Anchoring procedure

[smert]

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?

 

[DanTribe]

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.

 

[john_morris_uk]

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.

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.

 

[Tranona]

Very straightforward - although the actual drop will depend on whether you have a windlass or not. Assuming not, you will eventually need a scope of 25-30m to cope with high water. Get 12-15m chain out on deck, go into the wind where you want to drop, drop the anchor to ramge of your chain, engage reverse to set the anchor, then pay out the rest up to your 30m or so and make fast You are now anchored. With a windlass you don't need to pay out chain in advance - just let out enough for the first set as the anchor drops and then the rest.

 

[Triassic]

If it's a remote anchorage and you're likely to be the only one there it's a bit easier, simply pick what you think is a good spot and go for it. You can always move later as you reconsider things over your tea.....

If however it's a popular location then you need to take into account others. Try and pick a spot where you won't swing into them, or they into you remembering that different vessels behave differently (avoid trimarans, we sail all over the place on anchor due to no draught, lots of windage and lightweight rodes). If you got there first and have free choice then dropping your hook bang in the middle isn't going to make you very popular when others arrive and can't avoid you so depending on your nature that's worth some thought. I'm afraid I can be a bit of a snob and I tend to eye up the occupants on the other boats as well. If you're looking forward to a good nights sleep then it's usually unwise to anchor 10m away from a boat containing six blokes who are already on the beer..... Six topless beauties of course is another matter altogether....

Then consider your needs. If you want to go ashore are you near a landing spot and is it upwind/downwind. If I'm going ashore to fetch water/supplies I try to make the return trip the downwind one, likewise consider tide. If you have a shallow draught going close in can not only make this a whole lot easier but also reduce the risk of anything big getting near you during the night, just beware wind and tide and make sure you're not going to wake up high and dry.....

Practice makes perfect.... the more you do it the more comfortable you will feel.

 

[vyv_cox]

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......

The point about driving astern at relatively high revs is that it tests the holding in fresh wind strengths. For my boat I know that pulling at 2500 rpm is equivalent to around force 6-7. Many times in the past I have pulled at 1800-2000 rpm and been happy that we were not moving but at 2500 rpm we dragged, due to weed, shallow sand over rock or other reasons, including plastic bags, bundles of monofilament fishing line and a tin can over the tip of the anchor.

 

[NUTMEG]

Anchored on hard packed sand during the summer. Lowered anchor slowly whilst holding station at tickover. Paid out chain and allowed boat to drift astern. Engaged reverse to check setting. Dragged. Went ahead, repeated process three maybe four times before anchor held.

My mate, similar boat (heavy M/S) turned up astern of us, just simply dropped anchor and a LOT of chain over and got in dinghy and went straight ashore.

Both boats there on our return

 

[NormanS]

The point about driving astern at relatively high revs is that it tests the holding in fresh wind strengths. For my boat I know that pulling at 2500 rpm is equivalent to around force 6-7. Many times in the past I have pulled at 1800-2000 rpm and been happy that we were not moving but at 2500 rpm we dragged, due to weed, shallow sand over rock or other reasons, including plastic bags, bundles of monofilament fishing line and a tin can over the tip of the anchor.

We have a sailing boat.
Right, so you reckon that 2500rpm gives you the equivalent pull of a F6-7. So what happens when it freshens up? Presumably the anchor digs in a bit more, as anchors are designed to do. So what have you achieved by starting and running your engine for 5 minutes, except unfair wear and tear on the engine?

 

[alahol2]

So what have you achieved by starting and running your engine for 5 minutes, except unfair wear and tear on the engine?

Peace of mind...

 

[Poecheng]

We have a sailing boat.
Right, so you reckon that 2500rpm gives you the equivalent pull of a F6-7. So what happens when it freshens up? Presumably the anchor digs in a bit more, as anchors are designed to do. So what have you achieved by starting and running your engine for 5 minutes, except unfair wear and tear on the engine?

If I understood V C correctly, what has been achieved is distinguishing between an anchor that you believe is dug in but is only superficially dug in (on the one hand) and one that is properly dug in (on the other)

 

[Tintin]

We have a sailing boat.
Right, so you reckon that 2500rpm gives you the equivalent pull of a F6-7. So what happens when it freshens up? Presumably the anchor digs in a bit more, as anchors are designed to do. So what have you achieved by starting and running your engine for 5 minutes, except unfair wear and tear on the engine?

I have a picture in my head of an engine sulking like a petulant child "it's so unfair".

 

[vyv_cox]

Thanks to the three posters ahead of this. Enough said?

