When is too close to close

We use to having people anchoring close , and at times it can't be help,
I can also understand charters on holiday that may feel safety in numbers plus there are no doubt X amount are very novice sailor .
But these guys where in no means charters or novices ,
Behind us we're a rocky shore , If the wind picked up last night and he smashed into us ,which he would had done , the result would had been us ending up on the rocks .
What made it worst , they just caring on cleaning their top side , and even after I made a comment about the mast helping to hold them off ,
So yes it is upsetting and could had been a lot worst .
But then to haul up their anchor and do the same again is just mind bobbling , at less by this time we was ready to go .
 
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DJE said:
Happens all the time. Several times I have found a large anchorage with a group of boats all clustered around what is perceived to be the best spot. So I anchor a good distance away and the next arrival comes and anchors right next to me.
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Its why we would not go for a sailing holiday in Greece, do not frequent the Whitundays (any more), would favour the NW Scotland, Western Islands, but actually frequent Tasmania (which is very similar, minus the midges).

But then its midwinter here and was 23 degrees*(and, yes, we are metric), we do not hanker after sunshine - its normality (and would enjoy some rain) and sailing is, for us, about independence, etc, etc.

Jonathan
 
I have a guitar on board. If I see another yacht looking to anchor I dig it out and have a quick strum. If they look serious, I have a quick sing too.

Has an amazing effect
 
I think the issue is people blindly following charts / pilot books.

So a chart has an anchor symbol on it or the book says " best anchorage is 200 yards off x" so the first boat goes there. Second one then thinks well I want to be there as well so anchors a safe distance from boat a. Boot C then turns up - also drops near boat a.

Doesn't take long before you have a gaggle of them virtually on top of each other.

If it's not the chart then it's the closest spot near a slipway or pub etc.
 
Yesterday I was anchoring off Groix. There were quite a lot of boats but I identified a gap of about 100m and I was idling up into the middle of it when a power boat powered in in front of me and dropped his anchor (released from the cockpit) in exactly where I was heading......
 
I think there might be a few misunderstandings (edit - including reason outlined above) - that do not excuse poor practices. Good sailors (whatever you understand by that - but I'm think of an ability to handle a yacht and have a good few sea miles under their hat) does not mean they have ever had need to anchor. Most people who have circumnavigated (or race), quickly, don't anchor very often (if at all) they are probably exceptional yachtsmen (and/or yachtswomen) and good to have on a yacht when things get a bit iffy - but they may not have anchored except for the odd lunch stop. I am sure there are many who can handle a yacht - and keep it in a marina and use the associated yacht*club's moorings for their lunch stop. Many of these will fear the anchor - with good reason if its a CQR copy and there is a weed bottom. Lots of people anchor every night and have never sailed much out of sight of land and have never experienced a 11m swell. Both, the circumnavigator and the live aboard, might consider themselves good sailors - both have huge gaps in their knowledge - none of us, surely, think we know everything. As an example - anchoring in Thames mud cannot be much use in Greek waters!

Sadly, with anchoring, we learn by our mistakes not by our successes.

Vic, I'm very sympathetic - you are right - but we, personally, cannot be bothered with the aggro - we'ed move, its easier and leaves no long term bad taste.

Jonathan
 
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Sybarite said:
Yesterday I was anchoring off Groix. There were quite a lot of boats but I identified a gap of about 100m and I was idling up into the middle of it when a power boat powered in in front of me and dropped his anchor (released from the cockpit) in exactly where I was heading......
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I've had that in Scilly too.
 
ronsurf said:
I have a guitar on board. If I see another yacht looking to anchor I dig it out and have a quick strum. If they look serious, I have a quick sing too.

Has an amazing effect
Click to expand...


I think the drone of the Pipes very badly played might be a better solution!
 
Just bring you bagpipes out and start cleaning them. Casually mention that you have a six hour practice session for a new tune you are tying to learn.
 
jordanbasset said:
Vic, you have definitely mellowed, a couple of years ago I think you would have had a different reaction to them anchoring so close, what are we to do for entertianment now:D
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There still times when I get the cutters out if asked nicely and still don't want to move , which seen to do the trick ,
I really don't know what happen last night , we spend time looking for another anchorage on a another island when Mr Rod say you can , ah unless you want to sit on the beach , I mean sit on the beach or anchor in 50 mts no way .
So then we sailed to another Island with a bay but it had some boats in it , the wind forecaster SW and I didn't fancy being in a small bay in case it blow up , so I hop out for a spot just under a Clift but a very rocky shore line on our own .
Then this guy comes alone .
By which time I had a couple of drinks and tho , there no way they going to stay there long , they look proper sailors . Should had know better , C did say aren't you going to say something , and I should had .
Enclose chart let , you can see then bay just a bit alone where we anchored , we anchored a few metres off where the track start .
Wouldn't you think they would head for the bay .
 
In that case there might have been room enough to move but in many places we like - Croatia, Ionian, Sporades then moving just means having somebody else too close after the next few boats come in. So the routine is fenders out and relax - preferably get off the boat for a shop or a beer ashore until dusk and the madness is over.
 
I had an 'anchoring too close' situation recently in the Fal. Mobo arrived shortly after us, even before we'd uncorked the bottle, and drifted uncomfortably close even before they'd set the anchor.

