Anchorage Full

[lustyd]

I'm thinking of having a sign made up on a buoy saying "Anchorage Full" to deploy on busy weekends. It would appear that the lack of space is not obvious enough, and if there is a boatlength between two boats then that is, in fact a space rather than swinging room!

Do the panel think that a sign would help, or should I skip it and save the money for a shotgun?

 

[Seajet]

As I think you're referring to East Head, I doubt even the shotgun would work; the logic seems to go something like;

" I've just come out of Chichester Marina, I Am Going To Anchor At East Head.

The anchorage is full to the extent I can't even go too close to somebody who chose their space carefully; so I'll just have to anchor in the channel "...

 

[Searush]

Wot's wrong with fenders, beaching or rafting up?

 

[Seajet]

Wot's wrong with fenders, beaching or rafting up?

Searush,

none of those work for deep keeled boats lying to a chain or warp; at East Head and most anchorages there is a fair bit of wave action, both from weather and passing boats.

Rafting up means being with people one knows and trusts, and the ability to organise chains or warps sensibly without overloading one anchor; getting out from a raft could be tricky - plus the wave action could well lead to fenders jumping out and clashing rigs even if they were staggered to start with.

The beach is steep shelving and hard sand where drying out is possible, so even tiny waves result in pounding let alone the wash from passing gin palaces ( this is beside a main channel leading from the harbour entrance to Chichester Marina ).

 

[BruceDanforth]

As I think you're referring to East Head, I doubt even the shotgun would work; the logic seems to go something like;

" I've just come out of Chichester Marina, I Am Going To Anchor At East Head.

The anchorage is full to the extent I can't even go too close to somebody who chose their space carefully; so I'll just have to anchor in the channel "...

I suppose it saves going anywhere.

 

[GuyS.]

Paying your harbour dues means you have a right to sail there not that you actually own the place, if it's Chi harbour you are talking about then you have to adopt a live and let live attitude overwise you'll eventually go mad

It is one of life's great mystery's though, that if you are the only boat in some secluded anchorage and another boat joins you, they will drop their hook within swinging distance of you. Just like parking in an empty multistory car park

Best thing for East Head is go midweek evening's. We were one of only 4 boats there last week. Good times.

 

[jordanbasset]

If you want to see a crowded anchorage then Lakka in August would take a lot of beating, have not seen anything as near crowded as that in the U.K.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

A Reasonable Proposition

Somebody should police it and charge for anchoring in a similar fashion to NCP parking emporiums. The anchoring attendant can drive up and down the bay with a large neon sign that displays the number of anchoring spaces left. To anchor you pay the fee and obtain a ticket. When the anchorage is full the huge neon sign is switched to flashing mode declaring "Anchorage Is Full". When departing you hand the ticket over and pay a fee for the time spent anchoring. They could even clamp yachts with a huge mooring and send the owner to a small office to pay a release fee if caught anchoring without a valid ticket. One could even restrict anchoring to once in any 4 weeks on penalty of impoundment.

 

[Seajet]

This was East Head a couple of Saturdays ago as we passed; I never even think of going there, much nicer places are available and I'm keeping quiet about them !

Ed Benyon,

not only does it avoid significantly going anywhere, it means the hideous back-breaking chore of stowing fenders on gin palaces ( and an increasing number of sailing boats ) can be consigned to the history books...

 

[BruceDanforth]

This was East Head a couple of Saturdays ago as we passed; I never even think of going there, much nicer places are available and I'm keeping quiet about them !

Ed Benyon,

not only does it avoid significantly going anywhere, it means the hideous back-breaking chore of stowing fenders on gin palaces ( and an increasing number of sailing boats ) can be consigned to the history books...

My most recent anchorage is also on my where is it thread:

I wonder if people will be upset if I start the generator.

 

[BruceDanforth]

5 miles south there is this one:

on the other side of the rocks.

