1. Fenders should be securely tied on to the lifelines or stanchions so that the fender tops are at gunwale level (a double/triple clove hitch will ensure you do not loose fenders), more fenders TOWARDS AFT of boat, as this is where you may contact other boats first. No fenders need to be forward of the mast. Adjust after you are securely tied up, making sure that there are numerous fenders between your yacht and the yacht beams either side of you.

2. Stern lines must be prepared and READY to cast ashore or be stepped ashore by your crew. The lines must be free of rails, shrouds, antenna etc… Prep the line by putting a bowline loop in one end and then run that loop over top of your rails and down around a cleat. Coil the rest of the line up so when cast ashore the line goes directly from the boat cleat to the bollards or rings on shore. The WINDWARD stern line goes ashore first and gets secured first (note flags ashore if you are uncertain of where the wind is). If lines are to be thrown get a good thrower and lines must be coiled and cast freely -there is NO SENSE in scrambling and casting line twice / three times because of a knot, bad thrower or because they were cast before the boat was close enough to wharf. *If lines are cast prematurely and go into the water be very careful not to foul the prop.

3. Helmsman. Only when you have stern lines, fenders and crew ready (two crew on anchor and two on stern lines -the balance of crew ready to fend and one with mobile 'walking' fender) and in position, then find/choose your spot/berth on the wharf and make sure you see other boats chains clearly coming out of their bow rollers -DO NOT cross anyone else's chain. Start backing up WELL OUT so you can overcome the boat's 'walk' then get her going straight lined up with your space. Most charter boat’s walk to PORT so a good trick is to start your procedure with your yachts stern pointing 45 DEGREES TO STARBOARD –that way once you engage your prop the boat will walk into position. Then REDUCE SPEED to a minimum keeping simple ‘STEERAGE WAY' and hold the wheel with BOTH HANDS FIRMLY and steer precisely as small movements can put the boat off course when you are cutting though the water backwards. NEVER let go of the wheel as the boat can steer madly if you are going too fast (you can even break your rudder so make sure you are going slowly and evenly), always face the pier while going backwards - turn your whole body around to face the pier and steer from the other side of steering pedestal/wheel if you are more comfortable. Helmsman should NEVER SLAM THE THROTTLE BACK AND FORTH, from backwards to forwards as this may break the cable or snap a cotter pin. Always go to neutral first, then to forward or backward slowly and surely. If the throttle cable does break the boat may end up locked in forward or reverse –a very dangerous situation. Switch the engine off by the key and have a crew member operate the throttle by hand down in the engine compartment.

4. Anchor Team. HELMSMAN REQUIRES CONSTANT EYE CONTACT FROM ANCHOR TEAM will alleviate any problems that may occur –this eye contact and simple hand signals are vital for clearly understood directions and no confusing shouting on deck. When the yacht is 3-4 boat lengths away from the wharf the helmsman must signal a 'THUMBS DOWN’ to anchor people to drop the anchor. They ready and poised to drop on the skippers command otherwise the whole procedure will have to start over again. The chain must run evenly and at the speed of the yacht. IT MUST NOT FREE ROLL. Yachts should use almost ALL the chain at every anchorage. 40-60 meters in most cases or 3-4 boat lengths. The anchor team should be monitoring how much is left in the chain locker (as running to the bitter end can be dangerous if the momentum of the boat breaks the chain from it’s hold in the locker). One anchor member is working the windlass and the other is signalling the captain and monitoring the chain in the locker. In general in the Med., the ANCHOR DOES NOT DO THE HOLDING, the CHAIN DOES ALL THE WORK –SO USE IT ALL! The consequences of not using all the chain are: getting pushed back on the wharf by other boats or ferry/weather swell, and another boat may hook/pick up your anchor and chain and move it closer, so if you have 60 metres out you can afford to take in 5-10 meters and get a hold. When laying down the chain, helmsman should try go drive the boat in a strain line so as not to SNAKE the chain in a big arch or ‘S’ as this does not give good holding and may cross other chains, and anchor team must not PILE the chain up with a free roll or simply paying out too fats for the depth. If the boat stops moving anchor teams should stop paying out chain and should monitor depth if they can see bottom. Anchor teams must also quickly fix problems like the chain being blocked or knotted and be ready to stop, take in chain, undo problem, then continue paying out chain. If a big knot or blockage happens, it can result in swinging the boat off course. The helmsman should be notified if the anchor crew have a ‘hitch’ and must be ready to slow the throttle. One way to make sure chain pays out well is to always have someone coiling it nicely when taking the chain up at the departures. It is not necessary to drive backwards to sink the anchor in -there is no mud or much sand on the bottom of most harbours -this is why the chain is what does the holding in most Med. waters.

