k88 9 Posted August 17 Share Posted August 17 Hopefully we wont encounter storms like this in NZ. Those yachts must have power engines to punch through waves and winds like that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM5ESYiRwWo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Psyche 726 Posted August 17 Share Posted August 17 Some insurance bargains there for sure! The vid says 120kmh winds, we've been out at barrier in that and more a few times and its not pleasant. How you get on all depends on the fetch and your anchor gear. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K4309 353 Posted August 17 Share Posted August 17 I would check the forecast, even if I was on holiday... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K4309 353 Posted August 17 Share Posted August 17 Unless of course I was on a charter boat, in which case I'd take me passport, wallet and bag and head to the pub. Then I would phone the charter company and tell them it's broken, could they send me another one? Jokes aside, no point risking the safety of your family or crew if you don't have to. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
waikiore 444 Posted August 17 Share Posted August 17 This was forecast apparently, anyone want a rather second hand Wally 100 (wally love)? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ex Machina 384 Posted August 18 Share Posted August 18 3 hours ago, waikiore said: This was forecast apparently, anyone want a rather second hand Wally 100 (wally love)? Bugger , saw that boat up close in the Lerins islands a few years ago . Not my type of boat but still a head turner for sure . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,691 Posted August 18 Share Posted August 18 On 17/08/2024 at 3:48 PM, Psyche said: Some insurance bargains there for sure! The vid says 120kmh winds, we've been out at barrier in that and more a few times and its not pleasant. How you get on all depends on the fetch and your anchor gear. And windage. How much crap do you carry on deck. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,284 Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 Many of the boats had flogging sails and other signs of lack of preparation. It WAS forecast..... Lee shore as well for many Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aardvarkash10 1,065 Posted August 20 Share Posted August 20 4 hours ago, Island Time said: Many of the boats had flogging sails and other signs of lack of preparation. It WAS forecast..... Lee shore as well for many Yeah, I couldn't get over that. I'm no big time sailor, but I would have got away from a lee shore ( preferably go to the other side of the island), find a spot away from every other boat swinging in a rope, put out as much ground tackle as I could get my hands on, lash everything down, and then decamp to a bar onshore and view events from a comfortable seat. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
khayyam 92 Posted August 20 Share Posted August 20 Formentera isn't even that big, so getting round the other side should be (relatively) easy if forecast? Somewhere bigger like Majorca takes a bit more doing to get round the other side. The gulf is amazingly cooperative with anchorages for every wind in a small area, the rest of the world isn't so accommodating! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K4309 353 Posted August 20 Share Posted August 20 Linking back to the original question, Lets assume this wasn't forecast, you didn't see it coming and found yourself pinned down in a crowded anchorage on a lee shore with, what did they say? 60 knt winds and a sharp nasty sea state. What can you do? Other than already having the best anchor you can get, a sarca excel from Chains Ropes & Anchors, I'd let all my chain and rode out, and basically sit tight. The only other thing I can think of is having the motor running (for a couple of reasons) and having it in gear and driving forward modestly to try and reduce the risk of dragging anchor. Noting I've never been in this situation and have no idea how effective that would be. There would also be the risk of fouling the prop if you weren't careful, but the situation is generally high risk anyway. Noting if the engine is already running it gives some ability to maneuver if you do drag, or possibly to yaw out of the way if someone else is dragging past you. I would think once in the situation any though about reducing windage is futile. I would not try raising the anchor, due to the seastate and a fairly dangerous motion on the foredeck. That, and if you did raise anchor, you'd have to be absolutely convinced you could motor into it. By the looks of the videos, several boats motoring were getting their bow blown off, so they couldn't actually get around to motor into it. Possibly better to reverse into it, but I bet you'd take a heap of water over the stern. Possibly bugger the rudder too? I guess overall I am genuinely bemused how so many people can get trapped on a lee shore with such a violent weather feature coming through. That links back to my earlier comment of checking the forecast. My other thought is how many of these boats were charters? Possibly a lot of people ashore when the blow came through, and being a crowded anchorage, or the classic anchoring technique of making sure the anchor is on the bottom but not much else, also led to a lot of dragging. Crowded anchorages like that normally has someone dragging in 5 knts, or chains and anchors fowled across each other like my Nan's knitting. It certainly looks like a lot of drama, stress and confusion all in a small space and time. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
