Sleeping whilst at anchor?

[Kukri]

You make an excellent point, Laika.

And now that I understand it I think there is another one. Those of us who started sailing in the sixties and seventies did so in little boats, poodling around in muddy (and soft!) backwaters and occasionally venturing to sea. The consequences of making a prat of oneself, as I very regularly did, were trivial.

Nowadays people start in thirty or even forty footers, which I would have considered a great big boat, and where the consequences of doing something stupid are much more severe, and they are encouraged into open water passages by the very wording in their RYA Log Book.

 

[Poignard]

[...]

Generations of people were brought up sailing by their families (you included I see) and grew up dong the things you describe, so it was normalised and they can't understand anyone's excessive worrying.

[...]

In those halcyon days one did not have to agonise about what anchor to buy because there was only the Fisherman or, if you were well off, CQR!

 

[Adios]

OK here I go;

Some rules of engagment/ ground rules first if you like;

1 - Its not about types of anchors
2- Its not about snubbers
3 - Its not about anchoring technique
4 - No arguing please

OK - I have started to anchor alot overnight in prep for my trip south. I have a Raymarine Axiom CP, a Samsung tablet and phone with Anchor Pro app and Navionics on.

My current anchoring modus operandi is to drop the pick, set it, prove its dug in and go below for a cuppa. I set an alarm on my phone and tablet, 3 position fix on paper chart and go to sleep for an hour. Wake up and visually check outside bearings etc to ensure all is well and Im still where I planned to be. Repeat every hour (well try anyway).

It sounds all good but where it falls down is that I cant seem to sleep well at all! Im convinced Im going to drag and end up on the beach/rocks with someone from here posting a photo of the carnage alongside some smart arse comments

Im trying to achive a good nights sleep and letting my tablet/phone take care of the watch - am I missing anything else that may help? What does everybody else who anchors overnight do to achieve a good nights sleep?

Thanks

I've never had an electronic anchor watch and will sleep until I wake up. But I like the idea so have downloaded an app for next time. I have sometimes had vivid dreams of pleasurable sailing while at anchor. I'm sailing on a broad reach through a lovely sunset in the south pacific only to wake up off Dungeness

The closest I've come to disaster while asleep was moored against a jetty, the boat came up a bit further back and the stern got lodged under something overhanging. I only discovered it because I woke up to pee over the side. If I'd been 10 minutes later the upward force might have prevented me from pushing down on the stern and getting the boat out.

 

[Adios]

And now that I understand it I think there is another one. Those of us who started sailing in the sixties and seventies did so in little boats, poodling around in muddy (and soft!) backwaters and occasionally venturing to sea. The consequences of making a prat of oneself, as I very regularly did, were trivial.

Nowadays people start in thirty or even forty footers, which I would have considered a great big boat, and where the consequences of doing something stupid are much more severe, and they are encouraged into open water passages by the very wording in their RYA Log Book.

Never a truer word said

 

[mattonthesea]

@Kukri Good points plus: when we were brought/introduced to sailing, the marinas were fewer and smaller and, (the opposite of tight); for many places, we anchored in harbours. So we were used to anchoring off. I say we but I never could afford the luxury of a yacht. I used to sail my National 12 around the luxuries at anchor and throw envy at them Anchoring for me was just throw the thing over the side and get the sail down PDQ!

 

[PTB]

I do hope the OP gets the confidence he needs in his ground tackle and anchoring skills. If he worries when he's on board he is never going to enjoy leaving his boat alone at anchor and enjoying the wonderful walks that our hobby provides us with.

 

[Jonny A]

1. When you first go to bed, lie there and listen to the boat and feel the motion. Get used to how far the boat is swinging, how often you feel her tug on the chain, how the wind sounds in the rigging and what the waves sound like on the hull. Get used to the variation, so you start to get a feel for what's 'normal'.
2. Go to sleep. Proper sleep, without an alarm set unless it's for waking up in the morning.
3. When you inevitably wake up in the night, don't get out of bed. Lay there and listen and feel. How does it compare to when you went to sleep? If it's the same, go back to sleep.
4. Repeat until breakfast calls.

 

[Adios]

1. When you first go to bed, lie there and listen to the boat and feel the motion. Get used to how far the boat is swinging, how often you feel her tug on the chain, how the wind sounds in the rigging and what the waves sound like on the hull. Get used to the variation, so you start to get a feel for what's 'normal'.
2. Go to sleep. Proper sleep, without an alarm set unless it's for waking up in the morning.
3. When you inevitably wake up in the night, don't get out of bed. Lay there and listen and feel. How does it compare to when you went to sleep? If it's the same, go back to sleep.
4. Repeat until breakfast calls.

