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Richard Macfarlane
Registrace 4. 04. 2011
Yacht Navigation - how to be safe in the digital world
Digital navigation should be safe, but there are still ways to get it wrong.
The traditional approach is to have the navigator at the chart table, but this causes accidents if he is asleep or on deck. It's much safer to have a chartplotter by the wheel, and have a second person navigating to avoid mistakes or inattention.
Gps gives our position within a few metres, but the charts are not so accurate. Wide scale charts are often out of position, because they have not been updated. Always zoom in to be safe! Also, watch out for chart offset, where the positions of hazards does not match the gps.
Never sail close to an obstruction unless you can confirm its position with your eyes or radar at night.
Many thanks to the video scenes:-
The Race of my Life - Greenings grounding. czcams.com/video/UPpMvKI5REk/video.html
The Ocean Race - Vestas Wind crash. czcams.com/video/1gmnWEZCEiw/video.html
Thanks to the Volvo Ocean Race for publishing this video, and the accident report - it makes us all safer.
Practical Navigator - sextant. czcams.com/video/DrAkrgZRb9Y/video.html
Practical Navigator - Calculations. czcams.com/video/HytZfJ0GR8k/video.html
The traditional approach is to have the navigator at the chart table, but this causes accidents if he is asleep or on deck. It's much safer to have a chartplotter by the wheel, and have a second person navigating to avoid mistakes or inattention.
Gps gives our position within a few metres, but the charts are not so accurate. Wide scale charts are often out of position, because they have not been updated. Always zoom in to be safe! Also, watch out for chart offset, where the positions of hazards does not match the gps.
Never sail close to an obstruction unless you can confirm its position with your eyes or radar at night.
Many thanks to the video scenes:-
The Race of my Life - Greenings grounding. czcams.com/video/UPpMvKI5REk/video.html
The Ocean Race - Vestas Wind crash. czcams.com/video/1gmnWEZCEiw/video.html
Thanks to the Volvo Ocean Race for publishing this video, and the accident report - it makes us all safer.
Practical Navigator - sextant. czcams.com/video/DrAkrgZRb9Y/video.html
Practical Navigator - Calculations. czcams.com/video/HytZfJ0GR8k/video.html
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My respect 🙏!!!
9:42 That’s excellent. Fits nicely with my experiences regularly anchoring in 5 to 10M. I’ve never had a good time with 4X depth.
Just wonder how the salvages went ?
Also, make certain that wherever you decide to drop anchor your yacht can safely swing through 360° in case there's a change in wind direction.
Thanks Captain. Good advice.
Very sound advise !!!
thanks for the video… im always scared of these A-holes who endanger the rest of us !!! The rest of us shouldn’t be paying for the peeps who dont have the correct ground tackle
If a boat can't secure in at least 80' of various sea beds what is it doing cruising?? Its NOT READY. That's like touring in a motorhome without brakes or wheel chocks.
Anchoring is not always secure even with the right gear, and the right technique. There are so many difficult bottom types such as very hard sand, rocks, weed, very soft mud where anchoring isn’t secure. Maybe you have a good anchor, but not ideal for that bottom. The solution is to test the anchor carefully, and if it drags go somewhere else.
On my CD27 I have 35#CQR, 22#Danforth, a 22#grappling hook, 15#Danforth 200' 5/16" G4 chain with 200' 1/2" rode and various other smaller anchors, a drogue and oversize deck cleats.
stupid people
been there done that on Nai Harn Beach 🙃
60 pound Luke for the win.
Funny how the racing skippers avoid the extra weight on the bow. On an average 45 foot boat, a 30 kg anchor can hold much better than a 20 kg one, and the boat is 0,07% heavier, if we take into consideration that the average 45 footer is about 13 tones.
Compass is the Hart. Anchour is the Hand.
Only anchor at the LEEWARD SIDE of shore! If not, and if the wind picks up: LEAVE the anchorage. It's that simple (in addition to, of course, anchoring correctly)
Excellent.
