If you don't know how to anchor.. DON'T !!!!!

[Maine Sail]

That's it, I'm fed up and need to vent. Go ahead and flame me for it but I'm at my wits end here..

This weekend my wife and I, with the baby, were anchored over night in beautiful little Maine coast spot. The holding in soft but good and I've anchored there over 100+ times with zero issues and never once a drag. The outer harbor is hard to get a set in with thick eel grass but this was the inner harbor with EXCELLENT holding.

On Saturday it was totally benign and glass like but NOAA had been calling for winds building overnight and shifting direction. Well, to make a long story short, a 40+ foot Rival, hailing from Edgartown Martha's Vinyard comes in and drops anchor in front of us while we were off hiking the islands trails.

As I came back from hiking I looked and saw an all chain rode hanging vertically as they do when it's calm. No way to really tell scope but the boat looked "salty".. About 3:00 a.m. in the morning the wind began to fill in from the SW at about 12-15 knots. I woke up and checked the cove every half hour and all was fine. I only did this here because it is well known as "cocktail cove" and lots of folks who have no clue how to anchor, do..


At about 6:30 am I poke my head up and the large Rival 40 from Martha's Vinyard is bearing down on us and we are about 40 feet away. I immediately hopped into the dink and, as I've done before, because this is all to common, rammed my bow under her quarter stern and cranked the throttle wide open while smacking the hull as loudly as I could to rouse the occupants.

Within seconds a "friend" comes on deck and and just stares. I yell to him to get the motor running or the sails up as they have little time before they are on the rocks.

This boat was HEAVY and I was barely able to push her stern clear of our boat with my small 4hp out board. I managed to squeeze the dink between the two boats to prevent "glass on glass" and his rudder snagged on my anchor rode. A quick push with the oar on my rode made it slip down off his rudder. Whew!

By now it had been a very long pregnant pause of at least 90 seconds before the owner pokes his head up on deck. He finally starts the engine and proceeds to back his boat up! At this point I again see him heading for my hull and ram his stern with my dink again to shove him off.. I managed to protect my boat, a second time, but I'm fed up with "skippers" like this!!!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE if you have no clue how to anchor, set an anchor or even know what the word SCOPE means DO NOT anchor and find a marina or rent a mooring! Perhaps I'm a magnet for anchoring morons but this is the second major close call dragging we've had this season alone and both were in very, very MILD conditions where there is NO excuse for dragging. This "skipper" claimed to be on 4:1 scope...

Folks like this need to understand they are dealing with five to seven figure investments and careless moronic behavior is simply unacceptable, at least by me.

I have added a photo of the offending boat so that if others encounter this fool you'll will know to steer clear..

I challenge everyone who encounters an "Anchoring Imbicile" to do the same, post a picture of the offending vessel, so that others will know who these dangers are..

There is absolutely no excuse for dragging an anchor in 12-15 knots. None! This anchor was clearly NEVER set properly and I am going to guess he did not have the scope he claimed. With the anchor dragging there was not enough pull to determine what the scope really was. He stated 4:1 but my best guess is 3:1. His anchor, a large CQR, also re-set very, very poorly if at all so he probably should consider a better design if he wants to anchor on "guessed at" scope. I witnessed no scope markings on the chain so I'm guessing he measures scope through mental telepathy??

Please, please, please take the time to learn how to anchor before you endanger other peoples lives and property!!!!


WARNING, WARNING, WARNING DO NOT ANCHOR ANYWHERE NEAR THIS BOAT !!!!!! HE IS CURRENTLY IN MAINE!!! If you know this individual please let him know that yachtsmanship like his is unacceptable!!

 

[Jim Seamans]

If he is that stupid

His genes or boat will soon be eliminated from the pool.

I feel your pain....

Jim
S/V Java

 

[RichH]

Good idea, a listing of anchor idiots on the web.

Been there done that and have the tee-shirt that probably looks like yours.

