first time overnight anchoring?

Our favourite overnight anchorage in the Solent is tucked in just east of Hurst point by the lighthouse.

Probably not ideal for your first stop, but when you've got comfortable with anchoring its a lovely stop, but a long way from civilisation.

Sound in to about 2m water at LW, with winds from the West its remakably quite here at night with little swell especially at Neaps.

You'll probably have a few yachts for company, but in fine weather you'll get a lovely sunset and then in the morning the sun rising through the mist over the solent to the East is magical.
 
jbweston said:
before going to bed take another transit so you can check for movement in the night if you want
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Good advice - but do make sure it's made with things you'll be able to see in the dark! I made that mistake a couple of times before I learned. Either something that will be lit, or is on the skyline, or at least has strong contrast with its background.

I have a little pad for navigational notes and a clip above the chart table that I can put said notes in - if the transit isn't 100% unmistakeable, unforgettable and obvious, I draw a little sketch to compare to later.

Pete
 
Here is the best guide to anchoring overnight....

1) Carefully select spot... as others mention drive around a bit to find the best depth...
2) Gradually work yourself into a panic as the best spots get filled up while you try to decide were to go..
3) Put wife on foredeck and attach windlass control.
4) Once you have picked your spot, start lowering chain.
5) Stop, wind back in chain, untie anchor from pullpit, try again.
6) lower loads of chain, whilst reversing at a steady speed to dig in.
7) If boat stops try to figure out how much scope you have by estimating amount of chain left in locker. (Note if boat fails to stop, repeat steps six and seven until its dark, go to marina, buy Rocna after extensive online debate, Repeat from step one next season.)
8) Argue with wife as to why she didnt measure the chain whilst it was going out.
9) Settle in cockpit to see if your dragging.
10) Release more chain.
11) Settle in cockpit to see if you will interfere with anyone else.
12) Take in some chain.
13) Watch as someone else arrives and lays far too little chain directly on top of your scope, then buggers off ashore.
14) Grizzle to wife about above.
15) Eat dinner whilst continously checking transits that you picked whilst looking out of the toilet window.
16) Get drunk and say "Feck it"
17) Wake up every ten minutes and check transit light ashore from toilet window, whilst pretending to pee.
18) Panic after light dissapears and choose to spend rest of night awake in cockpit worrying about the light zephyr and if you are dragging.
19) Realise that the transit light you picked earlier from toilet window was the moon, or a dustcart.
20) At dawn, raise anchor, motor to nearest pontoon, sleep all day.
21) Never repeat the above steps.
 
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prv said:
Ower's Lake. My standard got-this-far-on-Friday-night stopoff before heading into the Solent first thing the following morning.

Pete
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The last couple of years we've found it quite easy to drag all over the place in Owers. I suspect it's been dredged and there's now a quite hard bottom covered with thin mud. [whisper] This is with a Delta [/whisper]. Like to hear your experience.
 
photodog said:
Here is the best guide to anchoring overnight....

1) Carefully select spot... as others mention drive around a bit to find the best depth...
2) Gradually work yourself into a panic as the best spots get filled up while you try to decide were to go..
3) Put wife on foredeck and attach windlass control.
4) Once you have picked your spot, start lowering chain.
5) Stop, wind back in chain, untie anchor from pullpit, try again.
6) lower loads of chain, whilst reversing at a steady speed to dig in.
7) If boat stops try to figure out how much scope you have by estimating amount of chain left in locker. (Note if boat fails to stop, repeat steps six and seven until its dark, go to marina, buy Rocna after extensive online debate, Repeat from step one next season.)
8) Argue with wife as to why she didnt measure the chain whilst it was going out.
9) Settle in cockpit to see if your dragging.
10) Release more chain.
11) Settle in cockpit to see if you will interfere with anyone else.
12) Take in some chain.
13) Watch as someone else arrives and lays far too little chain directly on top of your scope, then buggers off ashore.
14) Grizzle to wife about above.
15) Eat dinner whilst continously checking transits that you picked whilst looking out of the toilet window.
16) Get drunk and say "Feck it"
17) Wake up every ten minutes and check transit light ashore from toilet window, whilst pretending to pee.
18) Panic after light dissapears and choose to spend rest of night awake in cockpit worrying about the light zephyr and if you are dragging.
19) Realise that the transit light you picked earlier from toilet window was the moon, or a dustcart.
20) At dawn, raise anchor, motor to nearest pontoon, sleep all day.
21) Never repeat the above steps.
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(0) Put kettle on.
(1) Point boat head to wind, lash tiller (OK, turn off tillerpilot) and furl genoa.
(2) Wander forward and chuck anchor and half scope overboard.
(3) Drop mainsail.
(4) Deploy rest of scope.
(5) Start & ease engine to 3/4 astern.
(6) Stow & tidy up.
(7) Blast of full astern, engine off, kettle off, cuppa/G&T/etc

<cough> I've got the biggest Spade* that would fit in the locker of my bilge-keeler.