Need to used international GPS Systems
I’m anchored out in a storm at the moment. I’m running an oversized Rocna and more than a 10:1 scope, all chain. I also have a couple 30 pound river anchors clipped along the chain in tandem to dampen whipping action from the swells. It’s been blowing 40 knots all weekend and I’m still holding a tight pattern. This setup has gotten me through many storms, some in excess of 60 knots. I still keep 2 anchor alarms set at all times and have a robust backup anchor, just in case.
Anchor angel???!
What a great video. Thank you for all the included graphs of various studies too - I found myself pausing and looking for the brands I was considering multiple times.
Anchoring and man overboard drills are overlooked too often.
Marvelous execution; it's reflective of a book I read that was similarly profound. "The Art of Meaningful Relationships in the 21st Century" by Various Authors
The man who surveyed my boat put down "55 lb anchor 3/8" chain," even after I told him, the chain is only 5/16". He didn't go up to take another look, measured nothing, dismissed me and wrote down what the last guy had written down. Anchors are harder to read. My anchor isn't 55lbs, it's 45lbs. For my 45' boat, these are definitely undersized. He's a competent well regarded surveyor but is sheer incompetence. (Tip: bring calipers and a luggage scale. I'll need to spend $2000 to get a properly sized anchor and chain for my boat.)
What a real Bunt Citch this doube dee bag turned out to be.
I oversized 4 times :D my anchor czcams.com/video/e-918SES3dU/video.html
Great advice Richard! Thank you!
Its the weight of the chain and anchor combined that hold a vessel not just the anchor. You should always have 2 spare anchors one for the stern and a much larver one up forwd. There are distinct weiğts laid down, for weight type and length of chan and anchor types and their weight.
Hi Kurt, thanks for your comment. For larger vessels, Lloyds registered, there are specific rules about anchoring equipment to keep them safe. But for the craft we sail, there are no rules. The inexperienced sailor is likely to adopt the "recommended" sizes from the manufacturers, which is very inadequate in my opinion. The more experienced of us will learn a lot from personal experience and chatting to fellow sailors.
Got a mantus one size up for storm condition and never dragged in 7 years even help on 35 knots winds
Very good. Chain on the ground sits better than in the locker when at anchor 100m chain I have and that's my minimum.
I'm new to Dremels, but this thing has been great. czcams.com/users/postUgkxfPgcZ5_Cl0HDUKkMJAKde11YKQZVgMoR The variable speed is awesome and the cordless aspect makes it so easy to work with. I am constantly finding uses for it that make tasks easier. Recently I put in a new deadbolt on one of our doors. I knew I had to enlarge the hold where the deadbolt goes into the door frame. At first I thought I would have to get a big router and figure out how to use it for that, but then I rermembered we have the dremel. I was able to enlarge the hole almost as easy as if I was drawing with a pen. It's also great for grinding our dog's nails done and so many other household tasks.
Richard, this presentation is now over 3 years old. Following an interesting discussion on Cruisers Forum after you made the video, I have laminated up a picture published from your video and placed it in the inside of the anchor locker lid as a reminder. I think the 15m plus 2x depth solves the problem when using the RYA 4x, eg, not enough catenary in very shallow water when you really need it and penalises you in deeper water. Your formula has worked well over the past couple of years and until someone comes up with a better solution will be our go to method. So thank you for making this video, it is still very relevant today.
And use a snubber to take the strain off the winch.
