Main anchor for SO35

Dave,
You may remember us - we berthed next to you in Giglio Porto and Traiano this June.

Until very recently I would have recommended you to buy a Delta, in fact I may have done so when we met. Now that we are in Greece I have changed my opinion. We have dragged three times this year, so different is the bottom compared with the western Med. Asking and looking around, there are very many Buegels and some Rocnas on view and the owners are very satisfied with them. However, the recommended weight for a Buegel for my boat is almost twice that for a Rocna, so Rocna's the way I am going. If you are heading eastward I would recommend you to do the same, but if staying in the west then I think a Delta would suit you fine.

Best regards,

Vyv Cox
 
Setting the Delta has never been a problem, except for an isolated incident many years ago on extremely hard sand. The problem we experience now in Greece is just the opposite. The bottom consists of relatively soft mud and eel grass in most anchorages. When weather conditions turn bad, which they most certainly can do, we have dragged on three occasions. Twice this happened in an open water anchorage, in about 7 metres of water with gusts of 40 knots plus hitting us, often at right angles to the previous one. The Delta simply dragged through the mud, not choked with weed. On the other occasion we were berthed stern-to with about 40 metres of chain out ahead of us. A wind picked up on the beam (aren't they always!) and again, the anchor dragged. This time weed may have been involved, but it is quite difficult to ensure good anchor penetration in a Mediterranean moor, despite best efforts, so we may not have penetrated the weed sufficiently.

It is noticeable that there are many Britany, Danforth and similar types around in Greece, noticeably by the charter boats. These clearly work and I was initially considering buying one of them. However, it goes against my better instincts to go this route, particularly as I already have a Fortress that is fine if the pull is from a constant direction but has dragged on me several times in the past when the wind or tide turned. So a more modern type seems to be the answer. Looking around the Ionian I see many Buegel, quite a few Rocna and very few Spade.
 
[ QUOTE ]
It is noticeable that there are many Britany, Danforth and similar types around in Greece, noticeably by the charter boats.

[/ QUOTE ] These flat anchors are fine when mooring bows or stern to, or with a long line ashore, since there's no variation in direction of pull, which is their vulnerability. They're all right as the second anchor in a forked moor too. They do need a long scope though, 6:1 as a minimum for most of them.

But, once popped out with a wind change or an exceptional sheer when sailing around the anchor in a big wind, they often clog with weed/debris and don't re-set very reliably.

Interesting to hear that you have trouble pulling the Delta through mud. That implies not enough 'area' to the anchor. I'd expect pulling through problems with any anchor in some harbours; Igoumenitsa, Levkas town quay, Preveza, Vonitsa. But outside those silty areas, hard sand with some light weed is the most common bottom. Where was your bad experience?
 
In Vlikho bay. We anchored on the east side in expectation of a big blow but not in an ideal location due to some crowding. Having got the anchor down to our satisfaction another boat moved out and we decided to move. Witin a few minutes of settling in the new location the wind kicked in with a vengeance, gusting to an extent I have never witnessed before. We were hit repeatedly by 40 knot-plus savage gusts, alternately from the north down the entrance to the bay and then from the west down the valley. The air was filled with spray and dust that extended upwards in billowing clouds hundreds of feet high. Within a few minutes we were sliding backwards. We hoisted the anchor, no weed on it, and moved towards Vlikho town where there seemed to be less wind, and anchored again. Within minutes we were sliding sternwards again and this time, during the raising of the anchor, I managed to press the windlass 'down' button instead of the 'up' and caught my little finger between the chain and windlass. Again, there was no weed on the anchor. With blood dripping we decided to go stern-to the shore between the yards at Vlikho and Nidri. I dropped the anchor and motored astern until the rudder touched the bottom, taking lines ashore to some convenient posts and trees.

The difference here was incredible, as the trees took much of the force of the wind. Others were not so lucky and we watched several boats dragging, re-anchoring, motoring for much of the night, righting overturned dinghies, etc. etc.

We have anchored here on numerous occasions and it seems that the consistency of the bottom varies a good deal. At the Neilson pontoon the mud is thick and heavy, giving all the holding one could ask. In Tranquil Bay and in some parts of Vliho Bay there seem to be areas where the mud is very soft. I can't say I have seen evidence of sand in either place.

The third dragging incident took place at Port Atheni. We were stern-to the quay with 40 metres of chain out. On our second afternoon there a breeze blew up from the entance and we began to angle sideways. I took up some chain but it soon became clear that the anchor was not holding, so we baled out. This time there was evident weed on the anchor, although I was disappointed that we had not penetrated through it, as by this stage of the season I thought my stern-to technique was pretty good.

I have plenty of good experience with our Fortress in a steady directional pull, both as a forked moor and a kedge. I have plenty of bad experience when the direction changes and, after waking one morning in Holland completely detached from the bottom, vowed never to sleep on one again. However, the idea of a big Danforth seemed like a good one in view of their low cost. However, a good all-round anchor seems like a better option.
 
You're right, loads of soft and slimy mud around Vliho. My usual behaviour in the conditions you hit (nasty, eh!) is to drive bows to onto the mud in Tranquil bay at a knot or two having dropped a stern anchor. Then line ashore. The only reason you need the stern anchor is to drag off again! I've wintered boats there like that.

Must have been chaos in Vliho with all those boats at anchor . . .
 
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