Dinghy Cruising Seamanship explained in simple terms

Dinghy Cruising Seamanship includes knowing what method to use when tying up to the shore.
#sailing #dinghycruising #woodenboats
Anyone with a dinghy that has sweet lines will tell you they attract a lot of attention wherever you take them. This attention takes many different forms.
I understand that because one of my favourite things after a day sailing and cruising is to sit back with a glass of wine and watch Moonlight bobbing around on the anchor.
I was thinking about how much there is to learn about handling small boats to make the cruising experience one of peace and satisfaction. Tying up safely and securely is an important part of seamanship, and if done well, it will take the stress out of coming ashore and resting for a while.
There are many things to think about when tying up. Tides, currents, shore structure, type of bottom and many more things all need to be taken into consideration. The right decisions about how to make the boat fast will determine whether it feels safe to walk away.
Anchoring off the shore a little way out is probably the simplest and easiest method. You need to have the right kind of anchor, and plenty of rope, sometimes called “rode” and even for a small cruising dingy a couple of metres of chain will come in handy. I am going to deal with the subject of anchoring in detail in a later video.
If you do anchor a little way out, take into consideration the type of bottom, as this will require the right kind of anchor with enough holding power in either sand mud or rocks. I have a small “Danforth” sand anchor with 2 metres of 6mm galvanised chain and about 30 metres of line. Be prepared to let out between 3 and 5 times the depth depending on wind, waves tide and current.
I also have a smaller “shore” anchor which I can carry up the beach and bury in the sand if needed. It is sometimes called a grapnel anchor or a folding fluke anchor. It works well if you physically bury it in the sand, and is not a bad option for anchoring on reef or coral.
It is even better if there is some shore structure such as a tree, or some rocks to tie off on. You just have to make sure the object is strong enough to take a substantial load. If you are intending to tie off onto some shore structure, beware of getting your legs tangled in the line as you wade to the boat. I once stepped into a loop in the rope as the boat was rising and falling on a small swell. The loop tightened around my left ankle and I still have the scar on my Achilles tendon to remind me of the danger. Fortunately, I stumbled forward in the direction that undid the loop. I had gone backwards, I might well have amputated my leg, the forces are that strong.
Tying off securely also means that what you tie onto is sufficiently strong for the purpose, both in the boat and on the shore.
If you are planning to spend the night sleeping onboard, you need to go through a mental checklist. In this case, there was no tide, waves, currents or wind, so it was perfectly safe to tie-up between two fallen trees. I once placed a stern anchor and tied it to a tree, just off the shore. I hadn’t allowed enough line for the tidal fall and the strong current wanted to sweep the boat away between the taught bow and stern lines. As I was watching this play out from the shoreline, I was able to narrowly avert a disaster. Should the gunwale have dipped in, the boat would certainly have swamped.
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[@mikeu5380]

Hi Chris. Thanks again for an informative video. I wonder if you've used the bungee line attached to the stern. It allows you to toss out the line and anchor, paddle into shore, set your bow anchor, and then the boat retracts out to deeper water. I think plymouthwelshboy demonstrated this a while ago. Cheers, and fair winds from Japan!

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

That one is news to me. I have used a pulley to and anchor allowing you to pull the out our after disembarking. I will look it up.

[@mikeu5380]

@@SmallSailboatCruising Helps keep the feet a bit less wet... ; )

[@mikeu5380]

I see it's called an "anchor buddy."

[@cooperhunsberger8141]

Chris that video was so peaceful haven't you gone up a ton of subscribers

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

Sure have. Going up all the time. It's fun to watch. One 5 minute video three times a week works well. Try it and see Coop.

[@mikegoodger5139]

Hi Chris. What a pleasant surprise to see myself and family at the start of this video. Both the kids just love Moonlight and we spent the day watching you race.

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

Wonderful. Next time I'm at Noosa ill let you know and maybe they can come for a sail?

[@mikegoodger5139]

Chris Joseph . Next time you are at Boreen Point we shall bring our TS16 Hartley and spend a day on the lake.

[@rossbarnett3759]

Brilliant work and effort. Love your boat it is the real deal.

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

I'm going to make the next movie about her pros and cons. For example heavy boat makes her stable and pleasant to sail but slows her down and requires a decent blow to get her going.

[@tizme6105]

A very interesting series. Thanks.

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

I’m glad you enjoyed these. I’m on a new adventure now. Check out my latest video of you have time.

[@davidrichardson7051]

I always learn something from each of your videos thanks again for creating this informative and entertaining content Chris

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

It's rewarding when people engage in he conversation

[@WMichaelDeJonge]

These are really great videos. Thank you so much!

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

I appreciate your kind words. Many watched them but few write a comment. I enjoy making them.

[@WMichaelDeJonge]

@@SmallSailboatCruising I am considering building a small boat for some adventuring (Michalek or maybe a scamp), so I’m really interested in these videos). Thanks again.

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

@@WMichaelDeJonge Here is one a friend is building. Similar hull shape and nice looking boat. A fair bit of work though. It is a compromise of traditional lines and modern construction techniques. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZrSpXaqea1noKc

[@rosslane8641]

Hi Chris love the settings for your boat a calendar of these boats anchored would be so good,you have a good eye for beauty that makes me dream ! ?

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

I do need to get a better camera sometime because large publishing requires lots of pixels!

[@stevewolf7205]

Your boat is very is photographic i mentioned on comment Chris while ago you should sell some small prints on ebay i would buy one cheers steve

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

Thanks Steve. That is very encouraging. You need a lot of pixels to do that. New camera needed. But a good idea. That set with the sunsets is in Bribie passage quite near me. Easy enough to replicate. I think it would make a good jigsaw puzzle too.

[@akcarlos]

I see the pelican looking at the lay of your anchor as if he has a strong opinion.

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

If only he could speak. I'd be interested in in that opinion.

[@puryeareaker7975]

I prefer to build with Woodglut plans.

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

Woodglut?

[@barrym3651]

That music is awful

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

Thanks for the feedback

[@shannongibson325]

Thousands of lifetime projects with Woodprix plans.

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

I’ll look them up.