Big anchors

[Roberto]

Oh dear! Faith versus fact. The dichotomy of mankind.

Or in modern internet terms: how dare all this facts be contrary to my opinion.

 

[Tranona]

Feels like we are in a time machine and gone back 300 years to when the the fruits of earlier scientific discovery started to challenge beliefs.

 

[NormanS]

Did you curse them and shake your fist at them, damning their tardiness and your misfortune?

How can you live with yourself, using data to make a decision.

Eh?

 

[[167227]]

I think you all need to do more sailing and less typing lol. Or anchoring...

 

[Baddox]

I think you all need to do more sailing and less typing lol. Or anchoring...

Yes. This anchor thread is getting oversized and still dragging, on.

 

[Roberto]

Yes. This anchor thread is getting oversized and still dragging, on.

This ?

 

[geem]

I think you all need to do more sailing and less typing lol. Or anchoring...

We have been at anchor in between sailing for the last 9 months
We plan to be doing the same until September 2024. Does that count?

 

[[167227]]

We have been at anchor in between sailing for the last 9 months
We plan to be doing the same until September 2024. Does that count?

Awesome. I was just kidding

 

[Neeves]

This lacks any statistical significance but this is a random look at a row of visiting yachts in Lerwick. I include a picture of the anchor and the yacht. I don't know the actual size of the anchors - you judge. In addition to anchor size consider: these look quite expensive yachts, all have made significant passages to get to Lerwick, most out of Sweden - new gen anchors (and to me) large anchors for long term cruisers is a bit of a fallacy.

You decide what you think.
























I've posted the pictures in pairs, except for the last pic. You can judge if you think the anchor 'oversized'.

Is Lerwick indicative of a serious destination for 'cruising owners'. Might these owners have discovered in advance of arriving in Lerwick that they needed a bigger anchor? Interesting the yachts still using old gen anchors.

These seemed to be the sum total of visiting yachts on the day (except one yacht), about 1 week ago.

Jonathan

 

[NormanS]

As all these boats have chosen to tie up alongside, rather than anchor, I don't see what point you are trying to make.

 

[srm]

A Swedish yachtsman commented on the size of my anchor, also in Lerwick. My response was that it had held me safely in sustained winds in excess of 60 knots. He looked horrified, "We do not get winds like that in the Baltic".

Edit: Its only 170 miles from Lerwick to an anchorage in the outer islands off Bergen, a straight forward overnight passage. The rest of a passage from Scandinavia can be made by day sailing.

Also, much of the anchoring in Scandinavian waters (except Denmark) involves a shore line to windward and a stern anchor to keep the boat off the rocks or pier.

 

[noelex]

As all these boats have chosen to tie up alongside, rather than anchor, I don't see what point you are trying to make.

Exactly. If you want to know what ground tackle is used by yachts anchoring frequently you need to be sailing, visiting the anchorages by sea rather than posing photos from a land based trip. Visit by boat. Stay in the anchorages and note what ground tackle is used if you want credible information.

We have only visited the Shetland islands once, spending about 90 days at anchor. We did not tie up to shore in that time, preferring the deserted anchorages, so we would not have been included in Jonathan’s land based "anchor"photo survey.

I've posted the pictures in pairs, except for the last pic. You can judge if you think the anchor 'oversized'.

One of the yachts shown in photos, Polaris (Halvetica) , I have seen before. They are a Bavaria 46. This would have been fitted from the factory with the recommended size 16kg Delta. They upgraded this to a Rocna 33 kg.

This sized Rocna is one step oversized according to the Rocna sizing tables and obviously much larger, at over double the size of the recommended sized Delta. I suspect at least some others are oversized as well, although there are no details.

So even if you survey boats tied up to the dock there are examples of oversized anchors, but you really need to actually anchor if you want to gain an accurate picture of the ground tackle that is used by cruising boats that anchor most of the time.

 

[Neeves]

As all these boats have chosen to tie up alongside, rather than anchor, I don't see what point you are trying to make.

Its very, very simple -

If they were at anchor I would not see their anchors (and neither would you, maybe your guess would be more accurate than mine).

Being tied up to a quay I have access to a number of yachts, there might be one in each anchorage.

Interestingly the visitors were from the Baltic. Maybe the UK yachts were all at anchor........ made more safe by their big anchors.

Possibly they were at the quay to gain access to a supermarket, fuel, stocks of big anchors - of which there is limited retail outlets in the Shetlands..... of which you would know.

A Swedish yachtsman commented on the size of my anchor, also in Lerwick. My response was that it had held me safely in sustained winds in excess of 60 knots. He looked horrified, "We do not get winds like that in the Baltic".

Edit: Its only 170 miles from Lerwick to an anchorage in the outer islands off Bergen, a straight forward overnight passage. The rest of a passage from Scandinavia can be made by day sailing.

Also, much of the anchoring in Scandinavian waters (except Denmark) involves a shore line to windward and a stern anchor to keep the boat off the rocks or pier.

I would not choose to sail from Lerwick to Bergen just now - 30 knots, 6 degrees overnight

Jonathan