a word of warning

petersto

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Whilst on passage between Dale and Barry I called into Oxwich for the night. As you are aware we drop the hook at high water or there abouts. I have done this half a dozen times before however this time it was to be different. At 0500hrs when it was low water and time to leave, my anchor would not come up, obviously fouled, after a lot of effort a black object surfaced but I couldnt make out what it was in the dark, so had to wait for the afternoon low water. At low water what surfaced was an old mooring bouy covered in mussels and obviously only visible at low water springs on diving down my anchor was obviously well and truly wrapped up and beyond my efforts. To cut a long story short I have now recovered my anchor on the third attempt, with help from a diver from our club on the second attempt who managed a partial release but its been a right pain. To those who are intertested the bouy is situated half way between the two boats that are nearest the beach one is all yellow and a sort of speed boat and the other is a blue hulled fishing boat. When I arrived for the third and successful attempt a yacht was actually in the very position I had been however as luck would have it he wasnt fouled but his relief was obvious.
 
With all due respect a trip line would have just aggravated the situation the anchor was half way up the slack riser and wrapped with numerous turns of my chain. If the trip line had been in there as well I think my anchor would still be in Oxwich. One positive was the fact that I had a junior hacksaw on board otherwise I would have had to leave 40m of chain behind as it is I have lost about 8m.
 
A pal has just had the same experience as you. What he dragged up was a large eye is a steel hawser - which luckily broke off and set him free. It was so big that his deck was flexing under the windlass as he tried to get it up.
 
If that is in the bristol channel then I would be very interested to know where exactly. My preference is to anchor so forewarned is forearmed.
 
Had that happen to me years ago. The area where there are buoys must have a network of ropes etc on the sea bed.

I use Oxwich a lot. Anchoring between the two red fishing boats and the shore is safe.

But also watch out for the wreck, its not where it is shown on the chart. Stay North of it!!
 
submarine cables

whilst on the subject of objects to foul, I have recently pulled up an old cable of reasonable size just off penarth peir and 'ODM' bouy. The end was heavily corroded, so obviously old - but yet again is uncharted!!!
 
Thats worth knowing Tico I have passed watwick bay several times and it looks a pleasant anchorage however its always been fairly crowded so I gave it a miss, perhaps one day!
 
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