Anchoring

V

Victoria Sponge

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 Dec 2010
Messages
12,090
Visit site
Your take on easy to follow instructions please. Can we assume we have the right anchor :p, the right amount of chain, the right conditions, including holding and the right depth, etc? Just give me your take on what to do, in simple steps. I have my own system, I just want to know what yours is.
 
Victoria Sponge said:
Your take on easy to follow instructions please. Can we assume we have the right anchor :p, the right amount of chain, the right conditions, including holding and the right depth, etc? Just give me your take on what to do, in simple steps. I have my own system, I just want to know what yours is.
Click to expand...

lower it to the sea bed

pay out chain as the boat drops back. Snub gently when some payed out (with luck that will start it digging in)

when desired length payed out snub again then motor gently back. When it seems to be holding apply more power to dig it in fully.

If it fails to hold start again from scratch.

When the boat settles take bearings, or better note transits, on convenient fixed objects.
 
Last edited:
Recce the area to check expected depth and relative position of other boats. Ideally, flake out the required scope on deck before final approach. Motor or sail slowly into position with crew on foredeck and anchor on the roller. As the boat loses weigh, drop the hook until it hits the bottom, checking the rode as it does. pay out in increments allowing the boat to drop back, checking that the swinging circle is not going to exceeed expectations. Once fully paid out, engage astern and apply power, or back the mainsail and try to steer her straight back (!) to dig the anchor in. Establish suitable transits to confirm you're not dragging.

Rob.
 
Since you have already established all the important issues of depth, scope etc;
1/ make sure the boat is moving approximately in the direction that it will lie, i.e. downtide.
2/ drop the hook until it touches bottom.
3/ pay out the predetermined scope
4/ put sheer on, usually towards any danger on the ebb.
5/ put kettle on / open bottle [according to taste]
6/ check transit to see if anchor is holding.

I've noticed that lots of people like to repeat the procedure several times accompanied by revving engines and shouting before heading off to a boat park.
 
Good tips, thanks so far. There's just the two of us, so one on helm one on anchor! We don't do shouting, so a very clear idea, plus predetermined hand signals is the order of the day.
 
Or you could do what an entire italian charter fleet just did near us...

1,Arrive at full speed
2, check water depth(5m)
3. Drop 10m chain in a heap on top of the anchor
4 immedietely get in tender wearing bright orange speedoes
5 get out of tender, then wade out until water is a thigh hieght and get out you mobile phone and make loud phone calls.

Their boats are still there , so there must be something to it, as they say I talians do it better, maybe we should learn from them?
 
Sorry, i forgot a very important stage

4a. Drive tender at absolute top speed the 20 m to shore.

I do like the italians , they just don't care as long as it all looks good!

Nice ice cream too!
 
No problem there.

Uk method

1 study the theory of anchoring in pbo and ym articles about how even leaving a marina will result in instant death.
2 worry about how it will all work out
3 plan the operation down to the minutest detail in advance, thats how we won two world wars you know.
4 complain online about proposed mooring taxes , mooring charges etc
4 arrive at anchorage and complain about everyone else being there, bloody foreigners!
5 drop anchor in pre determined spot.
6 let out as much scope as possible
7 get out mearuring devices and take multiple angles for reference
8 fill out log book
9 patrol deck for new arrivals
10 assume aggressive hands on hips stance if anyone comes too close.
11 if anything goes wrong in any of the above, blame the wife/crew and start shouting.

Whilst all this is going on the italians , germans , dutch , swedish , americans , etc etc are all ashore in the bar having a good laugh at the up tight brits!

I for one will be sitting with my friends in the bar .
 
Just to add a couple of points. After you have veered your desired amount cable to dig in on, attach a chain hook to a strong cleat before applying engine power in reverse. Not good to use the windlass for this. If the bottom suits your anchor (in our case Rocna + sand) then you have a good chance of getting on first time so you can gently apply revs and increase to full if strong wind forecast. If your anchor and bottom do not suit (in our case Rocna + mud) then the anchor might need some encouragement to dig in. This is a technique you just have to learn, you could try veering more scope than you are going to need then dig in anchor and retrieve chain to suit or even if light airs are forecast not applying full revs and just use enough to get it on without pulling it out.

It is all just a learning curve and practicing your technique.

oh, and do not forget the snubber.

Edit: transits are useful as the final check but with practice both the person on the foredeck (with foot on chain - carefully) and the person on the helm applying power will both feel whether you are dragging. After you are used to it you can feel the behaviour of the anchor on the bottom and even detect a movement of just a few feet as the anchor buries, drags back a bit and then buries a bit more. Anchoring is a very satisfying and enjoyable pursuit :)

Edit again ! choosing the correct spot to anchor if there are already boats in the anchorage is one of the biggest challenges. You will probably/inevitably find that if there is only one boat there they will be smack in the best position. Do not anchor ahead of them - sounds obvious but you would be suprised sometimes. Do not underestimate how far you will drop back so you can lay your anchor quite close to them off one of their quarters. If the anchorage is very full maybe lay it almost abeam of them. After you have dropped back you will end up a long way away and providing you are on similar scopes you should not touch !

