My cruising area is often Adriatic where this situations are normal.
You have two general situations:
1) anchorage is empty - no problem, you have a lot of space and time to do it as you want (just be careful if you leave the boat with motor in reverse - you do not want to get your stern
line in your
propeller)
2) anchorage is not empty - no problem, you have a lot of people willing and (some of them) able to help if you approach them well.
This worked best for me when I was asking for assistance: Come alongside your potential neighbour and politely ask them what scope they have and where their
anchor lies - as you do not want to foul their
rode. By being concerned to their safety they would be willing to offer help (unless they are super yacht or power boat or empty)
What worked best for me to provide help:
- if somebody asked me where my
anchor was
- if somebody asked me if I can help them as they are shorthanded (or unskilled or drunk)
- if the skipper sends a woman to swim ashore with rope in her hand (works better if she is good looking or if it looks like she would not make it)
- if it looks they would bump my boat unless I help them (very efficient, but reduces chances of invitation for a drink)
- if they try more then once and do not succeed
- if I see there is only one person aboard
- if I have a motor on my
dinghy in the water and I am bored
- if they anchor close to me and I want to make sure they are tied well (and far enough from me) - so we do not start bumping to each other at 2am when the wind shifts
Final remark: Always check all the work performed by other people - you would be surprised, but someone looking as old salt may just enjoy hist first time on a boat alone while the skipper went to meet some friends. They might not know how to tie a knot or they tie it around a fragile little branch.