Anchoring with a line ashore - any advice?

[Deleted User YDKXO]

In Croatia, most of the anchorages are relatively deep right up to the shoreline and it's common to drop anchor and take a line ashore to a convenient tree or rock. We've been trying this ourselves recently

So far we haven't had a problem but I do wonder whether we've been doing it right. Firstly, if you have the choice, which side of the anchorage do you choose relative to the wind direction? So far, I've always chosen the side with the wind from astern so the load is taken by the shore line rather than the anchor. Is this correct?

What about if the wind shifts? If the wind shifts 180deg, all the load goes on to the anchor and, being so close to the shore, the boat would be aground very quickly if the anchor dragged. Does taking a line ashore actually help the anchor to hold in that it stops the boat swinging from side to side? On one occasion when we were anchored overnight, the wind shifted overnight about 90deg and blew quite hard on the beam. Of course a flybridge boat like ours carries a lot of windage and both the shore line and the anchor chain became very tight. In these circumstances, should we have re-anchored normally so that the boat was swinging to the wind?

Lastly, is there any technique for getting a line ashore? So far I've been swimming ashore with the line as trying to get ashore from our RIB tender could easily damage it on the rocks but I won't fancy taking to the water once the temperature drops!

 

[DAKA]

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[jimg]

What is the benefit of doing this if you still have to launch a dinghy to get ashore? Surely it is better to just swing on an anchor, why do the locals do it?

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

What is the benefit of doing this if you still have to launch a dinghy to get ashore? Surely it is better to just swing on an anchor, why do the locals do it?

There are probably a number of reasons. Firstly, and I'd like confirmation of this from somebody with experience but I think the boat is more secure lying to an anchor with a line ashore than without. In the pics above, I tried several times to set the anchor without success even though it's quite a heavy anchor (30kg Bruce). I was about to go to another anchorage when I thought I'd try taking a line ashore to see whether the boat could be secured. Anyway we ended up staying 2 nights/3 days in that position during which time the wind shifted several times and blew quite hard upto a F5 I reckon, and the boat didn't move. The second reason is that you can get more boats in an anchorage if some of them take a line ashore simply because those boats don't swing around. In some anchorages, you see boats parked almost as close as they would be in a marina.

The third reason and again I dont know whether this is generally the case but our boat was less affected by wake and swell with the shore line attached. In other words, it rolled and pitched less than it would have done swinging normally to an anchor

 

[benjenbav]

No experience of this whatsoever, so don't take too much notice of this. But what seems sensible to me (I disregarded Daka's rope launcher because of not wanting to add to CO2 emissions) would be to take the rope in the tender with a second party (maybe a teenage son?) who is happy to jump into the knee deep water, go ashore and secure the line whilst you keep the tender off the rocks.

Anyway, from the pictures you seem to have all sorted apart from delivering the rope to the tree and, I must say, both Croatia and your new vessel look magnificent.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Mike I know nothing about anchoring with a shore line but am really interested in what you think of Croatia and your experiences, good and bad. Have only spent a short time there, sadly not on a boat but thought it looked to be a superb cruising area with crystal clear water and fabulous scenery.
How have you got on and how long do you intend to keep your boat there?

 

[BartW]

which side of the anchorage do you choose relative to the wind direction? So far, I've always chosen the side with the wind from astern so the load is taken by the shore line rather than the anchor. Is this correct?

I have looked on what side where the most boats moored, and usually they were on both sides, but most on stern to wind side,

We alway's try to find a stern to land / wind direction mooring place

What about if the wind shifts? If the wind shifts 180deg, all the load goes on to the anchor and, being so close to the shore, the boat would be aground very quickly if the anchor dragged.

when we expect wind, and or wind direction changes, we put two ropes, slightly angled out of line with the boat, and make the lines long enough, then, we put force on the anker chain with the winch, and check if it will hold, on some places where there is only sand and grass, it doesn't hold well, eventually choose another mooring place.
after mooring or at evening I have a swim and check where the anker is, and if it will hold.

at evening I check wind forecast on windfinder, (on swmbo's I phone ;-) )not only for the next day's cruise planning, but also for the forecast during the night/mooring condition.
I alway's choose a cove that has land or a hill towards the expected wind direction.

Lastly, is there any technique for getting a line ashore? So far I've been swimming ashore with the line as trying to get ashore from our RIB tender could easily damage it on the rocks but I won't fancy taking to the water once the temperature drops

I used to wear Teva's to fix the lines, but now I can do it with bare foots,
either swim or use the dingy, but yes carefull with the rocks.
(or I send swmbo or a guest who I think that can and likes to do it)
For us it is all part of the adventure / fun

sometimes you can reach a stone or a rock from the dingy, usable for the line.
This year I discovered places where there are ropes (Lastovo) or metal fixing rings in the rocks, (near Stari Grad) that you reach from the dingy.

