First time sailing--riding out squall on Lake Havasu

[Stevenhigbee]

My first time sailing ANYTHING. I've had her in the water for a few days. I started with a couple days relaxing at anchor. Then spent one day working with just the mainsail. Another day working with both sails, but without enough wind to really practice the skills of jibing and coming about.

Today, i woke up to 3 problems.

1. A squall line had formed along the horizon, heading this way.
2. My anchor rode was wrapped around the keel.
3. I was able to snag the anchor side of the line, and I discovered that the anchor was stuck in the mud.

I wanted to get back to port, but was trying to get the anchor unstuck. I secured it to the stern directly above the anchor, hoping the bobbing up and down would gradually raise it. It was really calm, and there was hardly any bobbing.

Then the wind and waves hit. Suddenly. And I was taking it up the stern.

I was ready to cut the anchor and run, but when I tried to start, I found the ground cable had come loose from the motor.

I pressed the ground cable against the motor tiller, and got it started. Then at full throttle to try and face into the wind, the motor began raising up off the mount. So I turned it off, and was able to guide the motor back into position.

I decided I needed to get the bow facing the storm before anything else. I didn't have enough line on the anchor side. So I wiggled the boat side of the line gently, and that combined with the wave action, gradually loosened it from the keel. So I was able to attach it to the bow, and release the line at the stern, using my weight to help resist the broadsiding, and bring her around bow into the storm.

So if anyone lives at Lake Havasu, and wonders who that idiot is who is still in the water on a MacGregor; It's ME!.

But I'm pretty sure that anchor isn't coming loose.

I'll let you know tomorrow whether I'm a real MacGregor sailor, or just a former one.

[NiceAft]

Well Steven,
I hope this post finds you alive and well

First, jibing is not something you wish to do: tacking is a yes, and jibing is a no, unless you are in a situation where you have too.
Second, you kept your head and stayed cool, this is important also. Now I am looking foreword to the follow up.

Ray

[sailboatmike]

Time to take stock and think about the positives.

Yep it may well of scared the heck out of you but you survived and so did the boat, so lots of lessons have been learnt for no cost to life and boat

You should take confidence from this experience that you got it all wrong and yet came out the other side alive and well

The learning curve can be long and at times very steep, but it makes us more confident that we can handle what nature and sometimes our own inexperience throw at us

[walt]

Im in Lake Havasu now for the winter, my 26S in in a slip in the marina. November and Feb are good months for sailing here.. watch out for tomorrow however.. powerful winds forcast. Dec and Jan still have good sailing days, just have to pick the best days.

Do you live here (Havasu)? There is a pretty active group of winter sailers here, if you want, please send me a PM.

[Russ]

Doesn't sound like fun.

Is your anchor still there? Best way to raise the anchor is to drive over it in the opposite direction it's set with as little rode as possible lifting vertically. The flukes will pull out. It's exactly the opposite of its holding pattern.

Stay safe. Maybe another anchor is a good idea. Tie the rode to a fender and let it go and when it's free, go back and get it.

[NiceAft]

“Yep it may well of scared the heck out of you but you survived and so did the boat, so lots of lessons have been learnt for no cost to life and boat”

Sailboatmike,

We will find out tomorrow

Ray

[Stevenhigbee]

I think it has mostly calmed down for today. If I had lost my boat on my first trip out, I would have had to take that as a sign.

Tomorrow I have to either dive down and get the anchor, or cut it and go home. 66 degree water isn't exactly polar-bear-club. I just have to pretend a puppy is drowning, and a boatload of cheerleaders are watching.

[Herschel]

I just have to pretend a puppy is drowning, and a boatload of cheerleaders are watching.

I can tell you have the "right stuff" for making a good Mac owner. Welcome to the forum. When you get yourself and most of your boat back to the dock, you'll be truly one of us! Hang in there. It gets better1

[NiceAft]

I wanted to get back to port, but was trying to get the anchor unstuck. I secured it to the stern directly above the anchor, hoping the bobbing up and down would gradually raise it. It was really calm, and there was hardly any bobbing.
, but was trying to get the anchor unstuck. I secured it to the stern directly above the anchor, hoping the bobbing up and down would gradually raise it. It was really calm, and there was hardly any bobbing.

If the rode (anchor rope) is secured directly over the anchor, and it is fairly taught going straight down, try going to the opposite end of the boat and jumping up and down to create your own boobing effect to loosen the anchor. Don't worry about who might be watching, anchors are not cheap.

Ray

[Russ]

If the rode (anchor rope) is secured directly over the anchor, and it is fairly taught going straight down, try going to the opposite end of the boat and jumping up and down to create your own boobing effect to loosen the anchor. Don't worry about who might be watching, anchors are not cheap.

Ray

Do this.

Unless the anchor is caught on a cable (been there) or rock it will come up.

[Stevenhigbee]

Loosing the anchor is not important. Cutting short my sailing adventure is what I want to avoid.

The wind changed to blowing away from shore today, with gusts up to 40 mph. Still not safe to set loose, but safer than yesterday when it was blowing toward shore, about 10 seconds away from grounding.

I cleated the rode with the bow directly above the anchor. And with all the gusts and bobbing, it did not budge.

To save my holiday, I decided to turn it into a mooring that I can come back to for the rest of the week. I measured the depth of anchor (15'). I cut the rode at about 35' from anchor (while cleated off the bow). I threaded a bumper onto it, then braided an eye around the head from my 4lb engineer's hammer (under $10 from Harbor Freight).

When it is safe to go free, I can drop the weight near the anchor, and the bumper will float at the middle of the rode. I can come back, hook it, raise the weight, and secure the boat for the night.

...I think.

[Tomfoolery]

Out of curiosity, what kind of anchor is it?

[Russ]

Out of curiosity, what kind of anchor is it?

Yea, lots of curiosity. Most of us have the opposite problem. Anchors that don't want to stay on the bottom.

Also, what kind of bottom is it? I once snagged a tree. Pulled up this monster tree on my anchor. Our lake also has a cove nicknamed "anchor cove" because of all the anchors that have snagged rocks and had to be cut and abandoned.


--Russ

[Wind Chime]

Stuck Anchor:

We almost always deploy our anchor with a trip line and float, but if not, the easiest way I know of to get a stuck anchor out , is to pull it from the opposite direction … the key is to pull as low to the ocean floor as possible.

- Make a small circle out of a short (3’-4’) piece of chain (or something heavy)
- Lasso (tie) the chain circle around the anchor rode (going to the stuck anchor )
- Take a long line (long enough to go from boat to anchor) and tie it to the chain circle
- let the chain (with the attached line) drop down the anchor rode to the anchor.
- Pay-out lots of the new line so you are no longer directly over the anchor,
- Tension the new line and pull in opposite direction that the flukes are pointed.

This will pull on the anchor from the lowest point almost parallel to the ocean floor.

We have a special little (6”) metal ring that we can use for this. (with or with a float) http://www.ironwoodpacific.com/store/pr ... od-Pacific

[Stevenhigbee]

It's a Danforth S-13, as best I recall. It's bigger than the one that came with the boat (S-8?)