*True! I printed out the PDFs and made two cardboard replicas before buying.
 
TwisterKen's suggestion will be shown on your charts as Stanswood Bay and will be a good start to anchoring in from 2-3 metres at Chart Datum ,West of the low cooling caisson from the refinery(also an excellent place for mackerel fishing!)
Beware of several pot markers all along this stretch, some orange pickup buoys, others with a stick and /flag.
If you take a dinghy with you there is a nice beach for a picnic.
Some wash from the Ferries during the day but not too bad.
Also mentioned ,Osborne Bay;there are some rocks close in where the launching ramp aligns ,but as said good holding, can get crowded during Cowes Week, as an alternative to the marina rafts. You aren't allowed ashore on the beach here - Crown property with notices.
Thorness Bay also a nice place with sandy beach,(but beware of getting too close to Quarry Ledge where there is a lot of broad leaf kelp which prevents good holding) also there is an isolated rock in Thorness with a post mounted upon it.

ianat182
 
I am astounded by the fuss and mild panic that seems to be surrounding this anchoring lark. Obviously I am doing it all wrong and its just been a complete matter of luck that I am not dead now from our anchor dragging us into some ocean hole for those who don't take this seriously enough.

We have a friend who is a very experienced skipper whose anchoring technique consists of coming to a halt in a suitable spot and chucking the anchor over the side with plenty of scope. He does check the weather forecast, he does choose suitable places to anchor - like lots of mud etc, and he does check the tide tables - but don't we all do that as a matter of course?

He DOESN'T EVER reverse the anchor in to 'check its holding' - he just assumes that it will - and it invariably does.

Its a 36' long keeled classic boat and the anchor is a CQR.

On our boat (and I confess to having a spade) - we just chuck the thing over the side (actually it gets lowered from the bow on the windlass) until there's enough scope and I MIGHT give it a nudge astern if the engine is on, but otherwise I just keep an eye on the transits for a while. Certainly none of this hard astern lark.

I can't remember the last time we dragged - meaning its years and years ago.

I NEVER get up at the turn of the tide to check if its reset as we usually anchor somewhere benign, and frankly, the chain is probably holding us to the bottom.

Why do people frighten newbies about anchoring? Its what boats did all the time for hundreds of years.

If the weather forecast is for a hurricane - then I might worry a bit more, but as I can claim the tea-shirt for having anchored through a hurricane, then that is another discussion.

To the OP - find somewhere quiet with a muddy bottom, chuck the anchor over the side with enough scope and do the sensible and seamanship things like making sure you are steady on the transits. Go to bed and sleep soundly in the knowledge that you've saved yourself a few quid in marina fees.
 
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john_morris_uk said:
I am astounded by the fuss and mild panic that seems to be surrounding this anchoring lark. Obviously I am doing it all wrong and its just been a complete matter of luck that I am not dead now from our anchor dragging us into some ocean hole for those who don't take this seriously enough.

We have a friend who is a very experienced skipper whose anchoring technique consists of coming to a halt in a suitable spot and chucking the anchor over the side with plenty of scope. He does check the weather forecast, he does choose suitable places to anchor - like lots of mud etc, and he does check the tide tables - but don't we all do that as a matter of course?

He DOESN'T EVER reverse the anchor in to 'check its holding' - he just assumes that it will - and it invariably does.

Its a 36' long keeled classic boat and the anchor is a CQR.

On our boat (and I confess to having a spade) - we just chuck the thing over the side (actually it gets lowered from the bow on the windlass) until there's enough scope and I MIGHT give it a nudge astern if the engine is on, but otherwise I just keep an eye on the transits for a while. Certainly none of this hard astern lark.

I can't remember the last time we dragged - meaning its years and years ago.

I NEVER get up at the turn of the tide to check if its reset as we usually anchor somewhere benign, and frankly, the chain is probably holding us to the bottom.

Why do people frighten newbies about anchoring? Its what boats did all the time for hundreds of years.

If the weather forecast is for a hurricane - then I might worry a bit more, but as I can claim the tea-shirt for having anchored through a hurricane, then that is another discussion.

To the OP - find somewhere quiet with a muddy bottom, chuck the anchor over the side with enough scope and do the sensible and seamanship things like making sure you are steady on the transits. Go to bed and sleep soundly in the knowledge that you've saved yourself a few quid in marina fees.
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AT LAST! A voice of reason. Anchoring is not an occult art, it's probably the most simple operation of any boating skill.
There was even someone on a thread here once, who said that you should dive down to check if the anchor was working. What tosh.
 
alahol2 said:
The last couple of years we've found it quite easy to drag all over the place in Owers. I suspect it's been dredged and there's now a quite hard bottom covered with thin mud. [whisper] This is with a Delta [/whisper]. Like to hear your experience.
Click to expand...

I've not dragged there, including once on rather short scope (I didn't watch where my crew was putting us as I lowered the anchor and we would have swung into one of the moored boats if I'd put out as much as normal).

