Rafting up to similar yacht for night.

[Snowgoose-1]

Both with anchors down. Acceptable weather forecasted.

What would you say about best procedures to follow. Particularly keeping rodes free.

 

[shanemax]

Never seen it done, never done it my self, but I suppose various people have tried it.

 

[Minerva]

Two boats with anchors down and swinging at anchor? That sounds like a recipe for a snakes nest of tangled anchors in the morning!

Realistically, what’s the benefit of rafting when you could just anchor separately and dinghy over..?

 

[RunAgroundHard]

For acceptable weather, just anchor with one anchor and set drag alarm.

If there is no risk of rotating, both boats set anchor at 45 degrees.

If risk of rotating, set a kedge anchor astern to stop rotation.

 

[johnalison]

Make sure that the masts are not adjacent. Proper springing is also part of the secret of a quiet night.

It generally works best if the two boats are very different in size.

 

[Wansworth]

Just anchour one craft

 

[Dockhead]

Good advice in this thread.

I've done this from time to time in calm weather with good results. ONE ANCHOR ONLY -- the bigger boat should anchor and the smaller raft up.

The slightest sea state, however, will cause the boats to work against each other. You can reduce but not eliminate this with well planned lines, proper springs. But I personally only do this in dead calm, or very calm weather behind really good shelter.

 

[Wansworth]

Good advice in this thread.

I've done this from time to time in calm weather with good results. ONE ANCHOR ONLY -- the bigger boat should anchor and the smaller raft up.

The slightest sea state, however, will cause the boats to work against each other. You can reduce but not eliminate this with well planned lines, proper springs. But I personally only do this in dead calm, or very calm weather behind really good shelter.

Both skippers should be responsible for their boat……if in doubt clear out!

 

[Refueler]

Rafting is best if you have the two boats - particularly of similar size - pointing opposite directions - this then means spreaders are not liable to conflict ... MoBo's can of course ignore this !!

Generally agree to swing as ONE to the best anchor available .... with plenty of scope out.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

What I've done in the past is both boats anchor independently but near each other. Then let out a bit of chain and pull them together with ropes. Stay rafted for the duration of the evenings socialising and when you go to bed, seperate them and pull the excess chain back in. Both boats then spend the night independently anchored.

You don't really need to be rafted up when sleeping, and if during the evening the wind gets up, or there are any other problems then just seperate early.

 

[wonkywinch]

Single anchor in the same way as two boats can easily sit on a single mooring ball. You can both play the "mine is bigger than yours" game before choosing.

One night tied to a ball in the Whitsundays, I dropped the anchor a couple of metres down (not touching bottom) to let the tide rinse the anchor and chain of some sticky mud. I forgot to raise it before bed and spent a good hour the next morning driving round in circles to untangle the unholy mess.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

What I've done in the past is both boats anchor independently but near each other. Then let out a bit of chain and pull them together with ropes. Stay rafted for the duration of the evenings socialising and when you go to bed, seperate them and pull the excess chain back in. Both boats then spend the night independently anchored.

You don't really need to be rafted up when sleeping, and if during the evening the wind gets up, or there are any other problems then just seperate early.

I like it. Different slant on the subject.

Like most I raft up then separate for night. Sometimes pump the dinghy up.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

I like it. Different slant on the subject.

Like most I raft up then separate for night. Sometimes pump the dinghy up.

It can be a problem explaining to people who come in after you where the anchors are, as the boats aren't sitting on one anchor so it's a bit confusing .... and a lot of skippers either don't notice that both boats have anchor chains out, going in different directions, or don't know what it means. Anchor marker buoys help, but you're just as likely to have a muppet foul their prop on it.

At night, my boat is always prepped to up anchor and leave as fast as possible. Where I sail, the anchorages are stuffed with boats having skippers spanning the competence spectrum - end to end.

Fortunately, I'm a very light sleeper and usually wake up when the background noises change and so far it has served me well.

I left one anchorage when a large motorboat upwind of me had dragged. It had already collected a smaller motorboat which was having problems waking the occupants of the larger boat. The larger boat was shut up tight with generator and aircon going, and the occupants of the smaller boat were shouting, swearing, shining lights, and throwing things at the sliding cockpit doors to no avail. Both were bearing down on me. It was gone midnight, so definitely time to up and leave them to it.

I used to try and help, but experience taught me that when lots of people are panicking and running round like headless chickens then there is not much you can do other than ensure the safety of your own boat and crew.

 

[noelex]

Generally agree to swing as ONE to the best anchor available .... with plenty of scope out.

If forum discussion is representative, we will never be able to decide which is the best anchor. .

 

[Wansworth]

Years ago now I was rafted toa big yacht in my engineless sloop and the wind got up and the skipper of the yacht I was rafted to decided to up anchour and motor round in a circle to re anchour ……at one point my boat was I thougth going to end up as a fender with the fish dock ……once my buddy boat had anchoured Ilet go and and I set my own anchour and used the dinghy to visit.