Baffled by charter yachts anchoring technique

[SlowlyButSurely]

We've been cruising in the Ionian this year and have observed the pigs dinner that most of the charter boats make of anchoring. The technique that is almost universally employed is to select a spot to drop the anchor and start lowering it using an electric windlass. Simultaneously they start reversing across the anchorage at full throttle with the anchor dragging along the bottom. Having reversed most of the way across the anchorage they will then haul the anchor up and repeat the process, often two or more times.

Who on earth is teaching them to drop an anchor like this?

 

[NormanS]

We've been cruising in the Ionian this year and have observed the pigs dinner that most of the charter boats make of anchoring. The technique that is almost universally employed is to select a spot to drop the anchor and start lowering it using an electric windlass. Simultaneously they start reversing across the anchorage at full throttle with the anchor dragging along the bottom. Having reversed most of the way across the anchorage they will then haul the anchor up and repeat the process, often two or more times.

Who on earth is teaching them to drop an anchor like this?

I'm not convinced that this is necessarily unique to the Ionian.

 

[sailorman]

Do those charters req a competent driver ticket of some sort

 

[RichardS]

Do those charters req a competent driver ticket of some sort

In Greece and Croatia, yes, I believe so. It doesn't seem to help much though.

Richard

 

[SV Kittiwake]

We saw a whole flotilla of charter boats doing this in the posidonoa at Formentera for a good 2 hours. Each boat must have reanchored at least six times, each time pulling up a huge chunk of seaweed. One of the guys anchored near them went over in their dinghy to explain. I guess people just rent a boat and aren't told / don't know anything about it?

And I don't think a licence makes a difference if the Italian licensing system is anything to go by.

 

[Crisby]

Just returned from 2 weeks chartering in the Ionian, anchored lots, didn’t drag, no crossed anchors, not all charterers are incompetent but we did see a few cockups but then again it was August......!

 

[Neeves]

Jut out of interest, being a non ticketed, owner (I have an Oz ticket but it is a simple tick box test)

What are the requirement for anchoring defined by your various tickets.

You can be a very accomplished and renowned yachtsman, or woman - but that does not mean you anchor very often.

 

[sailaboutvic]

here we go again
one problem is a lot of people even in their own boats don't anchor but go from marina to marina.
another one is charter company don't give a toss as long as they have a nice big deposit .
and thirdly when people do a course be it RYA or another type very little anchor is involved if any .
three weeks a go we was in Leros and sew a Turkish cat come out of the marina Private may I say .
we watch it six time in six different place trying to anchor , until he tried right in front of us , at which point I went over and asked if he had a problem , ( his words ) my iron won't go into the ground.
I ask how much water he was in and he said 2 mts I ask how much chain he was dropping , already knowing the answer , he said 4 mts twice the depth , he was shocked when I told him to drop at less 15 mts and that we always drop 4 to 5 times the depth unless we in a crowed anchorage where we may drop less if the holding is good or if we in very shallow water where we drop a bit more, that why I suggested he to drop 15 mts ,
anchor straight in held first time , another shock to his system was when I told him he need to go astern and put the power on slowly to set it .
now i could go back to my own boat knowing full well we could sleep throughout the night .
now before someone comes along and tells me 5 x the depth is too much and we should be dropping 3 x the depth and I taken too much swinging room .
if i happen to be anchored in front of you , you also be able to sleep well knowing I won't be smacking into you bow when an unexpected blow arrives at 2am .
plus I would only consider anchoring at 3 x the depth if A the holding was very good and B if there no possibility there no chance of wind C the anchorage was that crowed , other wise i be off , looking for a better spot .

 

[Resolution]

At the London boat show two or three years ago there was a very simple but effective demo on how to drop the hook and lay out the chain onto a sand bed. All indoors and very clear to see and understand. Anyone else remember seeing it?

 

[jordanbasset]

Some people's anchoring techniques are very poor, for example they drop some chain and then leave it at that. Most time's they will get away with it as the wind tends to drop in the evening in the Ionian, but when it does't you have carnage.
Just a few days ago we were anchored in the harbour of Efimia. No big winds were forecast. All of a sudden about 7am in the morning the wind, started to rise, thuder and lightning bega. Within 20 minutes there was 40 knots plus of wind veering across the harbour. Some boats dragged onto other boats. Some tied to the harbour wall dragged. Fortunately 20 minutes later it died as quickly as it came.
We did not move as did most boats but the ones that did were overwhelmingly charters and Italians (sorry for the stereotype but it was true)
Our dinghy did turn turtle with the electric outboard on it, despite being underwater for a minute I am pleased to say it came through uscathed.

 

[Mistroma]

Using the word Technique is probably too complimentary as it seems to be a random process.

