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Writer's picturePetros Krystalakos

Prepare for the unexpected: Anchor stuck at the seabed inside a port

Updated: Feb 25, 2020

Experienced yachts-people always have exciting stories to tell friends from their journeys over the years, ranging anywhere from a surprisingly wonderful destination, to an unexpected event that might have troubled them during a sailing holiday.


A yacht charter in Greece is always a memorable sailing holiday offering loads of fun, picturesque itineraries and a relaxed, lazy kind of sailing around that’s refreshingly welcome, irrespective of the weather conditions.



But the unexpected is unavoidable even during a sailing holiday in Greece, as the experienced yachts-people will verify. For example, in the great majority of ports and older marinas in Greece, there are no mooring ropes to use, which means one actually needs to anchor inside a port most of the times.


However simple that might sound, it can be the cause of stress and discomfort, especially under windy conditions with an inexperienced crew and/or a skipper that needs more practice in manoeuvring.


One needs to be careful not to throw their anchor over another yacht’s anchor, otherwise both yachts will be in trouble. But even if skipper and crew coordinate their actions in harmony and throw anchor at the right spot, the anchor might be stuck under debris at the port seafloor.


Sometimes, the culprit is a chain laying at the bottom of the port – especially along the virtual line equally dividing the distance between two opposite pier sides – originally intended as a secure holding for mooring ropes that were not placed or simply got destroyed over time. Other times, there might be large cement blocks at the bottom of a port, serving similar plans that never materialised.


If you find yourself caught in a situation in which your anchor is stuck inside a port, keep your calm and try to protect your yacht from crashing onto other nearby yachts. Make short, calculated yacht manoeuvres. Give your crew simple instructions to be ready with a fender each at hand, to place between your yacht and any yacht you might be close to, so that both are protected from colliding. Make sure your keel and rudder keep clear of other yachts’ anchor chains and that your propeller is nowhere near ropes or chains. Once you make sure you can keep the yacht safe, try to understand where your anchor has been stuck. If you have a good swimmer on board, may be they can dive with a mask very carefully to give you more information about your situation and perhaps tie a rope at the top of the anchor, to pull up and disengage it.


Yacht charter in Greece with Sail Puppy is a magnificent experience everyone ought to try at least once in their lives. As with all popular sailing destinations, a skipper needs to stay focused in the safety of the crew and yacht, always acting prudently, avoiding risk and trouble. In all cases, a sailing journey in Greece is generously rewarding to holiday makers and forms an excellent yacht charter choice.

 

Look for our bareboat & skippered online deals and our inspiring, inclusive charter packages at sailpuppy.com, call us at +44 20 8123 0610 or simply email us at charter@sailpuppy.com to find out more about how we can offer you fantastic yacht charters for unforgettable sailing holidays in Greece you can afford.

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