Sailing Fundamentals by Gary Jobson

Author:Gary Jobson [Jobson, Gary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: SOC035000
Publisher: Touchstone
Published: 2008-09-07T21:00:00+00:00

Swinging circle at anchor

Rising tide reduces scope.

Note: Grounding occurs when a boat is left aground and dry by an outgoing tide. Running aground is the act of hitting bottom when in shallow waters; it will be covered in Part Six. If a vessel runs aground on a falling tide, it is in double trouble.

In tidal waters, the scope of the boat’s anchor rode may be sufficient at low tide. At high tide, the water will be deeper and more rode will have to be paid out in order to maintain proper scope. It may therefore become necessary to post an anchor watch to correct the scope during tide changes and to warn the crew if, for any other reason, the anchorage becomes unsafe. This rarely becomes a concern on a daysail, as the boat is normally anchored only for a short times such as a lunch break, when there is usually someone on deck to assess the situation.

GOOD HOLDING GROUND

The type of bottom will affect the anchor’s ability to dig in. If the bottom is too soft, the anchor will just slide through. If it is too hard, the flukes will not be able to grab.

In areas like the Florida Keys, quite often ifs a matter of simply looking down through the crystal clear water to see if there is sand, weed, or coral under the boat. Most water, however, is not that clear. Therefore, our best reference is the nautical chart. The chart symbols for a suitable bottom type are

S-sand M-mud Cl-clay

Chart symbols for usable but less than desirable anchorages are

Oz-ooze (very soft mud or sludge)

Rk-rocks or rocky bottom

Selecting a suitable anchorage is a matter of practice, patience, and wisdom to know when to leave an anchorage before it deteriorates and becomes unsafe. Proper selection, based on the four factors we have discussed, will lessen the chances of anchoring in a dangerous location.

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