adequate for holding in 35 knot winds. Ask me how I know this?
Normally a 6-to-1 ratio for anchor scope is comfortable, especially
when the rode is chain. Last night, however, the winds built in the
harbor to 25-30 with gusts to 35 with torrential rain, and this was
sustained from midnight to 5:00 AM this morning. Around 3:00 we
noticed that we were dragging anchor and getting dangerously close to
a moored boat. We tried just motoring forward slowly to take the
strain off the anchor, but as we slacked the load, the wind would push
the bow off the wind and we would take the gusts sideways, just
aggravating the problem due to the extra windage.
So, we decided to re-anchor in the deep darkness and screeching
breeze. It was a challenge to communicate from the bow to the cockpit
in these conditions, but we got the anchor up and then motored away
from danger to a new location. We used the flashlight to avoid running
into other boats which were unlit, and dropped our anchor in an open
area. This time we put out over 100 feet and that has held since.
The winds are now down to 15 knots and the sky is clearing with some
low scudding clouds moving rapidly south. We will try to catch up on
sleep this morning, and make a decision about a late morning
departure, if the winds die off as predicted. The forecast for today
is for 5-10 knots from the SW.
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