remote anchoring

[BruceB]

I am thinking of doing some camping weekends on islands out west like Canna and Eigg and although I have anchored off many a beach for lunch and to explore this will mean anchoring for the night.
I am still a bit wary of this as I don't want the boat drifting off during the night or even waking up to find it sitting on the beach beside me. I may be paranoid but we do have some fairly large tides, races and weather up here sometimes.
I always carry two anchors, a lunch hook and a 5kg Bruce with about 3-4m chain plus 60m of rope. I have some 56lbers and was thinking along the lines of the 5kg with a 56lb angel (or even two 56lbers)
Am I just being really paranoid or does anybody else have a better system?

[Stoo]

Bruce, we do this quite often in Georgian Bay in Lake Huron. There are few protected bays, and I have come to enjoy "sleeping" with one eye open. We use a couple of oversize anchors, but I also run a line back to the shore and tie it to something sound. The boat is essentially suspended between anchors and mainland.

I used to consider tieing that line to my toe, but opted against it. I do, however, flop a bunch of pots and pans over the line so that I can hear any big changes in the way the boat is resting.

But I still position the boat so I can see it out the tent door... And sleep with one eye open...

I also keep my hand-held VHF with me just in case! Our favorite spot to camp is on an island that's about 22 miles from the mainland!

[Stoo]

I came across a few photos of our last RIB camping trip. The map image shows our location. We can stay there for several days and never see another boat except the ferry that crosses the lake each day...