Anchoring in strong tides

[KAM]

Anybody got any tips for anchoring in strong tides. I usually lower the chain by hand so I can feel the bottom but have had a couple of incidents recently. I've tried using my SL Anchor man windlass but have found it difficult to halt the chain once the anchor has suddenly bitten. The instructions are a bit vauge and not sure if i should be using the cone clutch and a winch handle to slow the chain down. I was wondering if it's possible to fit a separate chain brake.

 

[Tranona]

Not sure why you are having difficulty slowing the chain drop by using the winch handle as that is what it is designed to do. The Anchorman is a very simple bit of kit and the friction of the clutch works well - at least it always did on mne.

 

[lw395]

It sounds to me that the OP might mean 'stopping the boat' rather than stopping the chain.
When anchoring because the boat is going backwards on the tide, the rode can go tight with a bang.
With a rope rode and no windlass, we are careful to let the rode surge around a cleat.
Or use the motor to be sure the boat is stopped wrt the seabed, but you can't do that if kedging in a race.

 

[[70521]]

Anybody got any tips for anchoring in strong tides. I usually lower the chain by hand so I can feel the bottom but have had a couple of incidents recently. I've tried using my SL Anchor man windlass but have found it difficult to halt the chain once the anchor has suddenly bitten. The instructions are a bit vauge and not sure if i should be using the cone clutch and a winch handle to slow the chain down. I was wondering if it's possible to fit a separate chain brake.

I always measure out the scope, attach it to a cleat/sampson post then drop the anchor by hand so I can feel it touch the bottom then drift back until the scope is out and I am biting, then add some engine for good measure.

 

[Boathook]

I would try to hold the boat (use engine) over the same bit of seabed and let the anchor out until on the bottom. Then let the boat drop slowly back whilst feeding out chain / rope. Hopefully the rode goes out quicker than the boat backwards which will then give time to make on a cleat. Engine power can then be reduced to nil and the boat will dig the anchor in.

 

[Stemar]

I always measure out the scope, attach it to a cleat/sampson post then drop the anchor by hand so I can feel it touch the bottom then drift back until the scope is out and I am biting, then add some engine for good measure.

Me too, not that I've much choice, as I haven't got a windlass. However, everything I've read about them suggests that it's not a good idea to use the windlass to take anchoring loads. Far better if you can, to flake your desired scope out on deck and make fast before lowering the anchor.

 

[RupertW]

Me too, not that I've much choice, as I haven't got a windlass. However, everything I've read about them suggests that it's not a good idea to use the windlass to take anchoring loads. Far better if you can, to flake your desired scope out on deck and make fast before lowering the anchor.

With a windlass I would never flake out the chain and run the small risk of getting it around your ankles as it goes out. The clutch is made to allow the chain to surge at whatever speed you choose down to finally stopping altogether. Any windlass should be able to take the load of a stopped boat until you put the bridle on.

 

[duncan99210]

With a windlass I would never flake out the chain and run the small risk of getting it around your ankles as it goes out. The clutch is made to allow the chain to surge at whatever speed you choose down to finally stopping altogether. Any windlass should be able to take the load of a stopped boat until you put the bridle on.

+1 That's basically our technique for anchoring. Check depth, work out how much chain is needed, boat to a halt over selected spot, drop all chain and fall back on to the anchor. It's sometimes slightly worrying as you drop back quite a way before all the chain is tight but it rarely fails. Also means that the tightening chain has a chance to provide a degree of shock absorption. As Rupert says, whilst the recommendation is not to leave the windlass taking the full strain of the anchor, it should more than cope with strains of setting the thing.

 

[alahol2]

I use our chain hook that is on the rope snubber. The snubber is made up short onto a cleat. It's much easier to catch the chain with the hook than trying to get a turn on the bollard.
Having said that, if I were using a windlass, I'd probably use the clutch.

 

[salar]

When fishing we regularly anchor in 90 feet of water and very strong tides. The key is to have sufficient rode out, we use 8 metres of chain then polyester or nylon 3 strand up to 5x depth. If you are having trouble with the anchor holding (which is common in strong tides), you simply need more scope.