35 06.82 N 075 59.11 W
This is the third or fourth time we've come to Ocracoke. The anchorage here in Silver Lake is very well protected. However, to get here we have to come in via Big Foot Slough Channel.
That channel is treacherous. There are very shallow waters bordering the channel on both sides. For some reason, every time we come and go here, the wind blows like the dickens just as we pass through the channel. That makes it stressful.
The very first time we came here, a cold front passed and the wind started blowing 40 knots just as we entered the channel. Not only that, the channel was shoaled in spots and we came in trying to decipher very confusing written directions for how to avoid the shoals. Wednesday afternoon, it was only blowing 25 and the channel has been dredged. Still, it felt dangerous.
As we came in, the wind was against us so we had to motor. I kept thinking; what would happen if the motor failed just now? If that happened, the only remedy would be to drop the anchor fast. With strong winds on our beam, I doubted if we could do it fast enough. Then, the truth hit me. If we acted with A class seamanship, we would have rigged the anchor to be ready to drop on an instant's notice. We could also have posted Libby or me up in the bow, ready to drop anchor. Never mind that it was cold and windy and waves were breaking over the bow. An A-class skipper and crew would have done it anyhow.
We could also have set the stay sail so that on an instant's notice we could have turned around and sailed ourselves back out the channel instead of anchor. We didn't do that either.
So, I'm forced to admit that our knowledge of seamanship exceeds our practice of seamanship. Should we change our habits in favor of more discipline more vigilance at the expense of extra effort and exposure to discomfort? Perhaps so; I'll have to give that serious thought and talk it over with Libby.
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A solution is found in "Single Handed Sailing" found in the WOA. I sent Randy on Satori my book named the same. The book diagrams a system that can be used from the cockpit using a light line and a eye bolt. You need to decide how much scope you might need and have it lined up on deck, ready to drop. Great book. Although we did not sail solo with just the two of us it had good tips. Ken
ReplyDeleteIn a broader sense, isn't this dilemma of preparedness one of the key ingrediants of life? There are some folks who "sail through life" (hadn't thought it worked that well) only laying out one anchor at night and sleeping well. There are others who never put down less than two and have a drift alarm set on their GPS and get up several times to check as well. One extreme to the other.
ReplyDeleteThen there are those who tailor their preparations to match the perceived threats against the possilbe outcomes and are willing to accept the results.
All that said, personally I've had less reliablity (which is a function of maintenance and quality) in iron wind when I really needed it than would allow sole dependance on same in such adverse conditions. Would having an anchor, perhaps just on an anchor line vice chain, lead aft outside the stanchions been positive addition to the equation?
Randy