Anchoring Etiquette

[Stingo]

Be aware that we are in the closed season for lobsters now (May - August, ie the months with no 'r' in them) and the folk in the Grenadines do observe this closed season very strongly (unlike here in Barbados, where nobody gives a damn about closed seasons, including the Coastguard).

A good and very valid point about the closed season. It's been about eight years since I was last in the area, well, that's my excuse for not remembering those details.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Looks like I’ll be admiring the lobsters rather than eating them.
Truth be told I prefer the cold water lobbies anyway (not that I eat them that often.)

 

[jlavery]

We found that French boats always put out all of their chain. Regardless. Don't want to stereotype but it happened a lot.

Apart from the one near us in Great Porth, Scillies, last year. Nowhere near enough chain - my skipper and I had to board it and re-anchor it (with 20m rather than 7m of chain) after we observed it drifting past towards the rocks!

 

[Roberto]

"What's the use of anchor chain kept inside the locker", is/was one of those sentences seemingly transmitting decades of accumulated experience in seamanship. Whether 6mm, 8mm or 10mm is "better", that is next turn

 

[john_morris_uk]

"What's the use of anchor chain kept inside the locker", is/was one of those sentences seemingly transmitting decades of accumulated experience in seamanship. Whether 6mm, 8mm or 10mm is "better", that is next turn

In any sort of blow I completely agree. In a crowded anchorage amidst moorings, adequate is enough. IMHO

 

[Roberto]

In any sort of blow I completely agree. In a crowded anchorage amidst moorings, adequate is enough. IMHO

"Adequate" the right word, I am sure by reading the anchoring threads on here one can get an idea of the variety of personal perceptions of what is adequate (scope, chain size, anchor type, weight, etc), plus the real world is even more fantastic than the internet so plenty of other points of view...
In the end I think anchoring with other people is a sort of social gathering, one has to make do with all that can happen when a group of people unknown to each other are to share a same space.

 

[john_morris_uk]

"Adequate" the right word, I am sure by reading the anchoring threads on here one can get an idea of the variety of personal perceptions of what is adequate (scope, chain size, anchor type, weight, etc), plus the real world is even more fantastic than the internet so plenty of other points of view...
In the end I think anchoring with other people is a sort of social gathering, one has to make do with all that can happen when a group of people unknown to each other are to share a same space.

That’s a nice way of putting it.

 

[oldbloke]

At least in the Caribbean its unlikely that everyone will swing through 180 degrees. Imagine the carnage if it had been a similarly crowded UK anchorage

 

[Daydream believer]

They motored away with whatever was caught on their anchor still hanging there. Presumably they’re going to stop in open water to sort it out?

Time to start worrying is when you all realise that it is YOUR anchor hanging there

 

[Chiara’s slave]

At least in the Caribbean its unlikely that everyone will swing through 180 degrees. Imagine the carnage if it had been a similarly crowded UK anchorage

Imagine if ypu had 50 metres of chain in Newtown this weekend. sometimes it feels as if you could jump from boat to boat in there, no need to swim.

 

[ylop]

I'm not criticising a far more experience sailor than me, and I don't know the local circumstances, but isn't the correct etiquette when anchoring to park up behind the other boats, not in front?

I’ve never heard that before so am interested. What does “behind” mean in this sense? What happens when boat A anchors where they want, B anchors behind them and C behind B…. Then A and B leave and boat D comes along? Does he have to go behind C even although there is clearly space for two more boats “in front”? What if the first boat is a deep keeled boat that need say 3m at low water to be happy and I’m in a bilge keel happy with a meter? Or I’m only stopping for lunch and there’s plenty of water just now?

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I’ve never heard that before so am interested. What does “behind” mean in this sense? What happens when boat A anchors where they want, B anchors behind them and C behind B…. Then A and B leave and boat D comes along? Does he have to go behind C even although there is clearly space for two more boats “in front”? What if the first boat is a deep keeled boat that need say 3m at low water to be happy and I’m in a bilge keel happy with a meter? Or I’m only stopping for lunch and there’s plenty of water just now?

You’re right, it’s a free for all. Pick a spot that suits your boat. Us shoal draft owners have more choice, and we’ll always take that option if we can, as it’s likely to be less crowded. The only rule is to show some consideration for your fellow anchorers. Enough scope for security, not so much it's selfish.

 

[john_morris_uk]

You’re right, it’s a free for all. Pick a spot that suits your boat. Us shoal draft owners have nore choice, and we’ll always take that option if we can, as it’s likely to be less crowded. The only rule is to show some consideration for your fellow anchorers. Enough scope for security, not so much it's selfish.

Agree 100%. I’m not overly worried by shallow water so we often anchor further in than many. In Bequia recently we anchored in 2.7 metres. There’s a few cm of tide and no swelll was getting into the anchorage so it was perfectly safe. . I dived on the anchor to check it and when I swam back to the boat I could see there was at least a metre between keel and seabed.

 

[mjcoon]

Agree 100%. I’m not overly worried by shallow water so we often anchor further in than many. In Bequia recently we anchored in 2.7 metres. There’s a few cm of tide and no swelll was getting into the anchorage so it was perfectly safe. . I dived on the anchor to check it and when I swam back to the boat I could see there was at least a metre between keel and seabed.

Under 50 metres scope? ;-)

 

[capnsensible]

We anchored outside Jolly Harbour for the night many tides ago having discovered that clearing out at 5 minutes to four takes....5 minutes. Anchor overnight and sail at first light, around 6 ish.

Anyway, the waters on that side of Antigua are clouded by sand, not see through like many other spots.

Our Moody 33 drew just over a metre so we crept right in and duly dropped the hook, put out around 10 metres of chain, gave engine a bit of welly then over side to check dug in. I finned up to the anchor. All good. Then I stood up and the sea came up to my waist. Still don't know how we managed that but we certainly slept well.

 

[capnsensible]

Under 50 metres scope? ;-)

Normal for French charter boats in the Windies.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We draw 40cm, copper coat antifoul. I’m quite happy for the soft embrace of a bit of mud, but it’s nicer if it doesn’t actually dry. We can still launch the paddle boards that way.

 

[Daydream believer]

All this diving over the side lark? Is that a must for you hook dwellers? Some of the east coats codgers I have met smell to me as if they have never had a bath for ages, let alone go swimming to look for an anchor

Mind you, give em a pair of thigh waders & they could find a sinker in 4 ft of mud in minutes

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We swim over the side quite a lot. But often we anchor in standing depth or less, and also often take that opportunity to scrub. Not so much to look at the hook.

 

[zoidberg]

No problem but I’m slightly bemused.... there’s a knock on our hull. The French couple from the boat behind have swum over and are saying....Of course I said it was pas de problem

Are you quite sure your colloquial French was quite up to the task and that you didn't miss any of the 'double entendres'....?