Confession: I dragged my anchor in the Backwaters...

E

Elemental

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... and if you were the yacht next to us I humbly apologise.

However, I'd like to tap into the collective wisdom here and ask advice on how to prevent it happening this year. We arrived at dead low water and anchored just off stone bank. As you know, you end up only a meter or two from the mud. It took a few attempts to get the anchor buried, but eventually I seemed to get a good bite. However, I was uncertain as to how much chain to lay out. Too much and I was fearful that as the tide flooded (to say 2am) and then ebbed (8am) we'd end up beached as the boat drifted over the mud flat. Too little and the anchor would drag as the tide flooded or as we swung at the top of the tide. In the event I obviously erred and had too little.

How do you anchor there and avoid either dragging or risking ending up on the mud as the boat swings around at night?

Mark
 
Yep... its not the easiest place to anchor.... worst is when the wind is across the Twizzle, and then it can be tough to get the hook in the right place....

I usually put out 5 times depth at Stone Point... the range can be 3.5m or more, so a decent scope is essential...

Also, don't be too panicky about hitting the mud... its quite soft, and unless you ground before half the drop, then generally its not too big a deal....

As an aside, the holding varies around stone point. There is one particular area where the flat area of the beach drains out back into the Twizzle that is a little more stony than elsewheere, and we've observed that the holding isn't as good there as further in or out the river.....

If conditions are particularly awkward, then as Sailorman says, weigh anchor and head for Hamford Water for a peaceful night!
 
There have been patches of marine growth in Hamford Water causing problems (is it called pipe-weed or something?) and it is as well to make sure the anchor is well dug in there, though usually it's fine.
 
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worst is when the wind is across the Twizzle, and then it can be tough to get the hook in the right place....


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Yes I have that problem occasionally as well. There is medication for it now I am advised. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Hmmm, guess where I was (or where I started). There was slightly stonier bit of the beach about where the big flat 'inlet' drains out. Beginner's (bad) luck perhaps. I have anchored very comfortably in Hamford water for lunches and overnight, but stone point is a nice place to put ashore and fire up the barby...
 
There's also the issue of those who think they're dragging, but are not. The tide doesn't exactly run "up and down" and your chain can sweep across the shingle making a load noise which when first heard appears to mean you are on the move. Inevitablty this happens in the early hours of the morning, and in a wooden boat the noise seems to amplify and is very worrying.

I've been concerned in the past about how much chain to put out in sometimes a very crowded anchorage, as the tides do swirl around, & different boats lie at different angles to it, with always the worry of a clash.

Ianc
 
Yes,

There is undobtedly more pipeweed there than previously...

Last year, we had another boat give us the 'evil eye' as they thought we were going to anchor too close (whereas in reality, we were just finding a position to drop the hook, and intended drifting back a further 50' before we did so)... they were quite 'direct' in their monitoring of our position....

And an hour later, while we held nicely, they dragged onto another boat, wrapped their chain round a keel, and got in what can only be described as a complete pickle!

The weed seems to be most prolific up past the creek to the explosives factory.... (whose name escapes me for the moment)
 
We dragged in Landemere creek - straight on at the end of Hamford water, but went aground on soft mud almost immediately. We had been fine for about 4 tides, but on the 4th change of tide, the anchor was so wrapped up in pipeweed that it hadn't a chance to reset. Apart from that, it's a lovely deserted spot to anchor. We haven't had any problem anywhere else in the backwaters.
 
I deliberately didn't say, because I didn't want to initiate an anchor debate.

It was a CQR, which has served us well all along the East Coast and further afield. Judging by the amount of pipeweed that I brought up with it, the tip wouldn't have reached the mud!
 
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You're probably using the wrong type of anchor. You need a special type of anchor to work reliably on the East Coast.

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Well I've got a Robert. Its like a Bruce, but its made in Scotland.

175lbs with 100 fathoms of 2 inch chain.

And thats just my Lunch hook Kedge. You cant be too careful.
 
Returning to the original thread, sort of, I wonder if the chap is still around at Walton we encountered a few years ago. We had anchored above Stone Point quite happily with lots of room, until we saw this chap had anchored too close. I sent our teenage daughter across to make a polite warning, but he was rude to her and when I rowed across later he blamed me for my boat swinging around. I said I had swinging rights as I was there first (by some hours) and he gave a classic reply "But I always anchor here on a Sunday".
 
The creek to starboard is Oakley - I went to the top once just to see the seals.
Pipe weed is worst after Kirby Creek further up to port - I've dragged there several times before giving up and trying lower down Hamford.
Out of season, there is a deep spot at the top of Kirby with an excellent empty mooring. Very quiet, and the first place I saw egrets too.
 
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