First night at anchor

  • Thread starter Thread starter Alcyone
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Alcyone

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I'm keen to spend a night at anchor. I was looking at Porlock. I was toying with the idea of heading down on friday with the ebb and setting the anchor before the tide turns at around half past six. I could then watch what happens, and if the anchor was likely to pull out. THey are quite small tides, and the wind looks like 6-8mph South Easterly.

I have a CQR and 50m 8mm chain, and I'll probably chuck the lot out, at low tide in about 3m or so.

Am I insane, or is this no problem at all?
 
Why dont you just go in there....i never sleep too well at anchor even wath drag alarm on. Woody bay was ok but again your in trouble if something goes wrong.
 
Have held in an offshore F4/5 in Porlock Bay with much less scope than you intend to. However the holding is variable and I have dragged before. Ensure you are well out of the tide though - you can see the tide line. Light winds and neaps you should be fine to be honest. A lot of people just throw the iron lump over and have no regard to what the anchor is actually doing. Ensure it is dug in. Put half your intended scope and give a good burst astern to test it. Good luck - enjoy; it's one of my favourite spots.
 
Go for it. I have anchored there overnight several times and have never dragged at all. Great place - tranquil and picturesque. People get very anxious about anchoring but by the time you have made some grub and had a glass or two and some good conversation you will be quite sure you are holding and will sleep like a baby! Enjoy.
 
If it is calm i would do it again, like others have said .... just make sure she digs in. I would go full power astern until it snatches. Have you got anchor drag alarm?
 
ive dragged a few times in porlock too, i would not set anchor before the tide turns i would wait till just after the turn of the tide i set the anchor and try and get five to six hours sleep before tide turns again less chance of anchor pulling out when the boat swings round to the tide
 
Many thanks for the replies. I think we will have a go.

Allan, I'll speak to Louise (she's on nights) and post back later.
 
As the others have said the holding is a bit variable, with a hard lumpy bottom (as it were /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )

I have anchored there many times, with a cqr, in about 4m opposite the pool. Sometimes it takes a couple of goes to dig it in, but then even in F6 SW with several changes of tide I have never dragged. I use the gps anchor alarm, with a circle of say 100m which should accommodate the swing, but you can immediately tell when the tide turns because of the rumbling of the chain on the bottom.

First time is scary, but then you will wonder why so many people don't like to anchor, because it opens up so many more cruising opportunities. I anchored one night by the Avon Buoy on the English Grounds when the wind dropped and my gearbox was u/s! Also for tidal stopovers I regularly wait for the tide in Blue Anchor Bay, off Penarth, off Minehead, off St Donats, Combe Martin, Ilfracombe, Clovelly etc. It is a huge time-saver if you don't have to lock in somewhere, or can manage without a pontoon and shore-power, shock-horror (especially singlehanded in a longkeeler /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )
 
Cheers, Damo, it's a big draw for me. No disrespect to anyone, nor to any marinas, but I really do fancy anchoring 'away from it all', and the sooner I start doing it, the better I'll be at it. Sure, a night tied up on a pontoon and some good ale is very enjoyable, but so is (I hope) the peace and quiet of staying in a secluded bay somewhere.

If I don't come back, I'll leave you my home brew, it's on the turn, but is probably ok.
 
Light wind and Neap tide you will be fine.Very unlikely to drag.You may find though that you may rock and roll a bit as the swell finds its way into the bay. Before turning in have a good look around the boat for anything that will make a noise if you start rolling. Otherwise you will get up once to move the beer can rolling in the sink next for the winch handle moving in the holder next time for a halyard slapping the mast etc etc. May be an idea to have rope from your mooring bollard through the bow roller then connected to the chain.can be softer and quieter than chain.
 
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Light wind and Neap tide you will be fine.Very unlikely to drag.You may find though that you may rock and roll a bit as the swell finds its way into the bay. Before turning in have a good look around the boat for anything that will make a noise if you start rolling. Otherwise you will get up once to move the beer can rolling in the sink next for the winch handle moving in the holder next time for a halyard slapping the mast etc etc. May be an idea to have rope from your mooring bollard through the bow roller then connected to the chain.can be softer and quieter than chain.

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How do you know about that beer can?

Louise has been on nights all week, so will be out like a light. I'm a light sleeper, so will be up at every tiny sound.

We are going to give it a go, though.

Allan, Louise is going to get some kip in the morning, so we'll lock out at 13:30, just after HW Cardiff. I'll be on 72/16 if you don't make that, probably heading for Watchet/Minehead then down the coast. Last time, I stayed in the channel too long and had to motor into Porlock.

I'm taking a dinghy, but have no outboard, so we'll have to row to you for beer, or you come to us.

I'll PM you my mobile.

M.
 
I wouldnt chose Porlock for the first effort. The ground there is mainly large pebbles so the chance of dragging is high. There are some patches of sand and you'll be OK if you hit one of theose, But its a lottery unless you scuba.

Look at your chart for somewhere with shelter from the forecast wind and a muddy botttom
 
[ QUOTE ]
As the others have said the holding is a bit variable, with a hard lumpy bottom (as it were /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )

I have anchored there many times, with a cqr, in about 4m opposite the pool. Sometimes it takes a couple of goes to dig it in, but then even in F6 SW with several changes of tide I have never dragged. I use the gps anchor alarm, with a circle of say 100m which should accommodate the swing, but you can immediately tell when the tide turns because of the rumbling of the chain on the bottom.

First time is scary, but then you will wonder why so many people don't like to anchor, because it opens up so many more cruising opportunities. I anchored one night by the Avon Buoy on the English Grounds when the wind dropped and my gearbox was u/s! Also for tidal stopovers I regularly wait for the tide in Blue Anchor Bay, off Penarth, off Minehead, off St Donats, Combe Martin, Ilfracombe, Clovelly etc. It is a huge time-saver if you don't have to lock in somewhere, or can manage without a pontoon and shore-power, shock-horror (especially singlehanded in a longkeeler /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

[/ QUOTE ]

When you say 'opposite the pool', damo, whereabouts is this? Do you have a lat/long, or transits?

Cheers.
 
I suspect he means the pool at porlock weir at the entrance
ive stayed inside for the night on a few occasions before now
brian the harbour master is very helpful and its about £ 6 for the night
You can only access the pool a couple of hours either side of high water thou
Trouble is with porlock is theres ;ots of small stones and boulders which make setting the anchor hard the same sort ot terrain as the beach
as long as you have plenty of chain you should be good on neaps with the forecast
you could also dryout against minehead harbour wall if you had to
might be a bit rolly polly out at anchor but should be fun and if you can handle the Bristol channel you can handle almost anywhere
 
Well, we survived, and my homebrew is intact.

We ended up going down with Allan and another boat from CYC, and we all managed to anchor where it says so on the chart. I tried closer in at first, but could not find holding. It felt more than pebbles, it felt more like a rocky reef on the bottom. As one who used to drag anchors looking for wrecks years ago, I have some experience...........

Anchored just after dark, then the others piled aboard Ishtar for curry and beers. Louise and Vince decided to take Tigger ashore at about 23:00 and headed off in the dark and flat calm water.

When all three returned drenched to the skin 20 minutes later, complaining of breaking waves swamping the dinghy, Allan and I stared in disbelief. I still don't know what really happened, but more beer seemed to warm them up.

Sea like a mirror this morning, and we had to motor most of the way back, picking up some wind off Barry.

Note to self: When laying out 50m of 8mm chain and retrieving it three times, by hand, remember to look at the GPS SOG rather than paddle wheel log - the astern wash makes it look like you are moving.........
 
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