your to damn rich if you just leave nice boat like this on anchored unsupervised.. them people should rent boats and take back , have a homeless person to live and take care of it or not buy a boat at all.. dock it or live on it say's me....... and then deal with it. keep your boat safe..nuf said
Your video is very interesting. I am 70 years old, I have raced competitivly since I was 10 years old, I have sailed extensivly off the Austrailan East Coast waters. I qualified as an Australian Yachtmaster in 1992 with an Offshore instructor rating. I worked as a Sailing instructor teaching basic sailing, basic navigation, offshore navigation, cruising skills, basic racing skills and advanced racing skills up to skippering trainee crews at National level Chanpionships with creditible results for over 20 years. I have held a Commercial Pilots Licence as an Instructor with Instrument qualifications. As well as extensivly navigating my own vessel, I have served as a navigator on several Sydney Hobart races, including 1993, which up until the 1998 race saw the most deaths and sinkings of any race prior to that. I don't sail in offshore races any more. The 1993 race was enought for me. IT was not so much the conditions, it was the attitudes of the typical crew I was sailing with. In the 1992 race and the 1993 race the yachts had recently beeen fitted with the "new" GPS systems. For some reason the owners decided that they should be moved from the NAV station to the Cockpit! In both situations it was stated that they wanted a "working navigator", which I was. Serving as a helmsman and a trimmer, as well as a "Sailmaker" when I was sewing damaged sails together while off watch! (I was working in my brothers sail loft at the time). This attitude made my job increadibly more difficult! The position of navigator has been downgraded in the eyes of many owners, they think that having a GPS in the cocpit will fix all their problems. What BULLSHIT! In the 1992 race the GPS went off air for 10 hours. There was a compulsory position report due, "How do we know where we are?" they asked. Simple, ask the helmsman "what course hacve you been steering?", How long since the last recorded poaition, "What speed have we been doing?", back to DR navigation! I pulled out chart computed the numbers and marked a position. "You don't know we are there!" they said. "You don't know we are not there", I replyed. OIf course the GPS came back and we were a few miles from the estimated position! THe blind faith n the magic box, mounted in the cockpit for "would be" navigators to interpret is dangerous! The role of Navigator is as important as it ever has been. Simply having a GPS in the cockpit does NOT fix the problem of basic navigation. The role of the Navigator and the instruments vital to Navigation belong in the NAV Station. Have a repeater in the cockpit if you want but don't kid yourself that that is NAVIGATION! There is a LOT more to it than that!
Thanks Charles for engaging with the video, and your detailed reply. You made some very good points. I absolutely agree with the importance of navigation, the safe passage of the ship is the ultimate responsibility of the skipper or navigator, that’s why I made the video. You are right to say that the art of navigation has been downgraded by modern systems, people don’t take it seriously enough. But I don’t agree with focussing all the responsibility on a single person, at a nav station down below. It’s absurd that the Clipper boats, with 10 intelligent crew, should sail onto a beach because the navigator is asleep, and there’s no instruments on deck. The helmsman should be able to see where he’s going, all it takes is simple instrumentation and a little instruction. On my yacht, the person at the helm takes total responsibility for our safe passage, they have to have the instruments and skills for that. They also have to be aware of their limits, and when to ask for help. Most navigation accidents these days are due to carelessness, and we are all guilty of that. As regards the reliability of GPS, my sextant is still in its box unused for 35 years, but you never know!
An excellent source for independent anchor tests is here: SV Panope www.youtube.com/@flygoodwin
I searched this because of If my heart has wings. Damnnn flying above cloud must feel good af.
Indeed sir indeed
Well. There is a lot here. I likely have as much experience and agree with a lot, but also have some disagreement. As his own experience suggests, having a gigantic anchor of a particular type guarantees you nothing when the weather gets snotty. A counter argument is that having an anchor you can pick up easily and move to the safety of sea or another place is important. Having a snubber to take the shock load is as important as having enough chain on the bottom. The additional holding power of a few pounds more on an anchor is a dubious benefit if you have set in a bottom that is impenetrable or foul. You need to pick up and move. The suggestions about scope and testing your anchor are IMHO the best things here. The manufacturers' claims about their anchors are BS and should not be relied on at all. Lay out as much scope as you can when it gets snotty and be ready to leave if you see yourself cornered. Have a second anchor ready to deploy if you are in for a prolonged storm. Claims of "I never dragged with "X" brand anchor" are BS and based more on luck than any meaningful data. Technique and judgement are what saves your boat. Thinking equipment brand will bail you has lost many boats.
