How long do you dare leave your anchored boat…..

[KeelsonGraham]

…on the South West coast of the UK with its 5m tides? I tend to get twitchy after a couple of hours of being out of sight of her and am reluctant to leave her alone during the turn of tide. Is this overly cautious? What’s your psychological limit?!

 

[Wansworth]

Ships have crew on anchour watch …….never left out of sight

 

[wonkywinch]

From the Dart Harbourmaster ..

Skippers and competent crew (those required to move the vessel) are to be onboard during the first turning of the tide after anchoring and are not to leave the vessel until they are certain that the holding is good and that the vessel will not interact with other vessels, moorings and pontoons.

Anchoring - Dart Harbour

 

[SaltyC]

From the Dart Harbourmaster ..

Skippers and competent crew (those required to move the vessel) are to be onboard during the first turning of the tide after anchoring and are not to leave the vessel until they are certain that the holding is good and that the vessel will not interact with other vessels, moorings and pontoons.

Anchoring - Dart Harbour

Agrees with my thoughts.

Once I have 'buried' the anchor, seen 1 turn of tide with no movement AND the weather conditions have not / are not predicted to change happy to go and eplore for the day.

I certainly am not happy to drop anchor and jump in Dinghy and head ashore.

 

[Daydream believer]

Somewhere, in the deep dark terms of my insurance policy, I seem to recall that it says that I cannot leave my boat, on anchor, such that it is out of sight & must be quickly accessible. It must be on a dedicated mooring. I do have one for emergency when I cannot get into the marina & they accept this.

 

[Laysula]

A lot depends on the shelter, weather conditions and sea state.

 

[johnalison]

It is not something that I have thought hard about. I suppose the place that one is likely to leave the boat for longest is likely to be somewhere like Falmouth near the Town marina, from where one might be spending much of the day ashore. Speaking for myself, I suppose the most I have left the boat for would be 2-3 hours, but with a proper CQR in position I had no need to worry, of course, even on a sandy bottom like Portmellon.

 

[KeelsonGraham]

Somewhere, in the deep dark terms of my insurance policy, I seem to recall that it says that I cannot leave my boat, on anchor, such that it is out of sight & must be quickly accessible. It must be on a dedicated mooring. I do have one for emergency when I cannot get into the marina & they accept this.

Oooh, I hadn’t thought about that aspect.

 

[fredrussell]

East coast sailor here. Wouldn’t bother me if I had to leave mine for days. Stickiest mud on the planet and an anchor I trust.

 

[graham]

Im quite happy to leave the boat for several hours once the tides left her sat on the beach on her twin keels.

 

[mainsail1]

I was amazed to find boats at anchor and left on their own for days in the South of France, presumably to save marina fees.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Im quite happy to leave the boat for several hours once the tides left her sat on the beach on her twin keels.

Indeed. Once you’re firmly on the bottom, it’s easy to know exactly how long you’ve got without having the slightest worry.

 

[zoidberg]

....one is likely to leave the boat for longest is likely to be somewhere like Falmouth near the Town marina, from where one might be spending much of the day ashore.

Generally, yes, but I'd add just a word of caution.
That particular spot, very often used for exactly that purpose, was found by me to have a bottom so churned up by others' anchoring it was like Brown Windsor Soup. Guess how I found out.....

 

[FWB]

Well I don’t use a Bruce/Claw anchor so I don’t worry………yet another anchor thread is born

 

[Frogmogman]

…on the South West coast of the UK with its 5m tides? I tend to get twitchy after a couple of hours of being out of sight of her and am reluctant to leave her alone during the turn of tide. Is this overly cautious? What’s your psychological limit?!

Luxury. Used to dream of 5m tides….

 

[ridgy]

I've frequently left my boat "unattended" for 8 hours at a time whilst asleep and usually intoxicated. Always woken in the same place though always in sensible weather.

 

[Daydream believer]

..

 

[Stemar]

I've frequently left my boat "unattended" for 8 hours at a time whilst asleep and usually intoxicated. Always woken in the same place though always in sensible weather.

I would have said that until the last time I went to Newtown Creek. I went to sleep anchored halfway up Clamerkin Lake and woke up bumping against the gravel bank on the west side of the Creek, having dodged half a dozen boats on my way. First time I'd dragged with that anchor in 15 years or more.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I would have said that until the last time I went to Newtown Creek. I went to sleep anchored halfway up Clamerkin Lake and woke up bumping against the gravel bank on the west side of the Creek, having dodged half a dozen boats on my way. First time I'd dragged with that anchor in 15 years or more.

Newtown has some funny little patches of harder, slippery stuff under a layer of soup, we find. We dragged there last year, one week after watching a new DF40 do the same.

 

[KeelsonGraham]

And yet, the round-the-world liveboards will regularly leave their anchored boats for hours and hours.