Anchor Watch - who bothers

[GrahamM376]

I have a servant who stands anchor watches for me. His name is Garmin.

I never cease to be amazed at the number of people who choose not to avail themselves of this useful free service.

p.s. I have stood a fair few anchor watches on square riggers while Mr Garmin has a watch below.

I agree. As anchoring is the norm for us, Garmin does the work - with the addition of a latching relay and 90db sounder, as the instrument panel is too far from the aft cabin to hear the Garmin's not very loud beep. Only time we keep an anchor watch is when it's too rough to sleep!

 

[Bilgediver]

naturally several boats dragged, so one should be looking out for them ( ie avoidance / fend off / warn ) as much as keeping an eye on one's own anchor.

This is as good a reason as any other....Not the first time I have had to raise the alarm on a bigger boat which was bearing down on us dragging her anchor over kelp etc. Nothing funnier than seeing a half awake owner in his shreddies on the foredeck trying to throw out more anchor chain as the heavy rain threatens to take his one garment to his ankles whilst he drifts onto another boat!

 

[Seadawg33]

In Mexico Last year we were in the approach to La Paz and didn't want to go in to the town at night. We decided to anchor in the bay protected from the NW. the wind died and was silent till about 0200. When It came up with a passion out of the SE. It was a short choppy sea I was sleeping in the bow after the third time of becoming airborne I figured it was better to maintain an anchor watch then to try and sleep in the forepeak. I grabbed a couple of blankets and slept in the cockpit waking up every 20 minutes and taking bearings on the lights to see if we had moved. the Garmin anchor alarm never went off. I guess some Yanks do know how to anchor.