Cliff Island: First Time Anchoring

We anchored for the first time which is an interesting challenging in strange waters! There are numerous articles about how much chain you need, how much rode, the ratio of depth to length, etc. I probably read most and came away more confused about how to properly anchor a 43’ sailboat but, what’s the worst that could happen? Turns out lots😩 most stories include how the captain stayed awake all night for fear of the anchor slipping. I did the math and all seemed well, we even decided to go ashore in the dinghy to explore the island, Cliff Island. Every time we got out of site of the boat I would panic thinking it was floating away. The cove we were in was beautiful, serene and calm. We returned to Sea Fever after an hour or so of exploring. We had dinner and set in to relax for the eve. I should mention that we also experienced a significant septic tank failure on this day. Below deck was near unbearable. At this point, sort of satisfied the anchor would hold, the tide was becoming high. Soon the boat began to rock side to side violently at times. I seemed to recall somewhere it said “don’t anchor here if the wind is from the north, the wind was strong from the north. I was sure the anchor would slip during the night. I decided to stand watch through the night😩 I poured a bourbon and said goodnight to Lisa who was grateful I would stand watch as she to was concerned about the violent rocking. I set my cell timer to wake me every 1.5 hours to check the anchor. Eventually I needed to relieve myself and knowing the septic tanks we’re overflowing I went topside. Admitting I had poured a stiff drink but was not prepared for what happened as I let go off the swim platform into the cove. As I watched the meeting off my stream to the cove there was an explosion of iridescence in the water, I was stunned. Then, as I looked over the cove it was alive with sparkles of iridescence, an unbelievable spectacle of nature, phosphorus! To ensure it was not the bourbon or simple exhaustion I grabbed the boat hook and swished it through the water and it immediately excited a trail of phosphate, incredible! You just never know what life will bring you on a tough night, it was surreal. Anyway, the anchor held, the seas calmed and in the morning Lisa made delicious pancakes and fresh coffee and we were off to the next adventure.Read more