My lines are long enough so that I can bring them back to the boat, so for un-tieing in the morning, I don't need to go off the boat.

don't you have that book "888 anchorages in Croatia"
with discription of every cove / mooring spot on the croatian coast,
available in every bigger croation book store

just out of interest, where are the pictures taken ?

 

[jimg]

I guess that makes sense!!

 

[BartW]

There are probably a number of reasons. Firstly, and I'd like confirmation of this from somebody with experience but I think the boat is more secure lying to an anchor with a line ashore than without. In the pics above, I tried several times to set the anchor without success even though it's quite a heavy anchor (30kg Bruce). I was about to go to another anchorage when I thought I'd try taking a line ashore to see whether the boat could be secured. Anyway we ended up staying 2 nights/3 days in that position during which time the wind shifted several times and blew quite hard upto a F5 I reckon, and the boat didn't move. The second reason is that you can get more boats in an anchorage if some of them take a line ashore simply because those boats don't swing around. In some anchorages, you see boats parked almost as close as they would be in a marina.


The third reason and again I dont know whether this is generally the case but our boat was less affected by wake and swell with the shore line attached. In other words, it rolled and pitched less than it would have done swinging normally to an anchor

fully agree on 3 reasons,
reason 4,
You're in a fixed position / direction towards the sun,
so it is more easy to arrange lunch or dinner on deck in the shade

reason 5,
some coves are so small that the boat will only fit if it stay's in a fixed position

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Mike I know nothing about anchoring with a shore line but am really interested in what you think of Croatia and your experiences, good and bad. Have only spent a short time there, sadly not on a boat but thought it looked to be a superb cruising area with crystal clear water and fabulous scenery.
How have you got on and how long do you intend to keep your boat there?

Hi ljs. I'm going to do a report on our latest cruise when I can be arsed but I can summarise our experiences as follows

On the plus side, Croatia has 6000km of coastline, about 4000km of which are islands. It's a superb boating playground and by far the best and most varied cruising area I've ever come across. Think Scilly Isles but about 500 times larger. Unlike the W Med you can actually go places. We have never been turned away from a marina even in Jul/Aug although they do get pretty full. There is an unlimited supply of anchorages and you can usually find shelter from any wind. The marinas are also less expensive than the W Med. Annual mooring charges cost me about 60% of what I was paying in Palma even though I have a bigger boat

On the minus side, however, there are some issues. Direct flights from the UK are much fewer than to the Balearics or SoF and during winter there are virtually none. The weather seems more changeable. In winter it seems colder and more rainy than the W Med and even in summer, the Bora wind can arrive out of nowhere and reduce the air/sea temps by several degrees. The food is ordinary. Supermarket produce is expensive and lower quality than UK and restaurant food is always the same and pretty boring (SWMBO and I now play a game guessing what dishes will be on the menu before we open it). The wine is drinkable but not upto European quality. Lastly there are the Croatians themselves. I dont know whether its a hangover from the old communistical days but some of them are a bit surly and the concept of customer service is alien to many of them.

As to whether we'll stay, the jury is out. I've got a berth until next May and I'll probably stay another season after that. The biggest issue is the flights. Sleazyjet stop flying to Split at the end of September and after that, we'd have to fly to Dubrovnik and drive 3-4 hrs. SWMBO and I both miss the sophistication of the W Med a bit, especially dining out. I suppose if you combined the Croatian cruising area with Balearic weather, Italian/French cooking and the convenience of flying to Nice/Palma, you'd have the perfect Med cruising ground

 

[MapisM]

if you have the choice, which side of the anchorage do you choose relative to the wind direction? So far, I've always chosen the side with the wind from astern so the load is taken by the shore line rather than the anchor. Is this correct?

Nope. If given a choice, you'd better be covered against NE wind, regardless of the current conditions and forecasts.
Bora is the only wind which can blow extremely strong and unpredictably also in summertime, so always keep the stern pointing to NE (hence sheltered by the land) if possible.

What about if the wind shifts? If the wind shifts 180deg, all the load goes on to the anchor and, being so close to the shore, the boat would be aground very quickly if the anchor dragged. Does taking a line ashore actually help the anchor to hold in that it stops the boat swinging from side to side?

Yes, a little bit. But in those conditions, I'd rather swing on the anchor alone if - as I suppose in your case - I couldn't use two anchors.

Lastly, is there any technique for getting a line ashore?

Not afaik. But I wouldn't worry, because out of the reasons you mention for getting a line ashore, in my experience the most important by far is that if you want to stay in some crowded places you have no alternative. And when the water is cold - i.e. at the beginning or at the end of the season - you'll always find nice and empty places where to drop the hook and forget the lines.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Thanks Bart, thats v useful. We are still using your very comprehensive advice from a few weeks ago to find our way round and that's been v helpful. The pics in my first post were taken at Zdrilca in the Pakleni Islands where we ate at the apparently famous Antonio's restaurant. The pic in the second post was taken in Necujam on the island of Solta which is a very good anchorage, even in a Bora wind. No, I've not seen the '888 Anchorages' book. I will look out for that.
I know you are based further south than us near Dubrovnik. We have been surprised by how often the Bora blows in the Split area. Does it occur less often further south? We might move south next year as flights to Dubrovnik seem more plentiful than to Split. Are there any good full service marinas near Dubrovnik? Whats the ACI marina like?

