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The Perils of Rafting On

5K views 33 replies 21 participants last post by  flandria 
#1 ·
From time to time folks like rafting on, be that for social reasons or because of crowding in a anchorage. We don't like doing it, not because we are a-social, but we wish to rely on our own "rules" and discipline when anchoring. What follows is in part a cautionary tale and an opportunity to get feedback on what to prepare for when rafting. I refer to rafting that includes staying overnight.

It is an incident at the east anchorage of Beckwith Island, Georgian Bay, just this past weekend. The forecast was SW winds, 15 kts, but with a squall warning in effect that included winds potentially to 40 kts. The anchorage has an excellent sand bottom, with comfortable depths of 10-15 feet to accommodate quite a few boats. It is very easy to anchor safely there.

The incident involves two powerboats, but it may apply to sailboats as well. One vessels was about 42' and high freeboard, the second one 35' with a much lower freeboard - I estimate a 2' difference. They rafted on to each other and both put out anchors (as I learned, the boat that ended up "in trouble", anchored in 15' of water with 50' of chain/rode!!!).

Now the squall arrives, which would eventually register close to 40 kts of wind and.... it arrives NOT from the SW but from East and we are fully exposed to a fetch of at least 10NM. The chop builds up fast and soon we bounce around in 2' waves (but no more). My dinghy actually manages to disconnect itself (my fault for not having raised it into the davits - a break of my rule - but, thankfully, it is recovered on shore the next morning, firmly on the beach).

The larger power boat now is calling in an emergency: due to the difference in height between the two vessels, there is tremendous upward force on the lines at the lower boat and it starts to rip out the cleats... What to do? The skipper of that boat even falls overboard (in the dark) and injures his legs, and there is much commotion but help arrives (very quickly, to my surprise, within 30' of the call for assistance). Eventually, the squall subsides and the wind returns from the SW.

The issues I identify here - and I welcome comments - include:

1.- If you are going to raft, make sure you can accommodate wind shift. This means that you must rely on a single anchor for 2 or more boats and you must have the appropriate tackle to accommodate the extra forces that can be generated.

2.- But, avoid rafting.

3.- Be prepared to disconnect from the anchored boat quickly, because a heavy chop will indeed create damaging forces on both boats, even should they be equal in freeboard. It would be just about impossible to tie two boats together in such a way that they would move as one unit in a severe chop. This means, in fact, that you must have a plan ready to abandon the raft and anchor on your own EXACTLY when conditions will be difficult, dangerous, and (as was the case here) in darkness.

4.- Don't exprect any neighbouring boats to come to your assistance. In this case, I had no dinghy available. I also do not know how to operate a 2-engine motor boat, and all the other boats in the anchorage were sailboats.

Clearly, the skippers of both boats had not anticipated what might befall them (I, too, was surprised with the sudden change in wind direction) and showed no evidence that they had any idea what they might do under the circumstances. Since both boats had anchors out, a departing boat would have had to haul anchor in darkness and in a good chop and the crew (typically, here, the wife/partner) was likely not up to that challenge. That was a suggestion communicated to them by one of the other (sail) boats in the anchorage (leave, and motor around), but not acted on. They might have abandoned their anchor to be retrieved later, for example, given that one boat stayed behind.

In darkness I could not really see what the rescue boat ended up doing (in much moderated conditions) but after 2 hours they left, as did the smaller of the 2 boats.

As we saw the larger boat leave in the morning we noticed what looked like a good-sized, shallow dent in its starboard hull... Perhaps this episode belongs in the "boneheaded move" category - but we can all learn from others' mistakes, can't we?

Over to you...
 
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#2 ·
The simplest answer of course is not to raft in unsettled conditions; we raft often but only when conditions are benign. Depending on conditions we may or may not break the raft before darkness, but we only tie up in such a way that we *can* break it in a crisis. Wonder why those 2 boats didn't just cut the lines that tied them togeter?

Agree with only rafting where you can share one anchor.
 