Many thanks for your comment, good points. I think the whole anchoring strategy changes when you get over about 40ft, and can no longer man-handle your anchor. Unfortunately, most production boats only have room for one anchor on the bow, so setting a second one is impractical if its over about 25kg. But the windlasses generally have reserve power, so it’s no hardship to go one or two sizes up. Sadly, there’s no magic bullet, it seems that the best anchor in the world will fail in some situations. The joys of cruising!
Анастасия вы пилот?
this was really thorough
I'm not here because of that visual novel
And ONLY a Rocna would have worked? Seems like it dragged, and it isn't a recommendation that your anchor dragged.
Thanks for your comment, I wish I knew what anchor is best, I’m certainly not an expert on anchor types. I do know the ones not to trust, the Delta in soft mud, and the CQR is dangerous on hard sand. Also the Fortress fails in anything unless it’s soft. But I’d love to know which is the best for all bottom types, the Rocna has a good reputation, but it can drag on very hard, rocky sand, where it can’t dig in. Also ours has dragged in very light, weedy sand, it digs really deep but still moves very slowly. My strategy is to buy a reputable anchor, several sizes bigger than recommended, and take care when setting it.
Really good video. So sensible having three devices. I have a silly question. If a hendheld gps were one of the devices would it be accurate in the middle of the Atlantic or middle of the Pacific?
Yes, an simple handheld GPS would be very accurate. But if it only reads out Lat and Long numbers, you need some form of chart to fix your position. If you do know the Lat and Long of your destination, your handheld device will get you there.
Thank you. So I assume in the middle of the Atlantic the handheld operates from the satellites signals orbiting the earth?
@@nickmn6108 Yes, that’s pure GPS, works everywhere. Your phone normally uses assisted GPS, which uses mobile signals to give a quicker fix. If out of range, it’ll just use the satellites, which may take a while.
@@RichMac46 Thank you. Just one more question :). What is the advantage of an installed chart plotter over a handheld gps or navionics on a cellular ipad?
@@nickmn6108 the installed chart plotter has more uses than navigation, it may have wind, depth, autopilot controls etc. it’s generally the focus of your electronics system. On our boat we do most of our navigating on the iPad because it’s clearer and easier, but I use the plotter as well, good to have both!
Excellent video. The nearest thing to an Air Crash Investigation episode for boaties. Wish more accident analysis videos existed like this.. super learning material.
Excellent video Richard, the advice does not age. I have a 65lbs CQR which I am changing for a 25kgs Mantus 2 on a Rival 41. The CQR is over size because it sets so badly! We frequently anchor on grass and it's un-nerving to swim over it and see it lying on its side just using it's weight to secure the boat.... 🥵
Thanks for that. I just think go for the best anchor you can fit. I’ve just returned from a few months in the Dodecanese, Greece, lots of wind and very variable bottoms, soft mud, hard sand, weed etc. We have a 33kg Rocna on our 45 ft Beneteau, and still dragged a couple of times. The Rocna is one of the best anchors, and we can’t fit a bigger one, so we have to accept we can never be 100% secure.
Great advice... it is good to hear someone telling people what they need to be told rather than what they want to hear!
No mention of the Fisherman Anchor. Anyone got thoughts on them ?
Great video - thank you! I've experienced chart offset sailing in the Bahamas. We eyeballed our way into one harbor and were amused to see our track on the chartplotter showing us crossing about 200 yards inland, behind the town, then into the anchorage. Whenever possible, I try to follow the teachings of my sailing mentor and not trust only one source of information. Best regards from Key West, Capt. Blackheart Charlie "It's not the ocean that's dangerous, it's the hard crusty bits around the edges that cause problems."
Thanks for your comment, you’re right about the crusty bits! The chart offset problem is much less common now, Navionics is correcting their shoreline to match satellite imagery. Because most positions are so accurate, it’s easy to get a false sense of security. Rocks and small islands can still be up to half a mile out of position, because they have never been corrected. Always give hazards a wide berth, unless you can eyeball them clearly. Also, if your chart plotter show you going over a hill to get into a bay, remember to cross the same hill if you need to get out in the night!
"the drag queen" 😁😁😁love it! Good video and great advice.
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