Anchor V Mooring!

[jamesjermain]

Re: Sexist?

Up here, Mike, were it is also blowing the socks of the pigeons. Ironically, Sweet Lucy went in the water for the first time on Monday after some beauty treatment. Should have left her ashore.

<hr width=100% size=1>JJ

 

[Cotillion]

I keep my boat on a swinging mooring (I can't afford marina fees). A couple of years ago during a storm (80kn gusts) she held firm to the mooring but plucked it out of the mud and took it down river to lie against another yacht and required substancial cosmetic surgery. It cost me a seasons sailing but offered the oportunity for a bit of a refit and she now looks very nice but I would rather have been on the water. I have now made a decision whereby if a severe gale is forecast I will try and get to her to lay the anchor as well.

kim

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[branko]

Very interesting. I know that you are in right, but even that I allways go on moorings or buoy if I have possibility. Why ? I can not tell you. It is something in our minds! When I am on anchor, I do not sleep well!


<hr width=100% size=1>skipp

 

[Sybarite]

I enjoy snorkelling and I often dive to look at the anchor when I'm not too sure about the holding. If necessary I physically reposition it and dig/push it in. Even putting the boat into reverse to dig in doesn't always produce the result wanted.

A few times I have found the anchor simply sitting on an isolated rock or on hard packed sand. When I know it's properly hooked I sleep much better.

The last time I used a mooring buoy it blew during the night. I had put two of my own lines to the ring and brought the mooring buoys chaser on board. One of my lines had chafed right through and the other was well on the way.

John

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[zefender]

Interested in why you think having to anchor made you a better seaman. Presumably lack of practice must have made you a bit crap at pontoons, piles, buoys and other parking methods?

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[charles_reed]

Don't know about S Coast yotties but my cruising pattern is usually 5 days at anchor for every day in harbour and I only pick up clearly marked public-service moorings.

I'd certainly support the comments about picking up any old unknown-strength mooring and add to that the reluctance to appropriate someone else's property in an action which would probably be resented, however:-
1. You can get nearly 3 times as many boats into a given area using moorings compared to swinging to an anchor. This becomes an important consideration when you're looking at the more populous waters of the world.
2. Most yotties (French notoriously) are pretty incompetent at anchoring, and you've only got to read some of the threads to recognise the widespread lack of confidence in their own anchoring ability shown by most who post on this BB. Far better to get a good night's sleep than anxiously popping on deck every 3 hours.
3. The majority of modern production boats have woefully inadequate anchor facilities - Bavarias conspicuous amongst them.

I infinitely prefer anchoring to going into a marina, apart from the cost it's far less hassle with fenders, warps amd the muck that always comes on board.

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[charles_reed]

tieing up to buoys

If it's one of those with a ring in the top and some breeze is forecast, I always take the strain on a length of chain.

here in the Med (where turbidity is admittedly less) most paint their anchors white and some even part of their chain, so they're more easily espied on the ground.

Before anchoring in a new anchorage I usually do a square search with the echo sounder and drop the hook in the deepest part - it's most uncommon for an anchor to drag uphill and I've experienced 50 knot gusts on the hook.

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[tcm]

Re: madness?

um of course, if it's your buoy and it's private, then they shdn't be there .

But there not huge madness in big boats tying to moorings noramlly used for small boats, is there?

The weight of the boat is taken i nthe sea, of course, and the only drag is the resistance to being blown around. And I think a quietish night with a big boat hanging on will be a whole less force than a little one on a windier night?

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[milltech]

I've dragged a mooring in Alderney, having said that on the particular night in question I wouldn't have wanted to be on the hook as I'd have been even more exposed.



<hr width=100% size=1>John
http://www.on-line-marine.com

 

[Aja]

Re: madness?

Agree totally. My mooring is private. It says so on the pick up buoy. There are visitor's moorings available, but the owners of these big boats would rather pick up a 'free' mooring rather than pay the £10. Must be tough owning a bigger boat.

I'm thinking of adding another wee tag to my mooring, indicating that if occupied I will be coming alongside - and my seamanship skills are crap.

I have no problem with multiples rafting to a Visitor's mooring. As I said I wouldn't do it in places such as Tobermory as the swell bangs and crashes all night - even in a flat calm.

Donald





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[tcm]

Re: madness?

could you not write "£60 per night" in permanent ink on the buoy? Praps visit the buoy during the day, and twist it it around a lot, and attach a long line ashore, so that once you've caught one you can realease the line, the buoy does a million turns and they can't sneak off.

You will have the air of the authority in collecting the money if you drive up in a dinghy very fast, and give them a load of rubbishy leaflets from the pub and YM inserts in return for the £60 quid.

Of course, then return with own boat and tippem off, pointing ouit the small print on the underside of the mooring buoy that explains that the £60 is for each hour or part of an hour, so they will rush off to avoid another £240 charge.

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[Aja]

Re: madness?

Excellent idea! Love it. that'll be £60 per boat of course. Once word spreads...

Donald

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