RIVER
RATS- Hurricane Anchoring Guidelines
During Hurricanes
Dennis and Floyd over $50,000 worth of damage was incurred by RRYC members.
All the damage was as a result of dragging anchors. To avoid future
damage, some “Local Wisdom” was compiled especially for Jordan Creek Rats.
Hurricane
Warning:
The contracts on the docks at Jordan Creek require boats to be moved off
the docks during a Hurricane Warning. The owners can evict boat owners
if they disregard this requirement.
Anchor:
Two or three anchors, two rodes. A good rule of thumb is one pound of anchor
per foot of boat. Jordan Creek is clay and muck. At least one
Bruce or Max type with your Danforth is the best. The key with all
anchors is having the appropriate size for your boat and setting them correctly.
(Storm anchors may be stored under the Clubhouse. Write your boat
name on them clearly with an indelible marker.)
Rode:
It is critical that you allow for surges with hurricanes. In
Jordan Creek this means having at least 120 feet of rode (including chain)
available to deploy. To make it easy, mark the rode with markers
from any boat store. If everyone sets out the same length of rode,
the risk of dragging and swinging into each other is lessened greatly.
Check the Clubhouse bulletin board to determine the recommended length
for each storm. Bob Haynes will post this for each storm. Small boats
should have each anchor rode run back to a winch or more substantial cleat.
Size of rode: up to 25’ rode 3/8’; 27-‘31’ rode 7/16”; 32’-36’ ½”;
37’-44’ 9/16’.
Angle:
Since hurricanes circle over Jordan Creek, we experience a 180-degree wind
shift. Set your anchors at angles of 120o to 180 o apart. If
you are using two Danforths, set them at 180 o apart. Because of
the prevailing winds in storms, DO NOT set the anchors on an N-S line.
Engine:
It is vital to have a working engine to test the set of the anchor.
Drop the anchor and back off the anchor until it holds the boat still.
Distance:
Boats will swing. If everyone deploys the same length of rode and
sets their anchors at the recommended angles, the boats should not swing
that much and should not crash into each other. Allow about 100 feet
from other boats.
Floats:
Place a float, a life jacket or jug with a trip line (10 feet) on each
anchor. It will help you retrieve your anchor. It will also
help other Rats know where your anchors are located so that rodes are not
crossed. Crossing rodes is a major cause of boats dragging into each
other.
Chaffing
gear:
The winds and surges cause the rode to rub. Chaffing gear can help
prevent the rode from breaking.
Hurricane
Log:
For emergencies enter a location of your boat key or your combination and
other information on the Hurricane forms. Ask one of the officers
for a form.
Retrieving
anchors:
Several Rats have tricks to help retrieve anchors from the muck.
One is to use the jib halyard to lift the anchor. One Rat favorite
is to put weight on the bow, secure the anchor, go to the stern, and drink
a beer while the stern weight loosens the anchor. Repeat several
times. To reduce muck on your boat, secure the anchor off and let
it drag through the water as you return to dock. River Rats are most
willing to help if you need information about local conditions. Please
ask.
Consider
lining up a “boat buddy” ahead of time, to anchor your boat out if you
are not available. Bob Haynes is available if prior arrangements
are made (at first warning of a hurricane) to anchor boats.
Fee
$200/each way
(off dock and back to dock)
if boats need to be anchored out.
The
following information was compiled by Vice Commodore Bob Dawson in an effort
to better educate old and new Rats on anchoring procedures.
Supplementary Huricane Anchoring Guidelines
River Rat Tails (Tales):
!
If you have two anchors out at, say 120degrees, you don’t
need anchors as big or rhode as long as if you only had one anchor.
<
Wrong–When at anchor with two anchors,
the boat swings from one anchor to the other, so that any given time,
one or the other anchor bears the full load.
<
180degree- Following the Hurricane
Anchoring Guidelines, if anchors are set on nearly equal length rhodes
with anchors set at 180degress and inline with the mouth and head of the
creek, the boat will clearly be on one or the other anchor during the
major storm surge. As the hurricane passes, the wind will shift
180degrees and anticipating this will minimize the anchors having to
reset as the boat swings.
