How to Survive a Storm at Anchor
9Pages

We’ve found that when the wind is much more than 45 knots, we’re limited in our ability to do anything. Try sticking your hand out the window of a car driving 40 mph to get an idea, then try it at 60 mph.This isn’t even hurricane force. And consider that the wind will come veering and gusting, that the boat will be plunging, that rain and spray will be hitting like bullets, and that other things may be flying through the air. SURVIVING A STORM AT ANCHOR BY TOM NEALE When the big ones come, you’ll have to decide what’s best for your boat. Depending upon the circumstances, it may be best to haul the boat, leave it in a marina, anchor, or to do something else. Some people shrug and say, “There’s nothing I can do.This is what I have insurance for.” A boat might not be worth risking life and limb for, but you can do a lot to save her. It will save us all in future insurance premiums. And besides, she’ll do that for you if you give her the chance. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tom and Mel Neale have lived and cruised aboard since 1979, averaging 3,000 to 5,000 miles per year. They have boated since the early 1950s. Tom is author of All in the Same Boat and Chesapeake Bay Cruising Guide, Upper Bay. He is currently Technical Editor and columnist for Soundings, Editor at Large for PassageMaker magazine, and columnist for the BoatUS web site, www.boatus.com (Tom Neale’s Cruising for You). Tom was formerly Editor at Large and On Watch columnist for Cruising World magazine. He has spoken to boating groups around the US and in Canada. Contact: www.tomneale.com Reprinted with permission from Soundings Publications, LLC. 10 Bokum Road, Essex, CT 06426 860-767-3200 www.soundingsonline.com F O R M O R E C O P I E S , P L E A S E C O N TA C T : Fortress Marine Anchors 1386 West McNab Road Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33309 Tel: 800-825-6289 USA or 954-978-9988 www.fortressanchors.com The Nation’s Boating Newspaper Photo by Onne van der Wal of Newport, RI. Please visit his web site: www.vanderwal.com

Before storm clouds roll in, make sure you have the proper anchor, ground tackle and chafe protection. Slook at equipment and techniques, from choosing a hook to finding a storm hole URVIVING A STORM AT ANCHOR A ne of the most important pieces of gear needed to survive a major storm at anchor is a big piece of heavy cloth. I have a locker full of it aboard Chez Nous, our 53-foot Gulfstar motorsailer. In addition to being scared to death, I’ve come away with one underlying impression: If you have good equipment, plan carefully, and pay attention to details like the heavy cloth — for...

extensive storm-anchoring experience, will have other choices as to gear and methods. You should decide what’s best for your boat and circumstances. Considerations unique to your situation should include your boat’s length, weight and windage, as well as features of the area you’re in and the nature of the storm. I want my major-storm anchor to be well designed and proven, with as much overkill as possible.This normally means heavy and big. But most pleasure boats are limited as to storage of such items, and sometimes you must deploy a second or third storm anchor with your dinghy. The...

nylon for rode, and buoyed trip lines to assist in getting the anchors up after the storm. HOW MANY ANCHORS? I seldom use two anchors at the same time because when the wind or current changes, the rodes become wrapped. However,if I’m expecting a major storm I usually set out a second anchor after the wind has picked up and I have a good idea of the direction it’s going to blow. I set this so that the two rodes form a V off the bow, though never so close that the two sets of gear will overlap.The main purpose for this is to have something else down should a rode part or something happen to...

FOREDECK GEAR Many boats aren’t designed well for storm anchoring. For example, it helps to lead your rode through a strong and wellsupported roller on the prow. As the rode stretches and contracts and the boat moves up and down in the gusts, a turning roller will cause less chafe than a stationary chock over which the rode slides. It is important to have the rodes exit the bow from the very peak, rather than from a point aft, as is often the case with bow chocks.This helps keep the bow into the wind and sea, and reduces sailing about. If your boat doesn’t have this configuration and you...

Putting the Fortress to the test The FX-85 held at 10,200 pounds until the test was stopped to avoid parting the rode. It took 30 minutes to retrieve it (from “stiff clay”), and the Navy boat had to pull from different angles in 180-degree arcs, which bent the shank but finally got the hook out. The Navy testers noted that “high-strength steel” might be less “susceptible to permanent deformation under concentrated or unanticipated loading conditions,” but that Fortress compensated for the aluminum alloy it uses “through careful structural design.” The FX-125 is very large but lightweight...

marsh and low lands. A variation of this is the cove typically protected by a low spit at the entrance.When the storm tides rise, this spit may be under water, allowing waves to pile into your “protected” area. Consider what storm surge will do in your location. If you are near the end of a funnel into which the storm is going to push a mound of water, you must be ready with enough scope out. Also, consider what the surge will do to things on shore upwind of you. Will it float boats off their trailers or jack stands? If you are in a cove on a river that may flood rapidly from rain, you have...

an attempt to communicate. Usually the other boater will appreciate the situation, and you can work things out together. He or she might not have the experience to know what should be done — don’t put the person down or back him into an ego corner — and this could be the only harbor available. But remember that if that boat drags down onto you during a serious storm, the results could include personal injury or death. WINDAGE Reduce your boat’s windage as much as possible to prevent damage to gear and lessen the chances of dragging. Remove all loose material from the deck. Extrusions for...