Anchor Ball

[Iliade]

I was sailing at under 2kt only two days ago, heading towards a medium sized speedboat that while not obviously making rapid headway, appeared to be slowly heading into wind away from me. It was only when we got close enough to see the anchor rode disappearing into the oggin that I realised it was anchored.

I can forsee such a situation where, while anchored without a ball, someone thumps into you and you may find insurers reluctant to settle any claim.

 

[sailaboutvic]

I was sailing at under 2kt only two days ago, heading towards a medium sized speedboat that while not obviously making rapid headway, appeared to be slowly heading into wind away from me. It was only when we got close enough to see the anchor rode disappearing into the oggin that I realised it was anchored.

I can forsee such a situation where, while anchored without a ball, someone thumps into you and you may find insurers reluctant to settle any claim.

I think you find if you would had hit that boat anchor ball or not it's you who be in the wrong , collar rules .
Keeping a good watch at all times , taken avolding action.
You have a point about insurance but who going to complicate their claim by saying they didn't have a anchor ball up .

 

[sailaboutvic]

Bear in mind that some official might think that you have infringed some rule or other. Not flying a ball gives them an extra excuse to get at you. It is a trivial matter to fly a ball. Suggestions otherwise are nonsensical. It is a good place to hang tha anchor light. Does anyone not show an anchor light? It is stupid not to do so.
I agree that it is difficult to suggest an alternative To a motoring cone.

Not disagree with you Frank but you can't say on one hand it's the rules to have an anchor ball up so everyone should use them and on the other hand say it an inconvenience to put up a cone when the rule say you should .
Anyway let the argument go on as for us while we in the inland waters of the Netherlands we shall put up our anchor ball , when we remember .

 

[sailaboutvic]

Just to throw another question our there as anyone while anchoring around the UK been ask to put up a anchor ball by any official?

 

[john_morris_uk]

Just to throw another question our there as anyone while anchoring around the UK been ask to put up a anchor ball by any official?

Never happened to me, but (smug mode on) we invariably put up an anchor ball. Why wouldn’t we?

PS. I don’t always get the motor sailing cone out for short periods of engine assist, but if we’re motor sailing across shipping lanes etc I ALWAYS put it up.

 

[Boathook]

Just to throw another question our there as anyone while anchoring around the UK been ask to put up a anchor ball by any official?

Don't see many 'officials' out on the water in the UK except possibly for borderforce and I suspect anchor balls are not in their remit. I have heard though that a marine insurer asked a boat making a claim whether they had their anchor ball hoisted whilst at anchor.
Hoisting the anchor ball is something I 'automatically' do and at night the anchor light hangs from it.

 

[Skellum]

About 70% of boats in Newtown Creek were displaying their balls last week. And some of the rest must have been on buoys.

I’m just back from a couple of weeks sailing in Croatia, where there were plenty of German sailors displaying their balls, both when anchored and on buoys.

 

[mjcoon]

I’m just back from a couple of weeks sailing in Croatia, where there were plenty of German sailors displaying their balls, both when anchored and on buoys.

Any flashing?

 

[Yngmar]

You're not in the Med anymore, Vic!

Since we now have a German flag (and even before), we of course also stubbornly hang our ball out for display, although I doubt many around here know what it means (heck, plenty don't know collision avoidance or even which side starboard is).

Since we hang it every time, I made it super quick and easy. The two halves are tied together so they can't get lost, there's a 2m string attached to the bottom one which goes to a shackle on the bow and is always left on. To deploy, I pick it out of the anchor locker, slot the two halves together and grab the anchor ball halyard (a 3mm string) with a snap shackle to clip in the top loop. Slot, clip in, hoist, cleat off. Takes under 10 seconds up or down, so it really is no hassle. The anchor ball halyard is just tied to one of the lower shroud fittings with another snap shackle used as low friction ring. Stuff I had left over from renewing the stanchion gates.

Now the cone, I think that would be pushing it. We showed it once in an area where we were warned about particularly keen maritime police. As other boats regularly don't know the colregs, it doesn't really matter if you're motoring or sailing anyways...

 

[mattonthesea]

In light winds, if I've forgotten to put up the motoring cone then I've always thought that the uninverted white cone from the boom to somewhere up the mast, and no headsail, at current speed would give a clue ?

To part answer Poignard's question, and apart from the anomaly of mobos, the priority goes to the less manoeuvrable. As that priority increases the shape or light increase or change.

