Big boats in small anchorages

[Deleted User YDKXO]

We visit an anchorage called Cala Portals Vells near Palma, Majorca a lot. It's a very popular anchorage because it's only 30 mins run from a number of big marinas and it gets very crowded in season although you can usually always find a hole somewhere. We rolled up in Portals Vells on Monday to find a large sailing yacht, probably around 35-40m long, anchored right in the middle of the cala. It had a huge amount of anchor chain laid out, probably around 70-80m in a depth of only 7 or 8m. I could tell roughly how much chain because the anchor was buoyed but the buoy was so far from the yacht that one small boat tried to tie up to it thinking it to be a mooring buoy. With this much chain, the yacht swung to it's chain in a huge arc which covered most of the middle of the cala and the crew spent much of the afternoon bawling at other boats which had the temerity to drop their hook within 100m of them. In fact, when the wind changed direction somewhat later on, 3 other boats had to up anchor and move away in case of a collision
I sat on my flybridge in the sun much amused by the goings on but I wonder whether it's inconsiderate for large boats to anchor in small popular anchorages, especially when they have to lay out so much chain which means that they need such a lot of swinging room. After all, larger boats are able to moor in more exposed anchorages than smaller ones. Or is it a case of getting there first and it's tough on anybody else who comes later?

 

[alt]

The sea is everybody's and the sea is nobody's - they have as much right to be there as the next person. HOWEVER, it was bloody ignorant what they did laying so much chain, was there really a need?

 

[Firefly625]

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The sea is everybody's and the sea is nobody's - they have as much right to be there as the next person. HOWEVER, it was bloody ignorant what they did laying so much chain, was there really a need?

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totally agree with you, I would just add, being the cynical type, that someone with a 30-40m yacht might not like others too close.... what better way of ensuring that then to lay out 3 times more anchor chain than you would need in 7m of water. It certainly creates a nice 360 seclusion zone of clear water around you.....! Its what I would do if I were the skipper in charge... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[jfm]

Hmmm. I rarely see it that extreme but i spose it is first come first served. however it is rude of them to lay out that much chain. In calm weather 2.5x is fine. also I'd ignore a bawling crew. I'm not answerable to them and they can sod off. I'll just stick a fender out if the boats might touch, as is often done in SoF anchorages.

Here is Kingdom 5kR bumping lots of boats when the wind swung. Kingdom was anchored first, but this was all sorted out amicably with no bawling crew.

 

[alt]

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totally agree with you, I would just add, being the cynical type, that someone with a 30-40m yacht might not like others too close.... what better way of ensuring that then to lay out 3 times more anchor chain than you would need in 7m of water. It certainly creates a nice 360 seclusion zone of clear water around you.....! Its what I would do if I were the skipper in charge... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

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Good point, the bouy was probably put on the anchor for this exact reason.

What would I do in the situation? I'd moor about 2m inside his radius - If they start shouting at you, just tell them to move if they want /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

(This would be done with the assumption that you have snorkel gear to duck dive the 7m to your anchor if it got fouled)

 

[Coupe]

Sure over he you'd just raft up - his chain should hold another - cheers /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Coupe]

Is this the spot Mike?

 

[Firefly625]

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Good point, the bouy was probably put on the anchor for this exact reason.

What would I do in the situation? I'd moor about 2m inside his radius - If they start shouting at you, just tell them to move if they want

(This would be done with the assumption that you have snorkel gear to duck dive the 7m to your anchor if it got fouled)

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what you need to do in this situation is ignore your nice rib hanging off your davits and get out your old tatty zodiac dingy & out the depths of your lockers dig out your old early 80's Evinrude 2-stroke 4hp outboard (or old Johnson 4hp it doesn't matter as both make the same terribly annoying noise at full throttle) and send the kids off to play near the lovely large yacht..... just maybe the yacht would decide they have enough chain to actually anchor another mile off the coast and leave the bay to the locals..... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[MapisM]

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After all, larger boats are able to moor in more exposed anchorages than smaller ones.

[/ QUOTE ]I agree with others re. the chain length: that's at best useless, but actually rude if made purposedly - which is very likely in this case.
But I disagree with your bit above: in a bay shaped as the one you're talking about, there's no choice really, also for a big boat: either in or out. And if in, it's got to be close to the center (unless bringing stern lines to the coast, something no crew is usually keen on); if out, that's as exposed as in open sea.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

No, SV, that's Illetes (west side) which is also a v popular anchorage but a fair bit bigger than Portals Vells HERE

 

[rwoofer]

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I'll just stick a fender out if the boats might touch, as is often done in SoF anchorages.

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Surely a boat that size must weigh 100 tonnes plus, so it will either take you and your anchor with it as it swings, or if your anchor holds fast it will definitely make a mess of your stemhead fitting.

For similar sized boats I agree though.