First time on over night anchor

[Chris H]

Weather dependant, we are looking to spend one maybe two nights on anchor, this will be our first time and I’m expecting sleepless nights !

What’s the general consensus on things to do.........should we leave the generator on all night to power the A/C, is there a phone app that will send an alert if the boat moves more than say 2/3 meters, this would also be handy if we leave the boat during the day, any other things we should consider?

 

[MapisM]

Just woke up after the 4th night at anchor in a row, all of them sleeping like a baby.

The one and only essential trick is to pick a great location and great weather forecast, and then you can forget all the rest.
A/C is the very first thing to forget: enjoying total silence is very high in the ranking of the things to like, when overnighting at anchor - well above a cooler environment.
And since the boat by definition stays (at least in the Med, where current is practically irrelevant) bow to the wind, you can always have some gentle breeze inside the cabins, which VERY rarely will make you miss A/C.

Ref. anchor alarm apps, based on the recommendations of someone here, I downloaded this one on my device and gave it a try.
Does what it says on the tin, BUT forget 2/3 meters, the ballpark movement that you want to be alerted about is rather 50m if not more, depending on how much chain you let down.
And you want to let down as much as allowed by surrounding boats - but if there's a lot of them and too close for comfort, it means that the place doesn't meet the condition as per the previous essential trick.
OTOH, if it does, you can as well forget anchor alarm apps altogether.
They are more likely to wake you up for nothing than anything else.
I never actually bothered to use the above app in fact, after trying it out of curiosity.

The only other important thing is secure the anchor chain to the cleats with a pair of lines and a hook, releasing the tension from the bow roller.
That's NOT to avoid stressing the winch - it can take that, even if some manufacturers advise against it.
It's the grinding noise of the chain on the roller, if and when the boat should swing, that you want to avoid like the plague.

Enjoy!

 

[julians]

For peace of mind, Anchor up early in the day, then when it's time to go to sleep you will have been on Anchor for 12-18 hours already and should be confident that its going to hold.

But to be fair once you've anchored a few times without issue you will gain confidence that it'll be fine.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Can only echo what MaipisM said, there is nothing worse than a boat running a generator all night in an anchorage where you can normally hear a pin drop. Some anchorages are obviously a bit busier than others, with background noise from cars or towns, here you would probably be OK, but those which are really quiet, in the middle of nowhere, please don't leave your generator running.

I use quiet anchorages because I want to get away from the hustle and bustle of marinas and ports, I specifically choose ones which have no infrastructure on the shore - you really won't make and friends if you spend the night with a generator running in such an anchorage.

Being sealed up with air-con running also makes you less aware of what is going on outside .... I have watched a large motor boat drift through an anchorage, all selaed tight, generator running and owners fast asleep on board. The smaller boats it narrowly missed were shouting and waving torches but to no avail ... the owners only woke up when it crashed into the pulpit of another boat and the crew started throwing things at the huge glass sliding door onto the aft deck. Don't be that mobo.

 

[Portofino]

Where are you thinking of going ?
Paloma beach is a great spot .If the wind picks up from the E. just move round into one of those little bays facing S , or Villfranche.
Or Villfranche itself , or the Lerins .
W of Cap d Antibes too is another .
Personally because of the pots don’t try moving unless you have too in the dark .
Theres a lot of shore light pollution and Fr piss heads moving at dusk / night .

Presume you arrive for a frolicking about in the water during the day ?
So we tend to geny up ( electric boat ) for cooking .Also about an hr before we turn in .An hr in the morning .Turn the charger on and sockets so folks can recharge there phones etc .

As MapishM ...re the bow roller unless it’s a mill pond ( tends to be tbh ) it will grind and another the bow cabin occupant(s) .

I,ll add you , that her really as you will be on the helm .....need to be able to execute a “rapid bug out “ .
If the weather turns , somebody drags or appears to drag towards you , or due to 180 degree wind change , it’s you that’s the guilty party and need to adjust positions.
So think carefully how to secure the chain if you go down the hook + cleat method ......because “ she “ finger nails + rings etc has to able to release it .Assuming “ she “ is not built like a gorilla .