1paulg 20 Posted August 20 Share Posted August 20 Without knowing the exact details - my guess is that wasnt a Lee shore when so many boats dropped anchor there but with a front like that coming through like a freight train it is likely to have come from a different angle and turned it into one - too late for all those there to respond other than doing what little they could as a reaction - ie running motors , securing any sails not properly lashed etc. Having been in an anchorage in winds probably of a similar strength (Cyclone Bola) I can say that although Bola came down on NZ quickly once we knew it was imminent we still had hours to prepare by making sure enough rode was out , stripping the foredeck of anything that would be windage , keeping a 24 hr watch etc. However when an unexpected event hits chances are maybe the rode lengths werent what they would have been in anticipation of winds of that strength. Also it could be distances between boats may have been tighter than if they knew winds of that strength were coming through... 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,691 Posted August 20 Share Posted August 20 I've used the motor once like that. Full ahead all night. Don't know if it helped, I was just trying to ease the load on the anchoring gear, no way I could have got the anchor up, let alone moved the boat. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,691 Posted August 20 Share Posted August 20 Anchors, there were three. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Addem 120 Posted August 20 Share Posted August 20 9 hours ago, Black Panther said: Anchors, there were three. I've been wondering if any one has had experience using 2 anchors. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytom 679 Posted August 20 Share Posted August 20 2 hours ago, Addem said: I've been wondering if any one has had experience using 2 anchors. Have done the 2 anchors.layed at about 30 degrees to each other.as one slackens the other takes the strain.but if the wind changes direction.then fun begins.Didit a few yrs ago top of bon accord.swansea bay.just mising the bottom at low tide in thick mud.not quite bolar but close. Took main off boom and dropped furler.Ran motor every 2 hrs just to keep it warm Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,691 Posted August 20 Share Posted August 20 Cyclone in Huahine. Peak gust 108kn but probably sustained average in the 70s. Big storm anchor one side. Both normal anchors in series the other. The little Danforth stern anchor was furthest from the boat and had buried so deep it was a days work to dig it out. Biggest danger I found out later was internal friction, nearly lost everything but totally unaware at the time. Since then regularly kick over a 2nd anchor if bad weather forecast. Good for peace of mind. And all chain. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Addem 120 Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 On 21/08/2024 at 8:10 AM, Black Panther said: Big storm anchor one side. Both normal anchors in series the other. The little Danforth stern anchor was furthest from the boat and had buried so deep it was a days work to dig it out. Biggest danger I found out later was internal friction, nearly lost everything but totally unaware at the time. Since then regularly kick over a 2nd anchor if bad weather forecast. Good for peace of mind. And all chain. Thanks BP. Not sure what you mean " each side?" Did you have 3 anchors out. Storm in the centre? And had a stern anchor? I'd have thought that with 2 anchors when there is a veer in the wind, one anchor might drag until the other caught and then would hold to the wind again. (Not the same as the eye passing over and 180 degree change when I could imagine total tangles and carnage.) Nearly all the storm footage you see there is only one anchor set. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,691 Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 Two rodes at 30deg. On one the storm anchor. On the other the stern anchor (stern anchor identifies the anchor even though it was set off the bow)then 30ft of chain, then the normal anchor. Storm anchor a big manson plough, stern anchor a Danforth, normal anchor a regularly sized manson plough. Hope that helps. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,691 Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 21 minutes ago, Addem said: Thanks BP. Not sure what you mean " Nearly all the storm footage you see there is only one anchor set. Lazy, why do so many get in trouble these days. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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