sleeping offshore

I

isitsummeryet

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New to boating...Husband is about to buy 25-26' Express Cruiser. I'm excited about boating with our 2 small girls, however...my husband is fearless and wants to throw anchor at night anywhere offshore and sleep for the night. I'm horrified, scared to death. Is this safe? The thought of sleeping in the middle of the ocean seems stupid, anything could happen. Need some backing up to convince my husband to have some common sense! Thanks...
 
When you say off shore, That's 5 miles into the ocean. You need 10 times the depth of the water plus the height of your bow pulpit worth od anchor rode (line) to safely anchor.

You don't say where you will be boating but it's likely that the water will be too deep to anchor in. You won't have enough anchor line to securely anchor. That far off shore, you won't have cell phone service and in a 25' boat your VHF antenna probably won't be tall enough to give you a lot of range. You may not be able to reach anyone for help in an emergency. Plus, in the ocean, a 25' boat is going to be rocking quite a bit and it will be PITCH black out there. Will your boat have Radar and GPS?

What area do you plan to boat in?
 
You won't be able to sleep in the middle of the ocean, cause it's likely too deep. Think about how much line you need to have. I wouldn't go to sleep at anchor with less than an 10:1 scope, more is even better. That means for ever 1 foot of water depth you need 10 feet of anchor line. If you were in 100 feet of water, and the distance to the anchor cleat to the water line is 5', you're at 105 feet. 105x10=1050' of rode. That is A LOT of line. You'd likely be anchoring in coves or harbors.

Now, to the bigger concern, if you are new boaters, you really have a lot to learn before you should be anchoring out in the ocean, or even navigating the ocean. Think about a safe boater course, a coastal navigation class, etc.

By the way, welcome to BoaterEd. You'll have lots of questions to ask, so please feel free to do so. We won't bite.
 
One more recommendation too. With the kids, start off with small trips. You don't mention how old they are though, but if they are toddlers, if you crash them into it full steam, they'll likely not enjoy it as much, and that means neither will you. If they aren't used to life jackets too, it's a good idea to have them wear them away from the docks a bit, so they get used to it. This assumes they are toddlers or babies, as it helps them not always associate a boat ride with an "uncomfortable" vest.
 
if you really mean offshore, like 5 or 10 miles out, in open waters... then yes it is stupid !

well, not only stupid but impossible considering the amount of scope you'll need and the rough seas you will have to deal with !

i'm sure you're husband means anchoring out in a cove, anchorage, with shallow water and some protection from the prevailing winds and waves. then that's fine... actually it's more than fine it's what boating is all about.

there is nothign like a nice evening on the hook, enjoying the evening, the breeze, the stars, the moon... or a nice sunrise,with a good cup of coffee !

that's absolutely safe.
 
Wow, thanks for the advice! Offshore?! Sorry...trying some boating lingo-guess I meant 200-300 yards out. We will be boating around Wrightsville Beach, NC. Our daughter's are 5 and 8. I am hoping to do transient dockage for our weekending. Do most people stay at the docks? Is it legal to anchor in intracoastal waterway overnight if dockage unavailable and is this safe? Thanks again! I feel relieved to have a place to ask my stupid questions!
 
There are areas of the ICW where it is safe and allowed to anchor out. You'd have to get local knowledge from someone who knows the area. It is always advisable to take a boating safety course before embarking on your own. Go to www.usps.org and find their local chapter. The course is free with a small cost for the materials and it is well worth taking together.

All that being said, there is nothing so relaxing as hanging on the hook for a weekend!

Enjoy!
 
isitsummeryet

There is no such thing as a stupid question! And no one will chide you for your questions! We are always glad to help you with any information we can provide. Please continue to ask away!!!

Please do get you and your husband [and perhaps your children] to a safe boating class! There is lots of basic information to be learned before summer gets here and that is a fast way to do it! Here is another website with good information to review. http://www.uscgboating.org/

I hope you enjoy your first season of boating and have a ball! Safety first is always the best way to enjoy your boat.

Liz
 
yes go to the usps.org power squadron courses. Also buy a local cruising guide. that will give information on anchorages and places to stop in your area. Local boat stores will have them.
 
hey congrats on the new boat! We have 2 little ones as well (3 and 4)- they absolutely LOVE spending the weekend out on the hook...lots of time with mom and dad, burgers on the grill, swimming in the water...really it is a perfect way to spend time with your family. Just remember...it's all about having fun so if it takes a while for you to be comfortable spending the night out on the anchor, so be it. Enjoy cruising around, staying in some transient slips, meeting other boaters, etc. If you go that route you are likely to meet other boaters. THat leads to tying up with them together while on the anchor and rafting out for the night...very fun!! You are going to have a great summer!!!
 
