[ltgoshen]

I took a charter from Tortola for 7 days "Jeanneau 36i" . I had to anchor out a few times because of a lack of available mooring balls in the areas. In Spanish town I had a hard time getting it to set because of a hard bottom. I backed down on it and pulled it up twice but the 3 time was a charm. the wind was howling that night in the 28 to 35 kn range. It kept me up all night but we never slipped one inch. I went 7 to 1 all chain. I'm learning as I go.

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I did have trouble the 3rd night I was trying to pick up a mooring by Jost van Dike by Foxes. We missed it the first time, Again the wind was strong and blew my bow around. I tried to back up instead of coming around and chopped the dinghy line an wrapped it around the keel. The boat was lose and I did not want to use the diesel until I dove to inspect the fouling below. I jumped into the dinghy and moved it in between my boat and the boat I was charging to lower the impact. I temperaly tied off to the other boat and Grabbed the snorkel gear and dove on the fouled dinghy line. After cutting us loose and gaining my diesel engine back, I cast off the other sailboat that saved me from the oncoming pearl of the coral head. Luckily the line was around the rudder and not the prop or shaft.We then was able to grab a mooring and settle in for the night. What an adventure. We had light Gail winds that night too but is felt safer on a ball than on my anchor. I could have died. I needed that painkiller we had that night.

 

[RainDog]

The charter boats normally have sub-par anchoring arrangements (too small anchors, not enough chain). Makes anchoring a charter kind of unnerving.

 

[Oaksail]

We tried anchoring 1 night in Spanish Town in a "Jeanneau 36i" in February. We couldn't get the delta set after 3 attempts. Jim back at Pro Valor charters did tell me it is one of the toughest places to get an anchor to set. I found the anchorage quite small and crowded with private mooring balls which doesn't help.
We picked up a ball at Jost Van Dyke, Whites Bay down from the Soggy Dollar. We were in 7 feet of water and the damn chain holding the mooring ball to the bottom kept getting wrapped around the Jeanneau's 6 foot keel. Made for a noisy night with the ball thumping up against the hull. seems like the mooring ball chain was too long for the depth.

 

[ltgoshen]

We tried anchoring 1 night in Spanish Town in a "Jeanneau 36i" in February. We couldn't get the delta set after 3 attempts. Jim back at Pro Valor charters did tell me it is one of the toughest places to get an anchor to set. I found the anchorage quite small and crowded with private mooring balls which doesn't help.
We picked up a ball at Jost Van Dyke, Whites Bay down from the Soggy Dollar. We were in 7 feet of water and the damn chain holding the mooring ball to the bottom kept getting wrapped around the Jeanneau's 6 foot keel. Made for a noisy night with the ball thumping up against the hull. seems like the mooring ball chain was too long for the depth.

Sounds like the exact thing that happend to us. Very loud noise all night thought we were breaking free. It sucked. I thought it was because of a sub standard snubber system, But the chain around the keel makes more sence.