One night at a popular anchorage on the Chesapeake (Ordinary Point, Sassafras River) essentially the same thing happened to me .... in 10 knots of wind, the idiot in a 40+ footer was putting down a 2:1 scope !!!!! would drag down on a boat until someone in a 'target' would come up onboard screaming and the idiot would haul the anchor move upwind and try to re-set at 2:1 scope .... and did this about 5-6+ times !!!!!! From the 'configuration' of the boat it was clear that a marina queen (aka dockside entertainment center) had escaped the slip for the night. I didnt take a pic of the boat but would surely have contributed such if I had it.

Good idea to post the pictures of IDIOTs on the net.

 

[Ctskip]

You just have to know they are out there

I don't care what you do, or what your profession is, the morons are out there. From runaway grocery carts to automobile drivers doing 80 and balancing the check book at the same time. Never interrupt a cashier counting money. It seems that everyone is multi-tasking now-a-days. Most can't do one simple thing right, never mind several things at the same time. One has to wonder what theses morons lives are like. I had the local telephone company install phone lines in a three story brick house. They ran the phone wire up outside to the third floor master bedroom window, pried up the storm window and drilled a hole through my window sash and threaded the line through it and over the sill into the bedroom then stapled it to the plaster and finally to the baseboard. Now I can't open my window at all. I called, ranted and raised hell and they came out to fix it and were all apologetic. Still the idiots are out there. One just has to be aware that we are putting ourselves at their mercy everytime we go out the door. It doesn't matter where you go or what you do. I had the cable company install cable on the same three story house and a guy shows up in Chevy C-10 pick-up with a step ladder I burst out laughing in his face. Fortunately you were there to witness the event. Had you not been there, what then? You'd of been screwed. Do you suppose we were this dumb when we were young?

Maybe we should have a thread where we can list the idiots along with pictures and the date of the offense. I like the idea. We can keep track of their whereabouts and give a heading with time and date. Maybe licensing isn't so bad after all. With some good teachers out there we can help ourselves in the long run. Only lets take this seriously enough to do a good job.
Keep it up,
Ctskip

 

[Maine Sail]

Rich H..

quote: "in 10 knots of wind, the idiot in a 40+ footer was putting down a 2:1 scope !!!!!"


Sad really....

 

[r.w.landau]

Maine Sail, Your moron deflectors seem to be worn or weak.

I would replace them in the near future.
Glad you were on your guard!
r.w.landau

 

[John]

licensing?

Ctskip answers his argument that maybe licensing would help where he describes people driving 80 miles per hour and balancing their check book at the same time. Nope, being thoughtless isn't tested by licensing. As for all those thoughtless people - what do you expect when watching pro "wrestling", listening to fashion idols and pretty-faced actors and actresses talk oh-so-seriously about the details of their personal lives as if it really mattered, listening to the pundits on tv pass off complete nonsense as serious thinking... All of this is the heart of American culture.

I think that some people are simply trained not to use their brains. But, of course, we notice most those who don't think, more than those who do.

 

[Nice N Easy]

Hey Main

I take it you are just a tad upset. Don't blame you

 

[Nice N Easy]

Breaking wind

It has been my experience over the years that offering up advice could just as easily cause a confrontation, as being accepted. So much so that I don't offer unless asked these days. If a guy has enough money to buy a 40, and is too stupid to know how to handle it, anchor it, or what ever, he more than likely has too much ego to take advice from an old fart in an old boat.

 

[Breaking wind]

good point nice & easy

probably why I dont know many people with three figure boats/egos.

 

[Tim R.]

Advice does not work

I have tried it many times. I once helped a guy who grounded on a large reef right next to the place Maine Sail is referring to. Maine, you know that reef on the N. side of cliff I? Well this guy was on a borrowed boat(full keel) and me and a friend finally got him free by towing his anchor out with my dinghy(he had no dinghy). We got him into a spot that was deep enough until high tide and he could motor out safely but he knew better an proceded to drive full speed out across the reef. He scraped the bottom of the keel for about 100 feet. You could see the boat shuddering every time it hit. He did actually make it out so I guess I was wrong to tell him to wait. No thanks for kedging his anchor too.

I guarantee he willnot be borrowing that boat again. Although he probablynever said anything.

Just for the record I have no simpathy for for you Maine Sail ;-). You should know better. "Cocktail Cove" is a magnet for idiots(present company excepted). We watched 3 powerboats and a sailboat drag there over Mem. weekend. I will only go there now when I know it will not be crowded.

