In the morning, it turns out not enough chain had been let out for the depth of water when the anchor was first set the evening before. What lesson does this teach?

A. Once an anchor is set, it never needs checking again regardless of how conditions change

B. Dragging anchors are always caused by a fault with the anchor itself, never the way it was set

C. Always let out enough chain or rope for the depth of water (a recognised rule of thumb such as 4-5 times the depth) when anchoring, and check this again if the depth changes significantly with the tide — too little scope is one of the most common reasons an anchor fails to hold in stronger wind

D. The amount of chain let out makes no real difference to how well an anchor holds

A. Start the engine immediately without checking the anchor or position first

B. Wake the whole crew immediately with no quick check of the situation first

C. Go on deck straight away and check whether the boat is still in the same position — use a fixed light or landmark ashore as a reference point to see if the boat has moved compared to where it was when the anchor was first set

D. Assume everything is fine and go straight back to sleep without checking anything

A. The boat has moved from its original position — the anchor is very likely dragging and not holding properly in the stronger wind. This needs immediate action, not just continued watching

B. A small shift like this is completely normal and never means anything is wrong

C. It is impossible to tell anything useful from comparing positions like this

D. This means the light ashore has moved, not the boat