Anchoring boats

BEAR · Post by **BEAR** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 7:34 am

Fella's, when anchoring a boat close to shore I heard it's important to use two anchors so the bow faces towards the ocean especially larger boats mainly when camping on shore. anyone with experience with mooring thier boats just off shore at remote beaches etc could descibe in detail how they go about it.
( the tinny was dragged up the beach and back down so never had this problem)

BEAR

resindog · Post by **resindog** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 12:04 pm

I've always thought doing this was cr.p (nothing worse then then taking water over the back or side when you are asleep or p...ed)

Personally IMO I like to let the boat swing (as long as room permits) with what ever conditions are determining, this in most cases allows the bow to always face ( and ride) into the tide/swell/chop.

I also like to go overkill on the weight and length of anchor chain on the sand or plough anchor and automatic bilge pumps.

BarraBeast · Post by **BarraBeast** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 8:31 pm

interesting subject, especially when I just had the BarraBeast stuck on the sand at dawn 2 months ago. Peeped out the tent and went 'Oh poop!!'

so with head pounding louder than a RatSalad Concert I began huffing and puffing to get the nose around enough to push from the back.

then Fishhead(also hungover) came to the rescue and we just, and I mean just got it in, even though it was sitting on the tide line.

Fishheads 5.7 was higher than a groupie at a RatSalad concert, so after 2 heaves it was obvious it wasn't going anywhere.

Then Beast came to the rescue, towed it off that beach with my 70 horse red lining!!!(you go seriously sideways when doing that, so keep it in mind)

Fishheads jaw dropped and we celebrated with 2 panadols each!!!

BarraBeast · Post by **BarraBeast** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 8:43 pm

sorry forgot about the anchoring stuff. forget stern lines unless you are parked near rocks, but a rope connected to the boat could be handy to swing it around enough to grab the transom if it's parallel to the beach. How about designing a clip that releases the rest of your anchor line with a tug from a shore line!!! Then you could pull it in.

spring tides would be harder to manage but on neaps I guesstimate where it will be the next day after the tide had changed. Last weekend I had to use my lilo and paddle out to my boat at dawn. My Mum saw a croc the day before so I wasn't taking any chances. I've always wanted to get a small toy blow up boat, leave the boat out in deep water so I don't have to stress. But on neaps things are generally ok. If it's windy and springs, I use a little bicycle LED light that flashes every 3 seconds, if you have a mate with you , it will make finding your boat in the dark easier if it drifts off. ie check your anchor shackles every trip.

Fishhead, over to you to explain how to dig a trench that would rival the Panama Canal to get a 5.7 plate boat floating again.!!

Travis · Post by **Travis** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 4:17 am

G'day Bear,

I've only ever had to leave the boat moored with the bow out on a couple of extended trips where we were camped on a beach during the dry with absolutley no shelter whatsoever. 1st trip we just simply dropped the main reef anchor on some rocks that was just offshore from the beach and reversed in to the shore and then ran a sand anchor off the back onto the beach. On the 2nd trip we brought a 3rd anchor out which was hooked frimly on the rocks out front and left with a float. This was a heap easier than mucking around each night trying to get the front anchor hooked securely on what little rock there was just offshore from the camp. The boats still needed to be checked during the night but they fared much better bow out so the waves were not crashing over the back when the tides were at the stage that the boats were close to the water line.

Cheers,
Travis

harmsey · Post by **harmsey** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 10:46 am

yeah anchoring over night is a great recipe for not much sleep while camping. i have seen some interesting set up in my time and i think different conditions, weather,tides,crocs etc all play big parts in your choice of anchors set up

1. the good old bow anchor out the front will work in most cases, but may have to swim to retrieve your boat
2. the bow and stern anchor set up is great in predictable weather, but on a camping trip to the keppel islands off QLD one year a storm came from nowhere in the middle of the night and turned a 10kn se to 50kn ne and rolled the boat like a huge skipping rope. completely destroying a 21ft hains hunter
3. a solid anchor attached to a float. this is the method i use on extended cobourg trips. get a good anchor hold and attach a good float in a water depth that will foat on all tides. then attach a big loop of rope that will reach the shore. have the rope running through a clip attached to the float. where you join the rope to make a loop attach another clip. this clip is attached to your boat. you can then simply pull you boat in and back out like a big pully system and tie it off where you want it to stay. takes abit to set up but works like a charm.

Glenn · Post by **Glenn** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:06 am

Harmsey, THAT IS GOLD mate.

I'll be going home to create that set up this after noon. I spent a night over at Mica beach not long ago and me poor tub got bashed senseless. I had to keep an eye on it on and iff all night. Change the set up and swim out to the boat when the tide came in etc.

Cheers

BEAR · Post by **BEAR** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 5:26 pm

Thats spot on Harmsey

I will try that one for sure

I new someone here would have what I'm looking for

BEAR

Gold Can · Post by **Gold Can** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 6:26 pm

I have got a bungy cord setup that works a treat for me.

Fishhead · Post by **Fishhead** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 1:24 pm

thanks for bringing that up BB. coupla anchoring tips... 1. dont drink BB's Chilean wine!

2. have a couple of german tourists handy to help dig the boat out should you happen to sleep in a bit... any tourists will do but these ones were really keen to go fishing. i was quite happy to go back to bed and call it a lay day!

2rods · Post by **2rods** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:02 pm

harmsey i have used the same set up in bynoe as unlike yourself I do not swim with crocs

harmsey · Post by **harmsey** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 7:24 am

nice 2rods

its not like i enjoy swimming with crocs

have you ever had any dramas with that anchor set up. i have had the rope tangle up and wouldnt pull in

usally works well but!

2rods · Post by **2rods** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 4:52 pm

mate we have one end tied to the bow and one to the stern and the rope just going through the float. Only had trouble if you let the rope go to slack and it would rap around the outboard leg.

on the land we had a starpicket with a d shackle for the rope to run through.

Daisy · Post by **Daisy** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 4:49 pm

G'day gus

I like Harmseys set up and have used it myself to great effect but for added security I use whats called a self aligning, claw or Bruce anchor. Yes its sold under all these names with Bruce being the original design and most expensive but they all work the same. This design bites into anything with the 5 kg model plenty big enough for my 4.7 mt tinnie. I know I can rest easy with this pick on altho it can be a bit hard to retreive in rough ground

Chronic · Post by **Chronic** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:05 am

Great setup harmsey

I use the same thing virtually as i camp with the boat regularly...I use my 12 footer to get out to the bigger boat though...I use 100m of thick anchor rope with a large sand anchor on each end. I lay them fully apart then pull them a little closer from the floats in the middle to set the anchors. A large float is connected to the centre of the main line and 3m of rope is connected to that the with a smaller reflective float on the other end..
Boat is tied to the little float with the motor partly up all night and you tie the tinnie there while your fishing and pull it up the beach just past tide line with jockey wheels when you return. Takes ten minutes to setup and has never failed or moved as yet

I put the 12ftr upside down on the 14ftr to get it there, it weighs bugger all as does the 4horse that pushes it.

Peace of mind is needed for any sleep while your tub is vulnerable

(and the auto-bilge)