Anchorage Blues

By Gay McDonald, Dancing Dolphin
 

You've just sailed the last 60-plus mile leg of your journey from Sydney (Adelaide, Melbourne, etc). Along the way, there has been some great sailing, some adventures, and you've met lots of really great people. At last, you arrive at that destination you've been dreaming about ever since you first bought that last boat: Watson Bay, Lizard Island.  
 

When you arrive, you discover it's everything you've dreamed about and more, and can the water really be that pale turquoise and the beach so white and clean? Ah, a little slice of heaven in Australian waters! Down goes the anchor, and you open a bottle of wine and settle into the cockpit for a few quiet drinks. BUT. 
 

Now that you've turned the motor off, all you can hear is the whine of wind generators, and you find yourself hoping and praying that the owners of these noisy items have the decency to turn them off after dark so you can sleep in peace.  
 

Next day, you've shifted position because the wind generator on the next boat ran all night. Half a day later, another boat anchors right beside you: it's way too close, and you can see disaster happening in the near future, but the owners believe they are not too close and refuse to move. That night, you also discover that they have no plans of turning off their noisy wind generator at night either.  Paradise suddenly doesn't sound so wonderful.

 Rob and I have spent the last several winters at Watson Bay, and we have experienced the Anchorage Blues on every single occasion, mostly through repeat performances by different boats over the duration of our stay. It's happened so many times that we now wonder if some people enjoy being glared at or making other boat owner feel fearful (unless they shift position). 
 

 

There are some unwritten rules in regard to anchoring in any location. The first of these is..... first in last out...., which means the first boat to anchor shall not need to move if someone anchors too close: the newcomer will be expected to move. It applies to various situations, and the only real lesson you need to learn is to Make Sure Brain Is Engaged Before Dropping Anchor.

 

Unwritten rule two is ...... you're too close if someone says you are ....., which means you should just take the hint and move over a little. Especially if you are new to cruising, you can take it from me that nobody is trying to have a shot at you, they are only trying to protect their topsides from damages they have probably sustained before in similar situations. 
 

Unwritten rule two has some special applications:

      If, for example, all the other boats in a bay have been there for many days through calm weather, and you arrive at the end of the calm with the weather guys predicting increasing winds overnight. You will need to be very aware that the position of boats already at anchor may not relate to the position they will occupy when the winds increase. Long periods of calm weather cause anchored boats to drift around with the tide (among other effects of water and weather), sometimes ending up directly over the top of their anchor. The next period of strong winds will cause them to stretch out some or all of the bends and turns in their chain. If you've anchored too close, you're probably going to end up in a collision.  
 

      Another example is Trinity Inlet in Cairns. There are quite a lot of registered moorings in the area, and a boat on a mooring will not swing in the same manner as a boat at anchor. Special care needs to be taken to make sure you are clear of all moored boats before leaving your own boat to go ashore.

       In fact, Trinity Inlet also qualifies for example three: strong tidal influences mean you need to let out more chain and make sure your anchor is dug in. It also means you'll need to consider where your boat is going to end up if the wind changes (the local Port Authority gets justifiably upset about boats hanging out across the shipping channel). 

Unwritten rule number three is ..don't put out an aft anchor if it's likely to cause problems. These  problems can be varied. For example, we once had the boat in front of us drop an aft anchor over the top of our anchor, then leave their boat while they went out on another boat. During the morning, the forecast light NE breeze arrived, and we swung towards this other boat. We were unable to retrieve our anchor without damaging both boats and, had the Nor'easter increased during the day, some serious decisions would have to be made. Other problems can be caused simply by the fact that your boat will no longer move with the others around you, possibly causing a collision (for which you will bear the responsibility).

Unwritten rule number four is ....  always enter an anchorage with the brain in gear .... always enter an anchorage with brain in gear. For example, slow down, look around: you may notice that a boat in front of you is in the process of raising anchor. Also, don't go too close to any other boat, as gusts of wind can cause them to swing. If you hit a boat at anchor, you are definitely in the wrong.  
 

Unwritten rule number five is .... if entering a crowded anchorage after dark, don't barge in ....   Why some people have such a great need to barge in  amidst boats after dark is really beyond me! Sure, there are some places where it's easy to do, but there are some places where you could be endangering yourself as well as others. How many times have you seen a boat without any anchor light on? What if you're barging in and one such boatie is right in your path? It's often the best policy to anchor out the back of everyone there and wait for daylight to pick a better spot, especially since the average person cannot accurately judge distances at night. 
 

Unwritten rule number six is ....  be considerate of all others ....   For example, don't arrive late and start to play loud music after midnight. When entering late or leaving early, try to do so with a minimum of noise. Have some hand signals rather than screaming orders back and forth.

 There are many more unwritten rules that the more experienced boat owners use without conscious thought: watching wash from your tender; behaving with appropriate respect/decorum at resorts (so as not to get every boat banned forever); and not leaving trash or dumping it overboard are just a few of the things you need to consider. Situational awareness covers most of the rules of anchorages and, indeed, of cruising: make sure brain is engaged at all times when at anchor or under way!

There are two ways to leave an impression on the long-term cruising folks: one is to make friends and the second is to make enemies. It's all up to you how would you like to be remembered?