Hard Seabeds

[Neeves]

I sharpened the point of my Rocna after a few years of anchoring. I did it with a drill and sanding disk as the galvanising on the tip had already worn away. I've only done it the the once because in recent years I have learned to avoid the hard seabed anchorages.

Richard

Richard,

How do you know the anchorage X or Y, or the sheltered area X or Y is hard? Is this because you have been there previously - or its well documented?


Many anchors bend - I have a lovely pictures of a variety of bent NG anchors, most models you can think of, - commonly because they have been caught in rock and the owner has been overzealous. I have pictures of anchors where the steel has torn. Its not unusual - no anchor maker is immune.

I don't post them, nor name names - because I don't know the circumstances (and commonly the owner is reluctant to suggest they were at fault). Torn or cracked steel is possibly a different issue. But to post images where the history is unknown is hardly fair and might be described, at best, as trolling or spruiking a competitive product - so its good to know that practice is not being conducted on YBW.

Jonathan

 

[RichardS]

Richard,

How do you know the anchorage X or Y, or the sheltered area X or Y is hard? Is this because you have been there previously - or its well documented?


Many anchors bend - I have a lovely pictures of a variety of bent NG anchors, most models you can think of, - commonly because they have been caught in rock and the owner has been overzealous. I have pictures of anchors where the steel has torn. Its not unusual - no anchor maker is immune.

I don't post them, nor name names - because I don't know the circumstances (and commonly the owner is reluctant to suggest they were at fault). Torn or cracked steel is possibly a different issue. But to post images where the history is unknown is hardly fair and might be described, at best, as trolling or spruiking a competitive product - so its good to know that practice is not being conducted on YBW.

Jonathan

It's a mixture of factors. I know Croatia much better after 8 years so I've simply learned which islands/area tend to have hard rock stretching out under the sea. I also pay more attention to my cruising guide and when it says "Difficult to anchor" I'm much more inclined to believe it rather than look over the side and see something the colour of sand and decide that if it looks like sand, it probably is sand. :ambivalence:

One peculiarity in places like Rucovac or Komiza is that outcrops of weed have broken through the rock in patches and because the sea is so clear, you can usually manage to drop the Rocna into the forward edge weed patch where it will grip pretty well when you pull back a metre, although I wouldn't be keen to test it in high winds or try the same thing with a CQR.

It's the same thing as dropping the anchor in a patch of sand between the coral/rocks which I've done in the Caribbean. Once again, crystal clear water down to at least 5 metres is a prerequisite. I'm not sure how UK sailors manage when you can't see the bottom.

Richard