Losing achor overnight

[Adetheheat]

I would have thought that boats breaking free from their anchor is rare but ive seen 2 youtube videos of people on a boat who have lost their anchor when anchored off a beach and not in hurricane force winds.
Is it that common?
I read on this site you need to have a permanent watch on the boat overnight for the precise reason of coming undone from the anchor.

 

[dunedin]

With decent gear you should never “lose” the anchor - as in it getting detached from the chain or boat.
It is possible to drag - but anchoring properly, having checked the forecast, using a known anchorage, a safe amount of chain, and checking the anchor set should give a safe night. Hundreds of thousands of people anchor countless times safely without keeping an anchor watch.
Some people don’t anchor safely and get caught out. Some experienced hands very occasionally get caught out, but very rare.
If there are any unusual “risk factors” - strong winds, unpredictable forecast, uncertain holding due to seabed - then an anchor alarm may be worth setting.
PS. Common occurrences don’t make many YouTube hits. And consequently YouTube doesn’t necessarily make good education material.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Like anything, a well specified and maintained anchor rode and anchor properly set should give confidence because it is reliable. My own preference is for simplicity.

 

[bitbaltic]

The only thing better than an anchor thread is an anchor thread that begins with an entirely open-ended question

 

[Neeves]

I know of 2 cases both were shackle failures. I know of one case where the chain failed and on retrieval it was found to have been a poor weld. !5 years ago failures were more common place and even though everyone is now on social media (more than 15 years ago) yachts on beaches have become like dragons teeth.

On one the shackle appears to have been side loaded and the clevis pin pulled out of the thread in the eye. The other the shackle broke into 3 pieces.

Hence the repetitious emphasis on considering side loading and using rated shackles from a reliable source. Anchor chain today is mostly proof tested, that's 2 times working load, during manufacture, its part of the modern chain making process, a poor weld should be picked up at that time. Old chain may have escaped this test. Shackles, reputable, are ALL also proof tested to 2 times WLL.

I would not buy CMP's Titan Black pin shackles. Note 'Titan' is a brand name used by more than CMP.

Chain or shackles that might be available from your local hardware store might not have been tested rigorously (or at all) and might be intended to secure a dog or a decorative chain round a lawn.

On safety factors - metric chain is, usually, sold to a 4:1 safety factor. Shackles to between 4:1 and 6:1. WLL for chain follows that 4:1, so 25% of min break strength. Read the specification - safety factors are always defined by reputable suppliers.

There is really no excuse whatsoever for not using a rated shackle - they are easily available, they are cheap.

Most, all, chart plotters have an anchor alarm, you can source anchor alarm apps for your phone. Many chart plotters have innocuous alarms you can often wire in something a bit more strident.

As mentioned - anchoring every night without incident does not make news. If you want news a yacht on a beach is excellent to catch attention.

Considering the thousands who anchor - yachts on beaches are not common place. We have excellent anchors, quality chain and shackles - use them. Follow the advice - and you will not be a you tube clip of a yacht on a beach.

Relax - if anchoring were so hazardous insurance companies would be factorially more pro active.

Jonathan

 

[MontyMariner]

You don't get many, if any YouTube videos of boats who anchor successfully, where's the fun in that?

 

[Stemar]

I anchor regularly in preference to going into a marina, and have dragged my anchor once, in strong winds, in a place that's notorious for poor holding, in over 20 years. All the bits of my rode are strong enough to lift my boat, so I've no worries about them breaking. However, I do use an anchor app on my phone, just in case, especially if the wind gets up. That's all the anchor watch I need, even as a confirmed pessemist.

 

[vyv_cox]

We were anchored in very quiet conditions in San Antonio, Ibiza, many years ago. There was a bang and we began sliding backwards. On recovering the chain there was half a swivel.and no anchor on the end.

The swivel was a cheap, unnamed one. Fracture with a bang is characteristic of stress corrosion cracking. This failure started me on the long road of anchor rode component testing.

