Anchoring with a shore line

Genevieve Leaper explains why, in some circumstances, using a shore line to keep the boat secure makes perfect sense

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Sailing in Patagonia was one of the most memorable experiences of my life, for wilderness, wildlife and extreme weather, not to mention meeting my partner Aleko, who was sailing his Nicholson 32. One of the biggest surprises in this wild and windy region was to find the anchorages as snug and sheltered as they were beautiful. And in almost every one, we took lines to the shore when we anchored. This was a completely new technique to me, and it felt strange at first after a lifetime of swinging to an anchor.

But as it was my job to launch the dinghy and row ashore with a line while the skipper and mate were setting the anchor, tree-hugging soon became a normal part of the cruising routine. When I came home, I couldn't help noticing how many Scottish anchorages would benefit from more trees!

Aleko and I now mostly sail Beduin in the Aegean Sea, where we quite often use a shore line. It's also common practice in various other popular cruising areas, such as the Baltic.

Why use a shore line?

So why would you use a shore line? In Chile, it was mainly because we needed to anchor very close to the shore, the water being too deep further out in this mountainous region where thickly wooded hillsides fall steeply to the sea. The shelter provided by the trees was an added benefit to tucking in close. Even when the depth is suitable for anchoring in the middle of an inlet, many potentially delightful places simply don’t have enough swinging room.

I can think of a few Scottish anchorages that are fine at neap tides but not quite big enough at springs when a longer rode is required for high tide, but there is less water at low tide.

In these circumstances, a line to the shore keeping the boat in the central pool may be the answer.

Equally, in a slightly larger space, using shore lines enables more boats to fit in, either lying parallel or rafted up. This is a standard practice for flotillas in Greece.