Seamanship skills and resourses.

[snoozydude]

A question of seamanship.

Does anybody know of a good guide to seamanship for small craft (small 30' sail) - books, or web resources (free, but difficult to read in bed).

Here is an example of the questions I have.

If achoring for the night in a good archorage protected from a southerly breeze, but a bad lee shore in a northerly; would it be wise to lay the anchor out and dig it in facing the north, or would I just end drifting back over it and end up with a bad holding in any weather.

 

[William_H]

Don't know of any specially good books on seamanship. it seems to me a good knowledge of your engine and electrics is pretty important and lots of experience just doing it in all weathers.
For your specific question I reckon 2 anchors would be the answer. One to the north one to the south. If you could shackle the 2 rodes together (with no slack) and drop the join to the bottom then use the 2 rodes to rise to the bow you would have something like a clasic mooring. A swivel shackle would be good but not necessary for short term between the join and the boat. If your rodes are rope then tie the biggest weight you can onto the join to hold the rodes deep under the keel so the boat only rotates around the riser rode attached of course to the bow.You don't want the horozontal part of the rode being hit by the keel or rudder.The advantages of this arrangement is that the boat remains above the rode join and the weight of both rodes if chain aids in the function of the anchor that is in operation. it means you can have less rode on the anchors. For more security in other directions of wind you can add more anchors but always joined under water to the bottom of the riser.
most seamanship is logical if you think about it. Of course none of this is any help in getting you through the cold winter nights, take heart the sune will come again. regards will

 

[Anonymous]

I would suggest "Cruising Under Sail" by Eric Hiscock. Old, but a classic and covers all the basic seamanship stuff such as anchoring. Very readable.

 

[Benbow]

This
http://pollux.nss.nima.mil/pubs/pubs_j_apn_sections.html?rid=187
is a classic, not particularly small boat focussed but excellent stuff

 

[westhinder]

There are a few excellent books on the topic by Des Sleightholme, a bit older, but still very informative: Better Boat Handling, The Trouble with Cruising, and What Now Skipper? Most of what's in there still holds true, although particularly the engines have become more reliable(or have they?).

 

[trev]

If its a good holding ground the anchor should dig itself in in whatever direction the vessel pulls it.
You would of course watch the forecast in case Northerlies are due, and keep a good anchor watch?

 

[RupertW]

My two favourites are (recently) Tom Cunliffe's The Complete Yachmaster, and (if you can get hold of an old copy) The Art of Coarse Cruising which taught be about the best way to think about seamanship.

On your particular example - if you really do mean a lee shore open to the north with no spits of land or (even submerged) sandbanks between you and the open sea then if the wind turns north and has any force in it the only choice is to up anchor and move before the waves pull the anchor out for you. I wouldn't stay on a strong mooring in those conditions.

Two anchors in a Vee are great for holding in a very strong offshore wind, and riding to two anchors fore-and-aft on a bridle is great if the wind and/or tide turn and you have restricted room, but on a real lee shore I'm sure they'd get ripped out.