Anchorage - gets too busy (whats the policy)

mjf

mjf

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As usual we enjoy the quiet surroundings at the NT Newtown Creek and take a buoy on arrival or anchor if there is not a free one where we want to be.


So Friday evening we anchor in a favoured spot in the clamerkin lake between the last two buoys in 5m at HW. Wonderful sunset etc and slept peacefully etc

Saturday great day if a little breezy (west iso forecast nothernly) but hey ho.

Over the course of the days loads of buoys come free but we have been anchered now for 15 + hrs and had changes in wind and tide etc. Holding is fine. Plotter confirms with nice arc trace etc.


Then at 1700hrs bloke in rag drag anchors less than a boat length off my stbd side and after bringing up sits close off my stern. We watch carefully as far too close.

I nearing mention something but think maybe hes just having a cup of tea and will leave shortly - this confirmed when I see skipper and wife in foul Wx gear on deck. Next I look - buggar me they are off ashore in the tender its now 1830hrs. Tide starts to change and wind picks up and said Rag is now across my stern and 9ft off as we swing differently we adjust all our fenders and SWMBO has rovering ball fender to hand. Rag has no fenders out.

Wind get up a notch more as is freqquently the case here and we are now in a position where we are going to be on stand by all night and have a potentially silly situation when Mr Rag returns from the New Inn.


The anchorage is crowded and SWMBO wants to go home NOW! Chain is now straightening on the sea bed although holding fine we are far too close to the recent arrival who is dead ship. We heave up and look around for a bit of space - none suitable so we head back to base and arrive as sun sets (marina has used my berth but did accomodate me on my pontoon after a call.


Question is what should i have done please.

1. Sit there until Mr Rag returns and discuss options - would be dark by now of course??

2. Shout out issue when he arrived

3. Did the right thing and left the place as no other safe area to stay the night.



I was a a bit miffed to say the least but all was well in the end and we had a very enjoyabel day at the marina yesterday all day (until i refuelled at £1.08 net).
 
Hmm, I think the best thing to have done - easy with hindsight, I know - would have been to say when the second boat arrived that you were concerned that the different swinging characteristics would result in a possible coming together and offer to help him move and share a pot of tea once that had been done.

In practice I'd probably have done the same as you though!
 
Definitely you should have talked to raggie and pointed out error of his ways in no uncertain terms before he left for the evening. This happens on a regular basis to me in the Med and I always tell 'em they're risking my boat and theirs if they stop where they are. Also, as far as I'm concerned, whoever is in the anchorage first has squatters rights and is entitled to ask anyone who anchors in too close a position to move
 
Should've taken issue when they dropped hook - then if it was a short stay it wouldn't have been a problem ...
Or perhaps when they launched the tender ...

But finally - the safety of your boat is your responsibility - despite others actions (or in actions) - so weighing anchor and moving off was your best final option.

FWIW - I've dropped hook where I considered to be a reasonable spot in NC ... between two Mobo's on the buoys - enough room for another one between us and one of the mobos too ... then after a drink or two we swung - and ended up a little too close to one of the mobos ... so had no choice but to pickup hook and move off a little way ... my problem because he was there first (and was on a mooring!)
 
Deleted User said:
Definitely you should have talked to raggie and pointed out error of his ways in no uncertain terms before he left for the evening. This happens on a regular basis to me in the Med and I always tell 'em they're risking my boat and theirs if they stop where they are. Also, as far as I'm concerned, whoever is in the anchorage first has squatters rights and is entitled to ask anyone who anchors in too close a position to move
Click to expand...

Tricky stuff mjf
Med anchorages are busy and in line with what Deleted User says I am often asked by squatters (:)) to move becuase they think I've anchored too close. But that's a matter of opinion and often I ignore them and often they wrongly predict how all the boats will swing, or maybe they just want loads of space

On the other hand where I have got it worng and I start to swing too close after 20mins then I would move.

All that being the case I rarely worry when people anchor too close, becuase I figure they can just move when it becomes apparnt they are too close

What is different in your case is that they cleared off in tender. it is at THAT point, and only then, that I would have asked them to move (if I had seen them escaping). If I had not seen them escape of if they refused to move, and the boats then became close to colliding, I might move (for an easy life) or if I really wanted to stay put I'd have no hesitation getting in my tender and moving the dead ship or deploying their fenders and kedge anchor or whatever came to mind. I appreciate some may say "you're not insured" or whatever but that wouldn't worry me in the slightest. It all depends on the exact circumstances though
 
With JFM on this one. Some anchorages are always going to be crowded and therefore boats will be closer than many would be comfortable with. Whilst people are on board I just relax (and get up on tide turns), but if they bugger off then I'll shout. NC is just one of the places that just isn't big enough for everyone, therefore limits will be pushed.

If you really want to see boats crowded in try some of the Southern Brittany coastline in the middle of the french holidays.
 
Thanks all - I had the squatters rights and 'missed' their escape as once i saw the wx gear donned I moved to the galley as cocktail hour was upon us..........


I was happy to do a jfm but SWMBO has endured her fair share of PJ parties in NC and frankly speaking i would prefer to sign off on the safety escape and live to fight another day with her wanting to go to NC again as opposed to me begging :-).

I guess it was because I had been well relaxed for 24hrs in 'my' spot that I did not raise the issue when the problem arrived. Will do next time without fail.


This proximity thing is a bit like yobs yelling, jet skis buzzing you, too loud music etc. ie AsBO fodder.
 
My usual method if someone anchors too close is to catch the skippers eye and do that thing where you hold your hand flat then wobble it from side to side, whilst sumultaneously squinting your eyes a bit and frowning slightly, to indicate you're not sure about something. The other skipper may decide to move, or may may decide to stay, but at least you've registered in a friendly way that you think he's too close and he may need to move later if the boats swing closer.
 
Always a tricky one, we all say we know what should've been done but the truth is, most of us want a quiet non-confrontational life. I think I'd have looked how approachable the guy was on arrival, if friendly I'd maybe have registered my concerns over a brew, if not approachable I'd probably done as you did and buggered off when things became concerning.
I'm glad I'm in North Wales, usually you're glad of a bit of company!
 
Problem is this of course - say 40ft of boat and say 40ft of chain on the bottom and water that's 100ft wide at LW max where we were right up inside near the 'no anchoring beyond this sign' place

The buoys always G'tee's the high ground.

Re anchoring at evening dusk in a crowded place with the wind picking up and tide about to change is a challenge at best.
 
MJF has just earned himself a year's sub to MBY for this thread, because (with his consent) I have adapted it to become this month's What Now, for use in October's issue of MBY But please note that the the fictional WN differs from the real one in one crucial respect. Do, please, have a look at What Now, and let's see how your opinions might (or might not) change.re is one very significant
timbartlett said:
You anchored in a popular river this morning...
<snip: please go to linked thread>
... the pilot book strongly advises against entering or leaving the river within two hours of low water. What Now?
Click to expand...
 
Cor - that's a nice one. Thank you very much.


Now read the WN and have confess never thought of NickH idea of rafting.

Only ever rafted with mates before and no issue at all with the way of mooring up together.

Would have been an interesting conversation on Mr Rag's return to his fine craft which i think may have touched bottom at LW if he stayed where we was.
 
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