![]() That way, you will be able to choose a perfect anchorage, take the best action when grounded, or even save big $$$'s on your next haul out! Know these simple abbreviations to increase the safety and security of your small cruising boat. If you have a crack or hole, stay put! Repair the damage with a temporary patch before you back off that shoal to prevent flooding. Next, check for damage below the waterline. If you ground on a hard bottom, determine the type of bottom from the nautical chart or take a bottom sample with a lead line. Mud, sand, and clay aren't problems for most small cruising boats in protected waters.īut any bottom can turn dangerous in choppy seas, ground swell, or areas with lots of boat wake. ![]() You need to know the type of bottom right away. Use anchors or timbers to keep the boat straight and the weight distributed.Īll of us go aground sometimes-but the initial action you take makes a big difference (see "Related Articles" below). The keel must be strong enough to support the weight of the sailboat hull. In calm, protected waters you might be able to stand the hull upright. When the tide comes in, turn the boat around, and repeat the process. This prevents flooding the decks and below decks.Ĭushion the low side to protect the hull. Position the boat to heel over so that the deck faces away from the incoming tide. The tidal range should be large enough to cause the location to dry out at low tide. To careen, you must find a bottom that will provide a firm, but soft cushion-such as sand or grass. World cruisers realize the cost benefits of careening the hull for cleaning and painting where haul outs are expensive-or non-existent! This skipper careens a small cruising sailboat with anchors in a calm harbor. If necessary, rent a mooring for the night. Put out a second anchor or send down a sentinel in tight anchorages with less swing room or heavy marine weather. Use the heaviest anchor aboard with a trip line (see "Related Articles" below). If you must anchor in soft bottoms (sand or mud), grasses, or any of the hard bottoms shown, take extra precautions. Follow this golden rule of anchoring: " When in Doubt, Get the Plow or Claw Out!" If you have any doubt whatsoever about the quality of the sea bottom (too soft, too hard), amount of swing room, or protection from the elements, use one or more larger plow or claw anchors (the CQR, Delta, or Bruce). Lightweight boat anchors-like the Danforth-hold well in most sand, mud, or clay bottoms. Cruisers in island anchorages often dive on sand bottoms to make sure the boat anchor buries up to the top of the shank. Most any anchor will hold in protected waters in hard or sticky mud or clay. For example, if you see S within a mile of a hrd abbreviation, there's a good chance the bottom consists of hard sand. Locate the closest bottom type within a mile. ![]() ![]() Many charts show so or sft h or hrd-alone, without a bottom type. Look at the second column at the bottom two abbreviations. Which three of these twelve bottom types would be your choice for the safest anchorage for a marine anchor? Sand, hard mud, and clay give your sailboat anchor the best chance of a good, solid set. (Illustration from "Seamanship Secrets"). Others give you more detail with texture and / or color/contrast. Know these bottom types, textures, colors, and contrasts. Let's take a look at each of these five factors, use the seabed table, and determine how to use this in most any small boat cruising situation. With this knowledge, you will have the skill and confidence to. Understand the nature of the seabed you sail over to make the best decision when you anchor, go aground, or careen your hull. From this, the learned captain determined his distance off the "ship-killing" breakers ahead. "By the mark 6! With white sand and shells, Cap'n!" This sequence continued, sometimes for hours. Was it yellow sand? Or brown sand mixed with bits of shell? Or black mud? He shouted back the sounding, texture, and type of bottom to the Captain. The boatswain read the sounding from the marked line, pulled up the lead, turned it over, and examined the embedded sea-bottom sample. Then, he was sent as far forward as possible to "cast the lead". The lead was cast and the line eased until it became slack upon contact with the bottom. The boatswain would smear a coat of tallow in the hollow so that a sample of the bottom would stick to the lead. Cylindrical in shape with a long marked line-it had a hollowed-out bottom. The lead-line was the original depth sounder. ![]() Ī ship that approached an island landfall in thick, pea-soup fog could tell the distance off the reefs with the aid of an armed-lead. No other device can tell you the type, texture, and color of the seabed with every cast. Even today, the leadline has a place on the small cruising boat. ![]()
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