Too close at anchorage

Wxx3 said:

Humans are a social animal.
For the most part they want to be around other people. You may not, but then we are not talking about you.
Also, insecurity with anchoring, makes the attraction greater. Meaning, I'm not sure what I'm doing or if this is a good spot, but if I'm near that other boat, I should be OK (because presumably they know what they are doing).

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“Insecurity with anchoring”
I think this explains why anchoring has such a heavy draw on TF. And all this time I thought it was about anchors.

Nomad Willy said:

“Insecurity with anchoring”
I think this explains why anchoring has such a heavy draw on TF. And all this time I thought it was about anchors.

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Nomad Willy said:

...And all this time I thought it was about anchors.

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So, you think those guys with really HUGE anchors are...erm...compensating for something?

There was one time we were on a friend’s small boat. As we approached Bear Island near Swansboro, NC to spend a day on the beach, we saw a group of about 10 boats beached and setting up for their day too. I thought it would be nice to give them space and have some privacy ourselves. I asked if we could go over to a unoccupied spot... “over there”... and pointed about 300 yards to the right. The wife of the other couple said, “There’s a reason people aren’t over there. You want to always go where the people are.”

She was right. After we beached and got off the boat to wander around, I walked down to where I wanted to park. The water was inches deep, and when the tide changed, was high and dry.

So to get back on point, people will often anchor near you because you have proven it to be deep and safe. Yea, there is such a thing as too close and this is likely a good example. I just thought this may sometimes be why, even in large anchorages, you may find someone capitalizing on your success.

Just something to think about.

Sabre602 said:

So, you think those guys with really HUGE anchors are...erm...compensating for something?

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Not calling anyone weak in the knees or head but it’s a matter of caution. People of the sun sign Capricorn may have larger anchors.

Tom.B said:

. I asked if we could go over to a unoccupied spot... “over there”... and pointed about 300 yards to the right. The wife of the other couple said, “There’s a reason people aren’t over there. You want to always go where the people are.”

She was right. After we beached and got off the boat to wander around, I walked down to where I wanted to park. The water was inches deep, and when the tide changed, was high and dry.

So to get back on point, people will often anchor near you because you have proven it to be deep and safe. Yea, there is such a thing as too close and this is likely a good example. I just thought this may sometimes be why, even in large anchorages, you may find someone capitalizing on your success.

Just something to think about.

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There's these marvelous things called charts that show depths on them, well worth looking at before making decisions.

We used to have a 35ft catamaran and we always anchored shallow and snuck into areas to deliberately get away from the sheeple.
.
Dumb herd animals being what they are would still try and get near us, the results being mostly amusing but one time being a total disaster.

Some spots had coral reef out of the water at low tide and only a few feet in spots at high barring entry to all without knowledge.
Several times over the years when there we saw boats try and come in and at least one come to a grinding halt.

Another time at another spot a boat anchored near us at night, we didnt notice and that night we were woken by panicked screams as the boat dried and eventually lay over and filled up on the next tide.
Luckily for them they had the volunteer coast guard nearby with pumps to help.

If only they'd checked the charts, or sounder.

In Belize we were sailing down the reef. and came to a small island called Rendezvous Key. Sounds so inviting. There was a small lagoon with a reef across the entrance with about a 20 foot wide entrance that was 6 feet deep. We had charts and I placed my daughter on the bow using hand signals to get in. We did and had a beautiful shallow anchorage in warm water. We were sitting in the cockpit enjoying dinner when my daughter said, "Dad, we are like cheese in a mouse trap!" I asked what she was talking about and followed to where she was pointing as she said,"over there". In the distance, about 1/2 mile away there was a sailboat, obviously larger then the Freedom 40 that we were in, heading toward the reef. But they were not heading toward the opening!!! No radio sound out of them. As we watched they hit the reef twice as they tried to get into the lagoon. You could tell when they hit because the tall mast would switch back and forth as the boat heeled. They finally gave up and sailed on. No Rendezvous for them I guess.. Such a shame, if they had used either charts or radio they could have shared our beautiful anchorage. I ALWAYS have charts, and I DONT mean electronic charts, batteries go dead. I hope they didnt damage the bottom of their rental boat. I am sure it was a rental, an owner would have had charts,

Owners of shoal draft trawlers with box keel protected propellers probably have funny stories about people trying to anchor close to them.

Wifey B: We don't anchor a lot and when we do it's not close to others. One thing we've found is so many want to anchor in shallow areas so we just find a little deeper water where we still have room to swing.

MurrayM said:

Owners of shoal draft trawlers with box keel protected propellers probably have funny stories about people trying to anchor close to them.

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My 36 foot center cockpit Gulfstar sailboat had a 3'3" keel and I woud almost pull it ashore on soft bottoms. and that fooled some people seeing a sailboat that close to shore. I am expecting the 2'10" draft of the Mainship 34 will be causing some people to run aground also. I can almost go flats fishing with the MS-34.