!
If you have an all chain rhode, you don’t need as big an
anchor
<
Wrong Again–Under severe wind
conditions (70 to 125+knots) the force is so great that the an all chain
rhode will be stretched straight like an iron bar causing severe loading
in wind surges and storm surge. This will dislodge the set anchor
faster than a nylon rhode, which will stretch 20 to 30% of it’s
length.
<
Snubber-For the reason discussed above,
if you have an all chain rhode, it is highly advisable to use 20 ft of
5/8 or 3/4inch nylon line as a snubber with a chain hook on one end and
plenty of chafe gear on the snubber line where it goes through the chock
or over the gunnel edges. Without a snubber line to absorb the storm
surge, the chain could cause significant damage to the boat gunnels.
The chain is looped down from the bow, with the snubber line taught; but
don’t leave the chain on the windless as the force of the storm surge
could damage the windless in the event that the snubber chafes
through. Attach the boat end of the chain to a cleat or bollard.
!
I don’t need 120 ft of Rhode, after all Jordan Creek is
only five ft deep at the deepest
<
Emphatically Wrong- A 7:1 total rhode
length to depth is required. Do the calculation: Depth = 5ft water
depth + 3ft freeboard + 5ft surge (maybe more) + 2 ft mud penetration
(for a total of 15ft depth) requiring total rhode length of 105ft. You
need some additional rhode on board to cleat and leave out if necessary
i.e 120ft of each anchor rhode is required The dockmaster will post
the anticipated storm surge height.
<
Unequal Rhode lengths- They should be
10-20 ft different, to avoid one anchor inadvertently dragging on to the
other in the peak of the storm causing the anchors to foul.
!
A length of chain (6-10ft) will help the anchor set and
hold better
<
Not Necessarily–On the muddy-clay
bottom of Jordan creek, if it doesn’t load up with a ball of mud and
skid without setting, the anchor will be pulled deep into the bottom;
and for that matter, the chain loads up with mud and resists the anchor
pulling deep. The primary function of the short section of chain is
to prevent chaffing on anything hard, like another anchor, if
encountered on the bottom. What really works well is 10-20ft of
1/4inch or larger stainless steel wire rope (Talk to Bob Haynes about
this). It is also a lot easier to clean up compared to mud loaded
chain links when retrieving the anchor and rhode.
!
If the anchor rhode (line) is tied to the mast rather then
the forward cleat, the boat will be a lot more secure.
<
This can be dangerous- If the mast is
stepped on top of the dog house, the storm forces may be sufficient to
dismast the boat. In addition, the distance between the mast and the
chock (or boat gunnels) is sufficient to allow the line to stretch over
the edge of the boat leading to sever chafing as well as internal
heating that can effectively melt the nylon anchor line.
<
The RRYC Hurricane Anchoring Guidelines
recommend that especially the smaller boats “should have each anchor
rode run back to a winch or more substantial cleat”. However, there is
no real substitute for having substantial cleats, through bolted and
properly backed, located close to the chocks or gunnels to minimize line
stretch over the edge of the boat. When running the anchor lines back
to the winches, they should be fixed to the front cleats first, and
these cleats need to be properly backed.
!
Rubber or Vinyl Hose provides excellent chafe guard
<
Better than nothing- However, the line
can stretch inside causing significant heating. It is better to have
heavy canvas wrapped several wraps, or leather or loose fitting fire
hose, so that the line running through the chafe guard gets wet and the
heat dissipates from the water boiling off (that has to get replenished
by the storm). Leather is best because it is porous to water and
resists chafing.
!
Tests conducted by Practical Sailor and Cruising Magazine
show that the Bruce (or Claw, a Bruce clone) does not have good holding
in mud and otherwise inferior setting.
