Leaving a boat unattended at anchor

  • Thread starter Thread starter jdc
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Special Boat (sitting) Services.

Thistle said:
Is it a nice place? Do you want a boat-sitter? ;)
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Good one that Thistle - my new career - I will be an operative in the
Special Boat (sitting) Services -

Increased rates if the boat is well ugly of course:)

Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5
 
I am really quite saddened by the number on here, who do not have the confidence in either their own ability to anchor safely, or their anchoring equipment, to leave their boats unattended, or out of their sight.

I sail mainly on the West Coast of Scotland, and until recently, using your own anchor was the only way of "parking" your boat. Now there are some marinas, pontoon berths, and visitors moorings, but I'm not convinced that the provision of these facilities, has resulted in better sailors. Possibly having to rely on one's own resouces, made for more resourceful yachtsmen (and women).

If I felt that I couldn't safely leave my boat anchored, to go ashore to climb the hills, to walk the coasts, and visit the wonderful, and sometimes, remote land, I would lose half of my enjoyment.

I'm not wishing to criticize how others choose to make use of their boats, and I do accept that a lot depends on the area in which one sails. Some have mentioned the worry of theft etc. I guess that the area in which I normally cruise, doesn't have the population pressures, which can lead to these problems.
 
NormanS said:
I am really quite saddened by the number on here, who do not have the confidence in either their own ability to anchor safely, or their anchoring equipment, to leave their boats unattended, or out of their sight.

I sail mainly on the West Coast of Scotland, and until recently, using your own anchor was the only way of "parking" your boat. Now there are some marinas, pontoon berths, and visitors moorings, but I'm not convinced that the provision of these facilities, has resulted in better sailors. Possibly having to rely on one's own resouces, made for more resourceful yachtsmen (and women).

If I felt that I couldn't safely leave my boat anchored, to go ashore to climb the hills, to walk the coasts, and visit the wonderful, and sometimes, remote land, I would lose half of my enjoyment.

I'm not wishing to criticize how others choose to make use of their boats, and I do accept that a lot depends on the area in which one sails. Some have mentioned the worry of theft etc. I guess that the area in which I normally cruise, doesn't have the population pressures, which can lead to these problems.
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I have plenty of confidence in my anchoring abilities, but I also know the limits of the ground tackle my boat carries, as she is basically a weekend / holiday boat, not a steel Colin Archer.

My fidgetting is partly out of affection for my boat, and partly with experience of the antics and clowns I have 'met' over the years !

Yes a lot of this is a population density ( never has a word been truer ).
 
I've left mine unattended for 2/3 days at anchor to go exploring the coastal path, but there is always a niggling doubt what you will find when you turn the corner into the bay as you return and a big sense of relief when you sight the mast(s) in the distance.

If it was a busy (ish) anchorage my biggest fear would not be my ability to anchor the boat, but somebody else's abilities, will they drag onto me or worse still trip my anchor?

I think the comment made about the west coast of Scotland is a valid one, less day sailers coming and going, plus most sailors there carry gear suited to the remote locations and are more savvy in its use.

As for the original post, I'd anchor up, stay on the boat for the first storm, check your position and your gear afterwards see if you've moved or any Chaffee if all seems good then go for it
 
Thanks!

Many thanks for the replies and suggestions. I wholeheartedly agree with those who say that the whole point of cruising is to go and do interesting things ashore. Cruising in the west of Scotland that's what we like to do: Munro-bagging from sea-level often means a longish walk in and out, and I've left the boat for night or two, and many times at least a full day at anchor, most recently in W loch Tarbert, Jura.

I'd thought that a Bahamian moor would be the preferred technique, and it's what I favor aslo, but I wanted to hear the experience of others. I tend to use a 25kg Delta on chain, and a 20 kg Delta in tandem with a 25 kg fisherman's on mixed chain - multiplait laid in the other direction.

I was intrigued by the suggestion to use Seasteel. I do like synthetic risers - and they are certainly strong enough - but I have so far avoided Seasteel since it floats, preferring to use Polyester. It strikes me that for a yacht mooring, the Seasteel section would have to be shorter than the depth at HWS, hence a chain lower riser is needed anyway, diminishing the advantage.

Where I think Seasteel definitely comes into its own is when mooring a cornflake packet at each corner (eg a fish farm). This way the moored object never over-rides the floating rode - but this is of purely academic interest to a normal yacht

Thistle said:
Is it a nice place? Do you want a boat-sitter? ;)
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Chile, to go riding in the Torres Del Paine and hiking in the Andes, reproducing some of Darwin's exploits when he was a young man.
 
Anchored boat 'salvaged'

I heard a story a while ago about an ex-military gent who left his boat unattended at anchor while he went ashore to walk his dog.

When he returned he found his boat, which had been perfectly secure, had been 'salvaged' by a local fisherman and taken into a nearby harbour with the aim of making a claim.

Being an 'assertive' sort of chap, he got his point across rather quickly and recovered his boat straight away.

I wouldn't have liked to have been in that position though ...
 
jdc said:
I'd thought that a Bahamian moor would be the preferred technique, and it's what I favor aslo, but I wanted to hear the experience of others. I tend to use a 25kg Delta on chain, and a 20 kg Delta in tandem with a 25 kg fisherman's on mixed chain - multiplait laid in the other direction.
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I agree, Bahamian moor.

Although I've always wondered when it got that name. I always called it a "tidal moor", which is what my skippers called it when I first started cruising the Brittany coast in the early 1950's. It was then the only method of stopping the boat for a run ashore in places like Lezardrieux, Treguier or L'Abervrach - no moorings or pontoons then!

