Anchor wrap round keel - what would you do?

[bobgarrett]

This morning we had an interesting challenge. About to bring the anchor up and found the rode (octplait) part was going back from the bow and must be around the keel. We had 25m of chain out plus 15m of octoplait. I was unable to pull it in but easing some out it slid fairly easily. What I did not know was whether it was a single wrap or maybe more, whether it also went round the saildrive nor definitely which way round it went. With a bulb on the keel which extends sternwards it was unlikely to drop off.
We considered four ways (and thought of a fifth later) to untangle this.
1. Let out some Genoa to see if it would spin the boat round enough. This worked but not far enough.
2. Use the tender to push the stern round. This worked easily and we were then able to bring the anchor up.
3. Try to walk the rode round the boat using the free end and then let it off quickly at the bow in the hope the boat would drop back, spin and be back to normal. We did not try this.
4. Attach a fender to the rode end and drop it all overboard then come back and recover. We did not try this.
5. Let out a lot of slack suddenly, maybe already wet so it would sink, to see if the boat would drop back and recover. We did not try this.

So what would you do and any suggestions on how to prevent this in future?

 

[pmagowan]

Undo the keel bolts?


I think having all chain rode would prevent this.

 

[bobgarrett]

Undo the keel bolts?


I think having all chain rode would prevent this.

Interesting point but on my previous yacht some years ago I had the same happen with all chain. This sorted itself out as the tide got stronger. Makes me wonder if it is me?

 

[Spyro]

I carry a wetsuit and mask for occasions like that.

 

[lw395]

Grab the rode between the keel and the anchor.
Secure that at the bow and ease off the boat end of the rode. Maybe weight it if it doesn't come free.

 

[pmagowan]

Interesting point but on my previous yacht some years ago I had the same happen with all chain. This sorted itself out as the tide got stronger. Makes me wonder if it is me?

It is definitely you then! Did you remember to stop the engine and take the sail down?

Perhaps, if you don't lie solidly to the wind or tide you can simply do pirouettes around your rode. What about trying a drogue or a staysail? That way you will always be dragged away from your rode.

 

[TC Tuckton]

Anchored off Wells (Norfolk). The rope rode went between the bilge levels and chafed through on the prop. Not an experience I want to repeat.

 

[sailorman]

what depth was the OP anchored in

 

[claymore]

This was not uncommon on the river Wyre. We used to hang someting like a milk crate over the back to keep the boat tide rode.
The only time it happened to me I had to wait until LW then dig it out. Lovely!

 

[vyv_cox]

Interesting point but on my previous yacht some years ago I had the same happen with all chain. This sorted itself out as the tide got stronger. Makes me wonder if it is me?

Very difficult to understand any crcumstance in which the chain does not hang straight down from the bow roller until it contacts the seabed. Was it plastic chain?

 

[NormanS]

Get a boat without sticky-out bits on the keel, and use all chain. There you are - problem solved.

 

[bobgarrett]

what depth was the OP anchored in

At low water about 4m and high water about 8m. I agree this is probably a factor.

 

[sailorman]

At low water about 4m and high water about 8m. I agree this is probably a factor.

so you didnt need the warp deployed then

 

[bobgarrett]

so you didnt need the warp deployed then

Depends how much scope you like. 3? 4? 5? Sqr depth *12? When we arrived it was pretty windy but overnight no wind. I might have had more out than necessary but I think some warp was needed. Risk of turning into a scope discussion more than how to get out of it!

 

[rogerthebodger]

We had the same thing happen on one of the boats I sailed on some years ago.

We disconnected the rode from the boat and attached a fender to the boat end. We let it go and the rode unwound itself from the keel when the fender resurfaces we retrieved the fender and all was OK

 

[zambant]

We simply lower a small weight down the rode ( 4kg) so that it is below the bottom of the keel. As the boat drifts and wanders about when the tide turns it stops the warp wrapping around the keel / rudder.
Hope that helps and makes sence
Fair winds
John

 

[JimC]

We simply lower a small weight down the rode ( 4kg) so that it is below the bottom of the keel. As the boat drifts and wanders about when the tide turns it stops the warp wrapping around the keel / rudder.
Hope that helps and makes sence
Fair winds
John

Yes that's what I do, I use a 10Kg gym weight from LIDL which also serves as an angel (aka kellet).

 

[pmagowan]

Or you can make a loop of chain with a shackle to achieve the same thing.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Very difficult to understand any crcumstance in which the chain does not hang straight down from the bow roller until it contacts the seabed. Was it plastic chain?

Wind over tide, to a single anchor. If wind drag overcomes tidal drag, the boat can sail all over the place to the limits of its scope. Putting a sheer on the helm helps - until the next tide turn.

Prevention.
1. For keel and skeg configurations, fit line between keel end and skeg. Also prevents nets/floating lines being caught between. Weak link needed to ensure if the line breaks, no free length can be caught in your own prop (2 wires, eyes linked with line).
2. Running moor if wind over tide is a probability

If it Happens
1.

I carry a wetsuit and mask for occasions like that

2. Also carry boat hook long enough to push nets, ropes etc below keel level
3. Lift line from over the stern, make it up with a stopper. Release bow end, pray it's not also over the prop, let it sink, then recover from the stern. If it's caught on prop, wait for low current/slack tide, wet suit and mask! And don't forget the swimming ladder down or dinghy in water or both.

 

[rob2]

I wonder whether we'll hear more about this now that so many recent designs have bulbed keels. Mind you the designers and journos would have you believe it's a recent invention! A few years back one of the club moorings dragged a bit, closing the gap on ours. Bearing in mind that all boats will be subject to slightly different dynamics of wind and tide and each will have different reactions to these it is only to be expected that with the gap closing the boats might touch at some point. What we couldn't explain was that we ended up with his mooring riser wrapped around our keel (T24 with bulbed iron keel). He was quite incensed when he found we'd shackled a bite of his mooring riser to restrict his swing - but he wouldn't move as it wasn't his mooring that had dragged, it was all the others (80+). Of course it was amicably resolved, he was given two options by the mooring master - move to another mooring or leave.

IIRC, we hitched a line to the lower part of the chain an hauled it around on deck so our boat rotated to throw off the loop, though we had to use a dinghy to reach low enough to attach the hitch.

Rob.