An anchor mod to check out...

Bernie makes a point, why you might want to rethink the six-foot/fifteen minute rule, and in the "Since it's Groundhog Day" department...

Steve of SV Panope (AKA That anchor test guy) has an interesting mod for those with Mantus anchors that you might want to check out.

Listening to a playlist for our times

So it goes...

on being anchored in a three-ring circus......

Science (or lack of science) in Florida, George Carlin still making sense, and dumbest man in congress reaps his karma...

I've never been a big fan of licensing users of boats (or users of guns for that matter) but nothing focuses my attention on the idea that there actually might be a need for some sort of required boater education while I sit my boat watching other folks prepare for a possible hurricane.

On one hand, I'll admit, it's sort of entertaining seeing how others react to the idea that a real-honest-to gawd-storm just might be up-close-and-personal. Face it, folks of the inspired tyro boat handling and anchoring brigade seem to totally lose it when a bit of real-world danger becomes part of the mix and they go into cluster-fuck mode and flip out.

Then again, it's only entertaining for a moment or two and the overall effect is just depressing. We all have our days of shame and seeing someone going through one underscores the "that could be me" factor. Most of us learn through experience and, for most of us, by making mistakes of the "what does not kill us makes us smarter" sort.

Then again, most folks could avoid most of the traumatic crap of coming into an anchorage with a possible "H" ting on the way by doing a bit of study beforehand and having a semblance of a plan in hand. Two books that will help are Fatty Goodlander's "Creative Anchoring" and "Storm Proofing your Boat, Gear, and Crew". Seriously, you don't really want the stigma of being "That Idiot" who did that "Stupid Thing".

Need I say more?

Listening to a plethora of Bee Gees covers (who'd have ever thought?)

So it goes...

On the subject of thinking about buying another anchor...

Something from the "Just plain stupid or is it a Death cult" files, EBM making an excellent point, and an American heroine in Portland...

So, new cases of Corvid 19 keep popping up down here in most southern tRumpistan with the ever-present knowledge that peak "H" season is going to get going any day now.

Yeah, you might color me somewhat nervous these days. This means that a whole lot of my thought process gets sidetracked by my pondering what I need to do now to prepare for a storm, where we're going to go when it's coming, and how to prepare for the aftermath of a storm if/when we get hit.

Having been through this sort of thing before you'd think that it would actually be easy but the added factor of being in the middle of a worldwide pandemic is something of a wild card I'd prefer not to be a part of the mix.

For instance, there are a lot more cruising boats here in Southern tRumpistan than usual due to the virus. It's just about the only place an American flagged boat is welcome in the Caribbean. The problem is that hurricane holes are too few for the normal population of the islands plus, I expect, that for a lot of the newbies here for the duration don't have much in their how-to-prepare-for-a-real-storm skill set. Those things combined could make things get real ugly real fast.

The fact is, a real storm, even if you're prepared and knowing what to do, is still a very dangerous enterprise as the tons of well-anchored and prepared boats stacked up like so much cordwood in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria attest to.

This also has me stocking up for an extra couple of months of provisions and fuel because it's not just the storm but the aftermath we have to worry about and given the current situation we'd be stupid to expect any help from the powers that be stateside this time around judging from their piss poor and less than proactive response to the virus.

Like I said, got a lot to think about.

Listening to a few Bananarama covers

So it goes...

an anchor that might be worth checking out...

Some thoughts on Bob Dylan/Jimmy Buffet, a King George moment, and some depressing predictions...

I've been thinking of anchors, chain, and rodes for the last couple of days. It's "H" season and all so not exactly surprising.

Apparently, the Lewmar "we copy anchors" folks have a new cost attractive anchor called the PGX that looks like it's a copy of the Danforth HT.

With apparent pricing at less than half the going rate for other Danforth and Danforth HT clones, the PGX might be worth looking into. Hopefully, Lewmar will get back to me soonish on what's up with the PGX.

Listening to my favorite Dylan song

So it goes...

a dinghy anchoring tool to add to your quiver...

Selling what should be ours, somewhat worrisome, and in the "tRump couldn't organize a pissup in a brewery" department...

This is actually a pretty good idea for your dinghy.



I notice Duckworks is selling the Anchor Buddy for not-a-lot of money.

Listening to Third World

So it goes...

Just stop signs on the roads I like to travel...

A somewhat troubling read, doing a good thing, and some photos from the NASA Juno probe...

