The Herding Instinct

[Bash]

Last night we anchored at Paradise Key, in the lee of Tiburon, California. This anchorage is at least a mile long, and rarely do we see more than eight boats using it this side of July. When we entered the anchorage from the south there was a boat anchored about a quarter-mile in, and I'm talking nautical miles, so I went another quarter mile and dropped the hook in water that wouldn't get any thinner than a fathom-and-a-half in this morning's minus tide. So there I am, happily hooked.

An hour later, a newish 40-foot racer-cruiser--one of the 40x15 footers with twin wheels so that both spouses can drive at once--motors up right next to us and drops the hook less than three boat-lengths away. Seriously: the anchorage goes on for another half-mile and this fragulator anchors close enough to hear my wind generator. Which I immediately switched on.

So, thirty minutes later, a powerboat comes in and drops his hook a hundred meters upwind of the dude who is crowding me, drifting back to within five boat-lengths of Captain Two Wheels. I'm thanking the gods at this point, hoping that there's a cloud of diesel when this powerboat's generator kicks on.

What is it with people? With four boats in that anchorage we could have had a thousand meters separation between each boat, and yet the way things ended up I could have tossed beer bottles into the cockpits of the two closest boats, had I not been drinking cans.

More to the point, what part of "wind generator" don't people get? Am I going to have to start playing loud country music next? Hoist the Papa and Lima flags to indicate that I intend to pee off the leeward rail?

I'm not one of those guys screaming "YOU'RE TOO CLOSE" the first time a boat comes within cannon range, and in a tight cove I'm happy to squeeze as many boats in as the conditions warrant, but honestly, yesterday was absolutely weird. I'm just hoping that fellow with the twin wheels is one of the lurkers reading this.

[motion30]

a boat comes into the anchorage , sees you ahd thinks.. there is a big sail boat there so there must be plenty of water there, right there

[Ocean Girl]

It is the same illusion as "safety near land" psychosis, but this is "safety near other boats" psychosis. Mostly newbies suffer from this illness and only a healthy dose of tough love breaks the cycle. But buckle up your breast plate the war is not over, there is always another newbie behind him to carry the torch....
Erika

[Paul L]

Is your avatar picture taken from this anchorage or was that voluntarily close?

Paul L

[Starbuck]

Probably many psychological factors at work here, including insecurity, inexperience (ignorance of anchoring etiquette), herd mentality that you mention, and giving the first guy in credit for "local knowledge" that may be unwarranted.

Other skippers (power and sail) constantly anchor within my swing circle. They can see my nylon rode, and are still too ignorant to assume 7:1. All is well until the wind shifts @ midnight.

I think the playing of loud music (and singing with gusto, loudly, off-key) when you see them coming might have merit. The generator may not have the oomph. Stripping down to Speedos is a far second (I'm fairly hairy and just getting my mid-life pot belly: sorry for the image), but still effective here in North America. Whatever you're comfortable with. Something to make you pretty universally undesirable neighbor.

We can always pull up and move, but, I know, it's irritating to think that you're the guy who must go to the trouble. The guy next to you might get the message, but then some other idiot will snuggle up next to you in your new berth, so that maneuver has limited practicality.

[klem]

You can always take your dinghy, grab their anchor line and gun it. I have no personal experience with this practice but have witnessed it and it is extremely effective to just do the reanchoring for them. Granted, it isn't very nice and you won't make any friends this way.

[Stillraining]

Its one of the few times Iv wished I had a PWC to buzz around with and cause all sorts of ruckus around my boat.....Yes....Gods still working on me.

A couple three teen age girls in our new to us 14' CC RIB with a 35 horse 2 stroke on it might suffice though..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l91pTQl_wkE

[rjrap]

There actually is case law regarding anchoring too close to another boat.

Decision No. 124-5861 (1956) in U.S. Admiralty case law states: “A vessel shall be found at fault if it anchors so close to another vessel as to foul her when swinging (and/or) fails to shift anchorage when being dangerously close to another anchored vessel. Furthermore, the vessel that anchored first shall warn the one who anchored last that the berth chosen will foul the former’s berth.”Note, however, that if you start to drag anchor and/or threaten to collide with another vessel, it doesn’t matter that you anchored first. A dragging boat must take immediate action to avoid collision and find a new berth.