However, KS is only 24 feet, and the (CQR) anchor is of the sort of size I'm used to handling on 38' charter boats, with chain to match. The previous owner lived aboard and clearly intended to stay put :)

Pete
 
jbweston said:
I think you'll find lots of people will give you different advice which overlaps in part and is diametrically opposite in others!

I agree with the advice so far except I wouldn't bother with the GPS anchor alarm - if you get it too sensitive it will wake you up needlessly and not sensitive enough and it won't do its job unless you have a lot of dragging space. My tips:

1 (I assume you've done this already but it's worth mentioning because some people don't) make sure your anchor is of a good pattern (don't get forumites started on that one - I just mean any well established yacht anchor pattern), heavy enough and with enough chain or chain and rope of type and length widely recommended in the books. Also of course pick a good night for it as far as weather forecast goes.

2 When you anchor, pick the right spot and let the anchor down to the bottom and then pay out the rode slowly rather than letting the crew dump it in a heap on the anchor.

3 When you've paid out enough rode (again see textbooks) secure the rode to something very solid and then put the engine astern to set the anchor. I reckon to increase my astern throttle more or less to full and then watch a transit at right angles on the shore. If you stop going back under steady throttle setting, the anchor is set - and a good transit will indicate the slightest movement. If you have a motor boat I guess you might not use all 1,000 horsepower and have to take it steady on the throttle! But with sail I reckon if the anchor will hold on full astern it will deal with all normal weather conditions. If it drags when going astern, you should raise it and repeat from step 2.

4 A hidden benefit of step 3 is that in most bottoms it will bury the anchor so it won't snag on the chain when the tide turns.

5. When you turn off your engine and before going to bed take another transit so you can check for movement in the night if you want. Inevitably the boat is going to move around a bit even before the tide turns, and you needn't worry about that. It's prolonged movement downtide or downwind (and possibly near continuous scraping and vibrating in the anchor chain when you put your hand on it) that tells you you are dragging rather than just roaming around a bit.

6. Finally before going to bed work out what you will do if the wind gets up and/or changes dangerously or to the point of serious discomfort- usually that means raising the anchor and clearing out - so have you chart, engine keys, torch etc ready for a quick departure. This is unlikely but best to be ready just in case.

7. Then sleep soundly and wake up at a time to suit you. If you are conscientious and/or nervous, set the alarm clock for the time the tide is changing or the middle of the night, then pop up the companion way to check everything is OK before going back to bed. More than 99 times out of a 100 things will be absolutely AOK and you can go back to bed and sleep easy.

I hope things go well. It should be easy and painless once you've done it a couple of times. No need for warps, fenders, crew leaping about and complicated manoeuvring . . it's the low effort way to stop for the night.
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I was OK with this until I got to para 7. Forget sleep - you wont do much of that. Just lie down fully clothed and ready to run about checking if you are dragging. Dont have any booze - you might have to move the boat and in the dark amongst other boats that isnt easy. Have three decent bearings from the hand bearing compass on three easily identified landmarks on the horizon ie hilltop not half way up the hill. Have a clear plannned and noted down exit route.

Finally, have somewhere to stay when daylight comes up and you can finally get your head down.
 
anchor alarm...

Garmin Vista model HCX and perhaps Vista CX and others have an anchor alarm that can be set so that the GPS recognizes your position and rings when the user set limit is breached.

Have seen anchored boats speed by and slowly realized that it was my boat that was rapidly approaching the beach...
 
john_morris_uk said:
I am astounded by the fuss and mild panic that seems to be surrounding this anchoring lark...

I NEVER get up at the turn of the tide to check if its reset as we usually anchor somewhere benign, and frankly, the chain is probably holding us to the bottom...

Why do people frighten newbies about anchoring? Its what boats did all the time for hundreds of years....

Go to bed and sleep soundly...
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But did boats' crews not at least stand anchor-watches over the centuries? And if today we have anchor-drag alarms on GPS units (our fixed 10-yr old Garmin seems to have one, whereas my H/H Garmin GPS chartplotter doesn't) then why not at least get into the habit of setting this before going off to sleep?
 
Boathook said:
Never did it in the '70's when my parents had a boat at Faversham. Is this a new trend?
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we dont need much scope either

Photo0133.jpg
 
Babylon said:
But did boats' crews not at least stand anchor-watches over the centuries?
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On ships (especially Naval), sure, but I can't imagine every specimen of floating transport ever used, for hundreds or thousands of years, right up to the invention of the GPS anchor alarm, always and invariably set a reliable anchor watch.

Babylon said:
And if today we have anchor-drag alarms on GPS units then why not at least get into the habit of setting this before going off to sleep?
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Because I don't need to. I'm confident I'm securely anchored, I've got plenty of chain out, and I've taken a good look around while having a pee before going to bed just to double-check we haven't moved since before dinner.

And partly because the beeper on my ancient Garmin is too feeble to wake me up anyway :D

Pete
 
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