EME
Active member
Anchors Away
Cruising around the Cap d’Antibes in my own little cloud, I can not help reflecting on the other master mariners who must have rounded this headland and looked in awe at The Alps and ‘Mercantour’ as they rise out of the sea. ‘ Ski in the morning, swim in the afternoon’ is still a reality around here.
We trundle cautiously towards La Garoupe; I actually approach the wrong bay first. TB (The Boss) respectfully advises that it is time I had my eyes retested ‘As anyone who can’t see 4 foot high numbers from 200 yards may be getting senile’. I cautiously suggest that investing in a divorce might be a better investment than a boat. Peace is restored.
With the wind blowing from the East (I think), the bay is calm and there are already a couple of boats anchored up for lunch. I motor ahead cautiously as the boats are only anchored about a hundred yards apart; given the morning’s experiences I have this fear that ‘Candid Camera’ may have been forewarned of my approach and my intuitive passion for seeking attention is not being fulfilled in the right manner methinks. Please, no more problems.
My worst fears are fulfilled; the depth gauge is definitely not working now. No problem here, use the handheld chart plotter and the charts. A little word on my Chart plotter will help; originally purchased after advice on MoBochat some two years ago, it has spent most of its short life as the backup, deputy understudy to the understudy handheld chart plotters which backup the secondary fixed chart plotters/radars on a well known Leopard occasionally mentioned on this forum. This was not a matter of design rather down to my own forgetfulness, advanced states of intoxication when leaving that vessel, not to mention a busted knee and petrol poisoning. I digress but you really have to wonder why a chap needs that many chart plotters don’t you? and the lengths a chap will go to avoid buying one? I guess on boats like that you use them as doorstops perhaps?
Reality. The plotter says that I am located somewhere between Grasse and Pegomas. No problem you might think, but I check the foredeck for mating animals as unfortunately the last person to sail around there was Noah - it locates our little boat 1500 ft up a mountain.
Again, I am prepared, and whilst ‘holding’ the boat against drift I hastily take a 3-point fix; alas, the resulting ‘cocked hat’ seems to locate us somewhere in the Western Mediterranean, given that I don’t believe we are too close to Sardinia I think it best to find an alternative option.
TB to the rescue. Moving slightly to her left and peering overboard she announces “ I can see the bottom – looks like we are in about 15 foot of water’. Not entirely happy with this amateur analysis and recognising my responsibilities as skipper I decide it best to check for myself. Just as well I did, I would estimate that allowing for refraction she is totally wrong. Through the gin clear water, it is obvious that the flat bottom is at least 16 foot beneath the water surface.
I ask TB to take the helm so that I can move forward and release the anchor. She says she will watch what happens but no way is she moving the d*** thing. Forward I go and discover that the electric release switch must be at the helm. Looking cool, I return and advise her that the anchor is free and we can release it; her silence is obviously a recognition that she is now beginning to appreciate my obvious authority in the situation. Anchors away!
That familiar clack-clack-clack assures me that, at last, things are going smoothly. Remembering JFM’s advice ‘ Oh don’t worry about all that 4 times depth stuff. They’re all about 20 – 30 metres long. Put the lot out.’
When the chain is about all out and the backing rope is smoothly deploying, I release the anchor switch. Looking up …Nooooo….my heart stops as I watch the unattached end of the rope slip smoothly over the side like elvers disappearing down an Egyptian’s gullet.
Now fellow forumites, I have a question for you. How useful is this forum as a learning mechanism really? I have avidly devoured hundreds, nay thousands, of posts on subjects such as Delta Anchors, Fore and Aft anchoring, Kedge Anchors, Weights of anchors, Fairline Anchors, back up anchors even bleeding FLYING anchors, But why oh why has no one ever written anything useful like ‘Recovering both anchor and chain when the lot disappears over the side’? My case rests.
The case in hand – it is quite obvious that if I move I will lose the position of the errant seabed retention equipment, so, hmmmm. …….. TB suggests that I switch the engine off. I comply, but before I can prevent her she has dived overboard. An obvious attempt at mutiny. There was no need for that.
I look around only to see that I seem to have attracted my fourth audience of the day as three people on the closest yacht are leaning on the port side rails watching everything that is happening. Actually not so much leaning as they all appear to be doubled up over the rails laughing uncontrollably.
As I deliver them a reverse Churchillian salute, I am a little surprised to see that TB has decided not to abandon ship and appears to have happened across the end of our anchor rope. What a lucky find.
I quickly take the rope off her unless she loses it again and hurry forward to the anchor rollers and windlass. A round turn and two half-arsed knots appear to do the trick. TB appears to be requiring my attention; I point her to the back of the boat, as I need to set the anchor. A couple of minutes later she joins me as I phone for the restaurant boat shuttle.
Time for Lunch.