I think you subconsciously do number 1 anyway. If number 3 happens though I think its good to assume its for a reason and get up to investigate. It might be a brief noise of something wrong happening, enough to wake you but not repeating. (though yes usually if something has gone wrong there will be a new sloshing or gurgling noise etc, but not always)

Thats the point of your subconscious becoming in tune with whats normal. It will wake you up if something different happens. If you don't act on it there's not much point being tuned in

 

[JumbleDuck]

I really am a bit mystified by this thread.

Generations of people messing about in boats dropped the hook, hoisted a riding light, cooked a meal / went to the pub and back in the tender, turned in, and slept till morning.

It’s a very simple thing.

What am I failing to understand here?

The paranoia induced by modern anchor designs, or perhaps by modern anchor manufacturers. After all, when you are bombarded with messages telling you that You Must Have This Shiny New Anchor you're liable to end up thinking that anchoring must be really dangerous.

 

[noelex]

I've never had an electronic anchor watch and will sleep until I wake up. But I like the idea so have downloaded an app for next time.

I have a nice little New Zealand crew member (although I suspect he is originally from China).

He stays awake 24 hrs a day and constantly keeps track of our position. If we move even slightly out of position at anchor he will yell and scream. How good is that!!

Best of all he doesn’t drink my single malt .

 

[chockswahay]

I think what is being overlooked here is the conditions prevailing at the time and perhaps the limited choice of anchorage (?).

If the wind is light I sleep like a log however if the wind is howling through the wires at 30 knots plus then I must confess to feeling a little anxious. Then there is the matter of risk..... I don’t really worry about drifting out to sea..... but if the anchorage is tight and there is always a lee shore close by (typically as in small bays on the West coast of Eire or along the estuaries then yes I do worry a bit (!)........... so I think the risk and consequences are both perceived and real.

 

[ryanroberts]

I was quite surprised by my ground tackle making a noise like a caretaker from Scooby Doo trying to scare the lighthouse keeper away so he can sell the property to a greedy landlord. Until I started using a snubber it was quite difficult to get a kip even when my anchornoia subsided.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

You have it in a nut shell I think - Im very cautious (read over cautious probably).

I anchored in Lamorna Cove and there were big rocks on every side - the type that just touching would send the boat to the bottom
Safe distance to each side was less than 50m (excluding scope) so it would not have provided much time to react if something happened.

Maybe it was a bad cove to anchor at considering Im new to overnight anchoring but there was no wind and the water was mirror calm. The chain never moved from the straight up and down position so I think the anchor was never even used, just the weight of the chain. It still didnt allow me to sleep well which must mean, as others have pointed out a mental problem!

Next post will be how to sort mental problems out - I suspect I wont be alone in that post

I would not sleep well anchored in Lamorna Cove except in the stillest airs, without extra precautions. The rocks are too close as you say, and the bottom is bouldery in parts much like Pemberth. Well done for even managing it.

We had similar situation in South Haven on Skomer and places where the rocks or cliffs are closer, and more recently in Yealm mouth. Only a line to the shore to stop swing might ease things but then one has to row ashore etc etc. OK dried out in Green Bay for the week but not so practical or desirable for an over nighter

If it was merely bad weather poor holding anchorage and not quite trusting my anchor to not drag, I have slept on deck a few time in the past. The pilot berth of recent our old boat also gave a good view of the world with the weather boards and hatches off. Not so much fun if there is rain in the wind however.

Our chart plotters have anchor alarms but I dont use them. Happily years of long distance train commuting mean that I can quite readily sleep for 20 minutes and wake up to look around to look for stations or transits, but it does disrupt the sleep.

I know its not an anchor thread but I do love good anchors that give me more peace of mind


,

 

[LadyInBed]

What am I failing to understand here?

People spend too many nights tied up in marinas, they buy an expensive anchor then feel guilty some time later because it's still got the label on the fluke so they feel the need to try it, then can't sleep because it's too quiet!

 

[Travelling Westerly]

What am I failing to understand here

I was going to reply to that post in detail but Laika beat me to it, articulating it well.