Apparently some folks require rules.

For some odd reason, every once in awhile, folks write me and ask for a rule because, apparently, some misguided readers think that where boats are concerned...

1. There should be RULES.
2. RULES are comforting to some.
3. A guy who writes a Blog with a moniker like Boat Bits is going to be a repository of said RULES.

Which is sort of funny because the whole idea of RULES has a lot to do with the reason I do the boat gig and to paraphrase an often paraphrased line from a great movie...

"We don't need no stinking RULES"

Which is all just a roundabout introduction to the answer to the question someone asked me the other day...

"What's the rule on anchor weight to length ratio?"

Fact of the matter is that there is no rule. That said, my advice on the subject is that the bigger the anchor the better as long as it's not so big that you can't handle it without some form of power assistance. In my case that translates roughly to an anchor of around forty-five pounds with a mostly chain rode.

As far as I'm concerned, rules are just stop signs on the roads I like to travel but, the fact is, that we all have a variety of personal and physical limits that we should pay attention to. Not so much rules but just a bit of knowing one's own limits and applying some common sense to the equation.

Listening to Café Tacvba

So it goes...

Regarding some (tried and true) ground tackle...

Something that smells to high heaven, a bit of an understatement, and a glimmer of hope...

Just a quick note to answer the hot question in my mailbag. I had four anchors out for Maria, a Brittany 15KG (with 35 feet of chain + rode), Brittany 20KG (with 100 feet of chain + rode), a Mantus 45 pounder ( with 120 feet of chain + rode), and a Northill stainless folding aviation anchor (with 15 feet of chain +rode).

All held.

None dragged.

I'll have some more thoughts on the subject later.

Listening to some cool stuff to get in that Halloween groove

So it goes...

Fun and frolic with anchors...

Some interesting reading, how 25% is a very scary number, and in the "Nope, global warming is not a real thing" department...

So, we're now in the peak of "H" season and I'd be lying if the idea of buying another anchor has not crossed my mind from time to time.

Of course, the big question is what anchor? On the other hand, do I really want to subject myself to the hypemeisters or anchor fanboys who have been telling me for years that my anchor quiver is akin to running with a chainsaw and it's only dumb luck I'm not sitting on a beach, a reef, or worse. That said, I really should add that in spite of this I have somehow managed to sit out more tropical storms and hurricanes than I can keep track of. The only time I did have issues was in Hurricane Omar when a French boat dragged over my anchor chain, snagged it, winched his anchor (a Rocna) in with mine attached, then unceremoniously dumped my anchor and chain back in as a fouled mess. Hardly surprising that it did not reset. This may partly account for my knee jerk reaction when the word Rocna gets mentioned...

For those who don't keep track of such things, my current anchor quiver consists of a 20KG Brittany, a 15KG Brittany, a 15KG folding fisherman, and a Northill stainless folding aviation anchor. For storms that have names, I use the 20KG Brittany in tandem with the folding fisherman with a fifteen foot length of chain between the two as my main anchor and deploy the other two  at 120 degrees as well because they aren't doing me any good sitting on my deck now are they?

Which brings me back to the idea of adding another anchor (or anchors) to the mix which, I suspect, I may bore you with in the next couple of installments.

Listening to Tahoma

So it goes...

the coffee conundrum...

This might brighten your day, how past acts can tell you a lot about a man, and a very good cause I really hope some Boat Bits readers will support...

Why is it your propane bottle always runs out before your first cup of coffee rather than after?

One nice part of changing propane bottles this morning was the big charter cat anchored on top of us fired up its engines, picked up their anchor and left...

Maybe they didn't like the music from the Ukrainian Punk Polka band I've been playing, though I will admit that pain threshold loud accordions, heavy distortion, and Black Flag (just imagine a Russian Henry Rollins on speed) covers are, at best, an acquired taste so not really everyone's cup of tea.

Anyway, I mention the cat's leaving not because of conflicting musical tastes but that I was actually shocked to see just how little scope they had out. It appeared that, at most, they had all of 45' of chain out in fifteen feet of water which is just frelling nuts for a 70+ foot cat with Godzilla-sized windage and very little draft.

In hindsight I should have been a lot more worried...

That said, of the five most common mistakes in anchoring I see played out all the time, insufficient scope is most certainly number one with a bullet. So, not exactly all that surprising when you think about it.

Listening to Les Rita Mitsouko

So it goes...

