I got the hint of what was to come when the anchor windlass started to slow down and then struggled to a halt with only a 1/4 of the chain recovered.. I tried a bit of a burst on the throttle but nothing was moving, so it was on with the snokle gear and down for a look.
My chain was wrapped several times round a heavy iron bar sticking out of the sand. I could just see a large ring and the tip of a fluke. I guessed it was a lrge fisherman pattern anchor that had been used as a mooring or maybe abandoned by someone caught in here with a westerly swell which would make this anchorage untenable.
Back on board I was able to break the fisherman anchor out haul it to the surface and get a line on it which allowed me to slacken off my chain and go around in the dink to untangle things. I was very careful about where I put my hands as the load on the line was considerable. eventually I got things clear but am still bemused as it looks like the two chains had been knitted, there were so many wraps.
Anyway after a couple of hours it got sorted and I am in Falmouth again, getting in last night and sheltering from the large swells. The VHF this morning was full of people looking for berths and complaining about how uncomfortable their nights had been elsewhere.
Some bits of news that did not make the regular online papers I read,
Jeanne Socrates made it in to Hobart safely after a 56 day passage from Cape Town. This is part of her second circumnavigation. Jeanne is 69 and single hands.
Earl Scruggs died aged 88, Earl was a virtuoso bluegrass banjo player and Foggy Mountain Breakdown went on the music box in his honour last night.
The Volvo Ocean Race is running out of boats. Nearly all are suffering from hull delamination and another mast broke yesterday.
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