bilbobaggins
N/A
It has long been 'the ordinary practice of seamen' of the ORC/RORC type to carry the smallest, lightest, cheapest, anchor-tackle that they could conceivably get away with during the 'only when two blue moons are in the sky' Scrutineering season. Indeed, it has also been considered sporting for teensy-weensy anchors to be passed by dinghy or 'cross-decking' from Inspected Boat to Uninspected Boat, for the pleasure of seeing mounting surprise, consternation, then apoplexy on the faces of worthy Race Scrutineers in hallowed havens such as QAB and Cowes Marinas. The French and the Dutch do not understand this form of humour.
Nowhere is this sport so avidly pursued as in the arcane world of multihull racing, although it is true to say that this has led to something of an 'ever-closer union' with the RNLI service. It is now considered by some to be faintly 'unsporting' for a racing multihull to carry an effective anchor - in the traditional sense - as that is seen to put other competitors at a disadvantage when it comes to kedging ( note - an ancient racing tactic of the 1930s-1990s, of staying stopped while other competitors sail backwards )
( Example from a recent Fastnet Race report - "....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...." )
On another occasion, at the Start of a Scottish Islands Peaks Race in Oban Harbour, vessels were required to 'anchor' close inshore while awaiting their running teams. The bottom close-in is notoriously foul, and there is a history of yachts remaining anchor-fouled for hours and hours.... One sneaky little trimaran made up a bag or 'purse' of old fishing netting cadged from the quay, which the crew filled with big stones from the beach, and lowered that to the seabed in scant depth. There was neither wind nor tide strong enough to dislodge the boat, and when the time came, the crew slipped their doubled warp from the bag of stones and sailed smartly off, to the outrage and chagrin of their 'be-hooked' fellow-competitors. This essentially-Scottish technique is locally called 'cadging'...../forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
The question for good forumeers is...
What's the most outlandish - but effective - anchoring technique you have seen used?
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Nowhere is this sport so avidly pursued as in the arcane world of multihull racing, although it is true to say that this has led to something of an 'ever-closer union' with the RNLI service. It is now considered by some to be faintly 'unsporting' for a racing multihull to carry an effective anchor - in the traditional sense - as that is seen to put other competitors at a disadvantage when it comes to kedging ( note - an ancient racing tactic of the 1930s-1990s, of staying stopped while other competitors sail backwards )
( Example from a recent Fastnet Race report - "....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...." )
On another occasion, at the Start of a Scottish Islands Peaks Race in Oban Harbour, vessels were required to 'anchor' close inshore while awaiting their running teams. The bottom close-in is notoriously foul, and there is a history of yachts remaining anchor-fouled for hours and hours.... One sneaky little trimaran made up a bag or 'purse' of old fishing netting cadged from the quay, which the crew filled with big stones from the beach, and lowered that to the seabed in scant depth. There was neither wind nor tide strong enough to dislodge the boat, and when the time came, the crew slipped their doubled warp from the bag of stones and sailed smartly off, to the outrage and chagrin of their 'be-hooked' fellow-competitors. This essentially-Scottish technique is locally called 'cadging'...../forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
The question for good forumeers is...
What's the most outlandish - but effective - anchoring technique you have seen used?
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
