Anchoring off Deal, Kent

[Aja]

Down south for a wedding this weekend and while getting some (pretty average) fish and chips noticed a yacht - possibly about 32' anchored off.

Rolling like a pig. Just wondering if it was normal to anchor off in this part of the world. Can't believe they would stay the night.

Donald

 

[BabySharkDooDooDooDooDoo]

It's mentioned as a possible anchorage in one pilot book but I can't recall seeing anybody actually doing so

 

[johnalison]

Suitable for ships of the line I believe.

 

[NealB]

We anchored off there for the night nearly 3 weeks ago Just north of Deal, before Pegwell Bay.

We had high pressure, and not even catspaws on the water.

No rolling (unlike Aldeney and Sark the week before).

We had dinner in the cockpit, under a huge sky of stars.

In the words of MG (one of my old east coast inspirations), it was " a night in a thousand".

I'll cherish the memory.

(and if the weather did change, Ramsgate and Dover are very close by).

 

[Pye_End]

An old ship anchorage. Not marked perhaps for a small boat - I have anchored near to the pier for a while and it was fine, although conditions can be pretty awful round that corner. Holding seemed fine.

 

[AndrewB]

Not off Deal, the currents are strong and the holding isn't that good. But try Pegwell Bay to the north, that is nice in most conditions. I've spent a good many nights there to save a few bob in Ramsgate. It's sheltered by the Goodwins. The fishing is good, too.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Are there thirty nine steps down to the beach?

 

[Tomahawk]

Once went fishing there. Dropped the hook and had a few hours catching mot much.. when we came to leave... the anchor had wedged itself on something very heavy... the entire of the area is covered in wrecks. Trying to manourver round to pull the anchor up from the other end, we wrapped the line round the prop... on a rising tide! the boat was begining to tilt in a most precarious way when Ron Cannon arrived in the LB.

 

[Aja]

Are there thirty nine steps down to the beach?

Quite the opposite, in that you seem to walk up onto the beach from the promenade :nonchalance:

Is there some sort of literary connection ?

Donald

 

[dom]

Is there some sort of literary connection ?
Donald

Not sure where JD is going with this, but here's a good review by ex chief spook:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...00/John-Buchan-and-The-Thirty-Nine-Steps.html

 

[Debenair]

The Small Downs is a traditional anchorage dating back centuries to before harbours of refuge like Ramsgate.
I recall anchoring there on a delivery trip in St Davids Light from Lymington to Lawling Creek over whitsun 1970.
The skipper spent the four day trip tearing the parsons engine to bits- repeatedly- and do when the breeze died each night we anchored. First night 5 MLS off Brighton, second night off Deal pier, third night the Pyefleet.
Fond memories.

 

[Wansworth]

The hero of Down Channel anchored off and went ashore for provisions and to post a ..........letter!

 

[Aja]

Well, there you go, I didn't know the literary connection, to Broadstairs with the 39 steps, and a
So from the above the fond memories of quiet still nights at anchorage with a big sky full of stars. To be honest coming back from our wedding party tonight showed us the size of the sky down here. Not a hill in sight to ruin the panorama of stars. Lovely.

Donald

 

[JumbleDuck]

Quite the opposite, in that you seem to walk up onto the beach from the promenade :nonchalance:

Is there some sort of literary connection ?

Donald

In the original book, the thirty nine steps lead from the chief spy's house to the beach, in Kent.

 

[Rum Run]

Down south for a wedding this weekend and while getting some (pretty average) fish and chips noticed a yacht - possibly about 32' anchored off.

Rolling like a pig. Just wondering if it was normal to anchor off in this part of the world. Can't believe they would stay the night.

Donald

It's a traditional anchorage for sailing vessels waiting for a fair wind around the Foreland. Also very handy for assorted RN fleets blockading the Continent, which is why in times past the tradional local trade was selling supplies and renting beer and women to sailors. Smuggling and hovelling were also common, with fishing if nothing better was doing.
Ships were sometimes anchored there for weeks waiting for a weather change, or in both world wars waiting for the RN to clear the cargos through the blockades. I doubt anyone wanted to be there but they had no choice. I'd do it on a good forecast but only for nostalgia's sake. Don't do it in a NE gale!
As said, the area has been littered with wrecks, but a local industry was recovering lost articles from the sea and shoreline (hovelling) so little was left behind. Thankfully the thousands of mines and angle iron spikes put there to deter ze Germans were also removed, along with the cunning device designed to pump millions of gallons of fuel oil into sea to be set fire to, back in the days when border control really meant something.

 

[Aja]

It's a traditional anchorage for sailing vessels waiting for a fair wind around the Foreland. Also very handy for assorted RN fleets blockading the Continent, which is why in times past the tradional local trade was selling supplies and renting beer and women to sailors. Smuggling and hovelling were also common, with fishing if nothing better was doing.
Ships were sometimes anchored there for weeks waiting for a weather change, or in both world wars waiting for the RN to clear the cargos through the blockades. I doubt anyone wanted to be there but they had no choice. I'd do it on a good forecast but only for nostalgia's sake. Don't do it in a NE gale!
As said, the area has been littered with wrecks, but a local industry was recovering lost articles from the sea and shoreline (hovelling) so little was left behind. Thankfully the thousands of mines and angle iron spikes put there to deter ze Germans were also removed, along with the cunning device designed to pump millions of gallons of fuel oil into sea to be set fire to, back in the days when border control really meant something.

Thanks for all the replies. Just seemed a very exposed place to stay the night, though not sure the yacht did stay there overnight.
Rum Run: intrigued by the idea of renting beer?
Donald

 

[Bikesailer]

I am the owner of the anchored yacht, which is 33 feet. I had come up channel with a SWly gusting 30 knots. Apart from on the turn of the tide, the sea was very flat and in the shelter of the land the wind was no more than 15 knots. I have good ground tackle (45lb CQR anchor and 40m of 10mm chain). I left early morning after having got my head down for a good kipto take the last of the ebb up to North Foreland. I often anchor there to await a fair tide. In the conditions at the time I fail to see how it could be described as a very exposed place to stay the night.

 

[Aja]

I am the owner of the anchored yacht, which is 33 feet. I had come up channel with a SWly gusting 30 knots. Apart from on the turn of the tide, the sea was very flat and in the shelter of the land the wind was no more than 15 knots. I have good ground tackle (45lb CQR anchor and 40m of 10mm chain). I left early morning after having got my head down for a good kipto take the last of the ebb up to North Foreland. I often anchor there to await a fair tide. In the conditions at the time I fail to see how it could be described as a very exposed place to stay the night.

As a west coast of Scotland based sailor, miles of straight beach did look very exposed to my mind. We're spoilt and more used to being able to tuck ourselves away. Local knowledge is king. Glad you had a quite night.
Donald