Weathering a Storm at Anchor

[Sue & Larry]

When getting your boat and yourself ready for a storm at anchor, there's a right way and there's a wrong way.

The wrong way is to do nothing and hope for the best. During thunderstorms, wind speeds can approach gale force or even hurricane intensity, and often from a new direction. If you're properly prepared, you can minimize the chances of damage to your boat or neighboring vessels. The following proactive approach is designed to help you weather the storm successfully the next time you're anchored out there.

This loosely furled jib could unfurl in storm winds

Know that you're anchored properly (See earlier"Anchoring checklist" from "Don't Anchor Too Close to Larry" article.)

Reduce wind resistance. Fold up your bimini, remove deck clutter, and store cockpit cushions. Be sure your genoa is tightly furled with the sheets wrapped several times around the sail. We often see several square feet of sail left out of a wrapped headsail. This can lead to disastrous results in high winds. Ensure that your mainsail is similarly stowed.

Personal comfort and safety. Don your foul-weather gear early and don't forget your rubber boots. Remember to stay away from rigging and any other metal objects. Have a scuba mask or ski goggles nearby to put on if rain whipped by wind becomes so intense that you can no longer hold your eyes open to see into the wind.

Start the engine and be prepared to motor slowly into the wind to help hold position. This will ease the strain on the ground tackle. This also keeps you ready for any evasive maneuvers that may be necessary.

Anticipate problems. Observe anchoring technique and ground tackle of boats arriving to the anchorage after you. Expect boats with undersized equipment or poorly anchored to cause problems if the wind pipes up. Note in advance these boats.

This is the result of high winds and an incorrectly furled jib

The next time a boat is dragging anchor into you, be ready to protect yourself and your boat with the following defensive strategies:

Weigh anchor and move. (If you can move quickly, stay out of the way of other boats and maintain control underway!)

Deploy fenders to soften any impact. Never use hands, fingers or feet—unless you want to loose them.

Let out additional anchor scope to move away from an encroaching boat.

Motor left or right on your anchor line while still anchored, to avoid contact with a dragger.

Buoy and release your anchor. As a last resort, be prepared to release all your anchor line with a buoy attached to the bitter end for retrieval later. This is an appropriate measure to use when a dragging boat has snagged your anchor line and the two boats are being pulled together. Sometimes escaping dead astern is your only option.