<
Tests can be misleading- In the muddy
clay bottom of Jordan Creek, the Bruce type anchor has proved to have
excellent holding. Just try to remove one after a storm. The tests
are no doubt valid in muddy goo. Cruising Magazine found that the Bruce
did not set well in loose sand over hard pack sand. Again, these tests
do not apply to the Jordan Creek bottom. The Bruce sets well, and
perhaps better than the Danforth, but it does help to give both anchors
settling time and adequate rhode out (at least 5:1) before backing on
the anchor at all.
The CQR drags and will not hold your boat in
position in a storm
<
Partially True- It’s a matter of
degree. The CQR will plow in any bottom except coral heads, but
experience in the Jordan Creek muddy clay bottom is that it holds very
well. However, there may not be a lot of data for really extreme
conditions in Jordan Creek. As a recommendation, one can expect
excellent results if you set a moderately sized Danforth on a 10-20ft
wire rope or chain attached to the back end of the CQR so that the two
are in series, provided that the CQR meets guidelines for size.
!
The Fortress (Aluminum Alloy Danforth) is so light that it
can’t set properly
<
True if you don’t use the mud setting-
The Fortress has wider mud setting that allows the flukes to grab hold
in the mud. If the mud setting is not used, it will have difficulty
setting. Mud plates are also available that hold the flukes open at
the wider angle. These plates also make it more difficult for mud to
ball and cling to the anchor improving setting and resetting.
!
If two anchors are minimum required, set at 180degree
angle, wouldn’t a third be even better?
<
Maybe- Depends on where the boat is
anchored in the fleet. If the boat is anchored in the middle of the
fleet, you need to consider how the other boats will swing. If they
are all following the guidelines of two 180degree set anchors, then it
is best to do the same so that all boats swing in sync with each
other. If you are a late boat to anchor, and you are on the edge of
the fleet, a third anchor can be used, perpendicular to the primary
anchors, to act as a safe guard to prevent your boat from dragging on to
the fleet.
!
My engine doesn’t work right now, but don’t worry, I’ll
just pull the boat out with my dingy before the wind picks up and run
the anchors out and drop them from my dingy.
<
Well intentioned, but not adequate-
Even if you pull on the anchors with your dingy, usually the dingy motor
is not powerful enough to do an adequate job of setting the anchors.
You may not really know if they are adequately set until the wind picks
up and it may be too late to reset them. A number of skiffs and power
boats can help you set your anchors if your engine is not working, but
it is best to get there early and to have made arrangements ahead of
time–see RRYC Hurricane Info Sheet.
Resources for anchor, rhode and tackle
sizing
Anchor Size:
In hurricane storm conditions regarding anchor size selection it is
recommended to have at least one of the two or three anchors that is placed
against the major storm surge (usually creek mouth) to be at least one size
larger than what would be selected for normal safe use.
Lewmar has an
interactive web page to guide to the selection of anchor size for Delta, CQR
and Claw:
http://en.lewmar.com/products/index.aspx?lang=1&page_id=1
This web page
also has guide lines for anchor rope, chain and shackle sizes.
Likewise,
Fortress has table guides for selection of Fortress and Guardian (a Danforth
clone):
http://www.fortressanchors.com/
Fortress also
has a web page at the above site discussing safe anchoring practices;
however the extreme storm conditions faced in a hurricane require choosing
one size larger.
Examples:
For 30 ft
sailboat with moderate freeboard, using the “one size larger” rule, a steel
Danforth anchor of 20lbs or 33lb Claw, 6ft of 5/16inch chain, and about
100ft of 1/2inch three strand or double braid nylon line would be minimum.
For 40 ft
sailboat with moderate freeboard, a 33lb Danforth or 44lb Claw anchor, 6 ft
of 3/8inch chain, and about 100ft of 5/8inch three strand or double braid
nylon line.
For a 40ft Motor
Yacht with raised cabin has extreme freeboard which requires two or more
sizes up from the norm. 50 to 60 lb anchors are required and freeboard
height is typically five feet requiring additional 14 ft of anchor rhode.