I've been messing around in boats all my life too, probably a lot shorter than you but it's maybe down to an age thing? Messing around in a punt or cheap little sailer on my own then fine, if I mess something up then I'll swim home but my recent boat purchase costs, to me, are considerable and that changes my perspective. Put my wife into that equation (who has no sailing experience) and my new found question on how to sleep at anchor does not sound, to me unreasonable to ask.

 

[Travelling Westerly]

I would not sleep well anchored in Lamorna Cove except in the stillest airs, without extra precautions. The rocks are too close as you say, and the bottom is bouldery in parts much like Pemberth. Well done for even managing it.

We had similar situation in South Haven on Skomer and places where the rocks or cliffs are closer, and more recently in Yealm mouth. Only a line to the shore to stop swing might ease things but then one has to row ashore etc etc. OK dried out in Green Bay for the week but not so practical or desirable for an over nighter

If it was merely bad weather poor holding anchorage and not quite trusting my anchor to not drag, I have slept on deck a few time in the past. The pilot berth of recent our old boat also gave a good view of the world with the weather boards and hatches off. Not so much fun if there is rain in the wind however.

Our chart plotters have anchor alarms but I dont use them. Happily years of long distance train commuting mean that I can quite readily sleep for 20 minutes and wake up to look around to look for stations or transits, but it does disrupt the sleep.

I know its not an anchor thread but I do love good anchors that give me more peace of mind


,

You have a good knowledge of where I was anchoring and have provided me with some sound advice in this reply and others, it's much appreciated.

To everybody else who have also contributed, offering their knowledge and positive guidance I thank you. Makes being a member here worthwhile.
Now to digest it all and put it into practice.
Thanks again

 

[Neeves]

You make an excellent point, Laika.

And now that I understand it I think there is another one. Those of us who started sailing in the sixties and seventies did so in little boats, poodling around in muddy (and soft!) backwaters and occasionally venturing to sea. The consequences of making a prat of oneself, as I very regularly did, were trivial.

Nowadays people start in thirty or even forty footers, which I would have considered a great big boat, and where the consequences of doing something stupid are much more severe, and they are encouraged into open water passages by the very wording in their RYA Log Book.

Kukri makes a valid point - I recall when the J35 was the must have cruiser/racer - now a 35' yacht is small on the racing circuit. We all started somewhere and most of the lessons we learnt by making our own mistakes.

Cornishwesterly - you are doing all the right things by asking the questions - and with a wife with no sailing experience then a repetitive;y dragging anchor is a quick route to sailing by yourself.

There are some nuances in the advice being offered and one to take note of are the propensity of mobile phone apps to generate alarms unnecessarily. I actually have no experience myself (as I don't use one) but it is repeatedly mentioned and I have to assume it is an issue. An alarm that goes off for the wrong reason is almost as disconcerting as one that goes off for the right reason - so try whatever app you choose (if that is the route you follow) for a day at anchor, before you use it in anger. I added a peizo electric alarm to our Simrad chart plotter and simply the sound it makes is enough to increase heart rate to an unhealthy frequency - again check the sound out in daylight. I disconnected ours.

But good luck and sleep well

Jonathan

 

[thinwater]

In the summer we get squalls to 40-50 knots regularly and 60-70 knots occasionally. I anchor for those. The tension on the rode is commonly 500-800 pounds (measured) and is almost certainly greater in the gusts.

My engine thrust (measured) is only about 400-450 pounds. So if I drag in the middle of a strong squall, I am supposed to do ... what?

Up anchor? I would be blow down wind. Let out scope? If there were squalls in the forecast it is already out. Snubber? Chafe gear? Done. Second anchor? Possibly done, but yeah, that could work. But probably not if I am already dragging a good clip.

---

Not sayin' there isn't sumpthin', but the forces involved can be too great for you to do much, and what could be done should have done before you turned in. If it is poor holding ground, yes, you motor out or possibly reset. But if it's blowing 60 knots, at least in boats with weaker engines like mine, you arn't doin' much. So you need to be anchored for the duration, since you can't move at the peak.

 

[Skylark]

What am I failing to understand here?

You’re a Luddite?

It’s quite clear that it’s no longer possible to put to sea without having a mobile phone full of Apps.

A personal log of experience has been usurped by a screen full of icons.?

 

[Poignard]

You’re a Luddite?

It’s quite clear that it’s no longer possible to put to sea without having a mobile phone full of Apps.

A personal log of experience has been usurped by a screen full of icons.?

Backup. You've forgotten to mention that you have to have a backup phone