Drawing from observations made within this parish, I slowly & deliberately started hanging fenders. It only took one before they took the hint and re-anchored further away. Isn't it nice, I thought, when everybody's on script.
 
RupertW said:
In that case there might have been room enough to move but in many places we like - Croatia, Ionian, Sporades then moving just means having somebody else too close after the next few boats come in. So the routine is fenders out and relax - preferably get off the boat for a shop or a beer ashore until dusk and the madness is over.
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Interesting and I agree to what you said , we do the same also put our dinghy , I also have at time told them to anchor and come along side to save him banging into me in the middle of the night in none or light winds .
but what your view and others here , when someone anchors that close that there no doubt you going to collide and the forecaster is for wind to blow up , maybe at night .
And there no other room for you to move to .
My view would be he just going to have to move and I start by asking him nicely but if he refused then my tone would change .
I wouldn't be taking a chance that my fenders will protect me from any damage .
Or take the risk that he may drag and take me with him .
 
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It is all very well talking about moving oneself when another boat is anchored too close but so often I find that they have anchored upwind and lying exactly on my anchor retrieval path.

This happened to me in Croatia a few years ago. A very large and new HR, Swiss flagged, anchored upwind to me and the skipper and mate, after just piling chain overboard without digging in, departed in the inflatable for dining ashore. The brisk wind began to increase as dusk fell and to my concern the other yacht began getting closer, clearly it was dragging. As the evening wore on and the wind rose, I spent the time anxiously waiting on the foredeck in the dark, shining a light on the slowly approaching transom and letting out more chain. I would have moved, of course, but the big and shiny, expensive yacht was lying exactly over my chain, perhaps their dragging anchor even fouling it.

Close to midnight the crew returned surprised that there was now no space between their stern and my bow to park their inflatable. They were also surprised to hear a strong complaint about their cavalier anchoring technique. "Well, how much chain do you have out then?" they asked me, implying I was questioning their lack of scope rather than their technique. "I started with 30 meters but now have my entire 60 meters out just to keep away from you." I answered. They climbed sheepishly aboard with difficulty in the confined space, started the engine and moved.
 
Sybarite said:
Yesterday I was anchoring off Groix. There were quite a lot of boats but I identified a gap of about 100m and I was idling up into the middle of it when a power boat powered in in front of me and dropped his anchor (released from the cockpit) in exactly where I was heading......
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Presumably French … they drive cars the same way … total oblivion!
 
I see so many liveaboards tied to the quay. The when the charter company clear the quay at turnaround time, the liveaboard moves to anchor close by anxiously watching "their" spot for it to free-up.

When a cruiser uses the boat to "cruise" and have adventure that is good wherever that is. Med, Caribbean, wherever. Sitting on the same quay month in month out is not good is frankly a waste of space.
 
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BurnitBlue said:
I see so many liveaboards tied to the quay. The when the charter company clear the quay at turnaround time, the liveaboard moves to anchor close by anxiously watching "their" spot for it to free-up.

When a cruiser uses the boat to "cruise" and have adventure that is good wherever that is. Med, Caribbean, wherever. Sitting on the same quay month in month out is not good is frankly a waste of space.
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Well I couldn't agree more ,
We used a Quay once so far this year and we was on it for 3 hours while we did some shopping and had a coffee , just as you said as we was sorting out the mooring line and connecting the cable for the windlass you could hear a anchor hauled up , before we even got our anchor up the other boat was already dropping theirs I heard my co skipper/ partner say , just another min please .
 
sailaboutvic said:
Well I couldn't agree more ,
We used a Quay once so far this year and we was on it for 3 hours while we did some shopping and had a coffee , just as you said as we was sorting out the mooring line and connecting the cable for the windlass you could hear a anchor hauled up , before we even got our anchor up the other boat was already dropping theirs I heard my co skipper/ partner say , just another min please .
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We don't have this problem in Australia, which makes me wonder why so many Australians are so attracted to and spend so much time in.......

but Vic - maybe they too wanted to do some shopping and have a coffee.? :)

We really don't understand this fascination, even once, with buying a cup of coffee (at some unnecessary expense and possible (paper cup) environmental damage). Is it so difficult to make a cup of decent coffee (or 3), at anchor (or at sea), and relax and enjoy. Even better with a freshly made apple doughnut. You are liveaboards, know the in and outs - what is wrong with shopping via the dinghy - you'll all be going to the barber next!

And I'm called a 'snowflake' for wanting a hot shower or 2! :( - which I might cut down to one a day but I'd not be so keen to sacrifice the home (boat) made fresh apple doughnut (and the leisurely cup of coffer, or 3).

:)

Another thing I notice - no-one in this sort of thread (and the one living on 4,500 euro) mentions fishing. Admittedly we only liveaboard for 3-5 month but one of the pleasures is, or are, fresh fish; tuna, spanish mackerel, mahi mahi, lobster, oysters, mussels, abalone, etc - admittedly we are only allowed to catch a limited number of lobster now, I think its 2 in hand and 2 on board (and I think abalone overrated - against the desire of my wife) and we need a licence for fish, lobster and abalone - but it is hardly onerous.

The bigger problem I find, being a carnivore, is the absence of red meat!

And the attractions of the Med are......??? rapidly diminishing!!!

Jonathan
 
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