Bottom Line:
The recommended
procedure is to buddy up and to use your own boats engine to set the
anchor. In return, you will be able to assist others. If your boat engine
is not working arrange to have one of the members with a skiff to help you
set the anchors.
Given that the
bottom is muddy-clay, after placing your anchor, freely feed out enough
scope to reach 5:1 while backing without putting tension on the anchor.
After waiting maybe five minutes, then temporarily cleat the anchor rhode
and back on it with low engine revs, 1000rpm is enough. Proceed to feed
out more rhode until you reach the recommended 7:1 ratio. Wait a little
bit longer, and while waiting, take two point bearings or GPS location
coordinates; and then gradually back on the anchor until reaching
10,000rpm. Check bearings or GPS coordinates to ascertain that the anchor
has indeed set and has not dragged.
It is highly
recommended to use a minimum of two anchors deployed at 180 degrees
(Bahamian style). One may use a strategy of placing the best holding anchor
toward the mouth of the creek (East), the next best holding anchor toward
the creek head (West). Possibly a third for the largest boats anchored on
the edge or the fleet in deeper water can be set to the North or South to
hold the boat off from the drifting down on the fleet if either of the two
primary anchors drag.
It is recommended that new members provide the
following information to dock master Bob Haynes for review
(highlight the following info,
print it out, fill it out and send it to Bob at:)
291 Jordan Creek Marina Dr.
Belhaven, NC 27810
River
Rat Yacht Hurricane Info Sheet
Adjunct to “River Rat Hurricane Prep” Web
page
Please complete and return all
information so that you, or designee, can be contacted in the event of a
hurricane warning or dock emergency. The information will be reviewed
by the RRYC Hurricane Safety Committee in an effort to minimize risk of
damage to members yachts and the docks. This information will also
allow someone to help in the event that neither you nor the designee can
be reached and will be filed in a notebook in the Clubhouse.
Name______________________________Boat
Name___________________________
Address___________________________________email_________________________
Phone No-(H)_____________(W)
_______________(C)_____________(C)__________
Designee Name(s)______________________________________________
Address___________________________________
email_________________________
Phone No-(H)_____________(W)_______________(C)_____________(C)___________
Need dockmaster to anchor or return to
slip—Y/N____
Make/Length/Draft_____________________Dock(YC
or SC)________Slip No_______
Combo or Key Location-Lock
_____________________Engine____________________
Does engine Work–Y/N___Do you need
assistance with skiff–Y/N___
Diesel or Gas_____Is Engine Sea cock Open
or Closed_______Leave (O) or (C)_____
Starting
Instructions_______________________________________________________
Windlass Op
Instructions___________________________________________________
Ground Tackle (anchors and rhode)
Type&Size Location Chain
Length Rhode Size/ Length
1)______________________________________________________________________
2)______________________________________________________________________
3)______________________________________________________________________
Location of Anchor Position Marker lines
and floats______________________________
Have Read Anchoring Inst-Y/N___Refer to
http://www.riverratyachtclub.com/RatHurricane.htm
Anchoring
Instructions_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Chafing Gear Location and
Instructions________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Seacocks and Location
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Designate to be left Open (O) or closed
(C) at anchor
List of Equipment to be Stripped from
Boat
1)
Electronics_______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
2)
Dinghy__________________________________________________________________________
3) Outboard/Fuel__________________________Key
to Outboard____________________________
4) Sails_____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
5)
Bimini/Dodger____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
6) Ship’s
Papers_____________________________________________________________________
7)
Placement of
Bumpers______________________________________________________________
8)
Other___________________________________________________________________________
Hurricane Plan Checklist
______Anchors and Rhode on Board and
Ready ____ Electronic Gear that needs to be stripped
______Anchor Marker Lines and Floats
Ready ____Secure Companionway Doors
______Chafing Gear and Material
Available ____Lock if Applicable
______Strip Dodger, Bimini, Sails, Life
Rings etc.
______Close Fuel Valves
______Close Required Sea Cocks (usually
all but cockpit)
