How to anchor and get it back again single handed?

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gary3029

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Whilst the wife and her family go to butlins for the week I get to go on the boat for a week. However, this presents a problem in that I will be single handed and will need to anchor and retrieve, something I have never done before. No electric gadgets to help get the anchor back so how does one lay and retrieve an anchor single handed?
 
That is difficult as you realy need two hands to hold the chain while recovering the anchor. The technique is to hold the chain in say your left hand, move your right hand down the chain, grip the chainmove left hand to position near your right hand and heave. repeat the above steps until you have recovered your anchor.

It really is a bummer if you only have one hand as the chain tends to run back over board every time you let go with your single hand. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Dropping the anchor is easier - run it round the outside of the guard rail back to the cockpit then tie off at the bows, motor into position and chuck the anchor over, while drifting back go to the bows and pay out what ever extra chain you need, return to the cockpit and set the anchor.
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Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity
 
In your selected position lower the anchor till it reaches the bottom, secure the cable, go to cockpit and engage reverse gear, return to the bow and pay out cable as required, make the cable fast and satisfy yourself the anchor is holding, then turn engine off.
 
I single hand most of the time in my 24 footer, and rarely do anythijng other than anchor, its much easier than berthiung in a crowded marina.

Have chain ready to run out, and the anchpor in the bow roller ready to drop before you arrive. Approach slowly under power, drop in to neutral, and drop anchor while she is till doing around half a knot forward. Run out enough chain, then go aft and pull her back on the engine to set the anchor.

You then double check that you are in the right spot, that there is sufficient chain out, etc.

Raising anchor, start engine first, go forward and pull her up short on the chain. Before you break out the anchor, make a last check that there is nothing nearby to get in the way (approaching dinghies etc), then as soon as it breaks out, pull like fury to get everything on deck. Sometimes you have time to stow it all, sometimes not and you have to get the boat under way and under control again until you have time to go back forward and stow it all.

I have a winch, but rarely use it. If the anchor will not break out, pull the chain as tight as you can, then motor forward to try to break it out, it will nearly always come free under power at very short scope. Alternatively, often just moving aft is enough to pull the anchor free.

Single handing means you can only stop in a place where there is sufficient room to do these manoevers, particularly if the wind is up, or the tide is running hard. Crowded anchorages are out.

I can do it all under sail, but get your anchoring under power drill well practised first to avoid disaster! And I always have the engine ticking over 'just in case'.
 
There was a similar post about 3 or 4 weeks ago with loads of replies - have a search and you should find it.

Like most singlehanding, it is just a case of thinking it through beforehand!

Weighing at LW & slack tide helps as there force on the boat to pull against!. Don't forget that whilst you might not have an anchor winch I expect you do have jib sheet winches? In a blow / strong currect - Long rope to bow - tie onto anchor cable and wind in jib winch until get to end of rope (in which case resecure at bow and repeat ) or anchor up!
 
Before you do any of the above make sure you find a nice quiet spot with no observers and PLENTY of room and have a few goes at it.

Don't worry. It will still go tits up when you do it for real.
 
Getting the anchor to the seabed is rarely a problem. Its own weight will look after that. Do not simply throw the anchor and chain overboard, as that will sit on the seabed in an unholy tangle, following the boat as it heads for that expensive cruiser . . . Retrieving can be difficult, especially if there's any decent current running or wind blowing. It can be eased by having the motor ticking over in gear to take the load off the rode. If the anchor is well set in, secure the rode to the bitts while you're standing on the foredeck [you could hardly do it while you're somewhere else!] and then walk back to the cockpit. The bow will now have extra bouyancy, and should [Insh'Allah!] break the anchor out of the mud. You can then motor to a clear section of the water and haul it aboard at your leisure.
Peter.
 
I use a slightly different version, using a Catting line (ok, it ought to be a fishing line, but it confused people on-board) which is about 12feet of rope with 2 feet of chain attached at one end, with a snap shackle at the other end of the chain loop.

