No sleep tonight.

[Russell Clifton]

2:48am: Anchored out in Garrison Bay. Just had a gust of 50. One sailboat drifted by a few hours ago, he motored back up to where he was and re-anchored. Now his lights are getting closer to me. Keeping a close eye on him.
Been several years since I've done this.

 

[Pau Hana]

Fun times ��

 

[angus99]

Hang in there. What’s your ground tackle?

 

[Northern Spy]

I didn't sleep well either, and I was at home! Windy out there last night. Calm now.

 

[Ken E.]

Russ, I live a Sandy Point north of Bellingham. I felt the same blast of sw wind, which is presently 25 kts. Garrison, being close to Haro strait, gets strafed by sw wind coming through the Snug harbor low area.

 

[Russell Clifton]

Hang in there. What’s your ground tackle?

My Rocna anchor got me thru it. I never had a doubt. One other sailboat drug anchor last night. He left sometime before dawn.

 

[HeadMistress]

Years ago I spent a long weekend on a friend's Nimble Nomad (surprisingly comfortable for just 25') on the Chesapeake Bay. One evening we anchored in a nice cove off the South River...water was shallow--<10'-- and a very light breeze. At sunset we were enjoying happy hour when a couple on about a 30' sailboat came in and anchored about 100 yds upwind of us. His idea of anchoring consisted of dropping it off the bow and cleating it off when it hit bottom. We knew we weren't gonna get much sleep that night and we didn't...took turns getting up every hour to monitor his progress in our direction. About 4 am, my friend woke me up and said "I'm gonna need a little help." The sailboat had drifted enough to put it about 3' off our port side. She'd already deployed fenders...we "reeled him in" with boat hooks and rafted him to us and went back to bed.

About 8:30 we'd finished breakfast and were enjoying a second cup of coffee in the cockpit when a hatch on the sailboat opened and the skipper stuck his head out...hadn't looked in our direction till we said "good morning! Would you like some coffee?" He turned his head, eyes the size of dinner plates, then disappeared like a prairie dog back into his cabin and closed the hatch. We de-rafted from 'em and left about 9:30 without ever seeing another sign of life on that boat.

--Peggie

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

We felt 55 mph winds here on the Columbia River. Where the hell did that come from? There was no forecast for winds. The wind came out of the west and drove big wind waves up the slough. Everything find here too. Good thing as my props are in the shop.

 

[Russell Clifton]

We felt 55 mph winds here on the Columbia River. Where the hell did that come from? There was no forecast for winds. The wind came out of the west and drove big wind waves up the slough. Everything find here too. Good thing as my props are in the shop.

We had a forecast for 35mph winds starting at 11:00pm. But when it started blowing 50, boats started drifting. The terrine around this bay is fairly low so the wind get's in but there is not much fetch, so not to rough last night. I made my anchor bridle out of three strand nylon which is nice and "stretchey" so that really helps absorb the shock.

 

[GFC]

We have a wind advisory on our stretch of the Columbia with sustained winds at 25-30 with gusts expected at 45-50.

ASD, can't you just keep that crap down on your end of the river and not let it work it's way up here? :-(

 

[WayneDana2]

We have a wind advisory on our stretch of the Columbia with sustained winds at 25-30 with gusts expected at 45-50.

ASD, can't you just keep that crap down on your end of the river and not let it work it's way up here? :-(

Didn't feel a thing here at Jantzen beach. Weird.
We were in Hood river yesterday afternoon and remarking at how calm it was. Not a single windsurfer at the bridge.

 

[Rebel112r]

Russell. We pulled the hook and headed for Blind Bay on Shaw, got there and saw current was in our favor and wind was zero in the strait. Needed to be back by Wednesday, so headed out Thru Obstruction Pass, made A left turn, and rode the flood all the way home, 9-10knots with RPMs set for 8. Strait was mirror calm. Wind started to pickup rounding Whithorn Pt. Docked just after dark. DS

 

[Russell Clifton]

Russell. We pulled the hook and headed for Blind Bay on Shaw, got there and saw current was in our favor and wind was zero in the strait. Needed to be back by Wednesday, so headed out Thru Obstruction Pass, made A left turn, and rode the flood all the way home, 9-10knots with RPMs set for 8. Strait was mirror calm. Wind started to pickup rounding Whithorn Pt. Docked just after dark. DS

I would have responded earlier but trying to catch up on my sleep.

