Slow your Roll!

This is what the swell bridle looks like in practice.  Notice the whitecaps on the horizon?  The ocean is just around that point!

When we left Chicago (as total cruising newbies) we, or at least I, had this vision that all anchorages are protected, cove-like, calm and serene.  For those of you out there who think the same - this is false!  Not all anchorages are created equal!  While there are the rare few that offer all around protection, most do not - and oftentimes you'll find yourself dropping the hook in a place that feels like your bobbing out in the middle of the ocean somewhere.  This is not fun, even in paradise.

There are a number of reasons for this.  Wind direction is the most obvious - as this is what you want to be protected from.  So you find an island or a cay that will block you from that particular direction.  Considering there are hundreds of islands and cays around here, this is not a problem.  The problem, we are learning, is ocean swell.  I don't have the scientific reasoning for this - but basically, it works like this:  the western side of the Bahamas is protected and (relatively) calm, the eastern side is exposed to thousands of miles of ocean and is not.   Huge underwater waves (or swell) can wrap around these islands and make their way to you, causing a seemingly "protected" anchorage to be rolly and very, very uncomfortable.  If the swell is coming from a different direction from the wind (a boat almost always points the direction of the wind at anchor), it can become unbearable.

Such is the case here at Calabash Bay.  Luckily for me, a) I have a teflon enforced stomach and do not get seasick and b) I married someone who sees a problem and finds a solution.  We were sitting down below, pitching and yawing, rolling and bobbing when Scott said, "This is downright miserable".  I had to agree.  He then said (what are becoming his famous words), "When there is a problem, there is a solution..." and up on deck he went.

What he did was make what Bruce Van Sant calls a "swell bridle" and this thing makes me want to marry Scott all over again.  On a boat, being comfortable is in direct proportion to being happy.  Here's how it works:  You attach a line to your anchor chain (or rode) and then bring it back to an aft winch and cleat to secure it.  You then let out more anchor chain (or rode) until your boat is positioned into the swell.  We are now sitting at a very comfortable 90 degrees to the wind, and directly into the swell - a much more pleasant motion.

Here is a diagram in case my words don't make sense:

So instead of up and moving to another spot - just use this method and slow yo' roll!