bad anchors and bad anchoring

NH_boater · 08-11-2013, 07:50 PM

I am amazed how many people purchase a 60 to 100K boat and then try to use a $25 Wal-Mart anchor to hold her in place. I was a Sleeper's Sandbar today for most of the day and I am amazed at the amount of folks that came in, in the windy conditions, and tried to anchor with these cheap, crappy anchors, no chain on the rode, way too little scope, and then look around surprised that they are dragging their way downwind into other moorings. I saw at least a dozen boats do this, some stayed with some help from others and many just gave up and left. I also love when they only have one anchor, usually on a clothes line or a couple dock lines tied together. The rode sometimes comes out in one big knotted mess, which they do not figure out until they are already in place and started their drift into their neighbors.

Windy conditions and a busy sandbar in not a great place for these noobies to be cutting their teeth.

I have not seen any serious damage caused by the drifting chaos but it can sometimes lead to high frustration factors.

08-11-2013, 07:50 PM	#1
NH_boater Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 298 Thanks: 14 Thanked 147 Times in 62 Posts	bad anchors and bad anchoring I am amazed how many people purchase a 60 to 100K boat and then try to use a $25 Wal-Mart anchor to hold her in place. I was a Sleeper's Sandbar today for most of the day and I am amazed at the amount of folks that came in, in the windy conditions, and tried to anchor with these cheap, crappy anchors, no chain on the rode, way too little scope, and then look around surprised that they are dragging their way downwind into other moorings. I saw at least a dozen boats do this, some stayed with some help from others and many just gave up and left. I also love when they only have one anchor, usually on a clothes line or a couple dock lines tied together. The rode sometimes comes out in one big knotted mess, which they do not figure out until they are already in place and started their drift into their neighbors. Windy conditions and a busy sandbar in not a great place for these noobies to be cutting their teeth. I have not seen any serious damage caused by the drifting chaos but it can sometimes lead to high frustration factors.