Anchoring procedure

[Bobc]

Being a novice sailor, having only anchored once for about an hour and managed to snag a lobster pot, I am looking for advice on the procedure I should be using. Please note that this is not about what type of anchor or rode I should use, or catenary theory, but more what are the steps I should use as I am heading towards my chosen anchorage.

Imagine the scenario: I have picked my nice sheltered anchorage (based on pilot books/studying charts etc), I have a suitable anchor for the substrate (good holding sand), and I have 60m chain available. The depths are 4m(LW) - 6m(HW) and no significant change in wind is forecast. We are about 2 miles out, Mrs Smert is on the tiller, and I am going to be wrangling the anchor and chain.

What are our steps to being safely anchored and getting the kettle on?

Sail up to the spot you want to drop in, stop the boat, drop the hook and 10m of chain, as that lays out, feed out another 10m or so. Then wait for the chain to go taught. If there's no tide or wind pulling you backwards, use a bit of reverse gear (but not too much). Then let the boat settle foe a couple of minutes and swing both ways through the wind. Then just put your hand or a bear foot on the chain to make sure it's not dragging (you will feel any movement through your foot). Then get the kettle on and relax.

 

[Bobc]

I have a very complex procedure.
Pick the spot, slow down and steer into the tide so the speed over ground is zero or going backwards a bit. Lower the anchor until it hits the bottom then let out 3 or 4 times the depth. If I'm going to stay long I might go astern to pull the anchor into the seabed, [not always]. Put up the anchor ball.
Then comes the complicated bit. Turn the gas on, fill the kettle, light the gas and put kettle on. Then decide if we are going to have tea or coffee.

Should have read this first. +1

 

[Nina Lucia]

absolutely agree

 

[Bobc]

The most important bit to take away from my post by the way, is the use of the bear foot or bear hand (foot works better though).

 

[smert]

Smert: Is it fair to assume you've got an engine and don't mind using it when anchoring, do you have a windlass, is it electric/manual, does it have a clutch you can disengage and is your chain marked?

We seem to be getting back on point here again!! Thank you!!

We have a 27ft sailing boat with inboard engine. No windlass and the chain is not marked (although this is something I have on my winter task list!).

 

[WhiskeyTownRacer]

The most important bit to take away from my post by the way, is the use of the bear foot or bear hand (foot works better though).

How does the bear communicate the feeling of dragging or not?

Perhaps more to the point, how do you find being in close quarters with a bear, on a boat?

I think a swift departure is warranted for me now. Sorry, the goal was wide open.

 

[smert]

Sail up to the spot you want to drop in, stop the boat, drop the hook and 10m of chain, as that lays out, feed out another 10m or so. Then wait for the chain to go taught. If there's no tide or wind pulling you backwards, use a bit of reverse gear (but not too much). Then let the boat settle foe a couple of minutes and swing both ways through the wind. Then just put your hand or a bear foot on the chain to make sure it's not dragging (you will feel any movement through your foot). Then get the kettle on and relax.

Thanks! Bear foot? I'm guessing this is a typo and should be bare foot?

 

[jordanbasset]

The need to dig in depends on the surface, on hard comapacted sound I find it useful to slowly increase engine revs to around 2.500 revs in reverse. Some don't and most times, the large majority of times, they will pick up their anchor in the morning wondering what all the fuss was about. On a small, very small number of occasions, especially in some anchorages, the wind will pick up very strongly and very quickly in the late evening/night time. Then there is a scrabble as some of these need to start their engines and try to reset their anchors. When the wind builds slowly it is not really a problem as the anchor will dig in anyway. As I say some anchorages don't need it, the sea bed is such virtually any anchor wil hold well and quickly.

As to when the wind direction changes I have noticed when an anchor is dug in well it sems to swivel in the sand but stays under the surface, or atleast that's what it looks like when on occasion I have dived on it the following morning.
I have lost track of the number of times when I have ben swimming around anchorages and seen anchors just lying on the hard sand or a fluke is caught in a bit of seaweed, most times it will not be an issue but I prefer not to take that chance. If you do not have an engine then your options are more limited, but I and so do others and I do not see the need to limit those options for the sake of a minute or two and maybe even the odd look by others.

 

[NormanS]

Then why did you make a point about it, including putting SAILING boat in capitals - or did your fingers just get stuck?

I too come from an age of anchoring under sail - you have to learn it quickly when you have a Stuart Turner! I also remember the excitement of dealing with it when the anchor did not set properly.

Years of anchoring in Greek waters made me glad I have a good anchor, lots of free running chain, a windlass and a powerful engine. Now all done on my own from the comfort of the cockpit and pretty much 100% success.

I put "sailing" in capitals deliberately, not because it is in some way superior, but to point out that there is no law that states that just because someone is going to anchor, one must change from sailing to motoring. There are many on here who try to give the impression that one is not properly anchored without revving an engine in astern gear.

I too used to have a boat with a Stuart Turner. An old 18ft ship's lifeboat, which I made into a gaff cutter. At first the auxillary power was a pair of oars, but then I bored the sternpost, and fitted the little Stuart Turner, which I believe had come off a petrol Bowser, so had no gearbox, but a centrifugal clutch. No way of backing on your anchor with that. Starting it was a bit of a saga.

 

[Bobc]

Paint a foot of red paint in the chain at every 10m, or stick some cable ties round the chian at each 10m. Doesn't matter what you use, just helps you to count in 10m chunks (you don't need to do smaller denominations, 15m is one 1m chunk and then some more).

