Rafting up at anchor

[kilkerr1]

Lurvely weekend's sailing Medway/Thames (yup, still haven't got it together to get down to Chichester yet...). Anchored in Sharfleet Creek, as usual. The past 2 times we've anchored there I've seen first 2 and then 3 boats rafted up at anchor. Just wondered how they do this. technically like. Does just one boat put down a whacking great big anchor and this holds all 3, or what?

Oh, and if there are any other Kingfishers out there, we seem to be getting a little Kingfisher posse thaing going on in Sharfleet of a weekend.

And...I have an admission to make. For the first time we've been anchored near some mobos. Little mobo came into the creek as we were halfway through a lovely bottle of Rioja Saturday evening and I found myself thinking (aloud it seems) 'What a sweet little boat. Looks like that would be a lot of fun. it really is rather pretty...'. I also found HWMO agreeing with me. Are we going over the dark side? Or was it just the wine talking..? Should I buy a bigger saily boat to ensure the continuance of raggiedom in our family? (Only answers in the affirmative will be accepted for the last question).

And one last thing - lovely to meet 'Yanita' on Sunday at Gillingham. Your little tender has gone to a good home...when we finally get her there..! Hope your trip goes well.

Pip pip.



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[extravert]

From what I've heard (but never done it, so probably speaking cobblers)...

One big boat with big anchor, sufficient to hold all boats, is the only way that is not asking for trouble if you are going to be anchored during a tide/possible wind change. If all rafted boats anchor, and for some reason your boats swing, then horrible tangles will be the result.

There's a very strange bug that has just flown in my window and sitting on the key between 7 and 9 (can't press the key mentioned, might scare it).

<hr width=100% size=1>One day, I want to be a real sailor. In the mean time I'll just keep tri-ing.

 

[duncan]

boat with the largest anchor gets to do the honours! Best if it ends up in teh middle of the raft.
if you are only staying through one tide then you can put out more than one anchor but generally you only end up with a tangle that lets go completely! Much better to put down two anchors on the same rode about 1m apart - will increase the holding substantially.
In general you raft in calm conditions, good holding, shallow etc and stay aboard the boats so 3 equal craft on 1 of their anchors shouldn't be a problem at a good scope. Only warning would be all the above conditions but with in a strong tide run - sounds obvious but gets missed when the suns out...../forums/images/icons/smile.gif


<hr width=100% size=1>madesco madidum ..../forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[Koeketiene]

Sounds like you had a fun WE.

Re: tender
If you're not too keen to move her by car -> one idea might be to float her in the adjacent tidal basin, and moor/motor to your berth/mooring which I gather is not that far of.

All the best

<hr width=100% size=1>Experience is a good teacher, but she sends in terrific bills.

 

[Aardee]

Supplementary Question

Do all those rafting up fly a ball, or just the one(s) with an anchor down???

<hr width=100% size=1>"I am a bear of very little brain and long words bother me" - A A Milne.

 

[StugeronSteve]

Re: Supplementary Question

Sounds like a recipe for a balls up to me.

<hr width=100% size=1>God only made so many perfect heads. The rest got covered in hair.

 

[kilkerr1]

Re: Supplementary Question

Couldn't see any hoisted balls over their end, so to speak. Only one yacht in the creek - out of about 7 or 8 - had the black ball hoisted that I could see. And it weren't us...oops.





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[A_7]

Fine in calm conditions. Just make sure that your spreaders are not in line when the large motorboat roars past.

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[Shakey]

Used to do this lots of times in Greece when I was a flotilla skipper.

All the boats had their anchor out, with a stern line going ashore.

Then the boats would be rafted to each other with springs and breast lines to spread the load.

So long as the spreaders are opposite each other it was fine.

This was in shallow water with no tide though.....

<hr width=100% size=1>At the end of the day - Sunset.

 

[Shakey]

Used to do this lots of times in Greece when I was a flotilla skipper.

All the boats had their anchor out, with a stern line going ashore.

Then the boats would be rafted to each other with springs and breast lines to spread the load.

So long as the spreaders aren't opposite each other it was fine.

This was in shallow water with no tide though.....

<hr width=100% size=1>At the end of the day - Sunset.