#6 · (Edited by Moderator)
Wonder why those 2 boats didn't just cut the lines that tied them togeter?
Given that their anchors and lines were fundamentally parallel to one another, they still might/would have bumped one another, potentially with considerable force. However, if one of them then lengthened rode, that issue would go away, but the rode of that boat might well touch or go underneath the other one, potentially fouling or damaging rudder/props... That could be possibly mitigated or avoided by leading the rode (assuming it is not chain, of course...) inside the stern cleat of the boat ahead. That cleat may have considerable sideways stress, but possibly no more than being in dock with a punishing bow wind combined with swell. Still, does sound like a makeshift solution to me, and I suspect some new trouble issues would soon emerge, such as the boat moving too far with that rode starting to clear the aft deck of the lead boat, and so on....
 
#3 ·
I would be very worried if I was rafted in any kind of turbulent weather - and had another choice. Big heavy objects bouncing around and constantly hitting each other - IMO a recipe for significant damage or worse, even if each boat is properly anchored.
 
#4 ·
We frequently raft but don't like relying on a single anchor so we mainly raft in a stern tie scenario. That way at least every other boat, if not all, can put an anchor down. You also want to avoid strong winds or currents abeam. We're fortunate to have plenty of sufficiently sheltered possibilities.

Another technique is to raft up with boats alternating bow-to-stern, each boat putting an anchor out so the raft is well secured from two directions. Of course this raft won't swing so care must be taken to keep clear of others swinging free.
 
#8 ·
Rafting up would seem feasible only where there is absolutely no chance of any kind of sea building up. Fenders are probably not going to be much help with boats bouncing around in waves. It's just not an option in open water anywhere and should only be considered in very protected anchorages.
 
#9 ·
i raft with no one. ever. a spozed friend HAD to raft my boat in a do not raft situation, choppy waters with rude powerboat wakes---and broke my teak and i mentioned it he was in denial--not the way to be friends... and i do not ever raft-----if i want to , i will row to your boat to say hay. you may pass by or dink over and say hay and visit also--but i wont raft.
 
#10 ·
We raft up occasionally. But if there is any weather in the forecast, we break-up early. What I don't get are the rafts that wait until the weather hits before breaking up. Often everyone is half looped by then - chaos and panic reign. Not only do they endanger themselves, but everyone else anchored around them. I know we all like to poke fun at powerboaters, but there are some idiot sailboaters out there too.
 
#14 ·
I never raft up - ever.

A wake can come by even in the calmest of conditions and all one needs is a 70ft sport fisher idling past at 5 knots.

No, not for me.
 
#15 ·
I do raft at anchor:

When conditions are calm
Spreaders are staggered
Boat with largest anchor sets
Only one anchor to prevent fouling.
Lots of fenders mounted at rub rail / toe rail.
Breast lines and springs lines secured and can be released from either vessel

There are times we have to raft at docks as well.
 
#16 ·
I've rafted up with as many as 17 boats (over 175k pounds) on a single anchor in 10 - 15 kts of wind - overnight.

Every third week for the past ten years or so our YC hosts a raft up somewhere on the Ches Bay, and just about every week end we go. I'm the anchor boat more often than not as I get there first.

This past summer's fun was three anchors, 6 boats - in Galesville during a 40 kt blow.

What matters is knowing how to do it, and doing it right.
 
#17 ·
One thing I learned about the sea quickly - it's unpredictable. But I grew up in Chicago where they say, "If you don't like the weather, just wait ten minutes."

I've done some rafting and I've been asked to remain tied overnight. My thoughts immediately go to the worst case scenario. And then I say no. Whatever the "advantages" of remaining tied up are, the disadvantages overwhelm them. We can always get back together again in the morning, as long as we're still floating. ;)
 
#18 ·
I've only rafted up once, and I'd think twice about doing it again. Neither of us had ever rafted before. We were in a fairly protected area windwise, and we only anchored one boat. But we noticed right away that there was a good foot difference in freeboard between our boat and the anchor boat. When a powerboat came by, the subsequent rocking overcame the fenders easily--and this was made worse by our higher freeboard and the different rocking rates. Our hulls did one good smack together. We stayed rafted through dinner, and by then a third boat had joined us, which seemed more stable. Still, we anchored separately for the night and slept better for it!
 
#19 ·
I raft up with my parents on occasion now that they're back into boating. They have a powerboat, and the free board is comparable with ours. No rigging to tangle either. I prefer to anchor near, instead of rafting, but with the baby on board, it is nice to be able to just "hop over to grandma's boat" when we're rafted.

We only ever use one anchor and my theory on that is that that it's easier to untie, won't tangle, and if the wind is strong enough that one anchor won't hold both boats, it's probably time to break anyway.

