Anchoring Antics!
Amazing Grace
John and Julie
Mon 24 Jan 2011 12:47
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You know that you can't have too big an anchor and
you can certainly never have enough chain!
With the weather forecast giving strengthening
winds from the SW- W-NW (up to 32kts) we were content with our situation till
'Hermann' (the German) decided he was going to anchor just behind us with his
big steel Bismarkian effigy in a nice shade of blue. Well - you know the
rest of the story - its the same one played out all over. Hermann turned out to
be short on manners, brains and chain all at the same time. He went
shopping at about midday - the same time that the rest of us had decided it
would be prudent to be back at our respective boats since the forecast
was bad.
So the wind increases, the current increases and
boats start 'sailing' around. However, the Bismark was spectacular!
Sailing in bigger and bigger circles until the inevitable happened - off she
went straight into the main channel. with tourist boats, dive boats, pilot boats
and all dodging this unmanned boat in a remarkably calm way! Since
the Bismark was now heading for the opposite side of the harbour where there was
little room for the anchor to catch a few of us decided to try to
intervene.
Once aboard, we found the hatches locked and the
engine disabled. With 3 RIBs, a 15kt wind and a 1.5kt counter current we were
unlikely to be able to control the boat safely so the only option was to let out
more chain. Windlass disabled too - Hermann was leaving nothing to
chance! Happily the anchor caught just far enough away from the shore to
avoid grounding on the rocks. She held there for a good while so we all
went back to our respective boats and kept watch.
An hour or so later and the Bismark was off and
running again - down channel towards the cruise terminal and drifting towards
any vessel in sight with a magnetic attraction! Off we went again, this
time asking harbour control for assistance since it was threatening commercial
shipping too. Well, needless to say, after an hour on board, harbour
control had not sent a vessel of sufficient size to tow her and her anchor
caught again and held so we all went back to our boats again. Moments
later Hemann and Frau appear and board their vessel quite nonchalantly.
Our Austrian friend explained to them what had happened and they just shrugged
it off - not even saying thanks! They then toured the harbour looking for a
place to anchor and plopped it down right next to another boat
again!
Needless to say, as I was on anchor watch later in
the evening, I saw the Bismark cruising up and down the harbour in the 30kt
gusts, Hermann at the helm, looking for a place to anchor. As we left in
the morning, we passed them a mile away in the eastern
harbour.
You can never have a too big an anchor - or enough
chain!
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