Anchoring

The plotter should have an offset option so you can set it to a position if your choice in the same way you can adjust the depth to read water, below keel etc.
It is a valuable feature in Vesper Vision AIS/anchor alarm (and also open CPN?), but unfortunately very few chartplotters offer this facility. When available it obviously requires heading information (not just COG) so you also need a fluxgate or GPS compass.

The anchor alarms on even expensive chartplotters tend to be very rudimentary.
 
“Whatever did we do before fancy anchors and chart plotters?”

We noted transits and - something nobody has mentioned yet - we used our ears. The sound the chain makes if an anchor is dragging is different to the sound it makes if the chain is being re-arranged on the bottom.
 
“Whatever did we do before fancy anchors and chart plotters?”

We noted transits and - something nobody has mentioned yet - we used our ears. The sound the chain makes if an anchor is dragging is different to the sound it makes if the chain is being re-arranged on the bottom.
When the norm for us might be half the distance from shore that ypu deep keel people are, you don’t need to use a bearing compass. It’s bloody obvious if you’re dragging. My favoutie kind pf anchorage is to bury the hook myself on the beach.
 
“Whatever did we do before fancy anchors and chart plotters?”

We noted transits and - something nobody has mentioned yet - we used our ears. The sound the chain makes if an anchor is dragging is different to the sound it makes if the chain is being re-arranged on the bottom.
On one occasion when we did drag, fortunately away from the land, I became aware that instead of first heeling one way and then the other, as the boat swung to her anchor, she heeled the one way for too long. Sure enough she was dragging. Unconsciously, I was in tune with the boat's behaviour.
 
“Whatever did we do before fancy anchors and chart plotters?”

We noted transits and - something nobody has mentioned yet - we used our ears. The sound the chain makes if an anchor is dragging is different to the sound it makes if the chain is being re-arranged on the bottom.
You're actually allowed to still do that and have all the modern toys.
Transits will be out when the wind changes direction.

Wouldn't know what a chain dragging sounds like 😂😂
 
You're actually allowed to still do that and have all the modern toys.
Transits will be out when the wind changes direction.

Wouldn't know what a chain dragging sounds like 😂😂
No! You must choose! And choose wisely as you only get to pick sides once 😜
 
I'll take your word for it 😁
Personally prefer having an alarm go off if the boat moves a metre or 2 further that it should 😎
How does that work with 30m of chain out and you go 60m the other direction when the tide or wind turns? Even in shallow water we move in a 10m circle, and we set alarm for 50m if anchoring further out and unsure. However once the Manson sets for certain we dont bother with alarm, as only relevant when trying to catch the boulders on the fringes of Barn Poole
 
How does that work with 30m of chain out and you go 60m the other direction when the tide or wind turns? Even in shallow water we move in a 10m circle, and we set alarm for 50m if anchoring further out and unsure. However once the Manson sets for certain we dont bother with alarm, as only relevant when trying to catch the boulders on the fringes of Barn Poole

Just a simple radius. If the boat goes outside whatever radius you set from the anchor then the hook has moved and the alarm goes off.


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How does that work with 30m of chain out and you go 60m the other direction when the tide or wind turns?
Surely the furthest you will go without dragging is slightly less than 2X metres where:

X = sin@ * h

Where

@ = angle of rode to perpendicular at lowest point of tide

h = length of rode

😂
 
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How does that work with 30m of chain out and you go 60m the other direction when the tide or wind turns? Even in shallow water we move in a 10m circle, and we set alarm for 50m if anchoring further out and unsure. However once the Manson sets for certain we dont bother with alarm, as only relevant when trying to catch the boulders on the fringes of Barn Poole
The alarm centre should be set over the anchor position. Therefore swinging around the anchor with a change in wind or current change does not effect the alarm.

If an anchor alarm is correctly set it will alert the user when the anchor moves even a small distance, but at the same time it does not give any false alarms if the wind direction changes.

Often before an anchor breaks out and drags it will move slowly backwards. This is a warning that the anchor is approaching its limits of holding.

In practice and with care, the alarm distance can be set to less than 5m to trigger an alarm if the GPS records the anchor has moved more than this amount. In most cases these tight alarm distances are not needed because there is ample drag room before the yacht will sustain damage, but on some occasions this can be useful.
 
In practice and with care, the alarm distance can be set to less than 5m to trigger an alarm if the GPS records the anchor has moved more than this amount. In most cases these tight alarm distances are not needed because there is ample drag room before the yacht will sustain damage, but on some occasions this can be useful.
I usually dig the hook in pretty hard and normally set the alarm a maybe 5m further than the max tracked radius but playing around it can be down to maybe couple of metres without any false alarms even in 25/30Kt gusts. Raspberry Pi does it all with a signalk anchor alarm app & the Pi is also the boat sound system so the anchor alarm & off course/high wind etc in opencpn watchdog are all speech which is really useful! No "what's that beep mean again" 😕.
And she's got a nice calm voice 😊
 
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