Something you need to read, Jon Stewart's final show was the ultimate class act, and in the world of the clueless tech elite...

PBO (or Practical Boat Owner for the uninitiated) always has a few great practical projects that actually make sense...

Like this one.

Listening to some more Ramones covers

So it goes...

Doing some math...

Some seriously scary shit, Deepwater Horizon the gift that just keeps on giving, and since we were speaking of oil spills...

I need some new chain as our 5/16" high test is getting way past its sell by date. There, I've said it and I'd be lying if I told you I had not been avoiding the subject of new chain for "So It Goes" because it is an expense I never relish thinking about much less going to a purveyor of chain and forking out an obscene amount of money for a 150-foot length of the stuff.

So, Friday we trundled over to the local purveyor of chain to get a quote for 8mm or 5/16" BBB chain (both fit my gypsy). They did not have any 8mm but did have 5/16" BBB for $6.50 a foot... Doing the math that comes to the hellacious amount of $975.

Ouch!

Of course, the chain size I'd prefer is 8mm which costs in the neighborhood of $3 a foot and the total on that, while still pain-inducing, is a whole lot better than $975 and all I have to do to get it is sail to a different island...

I can live with that.

The thing is, 8mm and 5/16" BBB are nearly identical in strength/weight/size and 8mm fits most 5/16" BBB gypsies finest kind. Fact of the matter is, 8mm and other metric chains are calibrated for use in gypsies as the norm so it's pretty much perfect for use on a boat and, if you factor in the fact that it's generally less than half the cost of BBB chain, choosing it is something of a slam dunk.

A quick side note on the high test chain we're replacing is that while stronger than standard chain, it has about half to two-thirds the life cycle. The added strength of high test is at the cost of using an alloy more susceptible to corrosion. Something you might want to factor in next time you're buying chain.

Listening to Valley Queen

So it goes...

A book you need...

Some needful reading, Bernie makes a good point, and in the "greedy bastards" department..

Go buy it from your local bookstore.

Nuff said...

Listening to the Ballroom Thieves

So it goes...

the ongoing anchoring conundrum...

L,G,&M asks a couple of questions, in the “It’s all about the experience, and less about the fluff,” department, and the phrase "harrowing future" sorta/kinda makes me nervous...

OK, so here's a question I find myself asking just about every week...

Why are people so frelling bad at anchoring?

Seriously, it keeps me up at night.

It's not like there's not a lot of good to excellent articles, blog posts, and even books on the subject... There's tons of good stuff out there.

So why does someone coming into a wide open nearly deserted anchorage and invariably decides to anchor in the worst possible place?

Think about that for a bit...

Listening to the Grateful Dead

So it goes...

You could say I'm not a happy camper today...

Something I found worthwhile, an interesting riff on intelligence, and a truly great post from Antonio Dias...

Last night I saw that the French powers-that-be are back on the "Let's tax boaters for anchoring so they'll all go away" bandwagon. You can read more about (if you don't read French simply run the page through Google Translate) it over on the Voile magazine blog and more importantly there's a petition  that you should add your voice to. Seriously, this is important stuff if you're someone who ever plans to go cruising.

Really...

Speaking of important stuff in the same vein, Dave Z (of TriloBoat infamy) recently said a lot of important stuff that very much needs to be said. You should read it and give the content some very serious thought and then share it with others... It's more than time to get seriously proactive on this sort of stuff before we find our favorite anchorages either disappeared or with a MegaYachts only sign.

Listening to Soko



So it goes...

and in the not-everyone-wants-you-to-anchor department...

Unspeakably heinous acts in California, stuff you need to know, and something worth the time it takes to read...

Over at SailFeed there's a very good piece about anchoring laws in Florida and everyone really needs to read it. More importantly, folks on boats really should get vocal with the various Powers That Be and let them know how you feel... It's important.

Just to show you that political anti-anchoring skullduggery is not just a Florida thing but a problem worldwide... Voile Magazine has a story about 20 Euro a meter anchoring charges per night (or in non metric that's $228. a night to anchor your 32-foot boat). Being that, if it were to happen, it would also include a sizable chunk of the Caribbean (St Martin/Martinique/St Barts/Guadeloupe) so you might find it a needful read. For those who don't read French you'll find that Google Translate does a good enough job to make sense of it all.

Talk about interesting times...

