|
More and more people are turning to boating and yachting to get away from it all, but a crowded marina isn't necessarily going to provide the looked for tranquillity. Marinas can be very social and fun places, with facilities for repairs and showers and restaurants, but there will come a time when you want to get yourself off to a secluded bay somewhere that doesn't have pontoons to tie up to. Which means you're going to have to use the anchor on the boat; there's a risk of it dragging, the boat will swing as the wind and tide, or currents, change. The depth of water may fluctuate and getting ashore means using a dinghy. Planning where to anchor is the first job, then assessing the anchorage itself on arrival is important too. Motor around and assess the shelter, depths and nature of the sea bed. Understanding your equipment and how to set the anchor is very important, then what to do if the weather cuts up rough. There are other issues too from maintaining electrical power for engine starting if you're going to be there a while, communication, getting ashore and crucially getting back. Wind generators and solar panels are always a good idea for anyone intending to anchor out for long periods and a reliable outboard motor for the tender. Large fresh water tanks are a good idea too. Then there's always the business of getting the anchor back up, which can be simple, but isn't always. Sometimes the anchor or the chain become fouled and bring up debris, occasionally the anchor won't come up at all. Most sailing courses teach the basics of anchoring, but there's a whole lot to learn and books on the subject are few and far between; if you'd like to know about all the considerations mentioned above, plus bureaucracy and insurance issues then look for a book called How To Anchor Safely – So You Sleep Well! It's packed with common sense advice from an experienced sailor and it's written in a simple conversational style, backed up with anecdotes, photographs and illustrations. The author has lived aboard his Dutch steel ketch for eight years and has anchored for most of every summer in order to minimise marina costs, if you plan to do likewise it's a good idea to get some advance knowledge of all the problems that can arise, not to mention how to go about things correctly. Getting it wrong can be costly, even dangerous and it's nearly always embarrassing. Sadly, it's rare these days to find a completely deserted anchorage and sometimes you can feel the eyes of other yachtsmen upon you, scrutinising your every move as you arrive and anchor. By Malcolm Snook
Related Articles -
sailing, sail, yacht, motor boat, boating, motor boating, anchor, anchoring, leisure boat,
|
