Anchor for the first time

Laundryman

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Although i've been sailing for about 3 years, i've yet to drop anchor. This year i plan to try and see if it suits us. Nothing too adventurous at first. My Oceanis 321 came with a pitiful amount of chain so i plan to buy another 30m of 8mm. Before i splash out on a windlass, how much effort is actually needed to recover that amount of chain and anchor. Is it within the capabilities of a 56 year old man of average fitness or is it a Hernea waiting to happen?
This is my hobby so i'm not going to anchor every night. If i end up buying a windlass, are the manual ones okay? Thank you Alan
 

fireball

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You say a pitiful amount of chain - how much is pitiful?
Have you never anchored for a lunch stop?

If you have ~10m of chain then dropping hook for lunch is easy - come around to Chichester Harbour - don't try East Head - instead try Pilsey Island or come up into Thorney Channel - the holding is better and less crowded (but not such a good beach) .

10m of 8mm chain is faily easy to pull in - if you have the boat running over the chain. In theory 30m should be just as easy as you're only ever lifting the amount of chain not on the bottom - but I do suggest you sit down to do it.
 

AliM

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We anchor often, and it's my job to handle the anchor. I am slightly older than you, reasonably fit, but female, so if i can manage, then i'm sure you can! We have about 30m of 8mm chain + rope, a 10kg(??) CQR and a manual windlass. It is often hard work to recover the anchor, but I have very seldom needed help, and only then at the breaking-out stage. I have used a powered windlass on a charter boat, but hated it - we'll stick with the manual one!

The problem with going for a manual windlass, is that very few firms still make them.

Enjoy anchoring - there are lots of lovely empty places you can anchor with only the birds and seals for company (well, there are on the East coast - it's reputed to be a bit more crowded where you are!)
 

earlybird

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Manual recovery of anchor and chain should certainly be within your capabilities in most conditions, better still if you have a reasonably competent person at the engine throttle to "nudge" the boat forward.
I fitted an electric windlass when I became an OAP, it's nice to have, especially if you have to deploy and recover the anchor several times in a short space of time,, but that's rarely required. I regard my windlass as nice, but not essential.
I don't think I'd bother with a manual windlass on account of their slow operation.
 

ChrisE

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Although i've been sailing for about 3 years, i've yet to drop anchor. This year i plan to try and see if it suits us. Nothing too adventurous at first. My Oceanis 321 came with a pitiful amount of chain so i plan to buy another 30m of 8mm. Before i splash out on a windlass, how much effort is actually needed to recover that amount of chain and anchor. Is it within the capabilities of a 56 year old man of average fitness or is it a Hernea waiting to happen?
This is my hobby so i'm not going to anchor every night. If i end up buying a windlass, are the manual ones okay? Thank you Alan

Like everyone else, pulling up by hand should be ok, we used to pull up 12mm chain on ours when we first got it and whilst it made you sweat a bit it was not OTT.

Regarding a manual windlass, we now have one, a Lewmar horizontal type which we've had for 15 years and it still going strong. It is ok for my better half to use and she is a few years older than you. The trick is to use the boat to ensure that the chain is not tight, ie you are not trying to pull the boat towards the anchor, let the engine do the work.

If you want a nice shallow anchorage to try out your skills you could try Hurst roads, just off the Hurst Narrows, there are plenty of places around 3-5m to drop your hook.

Best of luck.
 

Phoenix of Hamble

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Can I offer you a very brief beginners guide to anchoring?

Initially, for your very first attempt, pick your location with care.... by that, I mean find a location with good holding, and lots of space.... you'll have time after more practice to become a good judge of where you can fit into space, and where to drop the anchor to lay in the right spot, but start by removing those challenges by looking for LOTS of room so you can focus on setting the anchor properly rather than worrying about being too close to other boats.

Then, approach your spot and bring the boat to point in the direction you want to lay and to a standstill, if not very slightly drifting backwards... don't worry if she starts to swing, it doesn't matter.... then release the anchor letting enough chain out for it to reach the bottom... with practice you'll see/feel this, but in the beginning its worth having a good idea of the depth and your chain well marked.

Then, as the boat starts to drift, slowly let out chain, not letting big piles gather on the bottom, but equally, not letting it go taut either... remember that the anchor sets when the chain pulls along the bottom not upwards!

