Average anchoring depth

[MurrayM]

Hard to imagine Fundy tides, double what we see here:

 

[dhays]

Wow, clearly west coast and PNW are a different situation totally compared to my east coast location.

The reason for my question was I’m thinking of reversing the usual hybrid anchor line set up and going with 100 feet of chain with a 100+ feet of line. In my cruising area this would pretty much give me all chain out typically with the ease of windlass control and the line back up for the unforeseen scenario where more scope was needed.

I would not have the unwanted extra weight of unnecessary unused chain scope to worry with.

Thanks for the responses



Travers

Lady Maria

On my last sailboat, 40’, I had 100’ of chain then a couple hundred feet of three strand. It worked really well. Even in the PNW, I like to anchor shallow when I can. If I know the bottom, I was happy with just a few feet under the keel at low tide and there were plenty of times when I was very comfortable just riding on 90-95’ of chain. 7’ draft, 4’ freeboard at the bow, 15’ tide change meant I had a scope that ranged from 6:1 to 3:1 from low to high tide. Fine if I was in protected waters in calm weather.

If you find deeper water, then you have the nylon rode to increase your scope.

 

[OldDan1943]

Hard to imagine Fundy tides, double what we see here:

Well, the dock seem secure but, the show power cable and water hose.... they will all need to be more than doubled in length.

 

[Ken E.]

Hard to imagine Fundy tides, double what we see here:

That picture says it all.

 

[BandB]

Well, the dock seem secure but, the show power cable and water hose.... they will all need to be more than doubled in length.

Not if they're on the floating dock.

 

[OldDan1943]

Not if they're on the floating dock.

DUH! You are totally correct assuming the pedestal is on the floating part.

 

[MurrayM]

DUH! You are totally correct assuming the pedestal is on the floating part.

Actually, the electrician came at low tide and fixed the pedestals at that height, so they’re under water most of the time

 

[BandB]

Actually, the electrician came at low tide and fixed the pedestals at that height, so they’re under water most of the time

What? Why? Insanity has met it's match.

 

[diver dave]

In either case, “somebodies” cables and hoses need a lot of slack, somewhere. I dont see overhead power drops. Or, a really steep ramp. [emoji12]

 

[OldDan1943]

Actually, the electrician came at low tide and fixed the pedestals at that height, so they’re under water most of the time

No problem..... so what if they are 30+ feet underwater. You just have to connect them on low tide and unplug them as the tide goes up. You might want to stand on a glass stool when you plug and unplug shore power. SARCASM
The amazing part is, he thought he was doing it right.

 

[diver dave]

I had a stool once that felt like it was glass....
Keep the humor up. Our neighborhood just lost all water pressure. 6 deg out and zero water. Except for the 110 gallons in my basement.

 

[OldDan1943]

I had a stool once that felt like it was glass....
Keep the humor up. Our neighborhood just lost all water pressure. 6 deg out and zero water. Except for the 110 gallons in my basement.

Is that for drinking or a broken pipe or from a leaky basement wall and needs to be pumped out?

 

[diver dave]

a couple years ago, I felt compelled to store some emergency potable water. that day is now.. A main burst about a mile away. Not sure what they do with repairs in frozen ground. I guess the backhoe will deal with it.

 

[OldDan1943]

I had a stool once that felt like it was glass....
Keep the humor up. Our neighborhood just lost all water pressure. 6 deg out and zero water. Except for the 110 gallons in my basement.

The glass stool and beds are used in fire towers. The legs sit on a glass leg extension. In lightening storms one must be remain in bed or sitting on the stool.
The glass insulates the tower watch from lightening strikes to the cab of the fire tower.
They must remain in the tower, plotting the lightening strikes.

 

[diver dave]

The glass stool and beds are used in fire towers. The legs sit on a glass leg extension. In lightening storms one must be remain in bed or sitting on the stool.
The glass insulates the tower watch from lightening strikes to the cab of the fire tower.
They must remain in the tower, plotting the lightening strikes.

That's a cool story. Never knew the gov. was into glass insulators for humans. Was this the days before electricity was invented? Or, at least, before we learned how to protect buildings against lightning?
I've seen sparks jump 20', that were man made. I don't doubt the story, but I am kind of wondering about how effective a one foot insulator is, when on the receiving end of a mile long bolt of energy.

 

[OldDan1943]

That's a cool story. Never knew the gov. was into glass insulators for humans. Was this the days before electricity was invented? Or, at least, before we learned how to protect buildings against lightning?
I've seen sparks jump 20', that were man made. I don't doubt the story, but I am kind of wondering about how effective a one foot insulator is, when on the receiving end of a mile long bolt of energy.

Enough so that the tower operators were reasonable safe. If things got really bad, they could come down from the tower and huddle under the legs of the tower in the rain. When the storm passed, back up to the tower cab to look for smoke.

No this was durning the late 60s when I worked the summer outside of Orofino Idaho, laying out 'cut block' for harvest and fire fighting.

See, back in the 60s I was more than a pretty face. LOL

Sorry about my comments, totally off the subject of Average Anchor Depth.

 

[FlyWright]

A 33# Lewmar Claw with 120' of 5/16 chain followed by 240' of 5/8 Brait.

Never regretted that decision for frequent anchoring in 15-50 ft in the SF Bay and California Delta's muddy bottom.

 

[BruceK]

Wifey B: Sorry, but this thread keeps reminding me of Abraham Lincoln saying "A Man's Legs Must be Long Enough to Reach the Ground." So, I hypothesize we must anchor at a depth adequate to reach the bottom.

Or, "How long is a piece of string?"
There must be an average but not sure it helps, anchoring is very much "horses for courses". But, the discussion has been very interesting, and some areas get massive tides.

 

[Mako]

Hard to imagine Fundy tides, double what we see here:

That's really nuts. I remember driving around Alaska once and see whales stranded out in the mud because the tide went out faster than they could leave.

You would think that whales would have some sort of natural instincts, tide-tables, built into their brains.

Actually I guess the same could be said for humans. We only have a two meter tidal swing here, but a couple of workers drowned while clamming a few years ago.