Diving on anchors

[Neeves]

Noelex as an undoubted expert on sharks in Australia is suggesting I'm a wimp (my interpretation) or maybe, being kind to myself that I would take a quick course, over 4 years, in shark behaviour and I would then find that my fears are groundless.

The original premise was that sharks, and other impediments (its cold, murky, dark, which may hide aliens), made diving on one's anchor less than attractive and that it should be possible to rely on ones own skills and the effectiveness of ones anchor (rather than diving).

Sorry if the thread has developed an antipodean focus - but PBO is anxious ( would think) to increase its readership - anywhere.

Maybe we should stick to murky, cold and dark - and buy anchors on which we can rely?

Jonathan

 

[RupertW]

Noelex as an undoubted expert on sharks in Australia is suggesting I'm a wimp (my interpretation) or maybe, being kind to myself that I would take a quick course, over 4 years, in shark behaviour and I would then find that my fears are groundless.

The original premise was that sharks, and other impediments (its cold, murky, dark, which may hide aliens), made diving on one's anchor less than attractive and that it should be possible to rely on ones own skills and the effectiveness of ones anchor (rather than diving).

Sorry if the thread has developed an antipodean focus - but PBO is anxious ( would think) to increase its readership - anywhere.

Maybe we should stick to murky, cold and dark - and buy anchors on which we can rely?

Jonathan

You are still blind to the fact that the best anchor, gear and technique in the world won't work on every seabed surface and diving will tell you that when no other method can (even full reverse or already being in a gale). But practically it's just another tool on top of all the other things that help to keep us safe and in most of the world most of the time it's utterly impractical to dive every time, so you have to rely on the other things and take the small but significant risk that you will sometimes drag unexpectedly or have to be less adventurous is using unknown anchorages.

Not being able to dive at certain times of the year doesn't stop me anchoring or sleeping, but I tend to use the more well known and ideally familiar anchorages then.

 

[Neeves]

You are still blind to the fact that the best anchor, gear and technique in the world won't work on every seabed surface

My mantra is well known, anchors are a compromise, there is no one perfect anchor, carry a cross section of anchors to suit the seabeds you are likely encounter.

On a long cruise we would carry a Fortress FX16, set at 30 deg, a FX37 set at 45 degrees, an A80 Spade and a 8kg alloy Excel. Our rode is 75m x 6mm high tensile and we have a second rode of 40m of nylon with 15m x 6mm HT chain. We use snubbers (bridle as it is a cat) of min 10m extendable to 30m of dynamic climbing rope. Our favourite cruising ground is Tasmania's west coast, the southern ocean (where the sea is sufficiently cold there would be no pleasure in diving, even with a wet suit.). We trust our ground tackle and have no need to dive and have not been found wanting. It about a 2,000nm trip from Sydney to Port Davey, return.

Jonathan

 

[RupertW]

My mantra is well known, anchors are a compromise, there is no one perfect anchor, carry a cross section of anchors to suit the seabeds you are likely encounter.

On a long cruise we would carry a Fortress FX16, set at 30 deg, a FX37 set at 45 degrees, an A80 Spade and a 8kg alloy Excel. Our rode is 75m x 6mm high tensile and we have a second rode of 40m of nylon with 15m x 6mm HT chain. We use snubbers (bridle as it is a cat) of min 10m extendable to 30m of dynamic climbing rope. Our favourite cruising ground is Tasmania's west coast, the southern ocean (where the sea is sufficiently cold there would be no pleasure in diving, even with a wet suit.). We trust our ground tackle and have no need to dive and have not been found wanting. It about a 2,000nm trip from Sydney to Port Davey, return.

Jonathan

All irrelevent - you control the gear not the seabed - just because I haven't been struck by lightning doesn't mean I won't be.

I don't know your waters but it may be that all the places you anchor never have obstructions or rocks - if they do then you need to think a bit harder and acknowledge that sometimes your contingency plan for dragging might be needed (as mine might be) when you can't visually confirm whether the anchor has set.

Or you could just keep being sure that you have all the gear so are totally safe anywhere forever.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

All irrelevant - you control the gear not the seabed - just because I haven't been struck by lightning doesn't mean I won't be.

I don't know your waters but it may be that all the places you anchor never have obstructions or rocks - if they do then you need to think a bit harder and acknowledge that sometimes your contingency plan for dragging might be needed (as mine might be) when you can't visually confirm whether the anchor has set.

Or you could just keep being sure that you have all the gear so are totally safe anywhere forever.

I am sure that the non divers do not think they are totally safe when anchored. The flaw in your diving argument is the unknowns, the buried anchor that has settled just on top of a rock ledge that will allow it to pull out under prolonged load, the damaged link that visually looks okay but is close to failing, the heavy rains that are causing sub surface springs to weaken the seabed, the secure anchorage where the winter gales have scoured most of the sand away.

Anyway, this thread has now reached the inevitable point that all threads reach, where positions are perceived to be entrenched, the discussion becomes polarised with a battle to get the last word in. I am happy to lose that battle.

All good stuff though