In article ,
"Roger Long" wrote:

The answer to the little problem you pose lies quite a bit in the past.
Anticipation and early response to developing situation is, indeed, a key
principle of safety.


BINGO! I once got nearly overwhelmed by a squall in 100' of water and
the anchor and rode wouldn't have grabbed the bottom to any extent. I
since upgraded and could toss the hook and have a fair chance of being
able to stop having to tend the tiller and take care of other things or
simply huddle below.

The first few years with Xan, I kept waking up from nightmare scenarios.
After puzzling and reading, I'd come up with a solution and wouldn't
have that particular nightmare again.

And we drill. The one time our home anchorage was lee, the winds too
high, and the engine not necessarily dependable (algae), we did the 3
necessary gybes and got to the dock having only broken two sail slugs.
The admiral didn't feel at all apprehensive, even after talking to
dockmates who saw us come in.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's NEW Pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
(These are a start of a redesign of Xan's pages. Would love critiques,
though they're very much a work in progress)

Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/