 

[MapisM]

Are there any good full service marinas near Dubrovnik? Whats the ACI marina like?

Nice, and well sheltered inside a 2NM or so fyord.
But a bit lost in the middle of nowhere: it takes either a car or a bus to go to the town.
Which otoh is by far the nicest of the whole Croatia!

 

[narcer]

Shore Lines

I try and avoid this technique as much as possible unless your in a 100 % sucure swell free anchorage, of which there are very few !

When I first sailed to the Baleares from Scotland (2001) this method was new to me and seemed like a good idea. That was until I got a taste of what can go wrong when your packed in a small Cala, anchored side by side and then suddenly wind changes etc, swell starts coming inside and everybody gets trussled up like a Christmas turkey.

When the wind blows from abeam and your attatched to the rocks, there is a tremendous leverage effect on both ends which is totally unatural, not to mention the motion ! If it´s a totally secure anchorage then fine, but there´s not so many like that around here.

Swing free ! and be ready for a quick and safe exit if necessary. For me this is more important.

 

[miket]

Turkey

We chartered a Turkish Gulet a few years back and they use the same system.
The Gulet was about 20+ metres and traditional (heavy, wood).
They had a huge "fisherman's anchor" over the bow and a hydraulic winch from a PTO off the main engine.
By the time they had both anchor and shore line on, you could play a tune on both line and chain, they were so taut!! Great to watch the crew setting it up.

 

[BartW]

I know you are based further south than us near Dubrovnik. We have been surprised by how often the Bora blows in the Split area. Does it occur less often further south? We might move south next year as flights to Dubrovnik seem more plentiful than to Split. Are there any good full service marinas near Dubrovnik? Whats the ACI marina like?

this year there was wind more often then other years,
one local say's: usually in Juli/aug we have periods of 3day's bora, followed by 2 weeks no wind.
this year we had 1 or 2day's wind almost ones a week.
Not only Bora, we had a strong S and W- wind aswell.

there are spots between islands where there is alway's some wind, f.e. Korcula,
and there are places where there is less wind / protected by mountains or islands f.e. Makarska Riviera

The ACI marina is the only full service marina in the south,
agree with comments from MapisM,
I have been told that mooring prices are very expensive
we never used the marina overnight but visited many times for fuel
the restaurant there is no good (personal experience)
I would only use this marina for the winter or longterm storage, and go out to more nicer places as soon you're on the boat.
Yes the advantage is the airport (30km)
and a very beautifull old town (15km)
every year there are more direct flights to Dubrovnic. I am not sure for UK,
I am close to Germany, and we can use "German wings" flights from Koln and Dusseldorf

 

[White Horse]

What is the benefit of doing this if you still have to launch a dinghy to get ashore? Surely it is better to just swing on an anchor, why do the locals do it?

The main reason is space. You can get far more boats in if you take a line ashore. We found that making sure your anchor was securely laid was the answer. We used the dingy as you can get ashore much quicker and make your shore line fast.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Nope. If given a choice, you'd better be covered against NE wind, regardless of the current conditions and forecasts.
Bora is the only wind which can blow extremely strong and unpredictably also in summertime, so always keep the stern pointing to NE (hence sheltered by the land) if possible.

Thats a good point and I believe the correct way to think. Yes the Bora is unpredictable

Yes, a little bit. But in those conditions, I'd rather swing on the anchor alone if - as I suppose in your case - I couldn't use two anchors.

You're right I dont have 2 anchors and yes again, I think you're right. It's safer to swing to an anchor in a strong wind and give yourself some room to drag

 

[rwoofer]

A raggie myself, but same principles. I almost always take a line ashore in places like Croatia, Greece, Turkey. The reason it is so secure is that as you say the bottom steeply drops from the shore, therefore if the anchor is being pulled uphill by the shore line, the chain is at a much shallower angle to the bottom, which is equivalent to a much longer scope. Anchored freely with the wind offshore, you have the opposite problem and sometimes no amount of scope will solve it.

Had 40knots blowing us to shore with a shore line and we stayed put for the 2 days the storm took to pass.

Only problem I found with Croatia was the weed stopping the anchor really biting.

 

[Divemaster1]

Where I am from, we do this all the time ... as there are very little tidal differences and hence no real reason not to... Pending where and the situation we do stern to, bow to and broadside...

Most of the boats in norway have a stern anchor and winch...

.... and anchor is released when you are in a suitable location heading for your chosen spot by remote control and crew on bow ready to jump ashore with line(s).

If you later wish to be broadside, you swing the boat around with anchor to spring cleat.

Usually ropes in V from bow/stern and often with springs to shore if the wind is changeable...