This method doesn't get the anchor off the bottom or out from under a rock, but makes getting it inboard a lot easier. (If you are anchoring in rock, attach the chain to the tripping eye and use light cable ties or cotton yarn to lash the chain to the anchor ring, but that's another topic).

Recovering the anchor:

Haul the chain up until the anchor is swinging just below the hull. Loop the chain part of the catting line round the anchor chain at the stem and snap the shackle back on the chain. You now have a weight loop which will drop round the shank of the anchor. Let it slide down till you have the anchor then pull on the catting line and haul the anchor up aft. If you are standing back towards the shrouds, this gives you plenty of space and hand-holds to use rather than trying to lever the anchor up over the roller when its difficult to reach. Once aboard, stow. Job done.
 
It's what Google was invented for


[ QUOTE ]
Alderney Ring & Dan Buoy - Retrieval of anchor

The majority of small boat anglers use an “Alderney” ring attached to a floating Dan Buoy to lift the anchor by utilising the power of the boat engine to haul the anchor to the surface via the rope and chain which passes through the stainless steel ring.

It is essential to keep the joins smooth so as to avoid any chance of shackles joining the rope and chain to the anchor fouling the “Alderney” ring.

I bought my “Alderney” anchor ring from Stainless Steve Engineering, Unit 15, Setters Workshops, Lymington, Hants, SO41 8YE, tel/fax: 01590 674988.

Alternatively, you can also obtain yours from Ramon Engineering, Unit 92, Carclaze Industrial Estate, St. Austell, Cornwall, PL25 4EW, tel: 01726 74079. Depending on the gauge of the metal used in their construction, expect to pay about £12 to £16, plus carriage.

It’s far easier than breaking your anchor free and hauling it to the surface by hand! It’s a simple technique and quite safe, if you use a little care and common sense.

If the stern of your boat has a low cut-out where your outboard is attached, you should always attach the anchor rope to the bow of your boat to avoid any chance of your stern being pulled underwater and swamped by the tow of the anchor.

When you want to lift your anchor by the “Alderney” ring method, drive your boat forward, ensuring you pass the anchor rope along the side of your craft, keeping it well clear of the propeller. Open the throttle and you will see the Dan buoy submerge as it is pulled under by the weight of the anchor. Be careful to have a hand on the throttle so you can close it instantly if the anchor has become trapped. To continue in such circumstances can be very dangerous and foolhardy, resulting in extreme cases with capsize of the towing craft. You have been warned!

If all is well, as you continue to drive forward at speed, you will feel the rope and then a “rattle” as your anchor chain passes through the “Alderney” ring. Finally you will feel the weight come on as the anchor comes to a halt with its stock caught through the “Alderney” ring. Often you will see the Dan buoy reappear on the surface at this stage. Now you can close your throttle and put your boat into neutral or even motor slowly and carefully back towards the Dan buoy, retrieving the anchor rope and chain as you go.

Once you have seen at first hand how it is done you will approach the whole exercise with confidence. Of course, you might be one of those lucky boat owners with a power capstan, in which case, do mind your fingers!

[/ QUOTE ]
 
Approach anchorage going to windward under full sail far too fast. At the last minute uphelm without releasing jibsheet, then leave her alone. If she is a proper boat she will bear away with relish on the new tack then settle down nicely hove to.
Walk calmly forward, chuck the anchor to windward and quickly (but without rushing) let the main halyard go. She will now gently lay out the cable for you. let roughly 3 times the depth go then make fast and she will dig the anchor in for you and lay to her anchor. At this point get the jib down or roll it up. if of course you have a ketch or yawl (and who could possibly want anything else) this will have been done under mizzen and jib, so walk aft and let the mizzen halyard go.
IMHO of course.
Getting the anchor is simply a reverse of the above. Again IMHO of course
 
Look for books by Francis B Cooke - long out of print but they turn up in secondhand bookshops, the better class of public library and of course Abebooks.

Two titles in particular - "The Singlehanded Yachtsman" and "Single Handed Cruising", but also "Cruising Hints" and "Seamanship for Yachtsmen" .

Very clear explanations, based on your having no engine either.
 
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