Anchoring considerations
One of the great joys of finding an anchorage is that it is remote. But if you want to enjoy the remoteness that an anchorage offers, you should be able to live without power at least for a while.
While an overnight is simply a case of having enough battery to keep the lights on, spending much longer away from a marina or other source of shore power does need thinking about.
You’ll either need a good alternator (and extra diesel) or a wind generator
– an accurate battery monitor is essential.
An inverter can be useful to charge items such as camera batteries, cordless drills, laptop etc, which all require 240v and therefore shore power for recharging.
It is also worth converting lighting to LED if you haven’t already, as this will save power onboard, but allow you to keep the lights on.
Collapsible water containers, hoses, a good reliable tender and a secure ladder to be able to climb back in board after swimming all make things much easier for getting off the boat once you have found your anchorage.
You will be relying heavily on your anchor and chain for security so check that all of the shackles are moused and check the chain carefully. Anchor chains wear in the part where two adjacent links rub together where wear is not normally visible. Open up the chain when it is slack and look for any wear in this area that can considerably weaken the chain.
PASSAGE PLANNING
For a few days away, passage planning is generally a matter of catching fair tides, but you will often need to think about the depth you will have when you arrive at your favoured spot.
ENTERING NEW HARBOURS
These days there is a wealth of information available about harbours and many anchorages. The way they look and what you can expect going into a strange harbour for the first time can usually all be found ahead of time.
Of course it can be a daunting experience because you are not only trying to pick up the next buoy or two but you are also looking for the spot you are going to drop the hook and coping with the local traffic on the water. For the navigator, coming in from seaward into a new destination can be quite a challenge. You could do a lot worse than getting a satellite view of the harbour on Google Earth and possibly even an eye-level view thanks to the wonders of modern electronic charts. At least you will be armed with what to expect. Overhead views, however, can be difficult to replicate in your mind when sailing in at eye-level, so try to visualise what the scene may look like before setting out.
Night-time can be a different matter because you cannot replicate what the shore lights might look like and trying to see the lights of buoys, beacons and other vessels against the shore lights can present a very confusing picture to the inexperienced newcomer.