 

[r.w.landau]

Tim R., Advise does help. A relationship must be formed first.

Once a relationship is formed, and trust built, you would be amazed at how much (with some kind explaination) someone will accept, that what they are doing is wrong. For most people, the time involved in developing a relationship does not exist. Combine that with human nature to defend especially to defend our weaknesses, advise is hard to give.
I love advice. Sometimes it is informative. Other times it explains how much someone doesn't understand the issue.
Something to think about...
r.w.landau

 

[Tim R.]

Relationship???

I am out on my boat to be alone with my family not go make friends so I can show someone how to anchor properly.

Here is a photo from July 4th weekend at the same spot.

 

[Rick D]

For A Lighter Moment....

...I went off the beach one 4th of July in Marina del Rey with a bunch of people to watch the fireworks. Spent the night pushing off dragging boats with a lot of BWI operators and guests. That was almost 30 years ago and I NEVER did it again! There may be an excuse in SoCal since we have few anchorages, but really, didn't any of these guys at least read a book????

 

[r.w.landau]

Tim, what I am saying is that sometime it is the tone .

Go back to Maine Sail's original post. I think his dingy ramming was justified and that protecting his boat was the right thing.
What would have made this situation better after the fact and a learning experence for the other guy, is if maybe Maine Sail, after the excitement of problem and with some time to cool down from a frenzied situation, is to motor back up and kindly say something like, I see you are not from the area. May I suggest you use a scope of 7:1 or more which in this anchorage 90 feet or what ever. The guy would probably brag about the local contact he had and his special info.
People react poorly when confronted in their failure. A little time and good kind advice my help someone else (possibily one of us) that the offender may encounter.
I can not believe that all of you were professionals the day you owned the boat.
Just because this guy has a big boat, doesn't mean that you don't work with him. I have heard some inquires here from big boat owners that is basic boat knowledge. We treat these guys right. Why not try to work with someone in the water like we do here.
again, just something to think about.
r.w.landau

 

[Tim R.]

I get your meaning rw

I guess I have just been told to mind my own business too many times. I very much enjoy helping others when they want it. That same day as the foggy photo, a nice man on shore approached me and asked what to do when a charplotter dies. I said I take out my spare GPS, charts and compass. He said he had no spare GPS, was unsure of his traditional navigation skills and he and his wife are not in the best health and want to get home. I offered to take a look at his chartplotter but it was surely dead. I did however get Garmin to extend his warranty though so he could get a free replacement.

We led them through the fog back to a secure anchorage so they could get back to NH and return for their boat in safer conditions.

I was happy to spend the extra fuel to go out of my way and lead them to safety but they sought out my help. I also frequently help out fellow boaters(yes stinkpotters too;-)) at my local YC.

 

[r.w.landau]

Tim, that is what it is all about!

r.w.

 

[Tim R.]

Thanks but

Don't get Maine Sail wrong. He is very helpfull to everyone on this board and will go out of his way to help fellow boaters in this area. We both just get frustrated with those who don't even bother to learn the basics.

 

[Wanderer138]

I feel your pain, Main

There just seems to be more and more people like that every day. Here's a saying I learned in high school that helps me keep things in perspective when people are at their worst. I believe it's Persian, though some have attributed it to Confucius:

He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool - shun him.
He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is a child - teach him.
He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep - wake him.
He who knows, and knows that he knows, is a wise man - follow him.

Something else occurred to me though - and yes, I know this is in hindsight and that I don't have all the facts, so forgive me. When you returned from your hike, you noticed that his scope was suspect AND that he was anchored upwind of you. Did you stop by his boat to ask how much scope he had out? Did you ask him to move? If no one was aboard, could you have anchored somewhere else? I'd have a hard time staying downwind of anyone with suspect anchoring skills.

Peter
H23 "Raven"

 

[newly anonymous]

what not to do

at one point I got so frustrated with archoristically challenged troglodytes dropping their hooks in the precise spot where I'd previously set my own that I decided to start tying a round fender to the trip-line islet in order to mark my turf. The technique worked really well until sunset, at which point a Bayliner tied up to my fender thinking it was a mooring ball.