More anchoring madness??

Re: mote,eye, cast etc . . .

hmm -I'd like to be watching him with his 3 times the depth in Pullers when its busy and blowing hard.
He would be a flustered feline then!
 
Re: mote,eye, cast etc . . .

Claysie, good morning.

Still no word on the glitch compensation from Miles I'm afraid . . . life's hard as an unpaid retrospective sub-editor.

The only place I have seen someone using the 'hard astern' trick with a scope similar to that in the illustration in question was in Pullers . . . it was entertaining but highly ineffective., and how the bow cleat stood up to it I do not know.


- Nick
 
Re: mote,eye, cast etc . . .

Oh my goodness...

Just to make it clear I do not recall ever claiming that a scope of 3x the depth is "always" enough and it is contrary to my beliefs. I have certainly said on a number of occasions that I almost always anchor with a 3 times scope and that is usually sufficient with a good anchoring system (that has sometimes been in very heavy conditions as anyone who knows my home waters will readily attest to).

Given your response I do now recall that it maybe it was yourself and another who seemed to get very upset on one occasion long ago (I do not have an elephant's memory myself, however) for no apparant reason when I made such a comment about my anchoring practices? If so, it seems like you are upset again /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

Have a pleasant day.

John
 
Re: mote,eye, cast etc . . .

Hi Claymore

I thought you may have known me enough to realise that I usually make well founded comments on boat type things - after all, from time to time I do it for a living.

On the 3x scope bit it is a fact that we almost always anchor with that scope and that has included a number of times in 60 knot + sustained conditions and many times in very strong swirling gust conditions in valleys where the spray was being taken up as high as our second spreaders and the boat continually rotated about the anchor. I should make the point that much of our anchoring is done in water 18 -25 m or more in depth so a considerable catenary exists, and a 12 tonne boat. We have never dragged in our current boat (now over 9 years old) and are confident enough in that to rely on GPS only anchor watches until the wind gets up over 50-55 knots (but depending on sea conditions).

Regarding reversing an anchor out, perhaps it would fire up some up to say that it is also possible to break an anchor out without reversing or going forward and without powering it out with the windlass or the use of any other lifting device or line (or hand). We do that regularly too, but I will leave it to Webcraft to describe how as he seems to know more about my anchoring practices than I do myself /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

John
 
Re: mote,eye, cast etc . . .

[ QUOTE ]
it is also possible to break an anchor out without reversing or going forward and without powering it out with the windlass or the use of any other lifting device or line (or hand).

[/ QUOTE ]


One way that usually works well is to take the crew on to the foredeck, pull up until all the slack is taken out of the cable, then go back to the cockpit. Movement of the crew's weight causes the bow to rise, increasing the tension in the cable and moving the anchor up a few inches. After a minute or so, repeat. Assuming that the anchor is buried in sand, mud or clay (not caught in a rock crevice) it will gradually work its way out.
 
Re: mote,eye, cast etc . . .

Oh Pussy, Oh Pussy, you beautiful pussy - what a beautiful pussy you are.

I've always held you in the very highest regard and await avidly your every post - stacked and packed as ever with tight and accurate information.

Webcam is a scurrilous wee monkey and he lured me into this argument. Speaking personally we have 50m of 10mm chain and I always as a matter of course put it all down no matter what the depth. Its bought and paid for and I don't want the last few metres getting jealous of the first few. Jimi also told me that the best way to ruin an anchor windlass is to only use it to pull up a few metres so thats another good reason.

So are you one of these types who measures the depth and then carefully lays out the chain whilst making sternway?
Right load of old socks is that - chuck it out and be done with it. A heap of chain on the bottom helps it all dig in.
There.
 
Re: mote,eye, cast etc . . .

My dear friend Claymore, glad you have reformed and full of praise for pussy cats and admonishment of ensnaring spidery craftywebs - was starting to worry about you.

Yes I am very pedantic about the measuring and laying bit (chain that is, not bunk type activities). It is out with the vernier calipers to measure the exact length of each link then count each one on way out as boat slowly backed up til have 2,000 or whatever links out to get 3:1. Works every time, of course.

But generally, truly, just dump 3x the depth over the bow after the anchory thingie and leave it to its own devices - but that cos I only know the times tables up to 3x and I think using the 2x table would be cutting it all a bit fine; these clever dicks who know their 4x and even 7x and 8x and 9x tables just like to show off I reckon. But now knowing that Jimi is the same is no cause for comfort to me - should I start worrying?

But for overnight anchoring , I concede that I do back up cos I like a good night's kip and am also not one for backing off /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

John
 
Re: mote,eye, cast etc . . .

Jimi does have his times tables - which he stole from his daughter's sums book - pasted over the area he calls his chart table.
 
Re: yanking pussy\'s chain

If you normally anchor in 18-25m of water then 3x scope would almost always be sufficient . . . but I don't remember you mentioning that in the earlier thread. We usually anchor in more modest depths.

Us little puddlejumpers are tying bits of string to the end of our meagre supplies of chain by then anyway.

Formulae like this are like most rules and laws - there for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools . . .


- Nick
 
Maybe I qualify for the award of a 'CDM' for some moments of anchoring madness.....

Such as, after 3 virtuous and serene days at anchor in Canna Harbour a couple of seasons ago, my thirst got the better of me and we ( she'n'me ) headed over towards 'the most remote pub on mainland Britain' at Inverie. It was a hot and windless day, and i was 'fair peching' when we brought to anchor where the CCC script suggested. Actually, there were a dozen or so other boats already there, their crews ashore, so we thought that, for once, I'd got it right. Not so.

Normally punctilious - even presbyterian - about my anchoring technique on someone else's boat, it took SIX goes, and three or four moves, to get the b****y thing to stick. Never, in all my puff! By the time I got into the dinghy, I was hot, thirsty, grumpy and knackered......

When we finally got ashore, and got the first pint in - which didn't touch the sides - we were told "we're closing in a few minutes, and going to the ceilidh, so that's it!" So off they all went, to throw trees about, and each other. Then they all b******d off in long, fast RIBs, towards Mallaig and points south. Bah!

And if that doesn't win a prize, this one did....

"....Halfway to the big tidal-gate headland of Portland Bill, we sailed into a persistent ‘windhole’ and, as the tide turned foul, down went our kedge anchor - in 225 feet of water. That’s got to be a record! This old racing tactic of deep-water kedging was used successfully in the ‘30s by RORC legend Adlard Coles in ‘Cohoe’ and has largely been forgotten - but not by crafty and well-prepared crews! Before long, ‘Molly’ and some others re-appeared, with bare steerage way, sailing past us again backwards into the gathering murk. This was where she lost her race.....

An expected light breeze slowly filled in and, after hauling back on board nearly 500 feet of line, chain and anchor, we were away again, under spi and full main...."

Class Win, RORC Fastnet Race, 2003
 
[ QUOTE ]
This interesting story immediately rises the question what colregs do say about an anchored vessel that is racing?

[/ QUOTE ]

Only that she should show an anchor ball by day and an anchor light by night. Maybe more interesting is what the racing rules say,
 
Re: Racing Rules

The only mention I saw in a quick scan was Rule 21, which basically says that everyone else must avoid them. They're lumped in with capsized boats and those aground or trying to help a person or vessel in danger.
 
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