Sorry if this sounds lecturing, have no idea of your experience ;)
 
Last edited:
All good advice from storyline.

I am sure we are all adult enough to recognise a bit of fun ?? My posts were very much tounge cheek.

Victoria is you would like an excellent source of anchoring info take a look here

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/photos-of-anchors-setting-126073.html

It is the usa forum that I find misses out on some of the character assasinations thet ybw goes in for on occasion.

The author has spent many days diving on various anchors and photgraphing them along with hints and suggestions.

Very good reading.

Best of luck.
 
An interesting omission, in all the suggested methodology for anchoring under power, is using plenty of power to dig the anchor in.
I use 2600-3000 rpm in reverse.
If people care to look @
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1602177#post1602177
this thread (which is fact-based instead of opinion), you'll discover that many people omit this step and, nearly always, their anchors are badly set (yea some are Italians).

Of course when you come to anchoring under sail an entirely new set of parameters have to be considered. Unfortunately most would be bu**ered if they had to do that.

I sail by myself, have no electric anchor winch and anchor about 200 times a season.
 
What a nice change to see some sensible advice on anchoring, rather than the usual death and doom nonsense posted on these forums about anchors and chain around twice a heavy as needed except under gale conditions on a lee shore.
 
charles_reed said:
An interesting omission, in all the suggested methodology for anchoring under power, is using plenty of power to dig the anchor in.
I use 2600-3000 rpm in reverse.
If people care to look @
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1602177#post1602177
this thread (which is fact-based instead of opinion), you'll discover that many people omit this step and, nearly always, their anchors are badly set (yea some are Italians).

Of course when you come to anchoring under sail an entirely new set of parameters have to be considered. Unfortunately most would be bu**ered if they had to do that.

I sail by myself, have no electric anchor winch and anchor about 200 times a season.
Click to expand...

For many years (after being one of the very few boats that did not drag in an unseasonal summer storm) we would always without exception dig the anchor in on full revs which in our case is around 2,800. This is the ideal and on many, many occasions we have been very glad we did when the wind got up in the night.

This was with a cqr but since getting a Rocna we are now sometimes more pragmatic. On sand (as mentioned above) I confidently apply full throttle progressively knowing that more than 9 times out of 10 the anchor will not budge. However there are certain anchorages where we have trouble getting on reliably. These are typically mud and naturally if there is anything over a F6 forecast we will just persevere until we get on but in light airs we avoid pulling the anchor out so only use somewhere around 2000rpm or a bit above. I now know the Rocna will reliably then dig itself in in it's own time. My wife and I prefer to anchor in silence using hand signals so in muddy places I apply throttle (she is i/c windlass) and hold up my hands. Two fingers on left hand indicate 2k revs, fingers on right hand indicate the hundreds. I always give her the final say (so she does not worry later) so I wait for her nod as I increase the revs (and fingers) hundred by hundred until I get her nod of approval. T'is a bit pathetic but it works for us :)
 
Once I have anchored firmly I motor slowly up to the anchor and then set the 'anchor alarm' using the length of the scope of cable as the radius limit and then let the boat fall back. This way the alarm does not go off when there is a change in wind direction as I would still be within the 'safe' circle...unless the anchor drags.
 
Last edited:
I always use a Y shaped 16mm nylon rope harness to attach to the chain- this is connected to both forward cleats and a shackle on the anchor chain. Once the chain is paid out I connect the harness than let a little more out so the harness takes the strain. I don't let the windlass take the strain.
 
Best done under Spinnaker for the very best results as this gives the equivalent of 2500-3000 rpm that you would have had if motoring.
It does lead to a fairly snappy rounding up as the anchor bites but with a fully battened main and lazy jacks, the main will come down a treat and the spinnaker will be nicely parked against the mast so no chance of sailing over it. It also adds a bit more stern thrust as it is backwinded so you get plenty of extra bite on the anchor.
Hope that helps
 
VicS said:
lower it to the sea bed

pay out chain as the boat drops back. Snub gently when some payed out (with luck that will start it digging in)

when desired length payed out snub again then motor gently back. When it seems to be holding apply more power to dig it in fully.

If it fails to hold start again from scratch.

When the boat settles take bearings, or better note transits, on convenient fixed objects.
Click to expand...

More or less as above except that SWMBO nips down below to set the alarm as the anchor hits bottom. Once set, I erase the track on the GPS and keep an eye on our new track, which tells me which direction we've dragged if the alarm goes off - which used to be regular occurrence with CQR lookalike but no longer with the Manson.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

stu9000
HHow long is too long (solo sailing)?
3 4 5
Replies
84
Views
3K
seeSimon
S
cyberkryten
We finally bought a boat - Merry Fisher 895s2
2 3
Replies
41
Views
2K
Cathy*
C

Share this page

Top