Second anchor

[Salty John]

Re: To correct our misapprehensions

I used all chain as my main rode and a relatively short snubber - about 2m from chain to bow roller. I've often dropped a long loop of chain to the seabed between snubber attachment point and bow roller and it does have some yaw -dampening effect. With a heavy displacement boat I probably noticed less benefit from this than might be had with a lighter, more skittish, boat.
In heavy weather I prefer two anchors about 45 degrees apart, even though my second anchor is on a mixed rode.
In circumstances where I see a potential need to up anchor and move I prefer one anchor and an anchor watch.
As a compromise I've tried dropping my second anchor to the seabed but keeping the rode coiled on deck ready to run out if the first anchor should drag but I'm not convinced it would be very effective and could lead to a nasty tangling of rodes.
By the way, I think a long stretchy snubber leads to excessive yawing which is why I prefer a short snubber.

 

[HoratioHB]

Re: To correct our misapprehensions

I guess, like all things yottie everyone develops their own preferred methods. I do have a riding sail which works well but severely affects my wind generator (and is and extra pain to put up). Thanks for all the ideas, its going to give me quite a lot of things to try out over the next few months.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Re: To correct our misapprehensions

[ QUOTE ]
By the way, I think a long stretchy snubber leads to excessive yawing which is why I prefer a short snubber.

[/ QUOTE ] Test then. When you're having a good weave, try the difference. My yawing remained about the same, but the forces involved when snatching at the yaw were much more gentle - I could hold about 30cm of bowstring with a long snubber, nothing with a short one.

Your boat may have different dynamics, so you may have a different answer, but you can alwsys find out. Test, don't assume.

Learn to test, test to learn.

Apologies if you've already tested!

 

[Salty John]

Re: To correct our misapprehensions

I've tested, tested, tested! On one cruise we anchored for 300 days of a year in the Bahamas and Caribbean, never in one spot for more than a few days, so plenty of time to test, albeit on one boat and on primarily sandy bottoms.
As I said, heavy displacement boat on all chain so comparisons with others may not be valid.

 

[HoratioHB]

Re: To correct our misapprehensions

[ QUOTE ]
I use a similar technique to Charles; a minimum of 20m of snubber line, which gives me about 4m of 'spring' to reduce the shocks at each end of the yaw. And a great big loop of chain hanging in the water, which reduces the yawing a bit.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry to keep this debate going but surely 20 metres of snubber (if I've read that right) could cause enormous problems. You are going have to let an emormous amount of chain out first to keep the pull angle on the anchor. Sort of begs the question of why use chain at all in shallow water. If I anchor in 5 metres I use between 4-6 times scope depending on swinging room ie 20 - 30 metres. If 20 of these are snubber line then I guess I am going to need about another 20 metres of chain and will end up swing all round the anchorage.
Purely trying to uderstand how your system works.
By the way my 5m of stretchy nylon snubber seems to give about a metre stretch on the swing and seems quite good at damping down the snatch.

 

[charles_reed]

Somewhat late in the day

I use about 1/2 depth of water as textile snubber, and the chain bight just touching the bottom, from the snubber and back to bow roller.

It almost kills the sheering and has a dramatic reduction on the forces involved (the point that Alain Fraysse makes).

As has already been said the underwater profile and weight of the boat are the most important factors on how well a boat lies to anchor. What works for a heavy long-keeler doesn't work for a lightweight, exiguous deep-keeler like mine.

What I do know is that it's sheering around which is causes anchor drag in 90% of cases on my boat.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Re: To correct our misapprehensions

In 5m water or less I connect the snubber about 10m from the anchor, and let out a further 20m of snubber (less if shallower) with a loose chain. I never use less than 6 x depth scope.

 

[petulantchild]

Re: To correct our misapprehensions

why not try the bower on the front with the main force taken by the heavy chain and the secondary anchor on rode (stronger) from a midship cleat to prevent yaw, the major reason for a breakout. The secondary anchor on nylon rode will act as a shock absorber and the weight is kept down in the bow. You will need to choose which side carefully. If you drag, both anchors will end up in front of the boat but will be retrieved from different places and so should not tangle.

Just a thought.

 

[jamie_Cacique]

Re: shearig/yawing breaking out anchor

I also reckon its when the boat shears side to side that can put a sideways pull on the anchor. I studied the movement of my boat at anchor on a pretty breezy day, and basically the wind would blow her out one tack and she would sail until stopped by the anchor, she would then head out on the other tack and do the same, so I found that by lashing the tiller 1/3 to one side and by attaching a nylon bridle a short way down the chain to a piont slightly back from the bow on the opposite side to which the tiller is lashed she would lie much quieter continuously on the same tack.
By the way I have a heavy displacement long keel boat.
Has anyone else tried this?