2017 & 2108: Anchoring Modifications

Ongoing Saga: # 3

Anchor Winch and Anchor Winch Shelf.  A survey (for insurance purposes) in 2016 identified that the anchor winch shelf needed strengthening and a surface crack to be filled. I don’t think the surveyor even looked at the substantial aluminium bracket attached to the bulkhead which was supporting the shelf and anchor winch.  Nevertheless, I dismounted the anchor winch, had it looked at by the yard staff as there were one or two bolts that I couldn’t undo and one had broken off.  This they duly fixed with minimum fuss.

Meanwhile I added seven layers of fiberglass to the bottom of the shelf to reinforce it as well as puttied up the surface crack.  A coat of paint and it all looked quite new.  I also painted the anchor winch, remounted it and all good.

Anchor Rode Markings.  After many years of replacing variously coloured cable ties at respective intervals on our anchor rode I decided that we could do better by painting the chain than using cable ties.  There are all sorts of different intervals that are used to mark various distances along the chain by almost as many cruisers – quite amazing actually – so we stuck to our own system devised when we first purchased the boat.   

To keep the Galley Slave happy, as she is also the boat’s anchorer and recoverer, I agreed that we would also continue to use (some) cable ties.  Consequently, our anchor chain is marked pretty comprehensively with all sorts of different painted colours and matching cable ties.  GS says she likes the paint but insists that the cable ties should remain as this ‘matches her requirements for interior decoration’.  Actually, the chain can get covered in mud on ICW forays, so paint can be difficult to see.  Hence the need for both.

Only "SHE who anchors" can explain Boy Wonder's creative markings.
But it all seems to work...

2016: We Continue to Float...

Albania:
Finally, and a whole month later, we were able to throw off mooring lines and move on from Greece.  We made for Sarande, with an increasingly nasty swell kicking in from the west.  Although we’d planned a two day stopover in this pleasant town, our feet rarely touched ground.  In the conditions, poor WJ3 was driven against a large concrete dock, eventually losing a guard rail in the battle.  Our fenders did a sterling job though and only one was lost in the line of duty:

Damaged Fender.  We left the boat briefly whilst dockside in Albania.  When we got back we found one of our fenders had been used on another boat.  Our local agent at the dock (a public one) at Sarande had another boat bouncing against the dock.  Like us, the crew was away for the day.  The agents “borrowed” one of our fenders, returning it at the end of the day.  However it was pretty squashed due to its heavy pounding against the concrete dock all day.   The agents reimbursed us the cost of replacing this fender which was good of them.  The old one’s still usable, to an extent.  Anyway, well managed by our capable and friendly agent, Agim Zholi and his super team.

We had company and pleasant weather for the crossing to Sicily

Sicily:

Now, we had only two months to cover Malta and Italy, plus get WJ3 hauled out and put to bed.  Something had to give and a stopover in Tunisia, perhaps not the safest of options anyway, was struck from our list.  Stops along Italy’s heel and toe were also given a big miss as we made the most of a few days of good weather to cross to Sicily.  Syracuse was delightful.  Initially we anchored until THE plan was modified, yet again, to include a dash for Malta on public transport and a few short excursions locally.  The Syracuse Marina had a vacancy for us, so we felt comfortable leaving WJ3 on her own for a week whilst we escaped to Malta.

We had an excellent vantage point from the marina in Syracuse to watch the world go by

Before I finish with Syracuse, let me comment on Chandlers.  On arrival, we began to understand that life here was somewhat laissez-faire for travel agents and chandlers alike.  There are only two chandlers in Syracuse.  The one closest to the marina did not have all that we wanted.  Another is a bit of a walk out of town.  After locating it, we entered as the door was open and asked staff, who were clearly working behind the counter, about the part we needed.  Language difficulties aside, we were informed that it was their lunchtime and to come back in 45 minutes.  We never did…

  

Boat life went without a hitch after that, except for a struggle in the Aeolian Islands to free our anchor.  It had managed to wrap itself around large rocks and grumpily refused to budge.  Just as we threatened to launch the hookah unit (diving without tanks), it freed up.  Not without wafts of an overheated anchor winch filling the bay.  Lucky on two accounts – not to have burnt out the motor or to have lost the anchor!

The weather remained somewhat challenging during the remainder of our time in Italy.  Add to the mix, heat and crowds on holiday in August.  All these “challenges” added further delays to our tight and ever-varying schedule.  Let’s just say, we arrived in Portugal with enough time to request a visa extension. 

The anchor winch might have been overheating;
at least Vesuvius was not...

Another lesson learned is how much easier it is to prep the boat in a marina rather than a boatyard.  So we moved into Lagos Marina for a couple of weeks of chores then hauled out in Sopromar Boatyard before flying home.  After all the dithering, excitement and stress, we've decided to say “Ciao, baby” to the Med (after a wonderful 6 years) and began to prepare for a dash back across the Atlantic in 2017.  

Heading out of Lagos Marina to Sopromar Boatyard for haulout & home

2014: Lessons in Anchoring & Pest Control

Preveza, Greece

(Temporarily) Lost Anchor.  I’m saving the best until last!  On our visit to check out boatyards in Preveza we anchored off Aktio Marina, in about 25’ depth of water.  We were then asked to go in and tie up alongside one of Aktio’s groins to drop off our mainsail and outboard for repairs.  We could stay there too until repairs were completed - bonus!  The crew duly raised the anchor and when she turned to me, as she does, to tell me that the anchor was raised so that I can then power away, she advised (somewhat hesitatingly) that there was NO anchor.  I questioned this unwelcome news but it was repeated, more forcefully this time.  Sure enough, no anchor was what I found when I strode purposefully forward to confirm said crew’s statement. 

On instruction,  she dropped all our chain hoping that would slow any drift.   I then quickly dropped another anchor we had on rope and there we sat.  Luckily there was little tidal movement at that time but we had moved a bit.  I donned snorkelling gear and searched in murkyish waters, no luck.  GS then surveyed where she thought we had been when we pulled the anchor up and directed me accordingly.  First dive down and there was our much loved Rocna anchor sitting nicely, with the pin lying neatly next to it.  It must be that woman cave thing!  We recovered anchor and chain, joined them together again and recovered the second anchor.  Much discussion followed. 

The anchor is where?  Out there - somewhere!

What we did was enough as it turned out but if it happens again I would hit the Man Overboard button on the chart program almost immediately then do what we did.  Luckily we were in reasonably shallow water.  Why wasn’t the pin moused down?  Well, you can’t with these new stainless steel swivels that have a pin that sits countersunk and is done up using an allen key.  You need to screw them in as firmly as you can and observe "often" for any subsequent movement.  Also check them regularly which we now do religiously.  I would also consider lock tight on the thread and will research this a bit more.  Yes, you can also utilize a tripping line and buoy but they have their disadvantages too and we haven’t gone down that route.

Rats Onboard.  We subsequently stayed on the groin for several days and were able to use the marina’s facilities while there – very nice.  One visitor however, was not welcome.  A foraging rat decided to join us late one night though thankfully did not get inside before being given a karate chop incentive, through an open hatch in the galley, to move on.  Ratus Sparticus learned to fly that night.  Next morning we gathered & cut a crate of plastic soft drink bottles to assemble our rat defences.  We never saw him, or any of his mates, again.  It goes to show that you can never be too careful when tied up in a marina or at a dock.

Despite these shared experiences, Aktio is highly recommended for a haul out yard. 

WJ3 looking somewhat bohemian in her plastic "rat discouragers"