The last few lines sum it up. If you drag or the wind shifts and you hit him, it is your fault.

Start that generator, fire up the karaoke machine and get the PWC ready.

[Tom Hildebrandt]

It happens everywhere in the world, but back when I started cruising, you were glad to see other boats and came along side to say hello, swap a few words about the anchorage, hoding and scope, then make plans for the sundowners later, then anchor a respectful distance away! Alas, those days are gone in most of the world!

[Highlander40]

You would be doing a newbie a favor when he drops abeam and close by informing him , "that won't work".
Talking nicely is much better than yelling at midnight. I have met some nice cruisers just by dinking to the neighbors and checking scope.

[Chuteman]

If you do find the answer or antidote, I'll buy it.

To make you feel a little better, it could be worse. Try Hydra, Greece - med-moor on the quay early in the afternoon and then witness it turn into a triple layer (stack from quay into the middle of the harbor) circus with boats jammed so tight that your fenders become a cocktail drink coaster. Then the boats on either side filled with all overweight/hairy men in speedos who break into song at 2 am when they return from draining the restaurant & bar of every drop of ouzo & wine.
Granted - not a fair comparison of space but amazing sight

The latest example of herding that I fell victim to was down in the Grenadines in '08(late May) - so not packed that time of the year
1) Admiralty(very big) Bay, Bequia - DAMN Switch yellow trim "pro" crewed Charter Cats (they are consistently rude) - not only do thay arrive & depart (based on French islands so thay have lots of water to cover) at strange hours - this "pro" anchored (too damn cheap) in the middle of the mooring field - close enough to hear the conversation & smell their cigarette smoke. Would not move even after several requests before they anchored - as they cruised thru the mooring field in the pitch dark.
2) Saline Bay, Mayreau - large bay - lots of room - a string of boats anchored with reasonable space between them south of the ferry dock. Instead of squeezing in - I fall way back to start a 2nd row. Lo & behold - Mr. Lonely comes steaming in and ignores the look & raised arms = you got to be kidding me and proceeds to anchor between me and the row in front - then backs down over the top of my anchor. I was not feeling well at all (really bad head cold with a wicked ear ache) - so I did not have the energy to do anything else. The next am I showed him exactly why he was wrong when we pulled anchor and came within a few feet to get the last bit of chain & the wind moved his boat out of the way as we completed the haul.

These are sick, very lonely and demented people who not only make bad choices but refuse to acknowledge polite reminders & simply ignore requests to move. Then again if that was their best choice - trying to re-educate them is a lost cause - life is too short. Love to know what part of their brain is broken or what really causes this type of thinking

[hummingway]

Peoples always think you know something they don't. Not sure why since there isn't much evidence that anyone knows sh_t from shinola but everyone keeps hoping.

[cat man do]

I had a yacht steam in at full noise to anchor close to me in the Whitsundays once.

Problem was that I had gone over a reefy patch to get into a sandy shallows area.

Reef 1
Monohull 0
Afternoons LOL's, x100

I have had similar happen several other times in shallow areas where they have just bottomed out over sand, so there is another advantage to multis.

The vast majority of boats cannot get close if you anchor shallow

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Is your avatar picture taken from this anchorage or was that voluntarily close?

No, that was Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay.
Yes, that was voluntarily close. In most parts of the world they call this "rafting." Here in California, we call it "partay."

[Jim Cate]

G'Day All,

Once had a conversation with a rent-a-boater in the Whitsundays. Chap told us that in his "orientation" briefing the operator told them "if you are not sure where to anchor, look for a real cruising boat -- one with wind generators, jerry jugs on deck, etc -- and anchor close to them. They know what they are doing"!

I guess that we are doomed to close encounters of the anchoring kind, and I try to not get cranky when they occur. I draw the line at them putting their anchor into my cockpit, though!

Cheers,

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Lake Macquarie NSW Oz