Before we left Airlie beach, a problem that I predicted would be an on going nuisance, was our anchor. We first dragged anchor when some muppet took our mooring in bad weather. Ever since then I have had the feeling that our anchor was not suitable.
Before leaving I opted to purchase 50m of new galvanised 10mm anchor chain instead of the new pick. I figured, what’s the good of a new anchor if it’s at the bottom of the ocean attached to a broken rusty chain. With the large expense of replacing both at the same time, I chose the chain.
With 50m of new chain and our ‘manky’ plough anchor, I thought we would be able to manage most situations. “When in doubt, throw it all out” was the moto I rolled with. Drop the anchor and use 50m or more of scope basically wherever we decided to call home for the night.
A good theory, that has treated us well on our journey so far. This option may not have made us the most popular people in any anchorage, due to our large swing room, but if you anchor closer than that I think you are intruding anyway.
A bit of courtesy and space amongst an anchorage is a good thing. In saying that, we always try to anchor where no one else is. That is part of the enjoyment of sailing and living on a boat. Some choose to have neighbours, we try our hardest not to see humans.