Don't just chuck all the chain out in one go as it can end up in a heap on top of the anchor. Feed enough out to get the anchor on the sea bed plus a few meters to allow it to get a grip (so 10m in 6m of water is fine, but then just hold the chain in your hand and as you feel it starting to tension, just ease out another 10m as it wants to.

Also, a snubber line is a great thing as it takes the load off the bow roller and stops the noises of the chain in the boat, which is good for un-disturbed sleep.

 

[NormanS]

How does the bear communicate the feeling of dragging or not?

Perhaps more to the point, how do you find being in close quarters with a bear, on a boat?

I think a swift departure is warranted for me now. Sorry, the goal was wide open.

You forgot to ask what subjects the chain is taught.

 

[NormanS]

We seem to be getting back on point here again!! Thank you!!

We have a 27ft sailing boat with inboard engine. No windlass and the chain is not marked (although this is something I have on my winter task list!).

Make sure that the end of the chain (the bitter end) is made fast to the boat, otherwise you may let out more chain than you really intended.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Sums it up nicely.

I'm bemused by all the fuss people make about 'digging it in' with varying amounts of astern power. Give it a bit of astern to check its holding/dug in by all means, but so long as you choose your spot and don't dump all the chain straight on top of the anchor to snag it, it's a straightforward and simple evolution. Four of five times the max depth you are likely to be in and stop worrying.

I'm assuming you are on a small sailing yacht with auxiliary engine.

The OP is obviously not in the Med, but in the Med with a weed/grass bottom, you have to develop a technique that will get your anchor through the grass if there are no sandy patches.

Some people advocate on the new generation anchors a sharp yank after you have around 5 times depth laid out, others a slow nuzzle to get it through. Often I find that I just cannot get a hold after after the initial layout and hold. I find that as you gently increase revs, the chain comes taught, and appears to hold. If the weather is light I will leave it at that, but if there is wind or wind forecast I would be happier to use full astern to be sure that I am through the grass.
Often then everything goes slack and she drags and so one has to start again bringing the anchor to the surface to remove the weed picked up on the drag. Sometimes it is accompanied by swirls of muddy water - this to me is a sign that the area is impossible as the weed is only holding onto loose earthy substrate. (Anchor - Manson Supreme)

Any ideas on what technique to use will be welcomed! Some bottoms nothing will hold. In the N Sporades I dived on the anchor to see it totally buried in fine sand. there was about 10 knots of wind. A fine cloud of sand was above the anchor, and I noticed it was slowly dragging through the sand, though totally buried! I have been told that this was mica sand which is impossible to anchor in. we relayed 20 meters away and were fine.

 

[JumbleDuck]

There's a whole separate discussion to be had about swinging circles and scope vs selfish use of available anchoring space. I was just trying to encourage the OP to get the anchor set successfully for the first time.

Good point.

Perhaps the greater scopes used or recommended are because a) chains no good in the locker. b) electric windasses make recovery very easy.

Windlass? Electric? But yes, I see what you mean. In bad conditions I am all for paying out everything I have; when it's nice then every metre which goes down is a metre I have to bring back by hand ...

 

[JumbleDuck]

Just to add about digging in the anchor under power and why it is important to do this straight away as soon as the anchor is down.

On the other hand, there are some anchors which seem to benefit from a few minutes (about a cup of coffee's worth) to wriggle their way in before any substantial force is applied, otherwise they go skiting over the sea bed. So whether you drop and pull or drop, relax and pull probably depends on what sort of anchor you have.

 

[Robin]

Even Solent sailors get to anchor under sail sometimes if they want to: Osbourne bay and Studland have loads of room. However given that the RYA deem this an advanced topic not taught/examined at dayskipper level and Smert is a self-described novice looking for the basic procedure for safe anchoring, presumably focusing on motor is most appropriate if the boat has one?

Erm, sorry to be picky but Studland is not in the Solent.

 

[[70521]]

We seem to be getting back on point here again!! Thank you!!

We have a 27ft sailing boat with inboard engine. No windlass and the chain is not marked (although this is something I have on my winter task list!).

As long as you can measure out a known length. In the past I've measured out chain by flaking it out down the side decks to a point 5 meters from the bow.

Remember the measure the total height of tide not the charted depth; don't ask as I would not want to embarrass the skipper who instructed that 16 meters of chain need to be set and could not get the hook to set, I popped back to check his calcs and we needed a lot more chain out.

I've posted this before, but you might enjoy some extreme anchoring, not the skipper above!

 

[RichardS]

We are lucky that people with the experience of Straightshooter take the time to share their knowledge. Happy New Year to all.

I don't often get confused on these forums but I'm puzzled by who Straightshooter is?

Richard

 

[Uricanejack]

I've recently discovered how to anchor under sail alone and now approach downwind/tide with a measured length of rode prepared and made off. Drop the anchor at the desired spot and let the rode run free. Your 'way' will set the hook.

I like this method, But I often get some funny looks when I arrive

 

[ghostlymoron]

It's aesthetically pleasing, that's all to quietly enter an anchorage and anchor as sailors have done for generations.

Not relevant to the question, neither is there anything superior about dropping the anchor under sail, particularly in the congested anchorages most of us use. The objective is to get the anchor down securely and safely and that is best done under motor. not that it can't be done under sail, but most never get the opportunity.