Anchor swivel failure
After a cracking beat from the shelter and warm clear waters east of Cap Sicie, we enjoyed a stiff afternoon beat westward to the sheltered but tricky anchorage immediately east of Île des Embiez on France’s Côte d’Azur. It’s an anchorage that I’ve used a couple of times previously and, beyond being aware that it doesn’t have particularly good holding (it’s rocky), many boats use it in settled conditions.
I gave the signal to drop anchor and my crew, John, an experienced skipper in his own right, instinctively made a mental note of where Keppel’s bow was in relation to our imminent new neighbours.
Down went Billy (bow anchor) with 20m of chain – plenty to get an initial grip in no more than 5m of