Pictures and more description here Stress-corrosion cracking

 

[ProDave]

We were anchored in very quiet conditions in San Antonio, Ibiza, many years ago. There was a bang and we began sliding backwards. On recovering the chain there was half a swivel.and no anchor on the end.

Do many routinely fit a swivel to their anchor? Ours does not have one and if you only anchor overnight I guess you don't need one. Perhaps needed if you remain at anchor in one place over many tides?

 

[vyv_cox]

Do many routinely fit a swivel to their anchor? Ours does not have one and if you only anchor overnight I guess you don't need one. Perhaps needed if you remain at anchor in one place over many tides?

My advice always is 'if you don't need a swivel, don't fit one'. Our anchor rotates quite quickly on recovery and without a swivel the chain jumps the groove in the bow roller, which is sized for the anchor shank. The result is twisting of the chain between bow roller and windlass, which my wife, who does foredeck, cannot sort out.

We went a season without a swivel to assess our need to have one. Our conclusion was that having one was far preferable.

 

[BobnLesley]

...There was a bang and we began sliding backwards. On recovering the chain there was half a swivel.and no anchor on the end.

I wouldn't fit one if you paid me! Over the years that we were full time cruising we must've come across ten or a dozen people who suffered from swivel failures, while I can only recall one guy whose shackle let go and he didn't get a sympathetic hearing: the lad who snorkelled down to recover his anchor also found the remains of the swivel, not only was it worn >50% of the way through, the owner commented that "I think I got it from Walmart or maybe Home Depot"

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Inspect your anchor, swivel if you have one, any shackles, and the chain on a regular basis .... and don't forget to mouse the shackles to stop the pins coming loose, and use a threadlock compound on swivel attachment screws.
If you make a habit of anchoring leaving the chain on the gypsy without a snubber, or don't make it fast somehow, then ensure the bitter end is well attached in case the gypsy lets go.

In 50 years we (my family and I, with multiple boats) haven't had an anchor loss yet.

 

[vyv_cox]

I wouldn't fit one if you paid me! Over the years that we were full time cruising we must've come across ten or a dozen people who suffered from swivel failures, while I can only recall one guy whose shackle let go and he didn't get a sympathetic hearing: the lad who snorkelled down to recover his anchor also found the remains of the swivel, not only was it worn >50% of the way through, the owner commented that "I think I got it from Walmart or maybe Home Depot"

Poor or non-existent maintenance causes huge numbers of failures in every component on the boat. The equipment cannot always be blamed, it is the owner's responsibility. I fitted my Kong swivel in 2005 after the earlier failure. It remains in perfect condition but I do inspect it regularly, along with the shackle and chain.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

I wouldn't fit one if you paid me! Over the years that we were full time cruising we must've come across ten or a dozen people who suffered from swivel failures, while I can only recall one guy whose shackle let go and he didn't get a sympathetic hearing: the lad who snorkelled down to recover his anchor also found the remains of the swivel, not only was it worn >50% of the way through, the owner commented that "I think I got it from Walmart or maybe Home Depot"

As @vyv_cox said, don't fit a swivel if you don't need one ... I have witnessed a Quick windlass casing being mangled as a twisted chain locked up and tore the chain-stripping mechanism out of its' securing hole, also mangling the Gypsy ....

 

[johnalison]

I met someone in Salcombe who had lost an anchor at one of the beaches. He later found that a young niece had been playing with the GPS at the time and had recorded the position, enabling him to recover the anchor a day or two later.

 

[Bilgediver]

I anchor regularly in preference to going into a marina, and have dragged my anchor once, in strong winds, in a place that's notorious for poor holding, in over 20 years. All the bits of my rode are strong enough to lift my boat, so I've no worries about them breaking. However, I do use an anchor app on my phone, just in case, especially if the wind gets up. That's all the anchor watch I need, even as a confirmed pessemist.

Anchored once in Typhoon Bay Hong Kong when Typhoon Dot came over the horizon . Never moved an inch. Mind you our 3 legged Doxford wsa chugging away at half ahead to give a little help. Couldn't see a thing for the torrential rain. No radar ;