Sailing Photo of the Week - Worst Nightmare

"Worst Nightmare!" is an overused phrase. Certainly there are a lot of things that can wake one up in a cold sweat, and there are many, many things to keep a skipper from getting to sleep in the first place. However, when one anchors their boat against an unprotected shore, and the wind shifts in the middle of the night... Well, "worst nightmare" does seem to fit the bill.

This photo was shot in Thailand, when yachts competing in a sailing regatta were allegedly told by officials that this was the preferred spot to anchor. All responsibility ultimately lies on the skipper, of course, so finger pointing is a futile effort. A fact which only serves to make this image that much more chilling, and the stuff of sleepless anchor watches.

What can you do to avoid this? Be careful where you anchor, consider every shred of information available to you (from weather predictions, to local knowledge, to your own gut instincts), be ready to move in a hurry if you need to, opt for safety over convenience, never think for a moment that someone giving advice is going to consider themselves responsible for the repercussions, and of course: Carry good boat insurance!