Perhaps the FIRST time don’t tie the chain .
In mill pond / knack all wind it’s pretty silent anyhow and if it becomes noisy , then consider that an alarm in a way .

They are not all noisy anyhow ...our metal one with a very shallow V because it’s a pocket anchor , 1/2 way ( not on the the peak ) of the bow ....needs 1M + waves to grind .

As far as cooling the boat .
Run the AC when you run the geny before turning in to remove most heat and cull it down .
The wind keeps it bow Fwds so the bow cabins if open allow a breeze in + open the skylights if they open .
Person in the rear cabin can open the hatch and with the cockpit sunroof open = breeze through .
Teach them how to close all hatches / widows ......in a rapid bug out .


Put the tender and all water toys away at bed time , stow the cockpit for a “ rapid bug out “

Might be worth getting a LED bulb for the anchor light ......and all the internal lights as well ....another day + a few €100 .
Cooler temp wise inside + much lower watts used .

Familiarise yourself ( more so where you are = busy ) with your console / dash light switches in the marina when it’s dark .
Show others how they work .
If you do a rapid bug out without lights ...it’s not clever .

Lerins gets windy and a strong current between some times ...idyllic as it’s in day light ,

Finally for what they cost £75 buy a new geny bat unless you know it’s age is young .
Can you do a impeller change out ? at least familiarise yourself ...read the manual etc and carry a spare .

 

[Chris H]

Brilliant, thanks guys, we are thinking of going to st tropez with the kids, daughter has been on the boat but it’s the first time for our son, if he likes it he will be doing the day skipper course.

 

[Portofino]

Ah ....that’s up a few leagues from the Cannes area re anchoring .....windy !
So the place is S of the town , near the grave yard .Its on the L as you approach.Tender it in the restaurant.
Theres a few shoals in that bay marked so study the charts .Get a paper one as well so the family can double watch / assist and help you .
Pampalone round the corner can be nice or choppy if windy ....it’s got a fab sandy bottom .Music / party time at night though.

Gogolin is your get out jail card as a marina if the others are full .
Just watch the buoys and other boats on entry as the river Gisele throws sand banks in flood .....entry alters often ...it’s buoyed though.
Entrance to port Grimaud is another but it will be difficult with a 55 ftr at short notice ....radio them ch 9
While you are over there
Another place further W about 1 hr or less is Cavalaire ( cheap fuel by now ) , or as a overnighter @ anchor port Man in the port Cros island ...unber dark and sheltered .Then move to Port Cros itself and either anchor or pick up a buoy .Then to Porquerolles.
Loadsa safe anchorages and Boubas stamping ground ....get a pic of his new passerelle

 

[Chris H]

Ah ....that’s up a few leagues from the Cannes area re anchoring .....windy !
So the place is S of the town , near the grave yard .Its on the L as you approach.Tender it in the restaurant.
Theres a few shoals in that bay marked so study the charts .Get a paper one as well so the family can double watch / assist and help you .
Pampalone round the corner can be nice or choppy if windy ....it’s got a fab sandy bottom .Music / party time at night though.

Gogolin is your get out jail card as a marina if the others are full .
Just watch the buoys and other boats on entry as the river Gisele throws sand banks in flood .....entry alters often ...it’s buoyed though.
Entrance to port Grimaud is another but it will be difficult with a 55 ftr at short notice ....radio them ch 9
While you are over there
Another place further W about 1 hr or less is Cavalaire ( cheap fuel by now ) , or as a overnighter @ anchor port Man in the port Cros island ...unber dark and sheltered .Then move to Port Cros itself and either anchor or pick up a buoy .Then to Porquerolles.
Loadsa safe anchorages and Boubas stamping ground ....get a pic of his new passerelle

 

[Chris H]

That’s the exact bay we are thinking of, with maybe a night off Nikki beach somewhere, sunseeker have a pop up there .....with discounted food & beds !

 

[Portofino]

Sounds good .

