We arrived at Newfound Harbor early yesterday and settled in knowing that we're going to have a blustery few days. There are a couple of cold fronts passing through the Keys this week bringing winds of 20 knots last night and 25 knots on Thursday / Friday. We anchored close to where we had before and had a relaxing afternoon pottering around and interneting while we had a signal.
The wind picked up, as predicted, in the late afternoon so much so that the little sailboat in front of us began dragging on its anchor and eventually pulled free and headed toward shore. The couple on the boat tried a variety of things including pulling up the two anchors they had out, starting their engine and then finally throwing out another anchor which stopped their progress towards the shore. With the boat under control, the man was able to untangle and pull up his anchors. A man from another little sailboat called over and offered them a bigger anchor.
We watched all this not being able to do much and actually when things are not going well on a boat, the last thing you want is a bunch of 'helpers' shouting confusing advice and getting in your way. You just need to focus on what you're doing without being distracted. We did learn a lot from watching (we've learned tons from watching on this trip!). The anchors on the little boat were small, small enough to be picked up in one hand. They were small because there was no windlass so they had to be light enough to be pulled up by hand. This is okay in fine weather, less than okay in 20 - 25 knots of wind. The man knew what he was doing, the woman did not so there was quite a bit of rushing from doing things which needed to be done on the bow and then back to the stern to deal with steering and the motor. We learned a lot about the reaction time necessary in a dragging anchor situation when the wind is blowing you onto shore, the reaction time is seconds not minutes.
After everything settled back down again, we went down below and analysed what had happened and what we each learned from it. That discussion evolved into what we would need to do and to have to react properly in that situation. And after talking through it for about 45 minutes the things that came out were:
- To have headsets on the table, tested and working
- To have flashlights also out, a head lamp for Steve and a handheld for me
- To set the anchor alarm with a very tight tolerance
And to be very clear and have talked through what the process would be if the anchor dragged:
- Headsets on
- Steve would immediately head for the bow and deal with the anchor
- I would throw the circuit breaker for the engine, start it and man the wheel
- I would start the instruments so we would know where we are
- Based upon what Steve encountered up front, I would move the boat in the required direction
(the Chart Plotter was on deck and plugged in because Steve was worried about corrosion)
We have a lot of confidence in our anchoring tackle, but it makes sense to be prepared particularly when heading for the Bahamas where the holding in some places is tricky. After spending what seemed like a excessively long time dissecting this eventuality, we finished our cocktails and sat down to a lovely clam chowder:
Sailboat Stores Clam Chowder
3 slices of bacon, chopped and fried
Add in and saute until tender:
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 sticks of celery, chopped
When tender, add in:
2 potatoes, chopped
1 can of whole clams (or fresh shucked clams if you have them)
1/4 can of the clam juice
Stir for a few minutes with the rest to cover with juice and start cooking
Pour in:
1 can evaporated milk
1 small carton heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup milk
(Evaporated milk tends to be sweeter than I like so I also add in white vinegar (2-3 tblsps to taste) and several shots of soy sauce which cut the sweetness) Simmer until the potatoes are soft and for about 10 minutes more, uncovered so the broth reduces and becomes richer. Enjoy with a glass of wine on a blustery night!
After dinner the wind had really picked up and we were up on deck checking things out before doing the dishes and heading to bed. As we looked around, we realised our anchor was dragging! The boat was moving very rapidly towards shore! We grabbed the gear, started the engine and ran to our places. Steve worked on hauling the anchor while I flipped on the instruments and tried to figure out where we were. It was now pitch black, no moon had risen yet. The boat swung around so the stern was into the wind so Steve had me back into the wind. The depth finder was showing a flat line which meant we were or nearly were aground. I continued to back up and we started to make progress in reverse. Finally the anchor came up and we rev'd it into forward and swung it around into the wind. As we moved forward, we could feel the keel hitting the ground, but Steve said keep going and we made it out into the channel!
With the anchor up and the boat under control, we turned into the wind and set the anchor down again. To make sure it was set, we rev'd the engine in reverse up to 2000 rpms and it didn't move. We were now quite close to the channel, but didn't care because we weren't dragging. Down below to finish the dishes and we rewarded ourselves with that great British restorative (no, not a pint!), a cup of tea!