Once you've let out enough chain (perhaps 5x depth if the weather is calm or a bit more if its breezy) then return to the stern and slowly engage reverse gear.... you'll feel when the anchor bites, as the boat will stop, and the chain will start to go taut... it can be a surprisingly long way back before this happens, so don't immediately assume its dragging.

Once its bitten, then reverse steadily harder against it upto perhaps 50% of max revs for 10 to 15 seconds or more and then she's in!

Take a few transits to see if you are dragging... far away is better as close ones can give cause to panic as swinging makes you look like you're dragging.

And then enjoy.

Its one of the greatest pleasures IMHO of boat ownership, and within no time you'll be looking for every opportunity to anchor!

Don't be afraid of raising the anchor and trying again if you are not happen with the set or your resting position.... only fools refuse to take a second or third or fourth attempt if it isn't right!

Hope that helps
 
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LadyInBed

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how much effort is actually needed to recover that amount of chain and anchor.

The total length of chain is not the significant thing.
It is the depth of water that you anchor in (and the wind strength) that determines the effort required.

ie Calm day anchored in 3 mtrs of water, 13 mtrs of chain hanging from nose of boat (nose of boat 1 mtr above water line), so at any single pull, you will be lifting about 4 mtrs of chain. Lets say your pull puts 1 mtr of chain onto the deck, that will be 9 pulls at 5.6Kg (8mm chain = 1.4kg weight per metre) and 4 pulls on the remaining weight of chain plus the weight of the anchor.

Not a great deal of effort.

Increase the depth that you anchor in and the effort will increase by 1.4kg per metre and for longer.

This is also manageable.

Increase the wind strength and the effort increases exponentially.
This can be reduced by use of the engine to overcome the wind strength but it can still be fairly hard work that can bring you out in a sweat.

The good side is that:
1 You probably wont anchor if it is windy
2 If the wind starts to pick up you will up anchor sooner rather than later.
 
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prv

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I don't think I'd bother with a manual windlass on account of their slow operation.

I don't think mine's significantly slower than pulling in by hand. It's one of those flattish manual ones that takes a winch-handle in an off-centre hole cut in the top. By putting the handle into the hole at different angles, you get different "gears" - either a short movement you can wind quickly, or a wide circle giving you more leverage and power.

Having a smallish boat, I happily wind myself up to the anchor without worrying about motoring or sailing forwards, which is handy as it's often just me on board and both at once would be tricky.

EDIT: I can imagine that the tall backwards-and-forwards tirfor-jack style manual windlasses would be pretty slow. I presume the tradeoff is that they're more powerful. But if your boat can plausibly manage without a windlass, and you just want to add one for a little more oomph, then a windy-roundy style ought to have all the power you need.

Pete
 
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PetiteFleur

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I don't think you'll have any problem hauling your chain & anchor by hand - I'm an OAP with a 33' yacht with 30m x 10mm chain + rope. As long as your mate/skipper/SWMBO is gently motoring in stages towards where the anchor is set you'll easily be able to haul the chain in(I sit down and haul). I have a manual windlass fitted but I've never used it in 5 years of having the boat - it's painfully slow, probably 2/3 links for each stroke of the handle.
Before buying extra chain try adding a rope to make it longer and see how you get on, but make sure it's marked so you know how much you've let out.
Morgana's description of anchoring is excellent - just try it and see how you get on. After a while it'll become second nature.
 

prv

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As an aside, and not meaning to "get at" the OP, it does amaze me that people can sail for years without ever anchoring. A mate I considered reasonably competent sprung it on me a while ago - we anchored off a river to wait for a little more tide over the bar, and he seemed a bit antsy despite good conditions, plenty of space, only stopping for an hour, etc. Turned out he'd never actually anchored before. I was astounded.

Even if they only cruise from marina to marina (which seems very sad and dull) surely people would enjoy stopping for lunch from time to time?

Pete
 

Elemental

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its worth having a good idea of the depth and your chain well marked.
One of the very best 'little' things I have done was to mark my anchor chain. Prior to doing that I had to either flake out the chain on the deck before anchoring (messy and tiresome) or just guess (innacurate/tricky when using the windlass).
Its one of the greatest pleasures IMHO of boat ownership, and within no time you'll be looking for every opportunity to anchor!
Couldn't agree more. I seldom use marinas without a good reason. Save yourself a fortune too!
 

prv

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Your joking?? The last visitor's berth might have gone if you dilly-dally!

