Anchored on Taylor Creek (Beaufort, NC – near St. M. 201)
An interesting series of events described below, but the real lesson here is how much current exists on the very popular Taylor Creek anchorage, just off the Beaufort, NC waterfront, and how carefully one must anchor, and maintain those anchors.
We remember Taylor Creek readily, mostly because of the currents. Anchored at the eastish end, in a fairly narrow section, we seemed to either be too close for comfort to the island or too the channel. Nothing we did could change this. Our neighbor though, never seemed to move more than a couple feet. So one day, I rowed over to see how they were anchored, anxious to learn a better way.
Turned out the woman was by herself, her husband having been taken to the hospital several days before because of a heart attack. She was besides herself because of a storm that was forecast for that evening and her rodes had wrapped around themselves so much that her scope had significantly been reduced, and she was pretty certain that one, if not both anchors had tripped (originally anchored Bahamian style). In addition, their engine was overheating and she wasn’t comfortable operating it to begin with.
I offered to help do what I could and she enthusiastically agreed. I went back and got Jill, so the three of us could sort out her predicament. Pulled her anchors up and discovered that she was right in her assessment, although only one anchor had tripped, the wrapping having pulled it halfway up the other anchor’s rode. Got her reanchored (her engine was overheating) and Jill and I went back to our boat, happy that we did a good deed. We still chuckle when we rethink of this event, thinking that boat was so well anchored and that we could learn something from her, when it turned out it was borderline, at best.
As it turned out her boat started swinging just as far and wide as ours did, so we learned nothing there; but, it didn’t drag throughout the storm. Her husband returned two days latter and the impression we got was that he wasn’t very pleased that we helped his wife… never said hello, even thought he motored right by us repeatedly, never said thanks. We still can’t understand that part, but none-the-less, we’d do it again if the opportunity presented itself!
Rudy
Briney Bug
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Taylor Creek Anchorage
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