Free, Safe and legally OK anchoring sites?

[truda]

Salty friends, back here after a long interval of working like a mule to keep the daughters in school. Our ocean cruising still a while away but our resolve only strenghtens.

I have a (maybe stupid?) new question. Looking around both at the web and in several business visits to small islands, seems that areas where you can safely anchor your sailboat are kinda shrinking, and marina$$$ are becoming the only option in the main centers where you have to call at for food, fuel etc. etc. from time to time.

So que question: is there a guide or particular source out there for free (or very cheap), safe (and legal, alas) anchoring spots off Pacific Islands and other regions? Or does it vary so much that you have to scout it on a case-by-case basis whenever you are heading somewhere?

Thanks for your comments - and for keeping this list so lively.

[joao-lisboa]

i don´t know any published guide about this subject. But what I know is that would be of great success! in the meantime there are in this and other blogs, or sailing magazines some informations about free anchoring sites, and sometimes the kind of ground, tide amplitude etc.
That would be a nice subject in the sailingwiki.
if you are planning to sail as far as Portugal, i can give you some hints and suggestions in the Lisbon area and the algarve.

[truda]

Many thanks, Obrigado, João! Avisarei indo por aí. :-)

[delatbabel]

Hi, In the cruising wiki you will find that the topic pages about many areas detail what anchorages are available. If you have information that's not already there, then please feel free to create an account and contribute.

Other than that, sites such as noonsite often mention anchorages. As does Jimmy Cornell's book "World Cruising Routes".

[delatbabel]

An example is here: Sydney - a Cruising Guide on the World Cruising and Sailing Wiki

[Auspicious]

For US and some international anchorages look at http://ActiveCaptain.com/ . Free. Join SSCA ($55/year) for access to Port Guides worldwide, although a little spotty in the Pacific, and Cruising Stations who provide local information worldwide. Good topic on the SSCA Forum (free). If you have an SSB radio and a ham license check into the Pacific Seafarers Net and ask. Anchor somewhere near other cruisers and talk -- people will share their guides and experience.

Google for sailing blogs in your areas of interest.

Try the SSCA Forum and CruisersForum.com (free).

[SayGudday]

Originally Posted by joao-lisboa

i don´t know any published guide about this subject. But what I know is that would be of great success! in the meantime there are in this and other blogs, or sailing magazines some informations about free anchoring sites, and sometimes the kind of ground, tide amplitude etc.
That would be a nice subject in the sailingwiki.
if you are planning to sail as far as Portugal, i can give you some hints and suggestions in the Lisbon area and the algarve.

I've started putting an online resource together for free anchorages along the California coastline which you can see at the link below. If anyone wants to contribute their input for anchorages world wide I can create a similar resource. Any interest in doing that?

Free California Anchorages | Say Gudday

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by SayGudday

I've started putting an online resource together for free anchorages along the California coastline which you can see at the link below. If anyone wants to contribute their input for anchorages world wide I can create a similar resource. Any interest in doing that?

Not impressed with the advertisement for decidedly adult content.

[SayGudday]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Not impressed with the advertisement for decidedly adult content.

Adult content?? Please explain!

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by SayGudday

Adult content?? Please explain!

There was a banner ad when I looked that advertised erotic content. Whoever you have engaged to serve ads is including adult content.

[SayGudday]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

There was a banner ad when I looked that advertised erotic content. Whoever you have engaged to serve ads is including adult content.

My deepest apologies, seriously. Over 90% of the posts on that site have no ads at all and there is a VERY strict no adult content policy. Obviously that's a big concern to me and must be a recent development because that's been up for months and lots of other sailing / boating forum members have looked at it and never seen anything like that.

Can you tell me if it was a banner at the top or one in the margin or, hopefully, a pop-up? I say hopefully a pop-up because the site has no pop-ups and that would mean it wasn't related to my post over there at all.

And thanks for alerting me to it too. i will DEFINITELY get it fixed ASAP.

PS - I just checked the settings on the ads and all of them claim to exclude adult content and even restrict their ads from appearing on those kinds of sites. The mystery deepens so, any information you could give me would be fantastic.

[Auspicious]

Not a pop-up. I use ABP and still see the rotating banners at the top and the Sahalie skyscrapers on the side so it's serving from your domain.

The adult content was in the rotating banner.

The link went to Free-something-or-other. I just closed the window when I saw the ad.

By the way the load time is really long - long enough that a lot of people will move on before the page loads.

You're going to have a tough time competing with ActiveCaptain.

[SayGudday]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Not a pop-up. I use ABP and still see the rotating banners at the top and the Sahalie skyscrapers on the side so it's serving from your domain.

The adult content was in the rotating banner.

The link went to Free-something-or-other. I just closed the window when I saw the ad.

By the way the load time is really long - long enough that a lot of people will move on before the page loads.

You're going to have a tough time competing with ActiveCaptain.

Thanks for the feedback. Still investigating but I'm going to take that top banner down while I work out what's going on there.

LOVE active captain and not really looking to compete. It's a travel/staycation site, but, since the site is there, I figured I might as well include resources for people who travel via boat (like myself). Thanks again for the info. I'll get it sorted.

[capta]

There are "cruising guides" for pretty much anywhere you are going these days. If there aren't any then I doubt there are enough boats that you'll have any problem finding an anchorage. Chris Doyle's guides are pretty much the standard, updated frequently, in the eastern Caribbean.
As for safety, it's pretty much a crap shoot these days; a sailor was shot on his boat in Bequia a few months back, in Bequia for christ's sake, the heart of the Windward Islands cruising area. Most of us down here stay out of the marinas; buy a really good dinghy.
We'll be in Bequia for new years eve, because it's a great place and we're not going to give into fear.

[truda]

Thanks Capta for this remark. As a Brazilian I´ve grown to be much embarassed by the lack of safety for yachties in my home country too, with many despicable episodes on record. I think you are absolutely right though in not giving in to fear. Wish you safe and happy Holidays in Bequia!