After 2 days at the dock, and no weather window, we decided it was time to move out to anchor instead of paying the $1.35/foot per day prices of the Beaufort City Docks. With the help of Bob from Shamal, we scouted a spot to anchor, then moved the boat off the dock. Bob gave us a little push on our bow as boats where packed in and the current and wind where in the wrong direction. We moved over to the area that Bob and I had scouted out for anchoring.
We dropped our first anchor, unfortunately, by the time we reached the proper amount of scope, we were to close to the channel, perhaps even in the channel! With the big fishing vessels that regularly went to the fish processing plant, we decided to haul the anchor and try again. This time, we almost did too good of a job because we wound up being only about 70 feet from the boat in front of us when all was said and done. After we were sure that the first anchor was set, we paid out approximately 110 feet of chain before dropping our second anchor and pulling ourselves back forward with our first anchor. We were now set; but almost to close to the boat in front of us. We would find out for sure when the tide changed. We snubbed our anchor chains and waited for the tide to turn.
Would that our anchoring had gone as smoothly as it is written. What isn't included are the arguments that ensued while anchoring. There were a few times where we both wanted to use the other as part of the anchor!
Anyway, the tide turned and we found that we had a comfortable, if small distance between us and the next boat. We also found that we had a great semicircle anchor swing.
We spent the rest of the day relaxing on the boat, right up until it was time for bed. As we were settling in for the evening, we heard these loud noises that were all around us. We quickly got up to check the noise. It turned out to be the chain rubbing against itself! The sound was then transferred to the rigging and that was how it sounded if it was all around us. We certainly didn't like that sound!
By morning, thanks to the wind and current, our anchor chains where completely twisted. But we Held!
Voyages