Should I Use My Anchor While Moored

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GAJ52

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Hi

Just a quick question.

I'm very new to boating and so far have just been out on day trips. We are now planning to head up the Thames for a few days and I was wondering if I should drop my anchor while moored up at night on the river bank, my fear is some joker will release the mooring lines.

Just curious what the 'norm' is with this respect.

Glen
 
I don't usually, even when on pins.

Caveats: strong stream, sodden ground (pins are all but useless) Staines town centre and on the booms at Henley. Then I drop it :) Also use a big chain and padlock in Staines..
 
I hadn't heard any warnings about Staines before, only Caversham. Never used it mooring, but it's there should I conk out midstream.
 
I've only been cast adrift once in 14 years and that was on Christchurch Meadow in Oxford.

Normally we moor out of the way from Other Boats (ugh!) to avoid complaints about hogging the moorings / not breasting up / being too long.
You get a better class of towpath walker away from towns.
 
I too have been only cast adrift once, probably late 80's - early 90's by the swimming pool at Abingdon, about 10 boats all let go at the same time. I would always drop the anchor in built up areas such as Staines. As a bit of thread drift, I have been wondering whether an anchor & dinghy is the answer to not being able to moor in areas I want, my particular problem never being able to find a spot at Medmenham (there's only about 4 places I can get in because of depth of keel & my bilge keels) and am struggling to find a disadvantage in anchoring, with a small inflatable to get the dogs off when needed.
 
Have heard stories of boats being cast adrift but never experienced it myself or been told first hand.
Probably a fairly rare event.
More danger of trying to move off forgetting you have deployed anchor on previous evening....
A,hem not that I have done this myself you understand :)
 
Use a mudweight on a piece of rope chucked over the river side of the boat in my opinion is the ideal thing. Reasons are you don't t have to worry about getting it caught in a tree root etc, and not being able to get it up without swimming or a lot of hassle, and the reason to chuck it river side is so that if some oik does untie you they shouldn't be able to get to or notice that line. I find the best thing to use is a bucket filled with concrete, and a "D" ring set in the top, the bucket stops the weight from scratching your boat. I use this method to hold the boat out of the main navigation, ( use three weights, one off the bow and the other two off both quaters) to stop for an hour or three for lunch, and enjoy the peace of the river and avoid mooring fees. Be careful where you lay anchor though as the riparian owner has the right to tell you to leave as they will own the river bed on their side of the river ( they may own both banks and therefore its all theirs).
 
My pins were removed just once in 20 years - at Sonning above the lock. And once whilst moored overnight at Pangbourne Meadow, where the ground is soft, an overnight squall pulled them all out.
Generally I will put the anchor down if the stream is strong and I am only moored using pins, not to a tree or proper mooring ring. Or if I am leaving the boat in an busy or urban area for several hours and again only if pins are in use.
 
I've had pins pulled out or lines released - the provision of scroats to do this menial task for free is unlimited it seems.

We always left our boat with the hook down when we left it moored after a trip too, the only time we didn't it was hauled off a weir 1/2 mile away.

A cheap mud-weight can be made with a bag of ready mixed concrete, a plastic bucket, and an eye-bolt - fencing type or similar. Bore a hole in the bottom of the bucket, insert bolt from outside (of course!) and leave an extra nut at the top to embed. Do up the other nuts to hold the bolt in position, stand the bucket on a couple of bricks or something similar so the eye of the bolt doesn't distort the bottom and fill the bucket with concrete well rammed down to compact it and drive out air. When hard - invert it and shackle on a line.
 
Definitely drop anchor for peace of mind when asleep or leaving boat for pub etc. I have never been cast adrift myself but I have heard of those that have been.
 
I tend to deploy anchor if on towpath side. I find it useful to regularly use the windlass, it then will hopefully work when I need it in an emergency.
 
Very interesting answers here, it didn't dawn on me to anchor away from the bank, but clear of the navigation channel of course. Also a good point from Apollo, using the windlass will hopefully keep it working and not allowing it to seize up.

Thanks again, Glen
 
apollo said:
I tend to deploy anchor if on towpath side. I find it useful to regularly use the windlass, it then will hopefully work when I need it in an emergency.
Click to expand...

It OK for you rich sorts with lectric winches on yer Gin Palaces ...what about us poor people with "keep fit winches" ?
 
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