+1 on comments above, regularly seen (Mainland Spain, Italy, Balearics and Greece)

8-10m chain out in 6-8m water and then stop
Charging backwards for a few hundred metres
50m chain in a pile in 6m water, no attempt to set anchor
Charge forwards and scrape chain along bows until anchor holds
Repeated attempts (around 12) to drop anchor in same place on a patch of weed (surrounded with lots of open sand)

With last one, I reckon charterer had been advised to watch out for weed when anchoring and assumed they meant that was where you should anchor.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Some people's anchoring techniques are very poor, for example they drop some chain and then leave it at that. Most time's they will get away with it as the wind tends to drop in the evening in the Ionian, but when it does't you have carnage.
Just a few days ago we were anchored in the harbour of Efimia. No big winds were forecast. All of a sudden about 7am in the morning the wind, started to rise, thuder and lightning bega. Within 20 minutes there was 40 knots plus of wind veering across the harbour. Some boats dragged onto other boats. Some tied to the harbour wall dragged. Fortunately 20 minutes later it died as quickly as it came.
We did not move as did most boats but the ones that did were overwhelmingly charters and Italians (sorry for the stereotype but it was true)
Our dinghy did turn turtle with the electric outboard on it, despite being underwater for a minute I am pleased to say it came through uscathed.

as long as it wasn't more the a meter , it be fine , or so they tell you , .
YEP we sew C FB page , was thinking of you both , but at less it only some mins , we been at anchor for some days now with the Meltani blowing hard , same problem every day one or two boats go for a walk about .

 

[RichardS]

Let's knock it though Guys. If everyone was a perfect anchorer we would sit on the deck of our boats with a beer and be bored stiff.

Richard

 

[sailaboutvic]

E=RichardS;6521854]Let's knock it though Guys. If everyone was a perfect anchorer we would sit on the deck of our boats with a beer and be bored stiff.

Richard[/QUOTE]

that very true Richard , but it stop being fun when your the next boat to be smacked into .

Has jordanbasset is my witness , some years back in Turkey while we was having lunch on our boat , we watch a charter boat start to drag in very little wind , we called over to warn them , one crew at a time walk to the bow and looked at the anchor , no one did any thing but looked , now the boat heading back to ward the only other boat in the anchorage other then us and picking up speed , the other boat crew again one at a time walk to there boat , no one got out any fenders , both crew on both boat then watch the boats hit each other . lucky no damage , first boat re anchored , only for it all the start a again a while later , thank god we was out of there way

 

[alant]

At the London boat show two or three years ago there was a very simple but effective demo on how to drop the hook and lay out the chain onto a sand bed. All indoors and very clear to see and understand. Anyone else remember seeing it?

Don't forget that "sand bed" you can see in the clear water of the Med, that you want to rest your hook on, can turn out to be smooth rock. 5 x chain helps a lot then.
I won't tell you how I know.

 

[vyv_cox]

I rowed over to a British crewed charter boat at Lakka a few years ago to assist with their prolonged attempts to anchor.
"What depth are you in?"
"3 metres"
"How much chain do you have out?"
"3 metres."
I explained and helped them to anchor deploying about 15 metres.
"Right, do we haul it back to 3 metres now?"

 

[photodog]

Let's knock it though Guys. If everyone was a perfect anchorer we would sit on the deck of our boats with a beer and be bored stiff.

Richard

Everyone started out as a newbie.

I agree with you on this one... it’s a bit distasteful to have a go at folks who are having a go.

There but for the grace etc...

 

[sailaboutvic]

Everyone started out as a newbie.

I agree with you on this one... it’s a bit distasteful to have a go at folks who are having a go.

There but for the grace etc...

with respect , I personally not making fun at them , most of the time I don't find it funny at all, there some here on this forum who will tell you it nothing usually to see me jump in my dinghy and help them out , like many other people would do , we rather do that then end up waking up early hours in the morning to sort out the mess they got their self into especially if the mess involved our boat too .
as far as newbie goes, they really shouldn't be chartering out 40 and in some cases 50 foot boats .
putting that to one side , just as many are private owners who haven't taken the time to learn how to anchor , Christ there enough book about you only got to look here on YBW to get some idea .
its not a one off that someone drag , we could all deal with that , but hardly a day don't go by we see it happening and some time when there no real wind blowing at all .

 

[JumbleDuck]

Everyone started out as a newbie.

I agree with you on this one... it’s a bit distasteful to have a go at folks who are having a go.

There but for the grace etc...

I don't think anyone is making fun of anyone. It's more a question of "Why don't they know?" But then, it's not that long since PBO had an article on anchoring which started (I paraphrase) "You may have to do this as an emergency manoeuvre some day, so why not practice it on a nice day first?"

I guess a lot of people are used to using marinas only, but when chartering companies let relative beginners loose in an area where anchoring is going to be needed, perhaps they should check that they know how to do it?

 

[Genoa]

I rowed over to a British crewed charter boat at Lakka a few years ago to assist with their prolonged attempts to anchor.
"What depth are you in?"
"3 metres"
"How much chain do you have out?"
"3 metres."
I explained and helped them to anchor deploying about 15 metres.
"Right, do we haul it back to 3 metres now?"

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