Watch schedule

[sailingdog]

A GPS anchor alarm is not a substitute for a proper anchor watch, especially in heavy weather, or with reversing currents/winds. It also isn't adequate in fog or when other boats are nearby and may drag down on you.

Originally Posted by johnshasteen

Not if you have a good GPS - just set the anchor alarm on your GPS and take a nap.

[artbyjody]

Originally Posted by Omatako

I normally have only one helmsman who works a 24 hour watch every 24 hours. It's a Raymarine ST6001. The rest of the watchkeepers (my wife and I) do what they're supposed to do, keep watch (on a 4 on 4 off routine)

Don't you guys have autopilots?

Andre

A autopilot doesn't help any when at anchor. It kinda needs wind from sails or a motor running and prop is engaged - drifting is not enough action for a autopilot to work to begin with...

[Omatako]

Originally Posted by artbyjody

A autopilot doesn't help any when at anchor. It kinda needs wind from sails or a motor running and prop is engaged - drifting is not enough action for a autopilot to work to begin with...

My apologies. I wasn't aware that this thread was about anchor watches. I was thinking about actually sailing for longer than 12 hours.

But since the thread has already been hijacked I agree with SD on the dodgy side of using GPS for anchor watch. Unless you set it to quite a large distance your other problem is just swinging on the anchor with a change in tide or wind.

Andre

[nonsailor]

Sorry if I hijacked the thread, it was an impulsive question that I hoped would be answered with a simple no.

[merttan]

You guys can sleep when on the boat? I can't; I'm like a kid before christmas... Let's go sailing, let's go sailing, let's go sailing (Comparable to a dog that wants to play with the tongue is all the way out...)

I'd say, not from experience in sailboats but from other experiences, keep the most experienced guy(s) in rest during day time, unless there is a need for him(them) and get him(them) to operate at night time when the experience is most needed...

[johnshasteen]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

A GPS anchor alarm is not a substitute for a proper anchor watch, especially in heavy weather, or with reversing currents/winds. It also isn't adequate in fog or when other boats are nearby and may drag down on you.

We would only consider anchoring in the most ideal conditions and in places that most people don't go - if we are on the move and the weather is bad, we just keep going, even somewhere that we could put into a sheltered anchorage. Traversing the ICW, if you put into a bay, you are probably the only one there and GPS works just fine - as long as you aren't trying to get by with some $99 wonder. And if you use the two anchor theory, you are very unlikely to drag. Fog? Not down here!

[sailingdog]

New England waters see fog on a very regular basis. I also don't believe in the use of cheap ground tackle... strikes me as really dumb... given all that is riding on the stuff. My ground tackle is probably a bit overkill for a boat the size of mine...but that's okay in my book.

Originally Posted by johnshasteen

We would only consider anchoring in the most ideal conditions and in places that most people don't go - if we are on the move and the weather is bad, we just keep going, even somewhere that we could put into a sheltered anchorage. Traversing the ICW, if you put into a bay, you are probably the only one there and GPS works just fine - as long as you aren't trying to get by with some $99 wonder. And if you use the two anchor theory, you are very unlikely to drag. Fog? Not down here!

[johnshasteen]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

New England waters see fog on a very regular basis. I also don't believe in the use of cheap ground tackle... strikes me as really dumb... given all that is riding on the stuff. My ground tackle is probably a bit overkill for a boat the size of mine...but that's okay in my book.

Thought I'd post the correct answer for sailing on the Gulf Coast and traversing the Southern ICW - Why? because that's where EdHouston, the guy that started this thread is going to be. Also, my note on $99 specials is cheap, worthless GPS's that some people buy. As to anchors, I couldn't agree with you more - I carry 5 anchors aboard Paloma, 3 rodes each with 15 feet of chain - so that for the few times that I anchor, I always have the right anchor. However, being down on the Gulf Coast, we typicallyeither go day sailing in the Gulf and come back to the marina, plug in the AC and enjoy life, or head out into the Gulf for a long trip to some another port along the Texas or Mexican coastlin. In the ICW, in many places you can ground your bow into the windward bank and either tie off to a tree or throw out a lunch hook into the shallow water.

[billyruffn]

How did a thread on Watch Schedules turn into one on anchors? Cam needs to get out the cat.

Although the OP has set his watch schedule, I offer the following:

Sailing w/ five makes it easy on the watch standers and hard on the cook. When we have five on a passage I'll usually ask one person to do all the cooking and galley clean-up and in return they stand no watches. The other four crew members are 3 hrs on, 9 off.

[sailingdog]

IT was because someone asked an OT question about anchor watches... so not completely off-topic...but.....