I'm amazed at how things happen and often think they happen for a reason. If we hadn't had our 'What Would We Do If the Anchor Dragged Discussion' we would have been totally unprepared and it would have been chaos. We wouldn't have been able to see or to hear, and we would have been running around focusing on and trying to do the preparatory things like get lights, start the engine, get in place, realise we couldn't hear each other, etc., etc., rather than focusing on quickly assessing and resolving the problem. It was seconds, not minutes of reaction time. That conversation occurred 30 minutes before we encountered a situation where it was of incredible (perhaps even boat saving) value.
What did we learn? That we need to be even more particular about anchoring, a few minutes on a sunny afternoon adjusting an anchor drop which doesn't seem exactly, exactly right is far, far better than an hour or two resetting an anchor with the wind howling around you in the dark. That our rule about not drinking too much on the boat is a very important one (thank goodness we hadn't over indulged!). That talking through eventualities to the nth level of detail is time well spent and we'll be doing more of that in the future. That being meticulous about things pays off and we need to be more so than we already are. That laying out the equipment you may need may seem silly if you don't need it, but relieves a huge amount of tension if you do. Other bits and pieces we would have found or did find useful during this were:
Million candle power light (my flashlight was not strong enough to see far away)
Also need to have the Pilot circuit breaker on so I can see where the rudder is (this was less important, but would have been helpful)
Handheld compass (for down below anchor watching)
Handheld GPS (for down below anchor watching)
Chart Plotter
But perhaps the biggest learning was about our confidence and the change in our ability to handle these things. At the beginning of December, I would have lost it and been useless during this situation. Last night (except for a little 'Oh,no, oh,no, oh, no' to which Steve replied, 'What's wrong?! so I quick shut up!), I focused on what needed to be done and did an equal part in working to solve the problem. If Steve had had to run back and forth between the anchor and the helm, it would have been far more difficult for him. We were incredibly lucky to have seen what we saw which prompted a very good discussion so we were ready(ish) to handle a tricky situation. Somebody was looking out for us and for that I am very thankful! I'm always impressed with Steve's skills in these situations (although he still won't wear his Captain's hat) and the way we work together has improved even more. We are a much, much stronger partnership than when we started.
And the boat is fine and so are we.
The wind picked up, as predicted, in the late afternoon so much so that the little sailboat in front of us began dragging on its anchor and eventually pulled free and headed toward shore. The couple on the boat tried a variety of things including pulling up the two anchors they had out, starting their engine and then finally throwing out another anchor which stopped their progress towards the shore. With the boat under control, the man was able to untangle and pull up his anchors. A man from another little sailboat called over and offered them a bigger anchor.
We watched all this not being able to do much and actually when things are not going well on a boat, the last thing you want is a bunch of 'helpers' shouting confusing advice and getting in your way. You just need to focus on what you're doing without being distracted. We did learn a lot from watching (we've learned tons from watching on this trip!). The anchors on the little boat were small, small enough to be picked up in one hand. They were small because there was no windlass so they had to be light enough to be pulled up by hand. This is okay in fine weather, less than okay in 20 - 25 knots of wind. The man knew what he was doing, the woman did not so there was quite a bit of rushing from doing things which needed to be done on the bow and then back to the stern to deal with steering and the motor. We learned a lot about the reaction time necessary in a dragging anchor situation when the wind is blowing you onto shore, the reaction time is seconds not minutes.
