And you wonder why we get upset with raggies !

[Deleted User YDKXO]

once close to the vessel that's over my anchor, assuming the scope is now <2:1, make off the chain and reverse out. Stop, then recover the anchor normally.

Thats a recipe for pulling the anchor winch or a cleat out of the deck with the power of a mobo. If the anchor lets go and then bites again, it could do a lot of damage. IMHO you should never try to pull the boat to the anchor or the anchor to the boat and you should only ever attempt to recover the anchor from the seabed when you're right over the top of it and the vertical pull from the winch will break it out safely. The only time you might attempt to pull the anchor with the boat is when it's stuck under a rock or something but then you'd have to do it from the opposite side and with the utmost care. In the situation that Searanger Ancaster describes the most seamanlike thing to do is to ask the boat in front which has plonked itself over your anchor to bugger off somewhere else

 

[SEARANGER ANCASTER]

Thats a recipe for pulling the anchor winch or a cleat out of the deck with the power of a mobo. If the anchor lets go and then bites again, it could do a lot of damage. IMHO you should never try to pull the boat to the anchor or the anchor to the boat and you should only ever attempt to recover the anchor from the seabed when you're right over the top of it and the vertical pull from the winch will break it out safely. The only time you might attempt to pull the anchor with the boat is when it's stuck under a rock or something but then you'd have to do it from the opposite side and with the utmost care. In the situation that Searanger Ancaster describes the most seamanlike thing to do is to ask the boat in front which has plonked itself over your anchor to bugger off somewhere else

 

[fireball]

Thats a recipe for pulling the anchor winch or a cleat out of the deck with the power of a mobo.

Only for those idiots that apply full reverse thrust.

It does depend on the seabed - if it's mud or sand then it's no issue. Rocks and you'd need an alternative - including asking the other vessel to move (which is why I said "various methods", not "the only method" ... )

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Only for those idiots that apply full reverse thrust.

Even on one engine at minimum idle speed, a mobo can develop more than enough thrust to do some serious damage. I proved that to myself when trying to snub my anchor in a bay in Croatia last year which I only ever do with one engine and a great deal of care. The anchor suddenly grabbed as a result of which the chain bent the sideplates of the bow roller assembly not to mention nearly throwing my SWMBO overboard. So as I say, trying to pull the anchor to the boat or vice versa is not a great idea

 

[jfm]

In the situation that Searanger Ancaster describes the most seamanlike thing to do is to ask the boat in front which has plonked itself over your anchor to bugger off somewhere else

FWIW, I don't agree mike. If another boat is perfectly on top of my anchor, he creates an exclusion zone of say 25m x 7m where I cannot put my bow. If I drive to the edge of this zone and pull the anchor up from there, the chain isn't perfectly vertical but it is as close as makes no difference, so I just haul in the anchor. No drama. In busy med anchorages this happens all the time. To haul in the anchor you need your chain merely approximately vertical, not perfectly vertical

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

FWIW, I don't agree mike. If another boat is perfectly on top of my anchor, he creates an exclusion zone of say 25m x 7m where I cannot put my bow. If I drive to the edge of this zone and pull the anchor up from there, the chain isn't perfectly vertical but it is as close as makes no difference, so I just haul in the anchor. No drama. In busy med anchorages this happens all the time. To haul in the anchor you need your chain merely approximately vertical, not perfectly vertical

Maybe in an anchorage where you've got a soft sandy bed and you can pull the anchor through it but certainly not in Croatia where the seabed is often stony or rocky and you run the risk of snagging the anchor or where the anchor is so well stuck into a stiff clay bed, as we experienced recently near La Spezia, that we had to pull the anchor from forward of the vertical to get it to trip out. Yeah agree that some people can be berks in busy Med anchorages but they're at fault, not you. In any case, if you're anchoring in say 5m of water and you put out say 20m of chain, your anchor is no more than 15m in front of you and anyone who anchors in a position which puts their boat only 15m from your boat, is anchoring too close, even in a busy Med anchorage

 

[Searush]

Maybe in an anchorage where you've got a soft sandy bed and you can pull the anchor through it but certainly not in Croatia where the seabed is often stony or rocky and you run the risk of snagging the anchor or where the anchor is so well stuck into a stiff clay bed, as we experienced recently near La Spezia, that we had to pull the anchor from forward of the vertical to get it to trip out. Yeah agree that some people can be berks in busy Med anchorages but they're at fault, not you. In any case, if you're anchoring in say 5m of water and you put out say 20m of chain, your anchor is no more than 15m in front of you and anyone who anchors in a position which puts their boat only 15m from your boat, is anchoring too close, even in a busy Med anchorage

I thought you were in Kilchattan, it's a helluv an anchor drag if you ended up in Croatia!

If you try anchoring with 1:2 scope you may well find that you don't need any engine at all to drag the anchor, a little wind & wanes will do it for you.