A Day at Praia de Proveta

I decided to spend a full day in this colorful bay, to relax and get a few things done on the boat.

The night was peaceful with the breeze seeming to blow from all directions. When I woke up at 7.30 AM there was a 10 kt wind from the south. While I was watching the boat got hit with a 21 kt gust and then the wind settled to 4 kt from the SE. I checked the chart plotters and the boat had not budged from its position.

After my third cup of coffee I went out to the cockpit to fuel the boat and saw that the wind had picked up. It was coming from the south - right up the bay - and getting stronger. When it got to 15 and 16 knots and the white caps were approaching the location of the boat I decided that I had to do something because the big question in this situation is whether the wind will get stronger or weaker. I dismissed cutting and running because it would have been difficult to weigh anchor by hand (no battery connected to windlass) off a pitching deck while worrying about the lee shore 300 meters aft, so I decided to hold my ground (literally) come what may. To do that I had to prepare the 35 lb Swarbrick "admiralty" or "fisherman" anchor and be ready to deploy it if the wind got stronger. For the deployment I would use the engine to motor to the same level as the plow anchor, but 20 meters to the side, drop the second anchor, and let the boat fall back. I knew that the 80 meters of 20mm white rope in the upper level of the chain locker was in good order. I then brought on deck the 12 meters of 12 mm (half inch) chain from its storage below the forward hatch and shackled it to the rope. Then I brought the 3 pieces of the Swarbrick anchor on deck from the floor of the clothes closet where it had been stored. I passed the chain from the locker, out and over the port pulpit and back to the anchor. This would allow me to throw the anchor over the rail. I fitted the shaft (stock?) of the anchor to the crown but and when I went to shackle the chain to the end of the shaft I saw that I had a problem: none of the 3 shackles that had come up with the chain were big enough to fit the stock. I went below and fortunately managed two suitable shackles and fitted one of them on grumbling that I would never allow the separation to happen again. Then it came time to fit the cross piece, which involved removing a large nut and using a screw driver to fit a retaining circular clip.

Now everything was assembled with good sized shackles all properly moused with wire and the anchor ready to throw over the side. The next problem was how to stow the anchor on deck. The problem with an assembled Fisherman's anchor is that the cross piece at the end of the shaft is perpendicular to the crown (flukes), making it impossible to store the anchor nice and flat, but I think that I found a great solution. I laid the anchor on top of the packed up Zodiac which is fastened to the platform in front of the mast. The crown was facing aft and flat on the Zodiac. The other end of the shaft was forward enough to allow the cross piece to ride vertically, one side down from the Zodiac toward the deck, and the other up in the air. I could see no problem with this since the inner forestay which I have complained about as interfering with tacking the headsail was now acting as a guard to prevent the sail or its sheets from being fouled on the anchor. I wrapped th chain around the aft cleat and used a short piece of rope to tie the chain to the pulpit. So to deploy the anchor would require 4 steps: (1) remove the rope holding the chain to the pulpit, (2)unwrap the chain from the cleat, (3) undo the rope holding the anchor on the platform, (4) throw the anchor over the side (... well ... actually lower it gently).

Just as I was finishing the work the wind died down quite abruptly to 7 knots. It was as though my celestial sailor friends had decided to give me a gently reminder to get the second anchor ready. It was certainly much better to have gone through the exercise in daylight and in reasonable conditions than to have waited until I HAD to do it, in desperate circumstances and possibly at night. I checked the boat's position on the chart plotters and it had not budged an inch.

As far as I'm concerned the boat is now ready for Angra conditions where I expect calm winds, lots of motoring, and little sailing. Once I am on the western side of Ilha Grande in the main bay of Baia da Isla Grande I expect go get good protection from wind and waves from all quarters.

By mid afternoon the wind was up again to 13 knots. I didn't want to go into the night worrying about what the wind may do, so at 4PM I deployed the second anchor. The operation went as I had expected. I lined up the antenna of a fishing boat with a satellite dish on shore and motored forward until an antenna of another boat came in transit with the satellite dish while steering to the port side of the anchor. When we got to the transit I put the engine in neutral, ran forward, and lowered the anchor as the boat began to fall away with the wind. I must have judged things pretty well because when the first anchor chain became taut again I had out 25 meters of rode on the second anchor. As darkness fell the wind dropped to below 7 knots but I didn't care. Safety and peace of mind come first and besides, I needed the practice. A mist rolled in and we got some very fine rain.

After the anchor work I transferred 42 liters of diesel into the boat's tanks. They could have probably taken 80 liters but conditions were a little rough and I decided to do the rest of the transfer in dead calm conditions.

Weather permitting I plan to move the boat tomorrow. I have chosen Saco da Tapera in Enseada de Sitio Forte, near Pta. de Ubatuba. The coordinates are roughly 23S07.8, 044W17.20. That's on the NW side of the island, only 5 miles away direct and 12 miles by sea. It will give me good protection from southerly winds. According to the chart this like so many other anchorages in the area has a bottom that shoals up quickly and I can expect to drop anchor in 10-15 meters of water, which is where the Swarbrick anchor with its long rode will come into its own.

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