Anchor Ball

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Networks

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Can anyone tell me the correct use of an anchor ball being hoisted between the headsail and main mast?
My understanding is that when free swinging at anchor it should be hoisted but if anchored and tied stern too then it shouldn't. In other words it indicates that the boat is free to swing at anchor, is this correct?
 
A "...vessel at anchor..." shall display an anchor ball. You are still anchored, fixed to the sea bed and not under weigh even if you have a stern line run ashore - you could even have two anchors out fore and aft. Nothing about being free to swing in ColRegs.

If you weren't showing an anchor ball, you would be considered to be under weigh and expected to comply with the ColRegs in regard to stand on/give way etc. which clearly you couldn't.
 
Networks said:
Can anyone tell me the correct use of an anchor ball being hoisted between the headsail and main mast?
My understanding is that when free swinging at anchor it should be hoisted but if anchored and tied stern too then it shouldn't. In other words it indicates that the boat is free to swing at anchor, is this correct?
Click to expand...

i guess as stern to a quay & @ anchor, one is in fact "moored" so a ball is not req or an anchor lamp in the foretriangle
 
sailorman said:
i guess as stern to a quay & @ anchor, one is in fact "moored" so a ball is not req or an anchor lamp in the foretriangle
Click to expand...

I can see a boat stern to, tied a metre off the quay with a bow anchor out could be moored. What about a boat anchored in a bay with 50 metres of line run ashore from the stern and tied to a tree?
 
Surely common sense applies. If it's clear you're moored stern to a quay, even with an anchor off the bow, no ball is necessary.

If you're bobbing around some distance off the beach and could be mistaken for being under way, an anchor ball is a good idea, even if, in addition to your anchor, you have 50 metres of line connecting your stern to a palm tree.
 
The point of the anchor ball is to show that you are not moving, especially when there is a current causing a bow wave. That way no-one should expect you to give way. If you are moored to a buoy, or tied up to anything, it is obvious you are not moving, and so no ball is needed.

Which is basically what the previous poster, said, if I had read it properly. Oops.
 
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stevebrassett said:
The point of the anchor ball is to show that you are not moving, especially when there is a current causing a bow wave. That way no-one should expect you to give way. If you are moored to a buoy, or tied up to anything, it is obvious you are not moving, and so no ball is needed.

Which is basically what the previous poster, said, if I had read it properly. Oops.
Click to expand...

The OP asked if it was correct that the anchor ball showed that you were free to swing at anchor. It isn't it just shows you are anchored. You can anchor and not swing and still be required to display an anchor ball
 
sailorman said:
i guess as stern to a quay & @ anchor, one is in fact "moored" so a ball is not req or an anchor lamp in the foretriangle
Click to expand...

Anchoring is anchoring ball up. Stern to alongside or bow in. People need to know if you have an anchor down so they can prepare accordingly

That also means you put your anchor light on (at night)
 
Hi all
I think your talking about two different thing here , a boat at anchoring and a moored boat , a boat which is swinging on it anchor is off course anchored and if you obeying the rules you need a ball up in day time and a all round light at night .
A boat which has his anchor out and is then moored to a quay or rocks is a moored boat , very different , now the question is do a moored boat need an anchor ball and a night light ? . I can't remember any where in the col regs that says it does but it have been a lot of years now seen I took a good look at them so I could be wrong , please put me right if I am .
Let take some where like Greece , there hundreds of boats every night on there chain but moored ( on a wall or trees ) personally I have never in X amount of years seen one with a ball up or anchor light on , now after saying that if I am in a bay on my own moored as quite often I am and I think others May come in and not see me then it know for me to leave an anchor light on just to be on the safe side , but I don't put a ball up .

www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com
 
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Daydream believer said:
Point is that you suggested 2 options
Moored or under way
Infact there are 3
You forgot ---aground!!!!!
Of course others might suggest 4 - as in docked
Click to expand...
I didn't forget aground, there are shapes he needs to be display for that too, nor docked as he said he was at anchor. But if you want to go down that track of making up situations, let's just say he's under 7m and then he doesn't have to display any shapes whatever he's doing and we can carry on guessing...
 
sailaboutvic said:
Hi all
I think your talking about two different thing here , a boat at anchoring and a moored boat , a boat which is swinging on it anchor is off course anchored and if you obeying the rules you need a ball up in day time and a all round light at night .
A boat which has his anchor out and is then moored to a quay or rocks is a moored boat , very different , now the question is do a moored boat need an anchor ball and a night light ? . I can't remember any where in the col regs that says it does but it have been a lot of years now seen I took a good look at them so I could be wrong , please put me right if I am .
Let take some where like Greece , there hundreds of boats every night on there chain but moored ( on a wall or trees ) personally I have never in X amount of years seen one with a ball up or anchor light on , now after saying that if I am in a bay on my own moored as quite often I am and I think others May come in and not see me then it know for me to leave an anchor light on just to be on the safe side , but I don't put a ball up .

www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com
Click to expand...
I would agree with you. If I was "Mediterranean moored" to a quay with an anchor out, I would consider myself to be moored and not at anchor and wouldn't display a light or shape. However, if I anchored in a bay with limited space and ran a line ashore just to stop me swinging, I would consider myself to be anchored and not moored so I would display a light or shape. As someone else said, common sense really. I think the point is, going back to the OP, being able to swing is not mentioned anywhere that I am aware of as a definition of anchoring.
 
l'escargot said:
I didn't forget aground, there are shapes he needs to be display for that too, nor docked as he said he was at anchor. But if you want to go down that track of making up situations, let's just say he's under 7m and then he doesn't have to display any shapes whatever he's doing and we can carry on guessing...
Click to expand...

Wow! That is another option you missed
Have to buck your ideas up :encouragement:
 
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