T&T: Anchoring and anchor watch

[Jeffrey Siegel]

> I've been following this thread but don't 
> understand why so many feel a need to use the anchor's position
> instead of the boat's position when anchored.

Current direction changes with the changing tide making you swing around
your anchor in most tidal areas.  If you only care about where your boat is
when you set the anchor, your alarm will certainly go off when you swing
around 180 degrees and pull in the opposite direction.  The alternative is
to allow for a double-the-distance anchor alarm.  Then you don't know if
you're dragging from the original position until you've moved a whole lot of
distance from your original position.  None of that takes into account the
GPS position and error that I discussed yesterday which generally adds
another 100 feet to the error.

If you look at it another way, you mostly don't care if your boat moves
while at anchor.  What you care about is if your anchor is moving.  If your
anchor is moving and not dug in, it will eventually cause a problem as
conditions get worse.  The best way to get the tightest knowledge about
whether your anchor is moving is to know and follow the anchor's position,
not the boat's.

==================================
Jeffrey Siegel
M/V aCappella
DeFever 53PH
W1ACA/WDB4350
Castine, Maine

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