5. As you get close to the berth reduce speed to a ‘snail’s pace’ (as long as the wind/weight of the chain, is not effecting your progress backwards) and get the WINDWARD STERN LINE ASHORE FIRST as soon as the windward stern line is SECURE your tricky manoeuvre is 80% over as you are being held FORE (by the anchor) and AFT (by the windward stern line). It is essential to get the windward stern line done quickly –sometimes having a crew member lead ashore with the stern line (a ‘jumper’) or shore help simply cleat the line off on a shore bollard is the best temporary solution. Most of the time in the Med. your stern lines go around a bollard or ring on shore and come back on board your yacht for ‘distance off’ adjustments and then get cleated off on your stern cleats. This of course is dependent on how long your stern lines are and how much space there is left on your stern cleats. To allow more cleating space on your stern cleats it is wise to have a simple bowline loop over your cleat and to be able to remove it quickly in an emergency (rather than space and time consuming ‘figure eights’). The anchor team should follow the helmsman’s hand signals exactly and the chain should run freely out until skipper gives 'CUT THROAT' signal -usually when the vessel’s stern is 2-3 meters from sea wall. The cut throat signal means that the anchor team must quickly TIGHTEN UP the windlass barrel (opposite direction from the free roll direction), by hand or with the WINDLASS LEVER HANDLE. Once tightened, then remove the handle and be PREPARED TO PULL UP OR DROP CHAIN ELECTRONICALLY BASED ON HELMSMANS HAND SIGNALS. It is imperative to tighten the windlass properly as a free rolling windlass when in a berth can be a problem as the anchor and chain will not be holding the boat off the wharf! Once the boat is close to the wharf and the helmsman gives the ‘cut throat’ signal, the small anchor up-down adjustments are used to allow the boat to move closer or further from the wharf and adjust the stern lines. The hand signals the helps man can use are showing 1,2 or 3 FINGERS followed by a THUMB UP OR DOWN to indicate 1,2 or 3 metres of chain up or down for adjustments. Once Stern lines are secured back aboard around the stern cleats, then the engine RPM must be revved (out of gear) to allow a lot of amperage to the windlass, and the helmsman will give a THUMBS UP signal to indicate to the anchor team to electronically TAKE UP CHAIN. The chain should be tightened gradually and sometimes 1-2 feet at a time –allowing the chain to straighten out underwater and the anchor tip to bite into something, stand up and dig in. It is not wise to simple press up electronically as the anchor may be on its side with nothing to bite into and may simply slide along the bottom –all the way back to your boats. So taking chain in bit by bit allows the anchor tip to dig a bit and start ploughing into the bottom. In the Med there is often no sand or mud so anchors can slip along the bottom as there is nothing to bite into, Harbour sludge often does not offer good holding so it is essential to USE ALL YOUR CHAIN (except the last 2 metres) so that THE SHEER WEIGH OF THE CHAIN HOLDS THE VESSEL –NOT NECESSARILY THE ANCHOR. The last adjustment is to TIGHTEN UP THE CHAIN LIKE A ‘TIGHTROPE’ once there is a good HOLD on the chain. You should be able step on the chain between the bow roller and the windlass and not be able to push it down. The last hand signal the anchor team can give is a FIST, which means you the anchor chain is now tight and SECURE, The team can stow away the electronically hand controller.

Be very careful wooden gangplanks and more expensive aluminium ones, as they may get crushed on the rough wharfs (bareboaters may be charged depending on the insurance they purchase with the charter). Or worse they may get lodged between the wharf and the stern of the vessel and with the harbour swell may smash a hole into the stern of the yacht! To avoid this never leave wooden planks in place when not using them to get ashore. Have the wooden planks ONBOARD when you are aboard and leave them ASHORE when you go ashore. With fixed aluminium planks always pull them up at least 3 feet when not in use and always have them raised 6 inch above the rough surfaces of the ports so they do not get dragged and broken as the move over the wharf surfaces with harbour swell. There are few modern marinas in Greece, most harbours offer rudimentary facilities and are often ancient municipal wharfs not modern docks.

