Anchoring on a Lee shore

Basically this is one of the first rules of anchoring DONT do it, anchoring on a lee shore is not a smart move and frequently ends in disaster. On a recen tsailing trip to Thailand we anchored in a beautiful bay, having been there a couple of hours the swell started to build and I developed a bad feeling. The decision was made to move despite it now being being dusk and raining hard, setting anchor on the other side of the headland we spent a peaceful nights sleep, at first light there was an influx of yachts that were anchored in the first bay, many with tales of waking up only a short distance from the shoreline having dragged anchor. Those guys had lucky escapes, many of the Kings Cup regatta fleet were not so lucky, following a day on the regatta circuit the crews had stayed ashore and came back to the bay to find 6 of the fleet on the beach and a catamaran broken up on the rocks. Anchoring on a lee shore is never a good idea and if the weather turns you should have an escape route and safe alternative, personally I never feel happy leaving the yacht unattended and this unfortunate episode shows why. For more tips on anchoring technique click here