About 50 miles from my home base

 

[srm]

This was East Head a couple of Saturdays ago as we passed;

Looks like Tobermory Bay in the 80's when anyone could anchor. Now Crown Estate and various other bodies have filled the bay with moorings. The shallower parts of the so called "anchoring area" is also full of moorings so anyone wanting to anchor is in 12 metres plus water depth and close to the shore. Otherwise pay a lot for a visitor's mooring or pay even more to use the pontoons. Made the mistake of going back there a couple of years ago, now avoid the place.

Moral of story, be very careful what you ask for.

 

[Seajet]

srm,

I'm sure Chichester Harbour Conservancy would love to lay moorings then charge people through the nose, but they struggle to maintain the most basic channel perch markers if beyond Itchenor Reach and as things are the backlash they'd get would make D-Day look like a tupperware party !

Boats from outside the harbour are charged harbour dues of a few quid.

 

[lustyd]

Paying your harbour dues means you have a right to sail there not that you actually own the place, if it's Chi harbour you are talking about then you have to adopt a live and let live attitude overwise you'll eventually go mad

It is one of life's great mystery's though, that if you are the only boat in some secluded anchorage and another boat joins you, they will drop their hook within swinging distance of you. Just like parking in an empty multistory car park

Best thing for East Head is go midweek evening's. We were one of only 4 boats there last week. Good times.

I don't mind other people anchoring, and certainly don't think I own the place. What I do mind is that when I already think my neighbors are too close, someone else anchoring between us! my new plan is just to anchor in the channel somewhere as I would be less likely to be hit

 

[lustyd]

As I think you're referring to East Head, I doubt even the shotgun would work; the logic seems to go something like;

" I've just come out of Chichester Marina, I Am Going To Anchor At East Head.

The anchorage is full to the extent I can't even go too close to somebody who chose their space carefully; so I'll just have to anchor in the channel "...

funnily enough I was at Pilsey which is normally quite quiet. I had planned to anchor at Itchenor but the anchorage there was busier than the M27!

 

[maxi77]

Looks like Tobermory Bay in the 80's when anyone could anchor. Now Crown Estate and various other bodies have filled the bay with moorings. The shallower parts of the so called "anchoring area" is also full of moorings so anyone wanting to anchor is in 12 metres plus water depth and close to the shore. Otherwise pay a lot for a visitor's mooring or pay even more to use the pontoons. Made the mistake of going back there a couple of years ago, now avoid the place.

Moral of story, be very careful what you ask for.

I visited Tobermory in the 80s and it was already full of moorings and one had to be in by lunchtime to find a spot shallow enough to anchor in near the town. Mind you there waer and probaby still are places where sharing the anchorage with anything other than otters and sea birds is unusual

 

[KenMcCulloch]

I visited Tobermory in the 80s and it was already full of moorings and one had to be in by lunchtime to find a spot shallow enough to anchor in near the town. Mind you there waer and probaby still are places where sharing the anchorage with anything other than otters and sea birds is unusual

My own experience is similar. I once laid 50m of chain in about 30m of water to anchor at Tobes, it seemed very secure.

 

[onesea]

Wot's wrong with fenders, beaching or rafting up?

Rafting up means being with people one knows and trusts,

So it means it is not going to happen in the Solent... There is allot of mistrust out there and its understandable why. You might only meet one idiot in a day but he's enough to make you VERY careful of every other boat you see.

Since stepping up from 2 1/2 foot to 6 foot draft in the solent I have anchored once. Have been to afew anchorages and decided we might as well keep sailing its quieter out there...

 

[Nostrodamus]

Pull your fenders in. hang a French ensign out and then you can anchor within 1m of the next boat. Just to make it realistic hang your bits over the side when you need to go to toilet.

 

[Frankie-H]

My own experience is similar. I once laid 50m of chain in about 30m of water to anchor at Tobes, it seemed very secure.

Dosn't seem to be quite enough to me.

I wouldn't have liked to have been behind you if the wind got up.