Weather permitting while over there , relative to CapF your home port ...do consider a nose a Port Cros , Port Man .
As said fill up in Cavalaire or stay the night or both .

 

[mcanderson]

Chris,

Going St Trop by your own boat is simpler than driving as you don't have the awful road and traffic on the way in. We head there twice a year. Here is our rough plan when we go.

Day 1 head to The Lerins and stay over night. You can stay between the islands or around them, but between in the most popular Anchor in 4-5m and we tend to let out 30m of chain if staying overnight. During the day I let out 3 x depth, but go to 30m of the night.

Day 2 head to St Trop. We tend to leave the Lerins early and always have stayed in the marina. Its E74 for our 12m boat. They don't take bookings for less than 18M just call on Ch9 at the entrance and they will fit you in if they can. We have never had a problem. If we are taking our time then we stop in Agay for lunch. Pick up a bouy and Club Agathos Club Agathos does a great lunch.

We tend to stay for 3 nights in St Trop and once you have a spot in the port you can then nip around to Pampalone for the day and then head back. I saw that Sunseeker had their pop up. Talk boats and free drinks - what is not to like.

La Rague near Cannes has the cheapest fuel on the Cote D'Azur that I have found (thanks to Porto for the tip) roughly the same price as a normal service station. E1.37 when we were last there in June.

And we too have an all electric boat so generator for cooking and on for an hour before bed for aircon to drop the temp down and then off for the peace and quiet.

 

[Chris H]

Is there a go to weather app, or are they all much the same ?

 

[mcanderson]

I like Windfinder and PredictWind.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Windfinder and XC weather for me.

 

[Bouba]

The advantage of a crowded anchorage is that nobody knows who switched on their generator

 

[julians]

The windy app is good for wind forecast

Windy.com - Weather Radar, Satellite and Forecast - Apps on Google Play

 

[Portofino]

I use this on I pad
Sailing Weather - Marine Weather Forecasts for Sailors and Adventurers - PassageWeather

Then there’s a few VHF , “ Monaco “ and some others iirc CH 67 .....theses are good at Mistrals .
I have a card on the boat with them on

 

[Hooligan]

I use Windfinder, PredictWind and passage weather. PredictWind is the best one in my view for passages but you would need to get the enhanced version ie it costs. I can't add much to comments re anchorage other than reiterate what MapisM said. I remember the first time I did it and frankly did not have much sleep at all. every noise and I was awake or opening an eye. i think best anticipate the same as I am sure everyone felt like this first time out. Absolutely tie off your anchor as described as if you sleep in the forward cabin the grinding will keep you awake overnight. My only other general advice is that if you intend on spending nights on anchor think about upgrading your anchor and chain from what the boat arrived with. A good anchor and appropriate chain will rarely ever let you down once anchored properly and then your only worry is other boats around you - something we have experienced a couple of times! Good luck and have fun, it is great.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Is there a go to weather app, or are they all much the same ?

I use the Meteo Consult Marine app for general French forecasts and the Windfinder Pro app for wind forecasts.

Coastal Areas Marine Weather - free 14-day forecasts - METEO CONSULT MARINE
Windfinder Pro - weather & wind forecast by Windfinder - more detailed information than App Store & Google Play by AppGrooves - #8 App in Wind Forecast - Weather - 10 Similar Apps & 15,868 Reviews - AppGrooves: Get More Out of Life with iPhone & Android Apps

When overnight anchoring I use the Anchor Alarm app to monitor drift (although there may be better apps out there)

‎Anchor Alarm for Boaters

I also have a Navis anenometer with their Windy app to monitor wind speed over time

‎Anchor Alarm for Boaters

The problem of course is that if you run apps overnight your phone battery will be dead before the morning if youre not running your generator so I had a USB socket wired to to the service battery circuit installed next to my bed to keep my phone charged. With regard to generator use, dont take any notice of Mapism. He's Italian and doesnt feel the heat?. We Brits need aircon in the Med heat. Personally I keep the gennie and aircon running until we go to sleep and I may get up in the early morning to switch it on again if I feel too warm