 

[Wayfarer]

Years ago I spent a long weekend on a friend's Nimble Nomad (surprisingly comfortable for just 25') on the Chesapeake Bay. One evening we anchored in a nice cove off the South River...water was shallow--<10'-- and a very light breeze. At sunset we were enjoying happy hour when a couple on about a 30' sailboat came in and anchored about 100 yds upwind of us. His idea of anchoring consisted of dropping it off the bow and cleating it off when it hit bottom. We knew we weren't gonna get much sleep that night and we didn't...took turns getting up every hour to monitor his progress in our direction. About 4 am, my friend woke me up and said "I'm gonna need a little help." The sailboat had drifted enough to put it about 3' off our port side. She'd already deployed fenders...we "reeled him in" with boat hooks and rafted him to us and went back to bed.

About 8:30 we'd finished breakfast and were enjoying a second cup of coffee in the cockpit when a hatch on the sailboat opened and the skipper stuck his head out...hadn't looked in our direction till we said "good morning! Would you like some coffee?" He turned his head, eyes the size of dinner plates, then disappeared like a prairie dog back into his cabin and closed the hatch. We de-rafted from 'em and left about 9:30 without ever seeing another sign of life on that boat.

--Peggie

Ha! He didn't want to know what the hell was going on?? What a strange man.

 

[Moonfish]

2:48am: Anchored out in Garrison Bay. Just had a gust of 50. One sailboat drifted by a few hours ago, he motored back up to where he was and re-anchored. Now his lights are getting closer to me. Keeping a close eye on him.
Been several years since I've done this.

 

[Bigsalmonfish]

2:48am: Anchored out in Garrison Bay. Just had a gust of 50. One sailboat drifted by a few hours ago, he motored back up to where he was and re-anchored. Now his lights are getting closer to me. Keeping a close eye on him.

Been several years since I've done this.

I anchored further out for just that reason. I was up at the same time seeing how my boat was fairing and checking on others expecting someone to drag my way. I saw the sailor with his lights on go past early this morning. Been quite the day...

 

[AlanT]

Sounds like my naked Frenchman meets naked Englishman story. We arrived at a lovely Calanque on the S coast of France, near Cassis. Plenty of room to anchor, but a narrow Calanque (Fjord). Usually you would use two anchors here or tie to the wall, but it was deserted and we had room to swing so..... 3 a.m. a gentle bump on the boat. A French catamaran had nestled up alongside us. Also only had one hook out. I yelled and yelled but he was sound asleep. I lashed us together and went back to sleep. At 0600 we made contact. I went up early naked, to see what we were dealing with, to find him doing the same thing. We wound up (dressed) having breakfast together.

 

[koliver]

Several years ago, anchored in the SE corner of Great Harbour, Peter Island, BVI, with a superyacht anchored out near the mouth of the bay, a mess of water toys deployed and well into party mode.
Later, well after dark, the wind had dropped and then returned, blowing in, rather than out. The superyacht's tenders went to all of the anchored boats downwind of them, asking them to move out of the way, as the SY was dragging. We were close enough to shore that they didn't come that far in.
Before dawn, I woke to a light tapping, went up to investigate and found a similar sized sailboat tapping against our side. I pushed it away and put on the coffee. Some time later, after pushing the visitor away a few times, its occupants came up on deck to discover where they had re-anchored. The water was clear enough we could both see their anchor on top of ours.
No harm, no foul.

 

[Russell Clifton]

Several years ago I was anchored out at Camano Island. Just a small nook in the shore line, fairly deep close to shore. Just before dark a old steel tug of about 40 feet came in and anchored up stream from me. There was a man and a women on board. We were asleep in the v-births when this god awful sound woke me. It was coming from the other side of the hull, right where I was sleeping. Banging and this very loud screeching noise. Bolted out of bed to find the tug had drifted into us and the tires he had mounted around the bow were rubbing up and down against our boat. They were asleep below so I got my boat hook and started pounding on their boat to wake them. To make things worse our anchor lines were tangled together. Took awhile to get separated and he left in the dark for parts unknown. I the morning I could see some large black marks he left behind. Never saw him again.

 

[Ken E.]