We don't overnight very much but when we do, it's transient docks. We may venture into anchoring this summer.

But I did want to say welcome to the forum ... and congratulations on the new boat. You are in a beautiful area for boating.

If this is your first boating experience, a course is definitley a great idea:D and it's also good to start looking at weather patterns and water wave action. Once you get the boat, you'll be able to figure out how she reacts to different conditions.

Here's a NOAA site that can give you current conditions at various points along the NC shore. Just click the cryptic name of the data buoy to get the information.

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Southeast.shtml
 
Welcome .... anchoring out overnight is wonderful. There is nothing like watching the sun come up while having that first cup of coffee sitting in the cockpit or on the flying bridge! Insure that your anchor is holding well, I sleep better on the boat than anywhere else.
 
ok... that's better !

as i mentioned, anchoring out is very safe and one of the best part of boating, in my opinion. It beats being in marina, with boats on both sides and people walking up and down the dock. that's ok too, heck i dont want to soudn antisocial..., but personally i love anchoring out.

the key is too choose the right spot: you can't anchor out in a channel, in exposed waters. you can't anchor in the ICW channel itself but it's ok out of the channel although wakes can be an issue if you're too close.

some tips:

- use designated anchorages, marked by an anchor on your charts or
- any cove or area with land sheltering you from the wind or waves. ex if the winds are coming in from the East, the west side of land, islands, etc.. is ideal.
- stay away from area with nearby traffic, wakes will make it uncomfortable.
- take tides into account... watch your charts.. there maybe enough waterwhen you come in but you dont' want to end up high and dry at midnight :-)
- use enough scope (lenght of line/chain) and an oversize anchor
- watch the forecast for any possible weather/wind shift, take this into account in picking the spot. ex... if winds are calm but forecast to increase from the north overnight, don't anchor where you will be open to northerly winds...

I anchor out almost every week end and absolutelt love it !
 
My wife and I started to spend weekend in the boat when our son was 2. He is now 7.
Besides all the advice that you received here, I would add a few for boating with children:

- Stay close to a place where you can get out of the boat such as islands, sand bars, marinas. No matter how they like the boat, they will be bored after a while and 4 in a 25 footer can be a crowd.
- bring lots of games with you: family board games, electronics. things to keep them busy and promote sharing time with the whole family.
- Get them involved. Assign small tasks to them so they learn about boating and can be helpful.
- Finally take a safety class and practice Man Overboard with them.

It's a great hobby that strenghen family ties if you do it together. If it becomes a fishing hobby with friends for the husband, it does the opposite.
 
My wife and I (and our twin 3 year old girls) got into boating last year. I had some experience with boats as a kid. My wife had no experience. We both took a safe boating course, and had a "captain" give us four hours of hands-on training on our boat. The training was invaluable, and hiring someone without emotional involvement in the relationship was the best move we ever made. You and your husband (and to a lesser extent your children) will have to act as a team to have a successful and enjoyable boating experience. You will have more than enough stress your first year, but if you have a good understanding of boat handling and safety rules, with practice things will become very enjoyable. My wife grew to like boating so much that she (yes she) pushed me to get a bigger boat this year so that we could sleep "on the hook," but not in the middle of the ocean. My wife actually went from crab-crawling across the foredeck to throw our bowline from a prone position to a dockhand during one of our first docking attempts, to stepping confidently off the bow and onto the dock, securing the bowline and then walking around and catching and cleating off the sternline by the end of the season! Good luck! The point of my response is that training for both you and your husband (even if he thinks he doesn't need it) will make all the difference!
 
I have cruised through you area many times. You can find safe anchor locations all along the ICW both north and south from you. You can make it to Moorhead City and Beaufort for a weekend. If you have longer, head on up into the Pamlico Sound and then you will have lots of ports of call to choose from. Like New Bern, Oriental, Washington, Manteo, Hatteras and Ocracoke. Head south to Wilmington, South Port, and Myrtle Beach are within easy reach. You never know when we will come across each other, just keep a look out for the Zack "C", and welcome aboard.
 
Joe brings up an excellent point. Spending time with an experienced Captain to show you the ropes is time and money well spent. There's no better way to learn than by doing it under the supervision of someone experienced. When I got my 28' twin engined Slickcraft I went out numerous times with a friend who had 30+ years of experience abord putting me through drills and scenarios. From docking the boat to handling a man overboard he taught me a lot in a short time.
 
I would start with spending a few nights in a marina, then trying anchoring out. It helps to join a club that knows how to raft up and have a good time. Under the Bayliner/Maxum forum, I posted a story about our first raft up. Look for the post "summer days on the san joaquin delta".

There is another post there called "Ayala Cove, tough night" that describes another stay on the bay.
 
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