Depth, Holding and Shelter: The Anchorage Table Captains Use
Direct answer
Whether a cove is a safe overnight or a lunch-only stop depends on depth, holding ground (sand holds, weed and rock don't) and shelter from the prevailing wind. Sand-bottomed, well-sheltered anchorages like Cala Bassa and Espalmador hold overnight; open or rocky ones are daytime only.
Skip ahead — the office handles the rest
To a guest, every anchorage looks the same: drop the hook, swim, eat. To a captain, they are wildly different, and the difference is three things you never see — how deep it is, what the seabed is made of, and which winds it hides from. Get those right and the boat sits all night without a worry. Get them wrong and the anchor drags at 3am.
The working table
| Anchorage | Holding | Shelter | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Espalmador | Excellent (sand) | Good in N/NW | Overnight in settled weather |
| Cala Bassa | Good (sand) | Sheltered from E | Lunch + calm overnight |
| Cala Salada | Good (sand patches) | Open to W | Daytime; clear out before a westerly |
| Es Vedrà / Cala d'Hort | Mixed (sand + weed) | Exposed | Sunset stop, not overnight |
| Tagomago | Good (sand) | Sheltered from W | Lunch + swim; deep, clear |
Why it pays to be crewed for this
Reading depth and bottom type, choosing the sand patch, setting enough chain, and knowing which cove to abandon when the wind backs — this is the invisible craft of a charter captain. It is the part that turns a beautiful map into a safe, easy day, and the reason an overnight at anchor is a decision made by someone who has done it a thousand times.
Office note
For an overnight at anchor, the captain picks shelter over scenery every time — you can have the view at lunch and the calm bay for sleep. Tell the office if a night on the hook is part of the dream and the route is built to allow it safely.
The Office
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