So it's Wacky Races from one carpark to the next? :)

I like to be the only boat in an anchorage for the night if I can be, and even in the Solent and its surroundings on summer weekends, I can sometimes achieve that. Being small, shallow and stable helps a lot.

Pete
 

Laundryman

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anchor for the first time

Thanks to everyone for your sound constructive advice. I have decided to add to the pathetic 3 metres of chain currently on the boat but wait for a while before deciding on a windlass. As for the advice regarding Chichester Harbour anchorage, i am going to give that a go.
 

guernseyman

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Initially, for your very first attempt, pick your location with care.... by that, I mean find a location with good holding,

For the novice, good holding is NOT easily obtained on rocky or weedy ground - unless you have a fisherman's anchor.

On the subject of location, it is worthwhile looking for one out of a strong current, no matter whether you are on a river or in the sea. It is a lot more relaxing when your chain falls vertically than when it is pulled taut by a 5 knot current.
 

fireball

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For the novice, good holding is NOT easily obtained on rocky or weedy ground - unless you have a fisherman's anchor.

On the subject of location, it is worthwhile looking for one out of a strong current, no matter whether you are on a river or in the sea. It is a lot more relaxing when your chain falls vertically than when it is pulled taut by a 5 knot current.
The two locations I gave earlier are soft mud/sand - the current can be quick during springs though - but that shouldn't be an issue considering the holding power of the ground!

Oh - you might want a deck brush to clean the anchor off when lifting ..
my usual technique is to lift it to just above the water line and clean off with the brush whilst SWMBO motors slowly ...
 

prv

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Oh - you might want a deck brush to clean the anchor off when lifting ..

Ooh, good point. Laundryman, if you're anchoring in and around the Solent, except for a few sandy areas you will definitely need a long-handled brush to get the mud off the hook before you bring it on board.

my usual technique is to lift it to just above the water line and clean off with the brush whilst SWMBO motors slowly ...

I do much the same, although often singlehanded under sail. The joys of a tillerpilot and an old-fashioned rig that can jog along at half a knot while I sort myself out.

Pete
 

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I sail a W Pentland 31' ketch, often solo or with a family "crew" & anchor frequently. I am 64, healthy but not fit & generally hand set & haul a 35lb CQR & up to 30m of 8mm chain in tides of 16-30' range. I have an SL manual windlass, but generally don't use it unless I let my Grand-daughter weigh the anchor.

Use your thighs for lifting & keep your back straight if there is a strong wind &/or tide to contend with, or get a helper to motor slowly towards the anchor as you haul in the chain. Haul slow & steady & the boat will move towards the anchor as you pull. Be prepared to snub the chain if she goes off course, do not try to stop the chain running out with your hands!!! Even stamping on the chain can be dangerous if it runs fast.

A pair of cheap gardening gloves will keep your hands rust & mud free & stop any jellyfish tentacles stinging (a rare but painful occurence). They will also reduce the risk of damage in the event of trapping a finger if the chain runs.
 

SHUG

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Check out the weights.
8mm chain weighs1.42kg per metre so 30 metres is 42.6kg, add on a 15kg anchor and you are up to 57.7kg air weight. deduct 13% for flotation in water and you get about 50 kg.

Now you may say that you will never end up with all of the gear hanging vertically from the boat.....perfectly true,until you do!!!! You can arrive at that situation by dragging or because you just have to anchor in deep water, near cliffs for example.
Anyway, until you get a windlass I suggest that you use a rope and chain and anchor combination that is within your strength capabilities and will be just as effective in most circumstances.
I write from experience . I took a charter boat to Staffa, dropped the anchor in 20m and we took it in turns to explore Fingal's Cave. All very lovely until we came to raise the anchor....dead windlass. It took four of us working head to bum on the foredeck to get the anchor up as we sang jolly boating songs to keep in time.........just then a French sail-traing vessel came in and watched us with admiration!!
 
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snooks

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As an aside, and not meaning to "get at" the OP, it does amaze me that people can sail for years without ever anchoring.

I met a boat owner who wouldn't trust his anchor and would never leave his boat while at anchor even if there was no wind/tide. His argument was "look at the size of my boat, now look at the size of the little bit of metal at the front, you're telling me that little hook can hold that big boat?":D

I met someone else who thought there were cables laid in anchorages for the anchors to grab hold of, he was very new to boating though:rolleyes:
 
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