There are two things about a moor which make it safe. First, each anchor is pulled against the other - and if either gives, you re-lay until neither comes home. That calls for a lot of scope! Second, whatever the wind and tide direction, the pull direction on the anchors does not change (one of the biggest causes of tripping, and thus dragging).

The snag is, you can't use it in busy anchorages for two reasons. First, very few others use the technique, so those on single anchors find they bump you as the tide turns; second, it's possible for a later arrival to hook your down-tide chain with their own anchor - and on departure, spoil your moor.

Of course, a line ashore with an anchor off has similar benefits - and the arrangement is visible - so later arrivals know what's what. But this doesn't work so well cross tide.
 
Just For Information

This is a very interesting thread. However, the term Bahamian Moor was new too me, coming across it for the first time on these forums.

It was taught to me as the 'Running Moor', when deploying the down stream anchor first and the 'dropping moor' when deploying the up stream anchor first. When both anchor hawse were used without any form of swivel it was said to be 'open hawse'. Rigging a swivel or lashing together the rodes and mooring by one hawse only was just carried out if the stay was longer than a few turns of the tide.

The earliest reference I have to the running moor is from "Cruising and Ocean Racing", EG Martin and John Irvin, The Lonsdale Library, Volume XV, 1945

I wonder if the term Bahamian is an Americanism that is now in common usage. I don't really care as language changes but the running and dropping moor names are far more descriptive.
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
This is a very interesting thread. However, the term Bahamian Moor was new too me, coming across it for the first time on these forums.

It was taught to me as the 'Running Moor', when deploying the down stream anchor first and the 'dropping moor' when deploying the up stream anchor first. When both anchor hawse were used without any form of swivel it was said to be 'open hawse'. Rigging a swivel or lashing together the rodes and mooring by one hawse only was just carried out if the stay was longer than a few turns of the tide.

The earliest reference I have to the running moor is from "Cruising and Ocean Racing", EG Martin and John Irvin, The Lonsdale Library, Volume XV, 1945

I wonder if the term Bahamian is an Americanism that is now in common usage. I don't really care as language changes but the running and dropping moor names are far more descriptive.
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Agreed, I know what the hell people are on about if saying 'running moor', though there is still scope for confusion as it's really anchoring not mooring until someone takes steps to make it into a mooring.
 
Seajet said:
.... it's really anchoring not mooring until someone takes steps to make it into a mooring.
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I have always understood that anchoring is in fact mooring, lying to a single anchor was called a 'standing moor' or 'dropping moor'. These are antiquated terms but they still have relevance. Its very much like the term 'berth' which is now universally considered to be alongside, but in fact also refers to any place a vessel may stop: anchorage, buoyed mooring, pile, harbour wall, pontoon.

Anyway, we shouldn't get hung up on these matters as language has always evolved.
 
To get back to the original post, and equipment, a thing which I would strongly recommend for anchoring, particularly in areas outwith recognised anchorages, is a fishfinder.
I have one as an option on a plotter, and the information it can give about the seabed is really useful. If the OP is heading for the Patagonian Channels, one would be very helpful there, as many of the possible anchorages are very foul with kelp.

Another point about the Patagonian Channels is that, although the Chilean charts are very good, they were mostly surveyed long before GPS, so dont rely on a GPS derived position to keep you out of trouble. It's back to mark one eyeballs.

Many yachts anchoring in the region make a habit of taking lines ashore, so some lengths of chain or wire for attaching to rocks and trees might be useful.

I am green with envy.
 
Leaving a boat unattended.

The Bahamian mooring is not what I would use in the circumstances set out if I have understood them correctly. That technique is for tidal stream anchoring where one wants to reduce swinging room - it is not the best way to deal with the expected "gale every few days" in a remore anchorage. All boats lie better head to wind and the anchors in a line idea is not appropriate if the wind comes across the lie of the mooring - if there is not enough swinging room then go somewhere else where there is. The Bahamian mooring will mean one anchor taking the full load if the wind direction is in line with the anchors, If conditions deteriorate sufficiently one anchor then the other may drag. It would in my opinion be far better to deploy the two anchors conventionally over the bow facing the prevailing wind with 40degress between them. At times one then the other may take load as the boat veers but at least you will have the benefit of two full length cables. I would actually deploy three in these circumstances with the largest on the longest chain facing the prevailng wind and the other two deployed one on each side.

Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5
 
Pleiades said:
The Bahamian mooring is not what I would use in the circumstances set out if I have understood them correctly. . . . . <snip>
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Agreed, it is designed for reversing tidal streams. And yes, if you expect the strong wind direction to remain fairly constant (trade wind anchorages, or Greek Meltemi) as you say, the forked moor is apt - though I go for a wider angle than 40 degrees to minimise the amount of "sailing" around the anchors.

At that stage, the difference between a forked moor and a running moor merely becomes a matter of degree :rolleyes:

Make a moor, then pay out both lines until you have a shallow "vee", about a 120 angle between anchors. Lash the lines together, then drop them below the keel. You'll now lie to whatever wind comes along (as long as there's no tidal stream!) with the pull either being within +/- 30 degrees of one anchor's set direction, or being shared by two anchors. Incidentally, I use a warp extension if needed to ensure the maximum possible rode is being deployed for both ends of the moor.

As you suggest though, better still a third anchor or line ashore in the moor if big wind is really likely to come from any direction.

The big secret is trying to make sure no anchor pulls more than 30 degrees from its original setting direction, since it then it's much less likely to trip with the consequent risk of not quickly re-setting.
 
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