Weather Forecasts:

For the most accurate weather forecasts in Greece go to the numerous internet cafes and log on to the following websites:
www.poseidon.ncmr.gr National Centre for Marine Research
www.noa.gr National Observatory Athens

Weather forecasts can also be obtained on VHF channel 16 every 12 hours and from harbour Port Police offices at 08:00 -they usually forecast 1 Beaufort more than conditions really are. The international Beaufort wind scale is used -be familiar with it.

CRUISING GUIDE: The ‘Greek Waters Pilot Book’ by Rod Heikell (in most charter boat chart tables) it is the Bible for the area.

Fouled Anchor Tips

Freeing a fouled anchor from chains, other anchors and debris is something that all boaters must be prepared for if they are sailing through the Greek islands. Defensive anchoring techniques will help a lot in preventing tangled chains upon departure. So before anchoring, it is essential to look at the angles of the other boats chains as they go into the water form the chain roller. Do a pass-by of other boats bows to see where other boats may have dropped and always try to lay your chain parallel to other boat chains. Another preventative action is to watch as other boats moor beside you. If they are crossing your chain sit at the bow with a whistle and get the other boat’s attention. Indicate to them where your chain and anchor lies using a straight-arm signal.

If you do get fouled on a chain or an obstruction: First try to free it by dropping your anchor again using the manual quick release of the windlass. This sometimes works. If you are really stuck bring the obstruction to the surface and work quickly to do the following:

1. Have a sinking rope (stern line) and the boat hook ready. Put a bowline loop in one end of the line and slip the loop around a cleat up at the bow.
2. Then slip the other end of the rope into the water around the fouling chain or object with the boat hook. *Never use the boat hook to lift a fouling object as the aluminium /plastic hooks will break apart under the load and you will have to replace them.
3. Pull the loose end of the line up onto the deck, pull the slack out of the line and then cleat it off securely to the same cleat you looped the other end on.
4. Now, use the down button on the windlass to release the load onto your surrounding line.
5. Once the load of the fouling object is being held by your line, use the boat hook to pull your anchor and chain free and apart from the fouling anchor/chain or obstruction. Sometimes using the windlass down command can help you unwrap your chain / anchor from the obstruction.
6. Once it is freed bring your anchor all the way in with the windlass button.
7. To release and free the other yacht’s chain, anchor or obstruction untie one end of your line. Be very careful, as there is a load in this line. Sometimes it is considerate to bring your fellow yachtsman’s anchor / chain back where it should be before releasing your surrounding line.

Sometimes chains are so tangled that snorkelling or a dinghy is required to free up obstructions. If you swim in harbours be very careful not to get arms or legs wrapped in chains or ropes. Also, make sure to clean yourself thoroughly and try not to get any water in your eyes as water quality in some ports is very poor.

NOTE: It is essential that quick team work and good bow to helm communication occurs during the procedure so that fouls are resolved as soon as possible. Strong winds and busy small harbours can make for a very tricky boat manoeuvring situations. The helmsman must know where to drive the bow and when to remain stationary. Divers in the water must work with extreme caution.

Heavy Weather Anchoring and Overnight Security

You never know when a wind shift or a gale will come up when you are anchored in a bay at night. A good ‘fall back’ plan is to have a nearby secondary bay already established -which offers protection from opposing winds. The scope to depth ration of 5 to 1, or 7 to 1, is something that does not apply in the strong gales and bad holding bays and ports of Greece. Always use ALL YOUR CHAIN. If you are moored in a bay overnight and the wind does come up, have the dinghy and the auxiliary anchor prepped and ready in case it is needed. A secondary anchor at 45 degrees usually does the trick OR attach the second anchor and chain to your main anchor and use both. Along with the main anchor and chain, a bow line to shore or a secondary line around some solid rocks on the bottom can give a good measure of security overnight. Rotating NIGHT WATCHES are essential if you are concerned about heavy winds and poor holding.