Aargghh - Why won't my boat hold on the anchor?

[Pete7]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

[ QUOTE ]
From memory Cawsand is that very fine gravel though, which the Delta should work very well in.

[/ QUOTE ]

Correct having dived it a few times, actually resembles the breakfast cereal called Grape Nuts. There is the odd loose rock but not much else and its a rubbish dive. Suprised you couldn't anchor there.

Pete

 

[jfm]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

Really surprised to hear a Delta wont hold in sand, assuming enough chain. I've used one for years and never had trouble. It's definitely a real Delta, right? It should have a solid ingotty bit under the point if it's a real Delta, and not just be made from plate.

Is there an offset in your depth guage, so it shows say 4m when it's really 7m? Eg a dealer set it up with a massive 3m safety margin, or something? Which means you're not letting enough chain out. A Delta will definitely slip in a breeze if you only have say 2x depth of chain. The offset is user programmable so it is possible you have a big offset punched in

 

[photodog]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

I do exactly the same.... I think the OP is simply not putting out enough scope.... I hear all the time peeps saying, oh, 3 times depth blah blah..... in reality I look to put out 5 times and then do what you do Haydn, plus dig it in a bit....

Cawsand has no real tide, and most of the time no real wind either....

If in doubt, put more out.


/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[ebbtide]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

Go back to VicS and his contribution to a recent thread. We agreed (!) on lowering slowly until the anchor touches, then paying out the chain letting wind/tide take you back, then some engine welly astern to make that hook dig in. Quite simply you'll know it's stuck fast as you jerk to a halt!

Change of wind or tide could upset things later of course.

So wrong anchor for the bottom? I've ridden out a gale in Cawsand with a heavy CQR and not moved an inch even when too rough to row ashore. It took a lot of muscle to weigh eventually and I learned that a trip line can be worth its weight in gold.

 

[JohnRob]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

I anchor alot. I would say Delta design is pretty good, and if other boats are holding then points towards what you are doing (although worth checking anchor for damage).

All good advice above. 3x scope on chain should be fine for settled conditions, allowing for tide rise, of course.

Are your sure how much chain you are putting out? I had a chain counter fitted and has given me much peace of mind. Worth every penny I'd say if you are operating from the cockpit. My chain marking was always a bit hit and miss. Worth thinking about if everything else checks out.

ItS

 

[Quigs]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

Ok I get the jist - more chain. Im going back to the boat tomorrow to mark the chain, and I may invest in a counter as i do anchor and leave the boat near on every occasion. Thanks for all your replies.

 

[whisper]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

I regularly anchor there - with a 6 kg Delta. Close in, in 2-3m and 5 times the scope - 10m of chain plus rope rode. Only ever had a problem when it was dropped onto weed.
Actually, never had a problem with a Claw there either.

 

[No Regrets]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

Moor further upwind/ upstream, and by the time shes drifted down, you should have finished your meal!

You can thank me later /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[gjgm]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

re insurance.. usually just a standard item, and usually to protect the insurance co. from some idiot going off for days on end to find his speedboat is now matchsticks on the rocks. Have a word with the ins company.. they never had a problem with a few hours for lunch etc when I ve asked about the meaning.
Meanwhile on the anchoring..Id guess crappy bottom(others have said not) or not enough chain. As JFM said.. maybe check your depth reading. Ask another boat, or go really close in somewhere safe sandy (on 260 you can go onto the beach!), til you can check the depth with the boat hook - thats about 2m.. what does the depth read?

 

[omega2]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

We spend most our time at anchor(fishing) and use a delta, with 20feet of chain only, the rest is rope, 3 to 4 times the depth is let go, and it is generally enough, never used all chain, but we look for the rope leaving the bow roller at about 45% angle.

 

[hlb]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

Dont bother with a counter, it's not like you want change!

I have one big blob of red paint at ten metres, two at twenty, and so on. Easy to see from my fly bridge.

 

[jfm]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

Agree. Retrofitting a chain counter is complex and prolly not much change out of £1000, when some coloured paint will do the job cheaper/better/faster

 

[DavidJ]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

[ QUOTE ]
Well the insurance thing is why I can't relax when away from it as it isn't covered when at anchor and unattended! /quote]
I had the same limitation on my insurance and contacted them and they took it off...no charge.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

Yup, I've had chain counters on a couple of boats and they're not reliable. I use snooker ball colours on my anchor chain ie red,yellow,green,brown,blue,pink etc every 5m. Of course only works if you've played snooker

 

[hlb]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

Maybe the problem here, is to much accuracy who says that 3 or 4 times willl hold? I tend to do the sum, then add a good bit more.

 

[lovezoo]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

The other thing you need to bear in mind is the tidal range (difference between low and high tide) when you are anchoring, which can make quite a difference if you are in shallow water and have a large range. Down the Gower where we are, we get a massive range, which can easily double the depth of water you are in over the course of an afternoon.

Before now I have anchored in a couple of meters of water, had a post-lunch nap on the boat and woken up as the boat drifts out to sea, because the incoming tide has lifted the anchor. Since then I have always put loads of chain/rope out and made sure there is enough scope to cover any increase due to the tide and never had a problem.

 

[PCUK]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

Has anyone mentioned dumping piles of chain on top of the anchor rather than paying out slowly and letting it lay properly?

 

[blueglass]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

Not that its anything special for what its worth, here is what I do and have dragged once in 15 years boating. I have a 38 footer with a15 kg bruce on 50 metres of 10mm chain.
drop anchor with enough chain to just reach the bottom, motor slowly astern until 4 x depth of chain has run out and then wait with hands or feet on the chain, to feel when it has stopped rumbling and dug in. wait a few minutes and then run out another boatlength of chain for a Jesus factor. give it another minute and switch off engines. never have a problem and happy to go ashore for a meal or whatever, although never stray too far away

 

[NDG]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

If you drop the anchor with a surplus of chain too fast, the chain forms a pile on top of the anchor on the sea bed which often wraps around the flukes as you go astern and stops it digging in. This happened to us once. I think the trick is to lower it until it touches, then pay out slowly at the same time as going astern.

I dont know whether you are doing this, but I often see people dumping the anchor with about 20 m of chain in a big pile straight down onto the bottom all in one place, which ends up like a birds nest. It can be well dodgy!

 

[Quigs]

Re: Aargghh - Why won\'t my boat hold on the anchor?

ok - For those who might still read this! The next morning I went over to the boat, laid out the entire length of chain (30m), marked it every 5m with yellow zip straps (the only thing I could think of for my trial) and later went out over to the same spot.

Found a spot at 5.2m, laid out 10m, nudged it astern whilst laying out a further 15m and never budged once. Just sat there with my cup of coffee whilst my boat joined in with the syncronised swinging of the adjacent boats (the boats not the people!)

So, after all the fuss it looks like my crap boating skills once more prevailed. However, no longer will this issue cause my stress levels to rise and boaters within my vincinity can also relax for fear of collision!

Thanks again for all your replies.