Last night I lay in bed wondering, how am going to move the boat by myself if the anchor drags? The winds were starting to pick up to around 20 knots with gusts of what felt like 60 but really was probably only 25 or 30 knots.
It was my first night alone on anchor without Carl or any other adult to confer with.
The kids and I dropped Carl off that morning to catch a flight out to St. Thomas, a couple of islands to the north of us. We were excited when a month long job was offered, starting with the delivery of a sailboat to St. Maarten and then approximately a month long gig as acting engineer all within a dingy ride of us.
I had put my brave girl face on and waved good bye to him at the dock near the airport but inside I was totally freaking out! I had been alone with all 3 kids before, heck I did 6 months in Maine and was fine but this was a different ball game all together. Alone with 3 kids on a boat swinging from a chain, anchor hopefully buried in the sand.
What does one do to fend off a freak out? Invite everyone over of course and remind myself that I’m not truly alone. But all our new found Caribbean friends weren’t staying for a sleep over and inevitably left me on a boat that I had no idea about the systems.
Whenever the kids get sick, it’s at night. Whenever the boogie man comes, it’s at night. Whenever a halyard violently bashes the mast…..it’s at night.
As soon as the sun went down and the kids were all in bed the wind started to pick up. We would swing one side to the next. The anchor angrily jumping over our snubber rope and our dinghy bashing into the stern of the boat every time we swung. I was getting out of bed every 20 minutes to take reference points on the neighboring boats. The VHF was on in case I needed to use it in a hurry.
I was building myself into worry ball when deep down I knew it was just a typical squally Caribbean night.
I lay in bed running through the drag anchor scenario.
- Jump out of bed like a ninja (don’t forget to put on my glasses – shit where are my glasses?).
- Find the remote for the windlass – device to pull up the anchor. (shit where is that?!).
- Next start the motor, oh yeah that same motor that wouldn’t start earlier in the day because the starter is going bad on it.
- If I can get the beast purring, run outside with my ninja skills and raise the anchor
- All appropriate breakers will need to be on. Hmmm, which ones are those again?
- Raise the anchor, pop her in gear and get the hell out of dodge.
- Oh wait, I forgot to put the steering wheel back on. Important step there.
Thats as far as that plan went, didn’t really know how I would get her anchored again by myself.
I think I pretty much had my game plan in place by about 1am. By about 2am I was so tired that I devised a new plan:
- Get up when the boat either hit another boat or ran aground
- Load the kids in the dinghy, go to my friends boating drink wine
- next day set fire to the boat
- move back to land
It is now almost 24 hours later. We didn’t drag anchor, and I didn’t end up burning the boat down.
That said, Carl is still away and I’m now on night two of being on anchor with the troops.
Will I or the boat make it till dawn? Only time will tell.
we are tracking his butt to make sure he comes home
Carly,
No sweat, practice comes handy. During fair weather just do the drill to weigh the anchor, start engine, get troopers PFD’s to wear and find better place to drop two anchors, while not necessarily in that sequence. No burning boat needed, its waste of time. Good you have Carl to make some money, we all love them. I know you are very inventive person and have seen no small things.
Cheers to you all.
Victor I think that is the best plan. Practice, practice, practice. I am a bit of an anxious person so don’t know that would help my sleepless night.
Congratulations!
Can you say “arrrrrgh avast yee matees”
F.E.A.R. false evidence appearing real or F***forget everything and run!
Whole new level of making games with the children, eh?!
Teamwork,
and
two recommended chiantis by a friend,
1)da Vinci
2) Count Placido
Seriously, Having sailed the NW passage and ported in areas with 16’+ tides,
your children probably know how to set the anchor better than most of the boaters around you guys!
Excellent sell though, I bought it and will continue! : )
It is a little embarrassing but most of my sailing journey I take care of the kids. I can’t dock the boat or even read a chart properly – it’s on my this years to do list, to become a sailor. 3 kids on a boat is such a handful, between them and meal times my time is pretty much taken up. I had finally learnt all the systems on Salty that I could probably anchor by myself but now everything is different. Ahhh!
Hang in there – it will get easier and your confidence will grow.
I think we need a few dry runs of solo dragging anchor. We all talk about what we would do in case of an emergency but we haven’t actually physically tested out my ninja moves.
the thought about my #1 daughters first word always makes me laugh…..s**t. learned that from her momma! ha! like all good parent(s), think of every conceivable variable and have a plan. then when they are grown and off being productive humans it occurs to you…..”just be and trust” ….too bad it takes (for most of us mere mortals) 40 years! ha! ahhhh, to be 30 again. WISDOM is highly overrated, give me a good set of knees any day!
blessings to you and yours,
scott
Out of all the awful swear words I think we use s**t the most. The kids know all the naughty words and know that it’s our weakness that we use them.
So days I do just need to chill out and accept whatever will be – with my good knees 🙂
Sorry you had to deal with that stress, but this post was a good read! Edge of my seat. 🙂
Thanks! I’m actually taking a short story telling course online to try and improve my writing. Can’t fix my spelling and grammar tho.
So jealous. ? I’ve been told jealously is a feeling that is unbecoming. Might be correct in mundane things but not in your lifestyle.
Okay I’m envious.
I can stay old, I just want to sail away.
Mothers nightime terrors, awake or in your dreams are horrible, they seem so reasonable in the absence of sunlight.
You are a prepared intelligent strong young woman, you and yours will be fine. You are a Mom of three with the power to take care of it all. You will do this month quite well.
You got this girl❣️
I don’t think you would have been that jealous if you were in my position. All I wanted to do was sleep. I think I would be jealous of a couple sailing (without kids), when they have a rough night they get to take naps and read books the following day.
But I can’t complain our life is pretty sweet. Highs are high, lows are low.