manta.bay wrote:
Hello readers please take a moment to view the following:

A 17 m yacht "Melanie" was recently destroyed in a sudden and violent
storm, please go to http://www.lostyacht.org for pictures and more
information. (this is a donation site)

While this is very unfortunate and a sad ending to the guy's boat, I
have a problem with leaving a boat unattended at anchor for any period
of time.

It's just not a good idea.

It's a trade off, safety versus cost. Like the home buyers who took out
loans they couldn't afford hoping to sell before the bubble burst, you
gamboled and lost.

Next time buy a boat you can afford to put in a safe place if you are
leaving it unattended, or find a competent person in the area to look
out for your boat.

17 m is about 55 feet. You can cruise on a 30 footer and spend a lot less.

My advise is my donation.