24-04 Trying to spend a night at anchor, Chichester Harbour, December 2024
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- Опубликовано: 9 янв 2025
- I head out of Chichester Marina to try to spend the night at Pilsey Island in Chichester Harbour
Goal was to build experience with thei new-to-me 1985 Moody 31
This was me on my own, so my first solo anchor ever, as well as my first anchor on this boat... and with 16 hours of darkness ahead of me at this time of year
I focussed too much on worrying about grounding - I have a bilge keel so that's not a problem and the boat would have stood on her keels if Ihad grounded her
I did not spend enough time worrying about whether I had enough chain, and the height the tide would get even though I was close in to the island shore. The yacht only has 25m of chain and, as you can see, this is clearly not enough. I will now buy 50m of new chain to give me more choices for safe anchoring.
I gave up at around 10.30pm at night when the anchor was dragging in light winds but quite a fast current, an hour before high tide was due, and did a late night and very dark slow chug back to the marina, finally mooring at my berth approaching midnight.
As usual, this is warts and all - learn from my mistakes!
Love it.
We bought a Moody 27 BK this year and spent our first night on anchor in Newtown Creek with the seals.
Was tight for space when we arrived so we anchored closer to the bank than we wanted. We thought, like you, that we might just go aground at about 3am. Bang on time, at 3am, I got rolled out of bed as one of the keels sunk and the other didn't. Think we were over about 20 degrees until we lifted off again haha.
As new sailors, your commentary and internal monologue was very similar to ours. All good fun!
That’s great to hear. I can’t wait to go with my wife to Newtown Creek - glad to hear it was a lovely as it sounds! Yeah I’m bilge keel so should worry as much as I did about grounding. Running out of scope is much worse!
I enjoyed your video, it's nice to see what you done and I compare thus to what I do and it's all very real and reassuring that we all think along similar lines. So often I watch other boats drop their hooks but you never get to hear what they're thinking. I have anchored at Pilsey many times, it's a lovely spot. Well done. Gary
Thanks. I think/hope these videos where I share my thoughts and get critique on those will help me as well as others
I am really enjoying your videos. Very interesting and a blessing have such an insight into this part of your life. 😊
`You're not the first to drag anchor at that spot. It's very fine sand, I prefer (wind direction allowing) the anchorages opposite Bosham entrance which is just mud.
Ah okay, I will look up that alternative. Thanks!
Great video! Many thanks
I have often anchored dinghies at that location and I am surprised it dragged. I think it might not have set correctly, so maybe try re-anchoring for a second attempt. I think when arriving at an anchorage you really need the anchor ready to go so the boat does not drift out of position. My personal preference is for a short heavy chain and a rode and for both our boats we use Fisherman anchors, which always dig in. The only failure we had was on the Exe, where it was fine silt.
Thank you - will do anchor research and yes I think I will add some rode too
I had a bruce 10kg that served well on the S. Coast if you didn't want to go to a Rocna. Also you could octoplat some rode to the chain for a bigger scope.
Thank you - will look into that
Nice video 👍
Newbie of one and a half seasons myself, so I'm not telling you what to do . . . but I use an anchor buoy and I really like seeing it bobbing over the anchor spot. Previous owners of my boat used a CQR for 20+ years so if it fails to hold it's likely to be down to me rather than the hook.
Great advice, thank you, I have just ordered one
Don't use an anchor boy unless there is a serious risk of anchor fouling and the anchorage is not busy in any sense. If you must, the setup must include a weighed, self adjusting line so as not to drift all over the place as the tide falls, and be visible at night. Anchor buoy lines/ parifinalia are a risk to other vessels running gear, especially in poor visibility/ at night. You will be very unpopular if bad things happen... one vessel disabled with a wrapped prop and you now no longer solidly at anchor, in all probability.
Your anchor mishaps are all too do with miscalculation the HW depth. This is surprising as you seem to get depth below CD. The part of Pilsey you are in has good holding in mud so a plough anchor should have been fine. BTW, a dragging anchor is not ne essarily a disaster - is the characteristics ( bumpy, slow, fast, etc) of the drag that matter, especially if you have sea room. The upper part of Pilsey however is very hard sand and dragging is not unheard of at that location, moreso under strong spring currents. Going at night through Itchenor reach etc was a bit dodgy on your own in my opinion. You are clearly sensible, but got lucky. I don't know your keel configuration, but a safer option would have been to re anchor out of the main tidal flow in many of the possible locations in the main but wide channel to the SE or in the neck of East Head, just as an example. Anyway, a very good video. Thanks for taking the effort.
Put boat into reverse and set the anchor before adjusting for scope.
I will do this much more thoroughly next time
If there is little tide and wind sometime I set the anchor with some astern on the engine , once I’m happy I’m set and have the amount of chain I want I check a transit with the engine in astern . Haven’t tried anchoring where you are yet but east head is a lovely anchorage , although very busy in the summer.
At this time of the year at least you didn't have to contend with the sailing clubs who inevitably set their race courses across buoyed channels
Defo need to run the boat in reverse hardish to set the anchor
Thanks for watching. Please remember to Like and Subscribe if you want to see me go back, with longer chain, and get through the night?
I personally have little confidence in CQR anchors, as i have experience of dragging with one, which i quickly changed to a Bruce. Now there are even better anchors, but you should be careful about a Rocna, as they have a sharp point which often hits the bow when recovered or stowed unless you have an extended roller fitted. Also i agree you could do with more anchor chain or as suggested splice on an anchorplait rope which will give you plenty of scope. The only risk is that someone cuts across your bow and cuts through it with their lovely sharp rope cutter! (Don't ask me how i know that!).
Have you thought of joining the Moody Owners Association ( if not already).? Lots of helpful advice available.
Ah thanks for the advice - will explore different anchor types and see what would fit. Yes am member of the great MOA and asked a question recently on forum on battery chargers - got some good advice
CQR : Can’t Quite Reset! My advice would be watch some RUclips vids on various anchor comparisons. The newer designs are much better. Personally I have a Rocna (mark 1) and a Lewmar Epsilon as a ledge/backup/spare.
I will crack on with anchor research this weekend! Thanks for the suggestion and advice to switch
Great effort, very brave alone and this time of year. What anchor is it? The 22 footer we're getting ready for Chi came with a huge 13kg CQR but I'm getting rid of that for a 6kg Rocna. I expect, if yours is a CQR, it simply pulled out when the tide changed and didn't reset whereas a 3rd gen anchor is way more likely to turn while staying set.
I'll look out for you in the harbour!
Mine is a 15.8kg (35lb) CQR but yes a change may be good. Will explore options and thanks for your views
CQR? Get a Rocna or similar set and forget!
Don't see an anchor ball hoisted or the anchor lightl lit.
Good point but don’t worry, i set up an anchor ball and an anchor light. As I don’t have a mast top light, just a steaming light and downward pointing deck light, I went for a battery powered bright LED lantern. New anchorage for me so thought some fishermen may come steaming through in early hours not expecting anyone to be anchoring there in winter. I am a real pedant for doing safety matters like these.
Horrible filming!
Yeah I’m new at this so appreciate feedback and try to get better
@@SailingSampaguita Yeah the high speed bit was too high, and generally a bit wobblily. Other than that , ok.