Catherine and I love to drop anchor whenever possible and we avoid going in to marinas or against harbour walls unless absolutely necessary.
So far this season we have anchored 92 nights and have tied up only 12 nights against a jetty or harbour wall.
While we prefer to swing at anchor, tucking into small bays and coves necessitates using the anchor as well as two lines from the stern cleats to shore. Sometimes the cove is so small that you don't have room to swing and other times there will be other yachts alongside you in the bay and you are forced to tie off parallel to them.
We NEVER EVER tie off around trees on shore and will only reverse into a bay or cove if we can see that there are suitable rocks to secure to. In Croatia, Greece and here in Turkey, those rocks are almost always weathered by the ocean into sharp and jagged shapes which chafe through rope very quickly.
Our solution is to have 5 metres of 8mm stainless steel chain attached to each of the stern lines with a stainless steel swivel shackle. The chains are stored in buckets which we take with us on the SUP when paddling to shore to loop the chains around rocks.
It's a very simple solution which many people probably already use, but if not, you'll save yourself from replacing the stern lines and you'll sleep really well at night knowing you are trussed up like a turkey in chains.