After everything settled back down again, we went down below and analysed what had happened and what we each learned from it. That discussion evolved into what we would need to do and to have to react properly in that situation. And after talking through it for about 45 minutes the things that came out were:
- To have headsets on the table, tested and working
- To have flashlights also out, a head lamp for Steve and a handheld for me
- To set the anchor alarm with a very tight tolerance
And to be very clear and have talked through what the process would be if the anchor dragged:
- Headsets on
- Steve would immediately head for the bow and deal with the anchor
- I would throw the circuit breaker for the engine, start it and man the wheel
- I would start the instruments so we would know where we are
- Based upon what Steve encountered up front, I would move the boat in the required direction
(the Chart Plotter was on deck and plugged in because Steve was worried about corrosion)
We have a lot of confidence in our anchoring tackle, but it makes sense to be prepared particularly when heading for the Bahamas where the holding in some places is tricky. After spending what seemed like a excessively long time dissecting this eventuality, we finished our cocktails and sat down to a lovely clam chowder:
Sailboat Stores Clam Chowder
3 slices of bacon, chopped and fried
Add in and saute until tender:
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 sticks of celery, chopped
When tender, add in:
2 potatoes, chopped
1 can of whole clams (or fresh shucked clams if you have them)
1/4 can of the clam juice
Stir for a few minutes with the rest to cover with juice and start cooking
Pour in:
1 can evaporated milk
1 small carton heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup milk
(Evaporated milk tends to be sweeter than I like so I also add in white vinegar (2-3 tblsps to taste) and several shots of soy sauce which cut the sweetness) Simmer until the potatoes are soft and for about 10 minutes more, uncovered so the broth reduces and becomes richer. Enjoy with a glass of wine on a blustery night!
After dinner the wind had really picked up and we were up on deck checking things out before doing the dishes and heading to bed. As we looked around, we realised our anchor was dragging! The boat was moving very rapidly towards shore! We grabbed the gear, started the engine and ran to our places. Steve worked on hauling the anchor while I flipped on the instruments and tried to figure out where we were. It was now pitch black, no moon had risen yet. The boat swung around so the stern was into the wind so Steve had me back into the wind. The depth finder was showing a flat line which meant we were or nearly were aground. I continued to back up and we started to make progress in reverse. Finally the anchor came up and we rev'd it into forward and swung it around into the wind. As we moved forward, we could feel the keel hitting the ground, but Steve said keep going and we made it out into the channel!
With the anchor up and the boat under control, we turned into the wind and set the anchor down again. To make sure it was set, we rev'd the engine in reverse up to 2000 rpms and it didn't move. We were now quite close to the channel, but didn't care because we weren't dragging. Down below to finish the dishes and we rewarded ourselves with that great British restorative (no, not a pint!), a cup of tea!
I'm amazed at how things happen and often think they happen for a reason. If we hadn't had our 'What Would We Do If the Anchor Dragged Discussion' we would have been totally unprepared and it would have been chaos. We wouldn't have been able to see or to hear, and we would have been running around focusing on and trying to do the preparatory things like get lights, start the engine, get in place, realise we couldn't hear each other, etc., etc., rather than focusing on quickly assessing and resolving the problem. It was seconds, not minutes of reaction time. That conversation occurred 30 minutes before we encountered a situation where it was of incredible (perhaps even boat saving) value.
What did we learn? That we need to be even more particular about anchoring, a few minutes on a sunny afternoon adjusting an anchor drop which doesn't seem exactly, exactly right is far, far better than an hour or two resetting an anchor with the wind howling around you in the dark. That our rule about not drinking too much on the boat is a very important one (thank goodness we hadn't over indulged!). That talking through eventualities to the nth level of detail is time well spent and we'll be doing more of that in the future. That being meticulous about things pays off and we need to be more so than we already are. That laying out the equipment you may need may seem silly if you don't need it, but relieves a huge amount of tension if you do. Other bits and pieces we would have found or did find useful during this were:
Million candle power light (my flashlight was not strong enough to see far away)
Also need to have the Pilot circuit breaker on so I can see where the rudder is (this was less important, but would have been helpful)
Handheld compass (for down below anchor watching)
Handheld GPS (for down below anchor watching)
Chart Plotter
But perhaps the biggest learning was about our confidence and the change in our ability to handle these things. At the beginning of December, I would have lost it and been useless during this situation. Last night (except for a little 'Oh,no, oh,no, oh, no' to which Steve replied, 'What's wrong?! so I quick shut up!), I focused on what needed to be done and did an equal part in working to solve the problem. If Steve had had to run back and forth between the anchor and the helm, it would have been far more difficult for him. We were incredibly lucky to have seen what we saw which prompted a very good discussion so we were ready(ish) to handle a tricky situation. Somebody was looking out for us and for that I am very thankful! I'm always impressed with Steve's skills in these situations (although he still won't wear his Captain's hat) and the way we work together has improved even more. We are a much, much stronger partnership than when we started.
And the boat is fine and so are we.
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