 

[Tranona]

We have a sailing boat.
Right, so you reckon that 2500rpm gives you the equivalent pull of a F6-7. So what happens when it freshens up? Presumably the anchor digs in a bit more, as anchors are designed to do. So what have you achieved by starting and running your engine for 5 minutes, except unfair wear and tear on the engine?

Would suggest that the majority of people carry out the anchoring process under motor, so no big deal to give a burst of reverse to set the anchor.

Clearly if you anchor under sail then you have to adjust your technique accordingly - but the question was not about how to anchor under sail, otherwise all the answers would have been different. The OP wanted to know how to anchor successfully and responses have been pretty unanimous.

 

[john_morris_uk]

The point about driving astern at relatively high revs is that it tests the holding in fresh wind strengths. For my boat I know that pulling at 2500 rpm is equivalent to around force 6-7. Many times in the past I have pulled at 1800-2000 rpm and been happy that we were not moving but at 2500 rpm we dragged, due to weed, shallow sand over rock or other reasons, including plastic bags, bundles of monofilament fishing line and a tin can over the tip of the anchor.

I appreciate what you are saying, but I was intentionally reluctant to specify actual revs etc as it all depends on the boat..! My 'give it a bit of astern' to check its bit into the bottom was me trying to not over complicate things.

I've driven boats with perfectly respectable modern anchors and good rodes where full astern would almost ALWAYS drag the anchor whatever the bottom. It's why I added my caveat 'I assume you are on a sailing yacht with an auxiliary engine.' I was hoping he wasn't on a motor boat or a powerful motor sailor with 200hp and a big fixed prop..!

The OP wants to learn the basics of anchoring. I humbly suggest that choosing your spot and not letting the chain pile up on top of the anchor letting out enough scope and 'giving it a bit of astern to check its caught' is as simple as it gets. Allowing for swinging and what happens if a storm is coming are lessons that can wait? N'est pas?

There are nice touches such as laying out the chain on deck first, or using a windlass with a marker chain that also need to be learned. Lifting the anchor by driving the boat up towards the anchor rather than the windlass pulling the boat. (Hint: get the crew on the foredeck to communicate with shivers driving which way the rode lies. ) and other touches also need to be practiced.

etc....

We all keep learning if we've got any sense.

 

[MM5AHO]

If you intend to stay a while, then a nylon rope, about the length of the boat, from anchor chain just over the bow to a stern cleat gives a bit of spring. Use either a running hitch to attach the rope to the chain, or a chain snitch, then your anchor doesn't suffer snatch loads, nor does your bow bollard or cleat. The chain should have some slack inboard of rhe rope attachment point, and then also be made fast, even though with some slack.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Four of five times the max depth you are likely to be in ...

It's funny, isn't it, how the recommended length of chain has increased steadily as the holding power of anchors has supposedly improved?

 

[vyv_cox]

I appreciate what you are saying, but I was intentionally reluctant to specify actual revs etc as it all depends on the boat..! My 'give it a bit of astern' to check its bit into the bottom was me trying to not over complicate things.
etc....

We all keep learning if we've got any sense.

But if you are going to give it 'a bit of astern' you might as well give it a bit more to ensure it will hold in any likely wind. I find that having allowed for force 6-7 it has always held subsequently in more than that and dug in further, if the effort required to get it out later is anything to go by.

I appreciate that being able to watch what is happening on the seabed gives me something of an advantage but several of us in this lucky position do try to feed back our findings.

 

[claymore]

Don't forget to take transit bearings and set your gps alarm and have an anchor watch set even if only anchoring for an hour and all the other blasted bits of advice that get churned out with these incessant bloody posts on anchoring.
Tell you what - invest in a bit of training with someone who knows what they are doing rather than give everyone the opportunity to regurgitate what is now very old hat.
Sorry if that sounds rather harsh and unfriendly but the search facility on these forums will certainly dig up every post there has ever been - and there are hundreds - on anchoring.

 

[ghostlymoron]

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.

 

[vyv_cox]

It's funny, isn't it, how the recommended length of chain has increased steadily as the holding power of anchors has supposedly improved?

Due to a misjudgement on my part when laying out the kedge in a fork moor this year I finished up with only 3:1 on a mostly rope rode, with 5 metres of 8 mm chain and the Fortress. We had winds of about 35 knots for several days, perhaps 60% of the time on the kedge, yawing back to the Rocna on chain for the other 40%. There was never any suggestion that the Fortress was not holding perfectly well on this scope and it took a great deal of heaving, eventually using the capstan on the windlass, to recover it.