To Be Continued
<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue>I am WHAT I say I am</font color=blue>
Cruising around the Cap d’Antibes in my own little cloud, I can not help reflecting on the other master mariners who must have rounded this headland and looked in awe at The Alps and ‘Mercantour’ as they rise out of the sea. ‘ Ski in the morning, swim in the afternoon’ is still a reality around here.
We trundle cautiously towards La Garoupe; I actually approach the wrong bay first. TB (The Boss) respectfully advises that it is time I had my eyes retested ‘As anyone who can’t see 4 foot high numbers from 200 yards may be getting senile’. I cautiously suggest that investing in a divorce might be a better investment than a boat. Peace is restored.
With the wind blowing from the East (I think), the bay is calm and there are already a couple of boats anchored up for lunch. I motor ahead cautiously as the boats are only anchored about a hundred yards apart; given the morning’s experiences I have this fear that ‘Candid Camera’ may have been forewarned of my approach and my intuitive passion for seeking attention is not being fulfilled in the right manner methinks. Please, no more problems.
My worst fears are fulfilled; the depth gauge is definitely not working now. No problem here, use the handheld chart plotter and the charts. A little word on my Chart plotter will help; originally purchased after advice on MoBochat some two years ago, it has spent most of its short life as the backup, deputy understudy to the understudy handheld chart plotters which backup the secondary fixed chart plotters/radars on a well known Leopard occasionally mentioned on this forum. This was not a matter of design rather down to my own forgetfulness, advanced states of intoxication when leaving that vessel, not to mention a busted knee and petrol poisoning. I digress but you really have to wonder why a chap needs that many chart plotters don’t you? and the lengths a chap will go to avoid buying one? I guess on boats like that you use them as doorstops perhaps?
Reality. The plotter says that I am located somewhere between Grasse and Pegomas. No problem you might think, but I check the foredeck for mating animals as unfortunately the last person to sail around there was Noah - it locates our little boat 1500 ft up a mountain.
Again, I am prepared, and whilst ‘holding’ the boat against drift I hastily take a 3-point fix; alas, the resulting ‘cocked hat’ seems to locate us somewhere in the Western Mediterranean, given that I don’t believe we are too close to Sardinia I think it best to find an alternative option.
TB to the rescue. Moving slightly to her left and peering overboard she announces “ I can see the bottom – looks like we are in about 15 foot of water’. Not entirely happy with this amateur analysis and recognising my responsibilities as skipper I decide it best to check for myself. Just as well I did, I would estimate that allowing for refraction she is totally wrong. Through the gin clear water, it is obvious that the flat bottom is at least 16 foot beneath the water surface.
I ask TB to take the helm so that I can move forward and release the anchor. She says she will watch what happens but no way is she moving the d*** thing. Forward I go and discover that the electric release switch must be at the helm. Looking cool, I return and advise her that the anchor is free and we can release it; her silence is obviously a recognition that she is now beginning to appreciate my obvious authority in the situation. Anchors away!
That familiar clack-clack-clack assures me that, at last, things are going smoothly. Remembering JFM’s advice ‘ Oh don’t worry about all that 4 times depth stuff. They’re all about 20 – 30 metres long. Put the lot out.’
When the chain is about all out and the backing rope is smoothly deploying, I release the anchor switch. Looking up …Nooooo….my heart stops as I watch the unattached end of the rope slip smoothly over the side like elvers disappearing down an Egyptian’s gullet.
Now fellow forumites, I have a question for you. How useful is this forum as a learning mechanism really? I have avidly devoured hundreds, nay thousands, of posts on subjects such as Delta Anchors, Fore and Aft anchoring, Kedge Anchors, Weights of anchors, Fairline Anchors, back up anchors even bleeding FLYING anchors, But why oh why has no one ever written anything useful like ‘Recovering both anchor and chain when the lot disappears over the side’? My case rests.
The case in hand – it is quite obvious that if I move I will lose the position of the errant seabed retention equipment, so, hmmmm. …….. TB suggests that I switch the engine off. I comply, but before I can prevent her she has dived overboard. An obvious attempt at mutiny. There was no need for that.
I look around only to see that I seem to have attracted my fourth audience of the day as three people on the closest yacht are leaning on the port side rails watching everything that is happening. Actually not so much leaning as they all appear to be doubled up over the rails laughing uncontrollably.
As I deliver them a reverse Churchillian salute, I am a little surprised to see that TB has decided not to abandon ship and appears to have happened across the end of our anchor rope. What a lucky find.
I quickly take the rope off her unless she loses it again and hurry forward to the anchor rollers and windlass. A round turn and two half-arsed knots appear to do the trick. TB appears to be requiring my attention; I point her to the back of the boat, as I need to set the anchor. A couple of minutes later she joins me as I phone for the restaurant boat shuttle.
Time for Lunch.
To Be Continued
<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue>I am WHAT I say I am</font color=blue>