So motoring is one cone, fishing is two, anchor is one ball, out of control is two (anomaly?) Aground is three (a 'balls up'.) Latter two without nav lights.

Limited in manoeuvrability is three shapes; change middle shape when limited by depth.

Change shapes to lights at night.

So I can see the pattern and the logic but who and when designed it I don't know. I imagine that the 'when' happened as ships developed.

Historians please?

M

 

[capnsensible]

With some bungy line and a couple of plastic clips, an anchor ball can be rigged in, say, eight seconds.....

 

[Neeves]

We were motoring down the Great Sandy Strait about 10 years ago and passed a yacht at anchor displaying their anchor light, it was night, and we could see the cabin lights were on. His rode was hanging down. We thought they were mad as the depth was 20m. We motored on for about 30 minutes and anchored just off a beach, the beach housed some sort of hostelry. We had settled down to lamb shanks and a nice bottle of red wine and there was a thump on the side of ur hull. I rushed out, not knowing quite what to fear, and found a semi inebriated idiot in an inflatable. He demanded to know what we had done with his yacht. His yacht was, he said, exactly where we were located.

To cut a sad story short - it was his yacht we had passed out in the middle of the channel - his lights were incorrect but we took them as being correct, why not.

His windlass had a fault....it had partially retrieved his anchor

We interrupted dinner, found his yacht on our radar and took him back to his floating home.

There was a bodge somewhere in his windlass - the following night his yacht caught fire (same location) he was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation, his yacht sank. By this time we were at the southern end of the Strait and listened to this on Marine Rescue VHF.

So much for having the correct lights.

Jonathan

 

[Neeves]

With some bungy line and a couple of plastic clips, an anchor ball can be rigged in, say, eight seconds.....

Why would you carry a ball and not use one ........

Or

If you don't intend using one - why would you have a ball?



Jonathan

 

[sailaboutvic]

You're not in the Med anymore, Vic!

Since we now have a German flag (and even before), we of course also stubbornly hang our ball out for display, although I doubt many around here know what it means (heck, plenty don't know collision avoidance or even which side starboard is).

Since we hang it every time, I made it super quick and easy. The two halves are tied together so they can't get lost, there's a 2m string attached to the bottom one which goes to a shackle on the bow and is always left on. To deploy, I pick it out of the anchor locker, slot the two halves together and grab the anchor ball halyard (a 3mm string) with a snap shackle to clip in the top loop. Slot, clip in, hoist, cleat off. Takes under 10 seconds up or down, so it really is no hassle. The anchor ball halyard is just tied to one of the lower shroud fittings with another snap shackle used as low friction ring. Stuff I had left over from renewing the stanchion gates.

Now the cone, I think that would be pushing it. We showed it once in an area where we were warned about particularly keen maritime police. As other boats regularly don't know the colregs, it doesn't really matter if you're motoring or sailing anyways...

I never seens your balls on display and since you got married I now doubt I anyone ever will , unless you want V to remove them for you .
I not sure anyone inlicata would had been happy seeing your balls even after a booze night out.
It may not be the Med but hell at times it feel like it with the heat we had .

 

[scottie]

Why would you carry a ball and not use one ........

Or

If you don't intend using one - why would you have a ball?



Jonathan

Do you have to use different balls for the various species of anchor ?

 

[sailaboutvic]

Why would you carry a ball and not use one ........

Or

If you don't intend using one - why would you have a ball?



Jonathan

Actually I don't on this boat , so we used a black round fender ,
When I sold my old boat it did have one on board .

 

[[2574]]

Actually I don't on this boat , so we used a black round fender ,

Good plan Vic, I’m all for duality of purpose, one less thing to stow!

 

[Roberto]

Do you have to use different balls for the various species of anchor ?

Indeed if the anchor is crap and one drags, there will arise the tough dilemma of adding a second ball for NUC or removing the anchoring one for being underway

 

[Neeves]

Indeed if the anchor is crap and one drags, there will arise the tough dilemma of adding a second ball for NUC or removing the anchoring one for being underway

I was being slightly flippant.

We too carry a spherical ball fender - but it is a bit large, actually very large - it is actually intended as a fender and small fenders are pretty useless. You certainly would not miss it.

But such a large 'anchor' ball is surely ostentatious - intending to send some sort of message....? My anchor is better than yours...



Jonathan

 

[mattonthesea]

My anchor is better than yours...

But mine is better than yours ???