Sailors help other sailors

On May 19, I was making my merrily along the way when I see in the distance a sailboat behind me.  An hour or so later and the S/V Azure is closing in on me so I slow a bit and let them pass, otherwise at an amazing speed of about 6.2 NM compared to my 6 NM so it would take another 30 minutes to complete the pass.  After all I am doing the Loop, I am in no hurry.  A while later Azure calls me up on the radio and relayed some information about shoaling around McClellanville, SC and said I should pass make sure through that area at high tide.  I had planned to stay and McClellanville that night so I quickly checked the tide table, the high tides for the next day were at 4:11 AM and 4:31 PM.  So, If I stopped at McClellanville I would have to wait until late afternoon the next day to leave McClellanville.  Thankful for having this new information, I decided to keep on going to Georgetown where the Active Captain information on the chart plotter shows some good anchorages.

s/v Azure

We arrived in Georgetown about 5:30 and I found a nice anchorage and s/v Azure went on up to find a marina for the the night.  I got the anchor set and started settling in for the night, and then 30 minutes the anchor drag alarm started sounding.  I reset the anchor distance and went back to my nightly chores, it sounded again (what is it with me and alarms).  This time I decided that my anchor was dragging.  Up with the anchor and reposition the boat and reset the anchor again.  The best way to set an anchor is to lower the anchor and slowly pay out the anchor rode (line) as you slowly back the boat (or in the case of single handing as the boat drifts back).  Let the anchor settle in and then put the boat in reverse and make sure the anchor holds.  I did that the first time, but this time I kept it in reverse for a full minute to make sure the boat wasn't going to move.  It stayed in place even when the tide shifted and the current got up to 2 NM (2.3 mph).

The wind was blowing at about 15 that night.  I put up the wind scoop to help cool the cabin but I had to tie up sideways on the boat because the wind was coming from the east, but the tide was running south.  Without the current flow, the wind would push the boat around and the wind would be parallel to the length of the boat.

Lessons learned:
1.  Two knots of tide is stronger than 15 knots of wind.  This lesson would have been useful on day 1 of the trip.  If you recall I had a little bit of an issue getting out of the marina in Beaufort (SC).  I was so worried about the wind, I didn't pay attention to the little bit of tidal flow.  I didn't account for the tidal flow and that is what gave me the problem.

2. Put your rudder in the center position after you anchor.  I noticed after I anchored the first time (the one that dragged) that the boat and the anchor chain were at an odd angle.  I attributed to the 15 not wind and the 2 knot current.  After I reset the anchor I made sure to center the rudder.  The anchor chain was now at the correct angle.


To see more pictures go to cruisingpop.blogspot.com and look for the link to the Progression Map link on the right side of the page.  Click on it to open the map.  I have pics at most of the marks past Charleston.