reside in kali for now-- but when i was sailing i found this world is smaller than ye think--there are folks everywhere who know you even if they dont --internetz go places folks dont!! !and the boats you see today , you will again see in a couplafew more..so you have to be courteous and friendly and helpful. do unto others......i try to treat folks the way i would want them to treat me.



(sometimes i fail--dont we all??)

 

[Todd Smith]

Common sense is not inate, it can be learned. It really is just a willingness to pay attention to what is happening around you.

Now, some people have a very deeply ingrained aversion to paying attention

LuzSD, ignorant ( not experienced ) and paying attention does much better than knowledgable and NOT paying attention. You'll do fine when the time comes. Do the same as you did practicing docking, go find a shallowish spot and practice a few times.

 

[Winkfish]

What was that again, Todd? ;-)

 

[zeehag]

huh???


naaaw--you will do fine-- i was always afraid of my entrance when i would anchor or pickup a mooring--yipes--scary with all those knowing eyes--and you KNOW they NEVER make mistakes... but it always comes out fine--is a routine that has been done many times over time and works well--get a routine for your anchoring so you have it down and go for it---every time i make a new thing or get a new toy, is a routine for it--launching kayak to tying dink--i have lost 4 !!!! or was it one 4 times...i fergit... but stuff works out and all is well in the end. nothing to stress over or lose sleep on---most sailors are empathetic and helpful... even me...

 

[LuzSD]

After 4 years of going out, scaring ourselves to death, then going back out again, we now realize how much we learn when we just keep working at it. We are really looking forward to achoring sometime, it just has not come up. We seem to race from one marina to another, but I am sure it will come up sometime soon. I know we will have to pay our dues in being the newbie, but the good news is we will come out the other end as experienced. And I love getting that experience. I think that is what I love the most about sailing.......... you never get it all...
Thanks for the encouragement, very nice!

 

[Stu Jackson]

The suggestion to practice is very important. Beats common sense or lack thereof anytime, as well as stupidity. Ignorance is a choice. Wanna know how to do it? Read a book, or the West Marine Advisors or search the internet. Wanna get good at it? Don't only do it once a month.

Oh, and choose the right anchor.