The last time I was in Garrison bay when the south wind really came up in the middle of the night was 20 or so years ago, a perfect summer night at dusk with very little wind. There were about 12 sailboats in there and they were anchored in a circle, probably a club regatta. After midnight, I felt the first blast of wind and it really picked up in a hurry. I was upwind of the sailboats fortunately and their circle was blown to smithereens. From their lights, it looked like a Chinese fire drill, lots of anchor chains wrapped up, mayhem. I held through the night without problems but the wind continued very strong until after the sun came up. I did notice my Achilles inflatable tied to the side of the boat was airborne from the wind. It was howling.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

All west winds. We had several sequels pass through today 35 mph +

We have a wind advisory on our stretch of the Columbia with sustained winds at 25-30 with gusts expected at 45-50.

ASD, can't you just keep that crap down on your end of the river and not let it work it's way up here? :-(

 

[John R M]

Years ago 6 of us were sailing on 3 Alberg 30 sailboats and were anchored off the south shore of Nicholson Island in Lake Ontario near Prince Edward County. The wind was blowing quite strongly, none of us got too much sleep worrying about what might happen. In the morning one of the boats informed us they decided to keep watch all night, the 2 of them taking turns. We blasted them for not telling us their plan, the 6 of us could have taken turns allowing everyone to have a better sleep.

 

[Russell Clifton]

Back in the 80's we stayed one night in Shallow Bay on the north side of Sucia Island. When we went to bed it was dead calm. After dark the wind started blowing out of the south, over the top of Sucia, and right into the bay. I stood watch all night on the bridge of our 26 Tolly we had at the time. When daylight came there were two big sailboats on the beach. Not sure how they got them off. I thought for sure we would have been protected in that bay from any wind from the south.

 

[Russell Clifton]

Another interesting wind story told to me by someone who was there. This happened at Shearwater Marina in BC. The dock was full as it usually is and the wind starting blowing on night. It registered over 100 mph. Those docks are not secured in place with piling, they are anchored in place. They had to use a tug that was in the harbor to push against the dock so it did not break loose. They managed to save it. But just when they thought they had lucked out it happened the next night too. This wasn't a winter blow, it was during the summer boating season.

They weren't so lucky in Ocean Falls about three years ago. You would think that place would be fairly protected from any severe winds. But not winter storms. It broke loose most of the docks that night. That's why there are new docks and electrical service now.

 

[Ken E.]

Speaking of Shearwater BC, ASD and Crusty Chief had a rousing time one night there a few years ago, rafted together on anchor when a big wind came up. Maybe Tom or John will tell us about it. As I remember, it was hard on the windlass.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Oh how Crusty doesn't want to remember this. We had anchored in the bay. I was side tied to Pairadice. No winds forecast that night. In the middle of the night we had a big big wind hit us over the valley in front of us. You know Navy. My anchor is bigger than yours.

I woke up and the marina was off our STBD bow! It was suppose to be be STBD stern. Crap we were just 50 yards off the island. I started to yell for Crusty. He didn't come up to the bridge. What to do. I fired up the CATS. John showed up in his whitey tighteys. What's up he said? I must of had fear in my eyes. He came too and all I heard was "oh sh$t".

We are bouncing off each other and was scared if we let the lines go we would hit hard. As Crusty untied us, the wind separated us perfectly. I set my anchor and Crusty was able to reset, but his windlass was not working right. The next day his windlass crashed. We were also the talk of the resort.

After that Crusty would no longer side tie...

Hey Crusty what dod I forget?

Speaking of Shearwater BC, ASD and Crusty Chief had a rousing time one night there a few years ago, rafted together on anchor when a big wind came up. Maybe Tom or John will tell us about it. As I remember, it was hard on the windlass.

 

[Simi 60]

Its the great thing about having superior anchoring gear.
Confidence

After several years putting it to the test I don't even wake up at night when 40+ belts in, so the wife tells me.

 

[Spinner]

Speaking of Shearwater, I was tied on the dock there last summer, when all of a sudden all of the boats started moving up and down pretty violently. One moved so much that its fenders came up on the dock; those of us watching had to get those fenders fixed twice!

We looked around, no wakes, no large ships in the vicinity. I found out later that there had been a earthquake centered to the west not too far away.

I have been at a dock when the wind blew 60 knots, but that movement from the quake was much worse. I suspect it might have unset an anchor or two....

 

[OldDan1943]

Perhaps few if any backed down on their anchor????
LOL They didn't want to wash down their muddy chain and didn't want the muddy chain in their chain locker?

 

[FF]

When the breeze picks a simple task is to rig the fenders , in daylight, for the midnight visitors.
Takes way less time to stow them compared to repainting a 40 ft gouge in the hull.