Just in...
Good news about the twenty Euro a day anchoring tax is that it did not go through (more information here and here). That said, it does not mean they won't try it again...

Listening to Bob Dylan covering Frank Sinatra

So it goes...

So, this morning an alarm went off...

Some advice you can take to the bank, in the things are just nuts these days department, and does anyone reading this remember Emitt Rhodes...

Pre-first cup of coffee, our someone's-anchoring-way-too-frelling-close alarm went off with a growl.

Willow on watch

Willow has a real talent and she never does false alarms. She knows the difference between boats passing close and those about to drop a hook within her designated no-anchor zone. I should add, that while her growling at too near boats is kinda cute, she's deadly serious and we have to keep her away from the trebuchet because she seriously wants to kick some ass...

I wish I could take credit for training her but we all know that if anybody is trained and jumps through hoops on "So It Goes" it's not the cats.

Listening to the Del Lords

So it goes...

Anchoring and Trout Mask Replica...

A quick note about the Santa Claus thang, worth watching on the merits of utopian thinking, and maybe this will put that handshake into perspective...

The whole problem with anchoring etiquette (or lack thereof) is that everyone seems to have a different idea of what it actually consists of. Most articles on the subject don't give any real information on the etiquette side of things and, more often than not, the information they do give is so generalized as to be useless.

As it happens, as I write this I have a boat anchored so close to us that I can clearly hear the conversation they are having in their cockpit inside our boat and they are not, talking loudly. Plus, I find the fact that they've put down fenders a bit nervous making...

Now, I may be going out on a limb here but I'd say that was too close.

So, how far should you anchor from someone? My take on the answer to that question is as far away as possible and I use the word "possible" only because due to size of anchorage and number of boats it's always going to be a sorta/kinda type of situation. The rule I use when laying down an anchor is if I can read their transom hailing port I should anchor a bit further away sort of like the bumper sticker from days gone by...

Of course, I'm not an overly social sort of guy and I'll never understand why in a large empty anchorage everyone posses up and anchors on top of each other while the whole bay beckons.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get out the Marshall half-stack because I feel a Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band all-night marathon coming on...

Listening to Captain Beefheart

So it goes...

Hors piste

Hey,  I'm sure that there is a completely innocent explanation for this sort of thing (and if you believe that you just might be interested in a bridge I have for sale), on disruptive trends, and how bikes can make sense...

This current news over at Noonsite was not exactly the sort of news that fills me with joy.

Having spent a lot of time in the Canary Islands it is one of my favorite places to cruise and hang out. So news that it is becoming less cruiser friendly is not something I want to read about with my morning coffee, but then there it is... Bummer.

Sadly, this is the future we find ourselves in and folks on boats of a nomadic nature who are not on mega-yachts or of the compulsive consumerism form of yachting are going to find that a lot of places are not going to be welcoming them with open arms as suggested new rules (pdf) for the USVI attest.

That said, it's a big world and, if one is willing to cruise hors-piste, there is always a way to make it work. Point of fact it might all even be for the better...

Listening to Bob Marley

So it goes...

My current thoughts on ground tackle...

Well, at least he didn't say preferred, this is really good, and, I expect, this is going to be something of a game changer...

Want to know something?

I really like the anchors on "So It Goes"...

I like them because they always seem to work. Of course, they're not trendy, hip, or super-expensive but they fill me with a certain warm fuzzy feeling because I can sleep nights when all hell is breaking loose knowing my anchors won't.

The thing is, an old 35-pound fisherman, a Northill stainless folder (designed for seaplanes), and a couple of Brittany anchors (33 & 44 pounds) cover just about anything we've ever been in or plan to... Including the odd worst nightmare scenario.

Though, to be honest, I've been giving a lot of thought to buying another anchor to add to the quiver of ground tackle aboard "So It Goes" as I keep noting that the much underrated and oft-slandered Lewmar Claws (a Bruce clone) are being sold so cheaply of late, that adding another 44-pound anchor "just in case" is making a lot of sense...

Listening to Ashford & Simpson

So it goes...

The day after blues...

The sort of stupid that can make your head explode, something well worth reading, and some sustainable surf...

TS Joyce does not look problematic and the couple of computer models I'm looking at for invest 97l seem that whatever storm that becomes is likely to be someone else's problem. From where I sit, that's good news.

The downside is I have to retrieve and then stow the various anchors/chain/warp I put out and my back is killing me.

Listening to Spirit

So it goes...