Anchors-basic skills

[btlynn]

Having only done a couple of seasons motor boating on a very quiet river, I have yet to take some proper training courses, which I will put to right soon.
However, what are the basic skills for a 26ft motor boat with regard to dropping and weighing anchors? How should the boat be positioned before dropping and weighing? How do you release the anchor from the bottom?
Or are these too broad a question(s).
Regards
B

 

[hlb]

Not really difficult at all unless theres not much room. Face the boat into the wind, or tide. Drop it till it reaches the bottom and a bit more then go slowly back till you stop. Course I could tell yo to check the bottom first and loads of other sruff. But how long are you stopping for and in what conditions??
Best if you motor up to anchor whilst some one else lifts it. Put a trip line with buoy on the back of the anchor if you think it might get snagged under chains etc.

 

[whisper]

In addition to hlb's reply I'd add the following :-
1) It helps if you know the depth of where you are anchoring so that you have a good idea when the anchor will/does touch bottom. This is also easier if your chain is marked so you know how much you've let out at any time.
2) To avoid a useless pile of chain, in a heap on the sea bed, it is useful if the boat is moving slowly away from the position where you dropped anchor as the chain is steadily let out.
3) In calm conditions and with all chain then let out about 3 times the amount of chain as the depth of the water. Don't forget that the water will get deeper as the tide rises so ensure you cater for that. With a chain/rope combination then no less than 5 times is the figure to use.
4) As Haydn says, it's much easier when you are raising the anchor if one person does this whilst the other slowly guides the boat towards where it was dropped. However it is often difficult for the helmsman to judge exactly where the anchor is and so the other crew member can help by regularly pointing in its direction.
5) It is always better to have too much chain out rather than too little.
6) Don't forget to ensure that the chain/warp is tied on to the boat /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Welcome to the forum and Happy Boating.

 

[btlynn]

Thanks chaps, copied off your comments for some quiet sunny calm days trials this coming season season.
B

 

[hlb]

Umm. Yes you need to know how deap it is and good to mark the chain every metre or so. Anyway we always forget to count the marks so not much good, so let the lot out!!

 

[Talbot]

as well as knowing how deep it is, you also need to allow for the difference between tide height when you anchor and high water, and also the height from water level to thebow fitting . Normally if your cable is pure chain you allow in the order of 3x height from bow fitting to the bottom when at high water. This is normally increased if you use rope as well as chain and/or it is particularly breezy to abt 5:1.
Thus it is quite a good idea to know how much cahin you have, and some means of knowing how much you have thrown into the water.

When anchoring allow abt 1x depth of chain out quickly, then control the rest so that it doesnt all end up in a big heep on the bottom. Good idea to add a very small amount of sternway (downtide) as you do drop the anchor as it will help put the cahin in the right position. Once I have veered as much chain as I want to use, I normally give a decent burst of stern power the chain will come up tight and then go slack, keep the power on til it goes tight again, cause the first one or two iterations of this will almost certainly be the chain being straightened out. However, this procedure will bed your anchor well making it harder to pull out (not a bad thig up to the point when you are trying to weigh anchor.) It will also make sure that you will need a buchet and scrubbing brush when you do weigh anchor as it will be covered in mud!

 

[hlb]

Think this also depends on the amount of power available, or might send anchor all the way down to Ausralia and get wedged. If there are any Australian friends here. Can we have our anchors back please!! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Talbot]

I said "decent amount of astern power" - not obscene amounts , or were you being absurd /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[TomIsitt]

There's an anchoring "masterclass" in the latest (Feb 05) issue of MBY that should answer all of your questions

 

[Roy]

Also check what effect a dropping tide and/or wind or current will have on your boats swinging arc in relation to other boats, obstacles and of course falling depth. Always tie off your anchor cable to a strongpoint - cleat or similar to prevent strain on the winch which will knack the electric motor soon enough. Use a hook onto a link or a rolling hitch. You can also get anchor chain holding plates as well - either of above methods is ok. Worth taking a bearing or two once the boat is settled, to ensure that anchor is dug in. Have fun.