Sailors should be taught to anchor!

[Sinbad1]

Spent the weekend in a couple of anchorages and watched numerous boats heave the hook over and then drift off sideways looking puzzled at their plight. Biggest problem seemed to be that many drop the hook whilst moving forward into wind and tide. Of course as soon as the boat drifts back it has to flip the anchor over (if the chain hasn't wrapped itself around it) and off they go in a big drift downwind.

Some seriously puny chain was being used as well. One boat would have had heavier chain on his sink plug!

I don't really mind how people anchor or what they use but I do object to having my anchor pulled out by dragging boats if the skipper is standing in the cockpit hoping that the piece of chain and anchor he has chucked over will soon snag on something and bring him to a halt.

Anchoring should be a fundamental part of the RYA syllabus. It should provide details on the actions of the various anchors, weights of chains, catenary effect and a practical demonstration of how to drop the hook slowly, pay the chain out slowly as you drift back and to have enough chain out so that the pull of the chain is along the sea bed and thus induces the anchor to bed in rather than play leap frog around the anchorage.

Nothing like a good F6 to create some entertainment!

 

[Chris_Robb]

Re: Sailors should be taught to moor properly as well

Three Westerlies rafting abrest on a pontoon - not a single spring in sight. Outer boat swinging 10 to 15 feet backwards and forewards - didn't seem to worry them, even when they used my anchor as a door stop!

 

[JeremyF]

I think it is part of Day Skipper practical. Certainly was for mine - numerous anchoring in various conditions in a Moody 422, and the windlass was not allowed! After that experience, its a joy to use a 34 footer's hook.

To me the critical choice is the extent of digging the anchor in for lunchtime stops in known good anchorages, i.e. Osbourne Bay. Do you really bed it in by a good 15 sec of hard astern, just to be sure, but then suffer the slog of geting it out the mud later, or do you rely on decent obervation of transits and don't bed it in so firmly.

Jeremy Flynn

 

[mldpt]

Re: Sailors should be taught to moor properly as well

I had a boat alongside me last week, skipper was RYA yachtmaster, fully up to date with flag proceedure blue ensign took it in at sunset and brought it out in the morning, I forgot mine, so it stayed out all night, (possible to many pints) however, not a shore line to be seen, except his power line, I suppose i should have insisted, but last time I asked a racing crew third boat out side me at Port St Mary I got severly shouted at and told no chance, OK i could have cast him off but I go sailing to get away from the rat race.

 

[cleo]

Re: Sailors should be taught to moor properly as well

Well, mush, they are where I come from....... That's the Dazed Kipper Course, of course. The why and how. The preferences and why, the situations and why not, the illegalities, prohibitions and downright stoopid places. Then a real life CQR of 45lb ( in old money ) to hump about the carpet, and a sodding great folding fisherman which is all of 65lb. Then we work with a modest Danforth on a reasonable chain, pulled along the floor so we can see what happens when you shorten the scope too much.
Then an exercise in small groups, with a weather forecast, a cruising almanac, and half a dozen possible spots. Rank them good or bad, pick the preferred spot, and be prepared to argue your choice.......

D'you reckon this would do? Well, it IS part of the RYA DS syllabus. Full on.

bilbo

 

[roger]

training utility doubtful

I'm not sure training is going to be particularly succesful. If you read PBO for a few years you'll get very confused. There's a great deal of opinion, a little practical research work and enormous ignorance about what goes on in real conditions.
Theres no real agreemant about ideal anchor type, required sizes of anchor, required scope for particular depth etc..
I'd like to see some properly based and funded studies - then there might be some real knowledge for the RYA to pass on.

 

[bob_tyler]

Re: training utility doubtful

Anchored in my little Caprice, many years ago, near the Prince Consort Buoy in a specified spectator area for the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes powerboat race, a very smart RYS white ensign beflagged yacht hailed me and asked how much cable I was lying to. I answered 15fthms of chain & 10 fthms of warp.

He replied "OK I'll do the same so that we swing the same amount".

He motored round, rounded up into tide and let go his anchor.

The cable went out and out until - sudden silence - the bitter end vanished over the bows.

He motored straight back into Cowes

 

[Guest]

Re: training utility doubtful

You might find Eric Hiscock's Cruising Under Sail will provide you with many of the answers you seek. However, as the RYA training programme suggests - all the reading and teaching you can get should be followed by experience, there's nought like it!