Anchoring advice

[marisca]

Could the panel offer any tips or advice to skippers who seem to prefer harvesting kelp to digging in their anchors securely? And why having collected a large clump do they throw it back for others to find? Is it like coarse fishing where they return their catches to be caught again?

The question is prompted by the antics of some in Salen Bay and Craighouse during the SIPR. (I was early enough to get a mooring at Craighouse!)

[MrMcP]

Was the anchoring worse in Salen this year? I heard from crew of Bequia that the usual dragging antics started almost immediately, although the reasons are never all that clear. I know the holding there is poor, but with 30+ boats there seems to be a distinct lack of choice in where you might end up trying to dig in the hook. I've never actually had to anchor there so it's a genuine question - both times in SIPR I've been off running Ben More rather than faffing around at anchor.

I hear someone also fell in at Salen - not the best start to their weekend.

[Silkie]

Try to set slowly so that the anchor has time to engage the seabed rather than being dragged through the jungle at several knots. This can be tricky when it is blowing a hoolie as it was in Airds bay on Saturday where I watched a nice French couple take over an hour to finally achieve a successful set after having to clear a couple of large balls of weed.

[marisca]

Was the anchoring worse in Salen this year?

The wind was straight into the bay this year with a bit of a chop. I think one of the problems was the speed the bows blew off after the boat ceased forward motion. We set at the second attempt.

One boat, a rental, found out that the depth was calibrated from the water line not the bottom of the keel when they dragged and then had the misfortune to lose their dinghy. Difficult not to watch the entertainment when one should really be resting.

[Pilgrim]

Silkie,
Did we pass you as we entered Airds Bay about 1100hrs on Sunday? We were the white/cream Rival36 with 2 children on board. The French couple left shortly after......

We've found the likelihood of setting the anchor first time has improved since we started using a Delta rather than CQR or Fortress (our 1st boat came with the latter, no use for Scotland in our opinion).

Liz

[Silkie]

Yes that was me. I'd been hanging off the very wonderful Raya (and up to 50m rode!) since Friday night after clearing out of Dallens bay knowing what that would be like in a strong northerly.

[BlowingOldBoots]

..... or Fortress (our 1st boat came with the latter, no use for Scotland in our opinion).

Liz

Hi Liz,
Why do you think that the Fortress is no use in Scotland? I have the FX24 as a kedge which I have yet to use. I would be interested in why you have that opinion.

Thanks,

Alastair

[Pilgrim]

The Fortress is very light weight and understand it was designed for use in sand. It never seemed to set for us especially in weed. After a while we chucked it off our Contessa26 and replaced it with a 25lb CQR which we didn't like much either before switching it for a 35lb CQR which seemed to keep her fastened to bottom!

In more recent years we have used Delta anchors and remain very impressed, it was used once again this weekend on our Rival and it provided me with a good nights sleep before we set off for our 50miles sail home from Loch Moidart. Of course it's likely we've become a bit more refined in the art of laying out the anchor/chain since the early days which may reduce the anchoring dragging incidence too.

Hope this helps explain my reasoning, we'd probably consider a Fortress if weight was an issue and if we lived off the East Coast of England but personally I'd be wary of depending on it as a kedge as you can't chose when you use it in extremis though I suppose you could throw it from your aground yacht as its light enough!
Liz