The issue I've been having lately is how we lay to the wind. With my parent's new powerboat we lay with the wind pushing my bow into their boat. It makes escaping safely difficult....

MedSailor
 
#21 ·
I raft up occasionally, plan to do it this weekend. Learned from one adventure that it can go wrong quickly. We were a three boat raft with one boat anchored. We were mostly all in the water swimming with the anchor boat owners dingying around visiting with other friends in other rafts. A sudden wind shift due to a passing T-storm out on the bay caused us to start dragging. There were very many other boats and rafts in the area. I quickly got into my boat (a power boat at the time) and began pulling in lines we were using to keep us from drifting away while floating around and swimming. The anchor boat's owners showed up while we were trying to get squared away. He started his engine and promptly wrapped a stray line around his prop. Meanwhile we were drifting down toward the next line of rafted boats. I attemped to start my engine to try and take some tension off the anchor and slow us down so the anchor would set. I promptly wrapped my prop. So, into the water I and the anchor boat owner go to clear our props. As we were doing this, the 3rd boat in the raft began to untie and get clear of the raft but before getting clear, the anchor boat's bowsprit poked a hole in the plexi window in the side of their boat. About the time we got the props cleared and began breaking the raft up, we came down on the next line of boats. We fended off, got past them without any more damage being done and split up. we then re-anchored and enjoyed the rest of the day. I learned a lot from this incident and now own the sailboat that got a hole poked into it. I'm much more careful and aware of conditions when rafted up now and will quickly break off if I see something that looks funny or conditions begin to change.

Kevin
 
#22 ·
Dragging rule #1.

If dragging - let out more rode, increase your scope.
 
#23 ·
Yep, generally that works. In our case we were heading for the next raft of boats and didn't have time/room to let out more rode. There were lots of other boats having the same problem as us. In fact we were feeling kinda smug watching others having trouble for several hours until we broke loose. LOL Anchoring is definately a spectator sport.

Kevin
 
#25 ·
There are many, many anchorages in BC (and, I suspect, WA state) where the textbook scope or more is simply not do-able, either due to congestion, excess depth vs swing room, or nearby obstructions (reefs, rocks, docks, etc).

I'm sure that it's true that most dragging situations are due to inadequate scope, technique, or diligence. However around here we have to 'make do' with what's practical.

The good news is that, esp in summer, up here conditions generally mellow overnight, often to calm, and we have no shortage of good, sheltered options. These same conditions make rafting up a far less stressful situation.
 
#26 ·
We had plenty of scope out, at least for one boat at 7:1 in shallow water. I believe we just had too much windage/weight on the Danforth type anchor and when the wind shift twisted the flukes loose it just skipped along and would not set. Thats why we tryed to use power to slow down the raft and give the anchor time to dig in again. It probably had a mud ball on it and did not want to reset before we got to the next line of boats. This weekend we'll most likely put out two anchors and keep a closer eye to the wind shifts.

Kevin
 
#27 · (Edited)
I do not like Danforths at the best times. But in shifting winds and currents they are especially worrisome. As you point out they need to shift and re-set. I have also seen the chain get caught between the stock and the flukes.

I use two anchors in soft bottoms when there is little chance of wind shift; fouled rodes are no fun.

I do not want to start and anchor war, I have used just about every style on the market. You might consider using a modern anchor, a plow or a Bruce. I have had success with most of them.
 
#29 ·
I agree with the oversize anchor approach too. I have an oversized Danforth and it's the biggest that will fit in my anchor locker. I would like to get one of the new style anchors such as a Mantus but I'll need to build a good anchor roller to put it on as I do not want to have to disassemble/reassemble every time I anchor. Danforths hold very well in the right bottom but sometimes don't reset well. I've never had my boat break loose when anchored on my own, though haven't anchored out in anything over 25 knot winds yet.

Kevin
 
#30 ·
There are certainly times when you can't let out enough scope because of limited room. That is where having an oversized anchor and heavy chain makes a big difference. The increased catenary effect of heavy chain really works in your favor.
 
#34 ·
I notice that a lot of the discussion has shifted to scope etc... The 2 boats "in trouble" did not drag... they were simple beating the sh@# out of each other in a squall with a nasty little chop... and not a skipper on board who knew what to do (such as, break the raft...)
 
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