A peaceful afternoon at anchor suddenly turned into one of the most dramatic incidents I've witnessed in years.
What I first thought was a catamaran anchoring too close to SV Impavidus turned out to be something far more serious.
With nobody on board, the yacht had dragged its anchor and was drifting backwards across the harbour in strengthening winds—heading directly towards a line of old steel and concrete piles.
I wanted to help.
I lowered the dinghy and seriously considered going after her, but with around one-metre waves inside the harbour, 28-knot winds and gusts over 30 knots, attempting a rescue alone would have been putting my own life at risk.
Instead, I tried everything else.
• Repeated calls on VHF Channel 16.
• Calls to the harbour authorities.
• Long blasts on the foghorn.
No response.
Eventually another skipper contacted the marina, who alerted the Italian Coastguard. A large rescue RIB arrived and managed to prevent what could easily have become a total loss.
Incredibly, during the incident the drifting catamaran also hooked my own anchor and dragged SV Impavidus from her position—something I only discovered later.
It was one of those days that reminds us how quickly things can change at anchor, and why every skipper should understand the risks of dragging anchor and leaving a boat unattended.
If you've ever experienced an anchor dragging incident, let me know in the comments. I'd love to hear how you dealt with it.
Fair winds,
Sail Safe Guys, Ant & Cid XX 🇬🇧 ⛵️⛵️⛵️⛵️⛵️⛵️⛵️⛵️
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👋 We’re Ant & Cid aboard SV Impavidus – two adventurers sailing full-time since 2018. From stormy crossings to quiet anchorages (and plenty of dad jokes), we share family-friendly stories of life at sea 🌊
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I Couldn't Save the Cat!
Uploaded by:
SV Impavidus
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Category:
Sailing, General Vlogs
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Added on
09 August 2026
Description
A peaceful afternoon at anchor suddenly turned into one of the most dramatic incidents I've witnessed in years.
What I first thought was a catamaran anchoring too close to SV Impavidus turned out to be something far more serious.
With nobody on board, the yacht had dragged its anchor and was...
What I first thought was a catamaran anchoring too close to SV Impavidus turned out to be something far more serious.
With nobody on board, the yacht had dragged its anchor and was...