Single handed anchoring advice please

[Master_under_Dog]

Having got my depth sounder fixed I feel I am about ready to try anchoring for overnight stops. But I am inhibited by the need to prepare for anchoring whilst underway and Jessie's tendency to dance about when left to her own devices. I can imagine that, having picked a good spot to anchor, by the time I have scuttled to the bow, hauled the anchor from its locker and heaved it overboard we may be some way from where I wanted to be.

I have successfully anchored off Bridgemarsh Island on the Crouch when I had someone on board to help but how should I go about it singlehanded?

I am minded to try an overnight stop in Yokesfleet Creek as a first go, but the anchorage as marked on the chart appears to be mid channel. Is this really acceptable?

All advice gratefully received.

Michael

 

[sarabande]

on the rare occasions when the crew have mutinied, I have taken the bower anchor back to the cockpit, checked that the chain is out board of all stanchions with loops inboard of the rail, and parked the boat with just a little headway on.

Drop anchor overboard; 11 metres of chain follows it of its own accord in a roughly straight line, not a heap. Anchor takes hold, boat halts. If necessary, fiddle with electric switch of winch to ease more chain or otherwise adjust.

I think the key is having a map in your mind (an "eidetic" map if you want a posh term) of where you want the boat to end up, rather than dropping the hook where you expect the boat to finish.

 

[FullCircle]

One of the key elements here is time.

You need time to prepare the anchor on deck ( I am guesssing you dont have a windlass on a TS240) and to flake out the anchor on deck.
You need time to assess the chart and calculate a tidal height for where you want to go.
You need to survey the proposed anchorage to assess any other boats anchored, wind and tide directions. I would say holding, but this is the east coast. Its mud soup.
Then roughly calculate your angle of entry wind to tide, and try it by going in for a dry run and seeing where your bows go, and how fast you drift off your proposed anchoring point.

Boat preparation:
Before you set out from home base, make sure you have the following done.
Anchor chain clearly marked so you immediately know how much you are looking at when it is deployed on deck or in the drink.
Make sure you know how much you have in the locker, and divide by 3. This is the max depth you can even contemplate.
Make sure the bitter end is attached to the boat! (I know, basic stuff)
Measure the deck/stanchions/cleat area so you have a rough visual length when you flake out chain/warp on the deck. Its reassuring to know you are in the right ball park.
If you have an anchor locker lid, make sure you can easily secure it in the up position.
Check that cleat access is easy, or rig an anchor chain hook to a cleat for temporary use.

On the water:
Do all the work in open water for preparation to drop the anchor.
You may have to make several trips back to the cockpit to realign the boat.
Anchor ready to put overboard on roller.
Flaked around 3:1 of (previously surveyed) depth on deck and secured.

Letting go.
Go a bit further upwind/tide of your (previously surveyed) dropping point. Allow the boat to slow to 1 knot, centre the tiller (preferably lashed central) then walk up the deck and prepare.
Wait until boat is just slowly moving backward, then deploy anchor at a reasonable pace, you will feel it it touch down, keep flaking at a steady pace and then secure.
Take a couple of visual transits so you can assess your movement when the boat (hopefully) stops moving. These can be features on the bank, distant buildings, anything really so you can check you position very quickly.
Make sure you are drifting as your survey.
The boat will drift differently at the bow, as the weight of chain keeps it in check.
The chain will be almost vertical to the bow in this phase.
You will see the chain bite and stretch out, and the angle will be about 30 degrees to the front of the boat, so that the chain entry into the water is about 1 metre in front, and will tauten visibly.
Wait for 10 seconds for the boat to slew round to that tautened chain, and check your transits. If it looks OK, then return to the cockpit and recheck your transits. If still OK, apply reverse slowly. If that holds, apply more power in reverse.

With luck, it will all stop nicely. If it does not, motor slowly forward to just stem the wind/tide, return to the deck and pulll it all up again. Repeat.

The key is having enough room to be able to back out of the exercise in an orderly fashion.

I can say that Yokesfleet creek is unlikely to be blocked by your fine craft, and is not navigable throughout the tide so dont worry. Its a wonderful place.

 

[barfly4657]

[QUOTE I am inhibited by . . . Jessie's tendency to dance about when left to her own devices.

Surely the starting point is fitting an Autopilot to enable you to start the engine and head into wind to do what you have to do?
Don't tell me you are an engine-less purist!

 

[moondancer]

admiration

I am full of admiration for those who sail single handled. I have had to do it on a couple of occasions and I don't like it a bit. Once I nearly ended up with me on a pontoon and Moondancer floating across Burnham Marina. Nearly as embarrassing as watching my dinghy floating down the Roach with me standing on the hard holding the oars. Lots of the RSA people race single handled and I find it a superb display of forward planning and seamanship.

Good luck with your single handled anchoring. Jim's advice sounds reasonable.

 

[Master_under_Dog]

Thanks for the advice

I am really grateful for the good advice and encouragement, particularly from Full Circle which I shall print out and keep handy. Clearly good preparation and thinking it all through beforehand are key.

In reply to Barfly I would say I am not an engineless purist, although it is always a blessed relief to switch it off, but I find that unless I am doing about three knots through the water the engine gives minimal steerage way, except when there is little wind or tide. I have an autopilot which is pretty good when the winds are light but finds it difficult to cope in anything over force four. My problem is that at three knots we can cover quite a lot of ground whilst I am fiddling about. Hence my nervousness about the whole process. But I expect that, as with other hurdles I have overcome, not rushing things and careful forethought about what I am about to do will overcome any difficulties.

Michael

 

[Crowblack]

Being able to exploit the wonderful opportunity to overnight in an East Coast anchorage lying to your own anchor is a very satisfying experience, especially when you can have a sound night knowing you are secure.

Full Circle's description of technique is the one to be followed but as someone who singlehands a great deal, I would stress his think/plan ahead point.

Consider how it would be with one crew then work backwards in time to do all the jobs yourself and be approaching the anchorage safely with them already done, ready to consider at your anchorage point where to drop, how she will lie.

Good luck

 

[johnalison]

[QUOTE I am inhibited by . . . Jessie's tendency to dance about when left to her own devices.

Surely the starting point is fitting an Autopilot to enable you to start the engine and head into wind to do what you have to do?
Don't tell me you are an engine-less purist!

I can't agree that turning head to wind is always or often the best option, though it is the first defensive reflex for many. Most sailing boats will settle much better facing downwind and will stay there, even with the engine idling in astern.

As for anchoring, my rule-of-thumb is to observe other boats at anchor or on moorings and approach the anchorage at the same angle (works for picking up moorings too).

 

[FullCircle]

As for anchoring, my rule-of-thumb is to observe other boats at anchor or on moorings and approach the anchorage at the same angle (works for picking up moorings too).

Sort of agree, except the Trapper 240 is a light weight lift keel flyer that is very wind rode, and other boats at anchor may well be Karouise type long keelers laying to tide.
Best to go in, survey the spot, and let the boat tell you which way is going to work for you.
Also take note of above when working out the way all the boats will behave if the wind gets up, or when the tide turns. Could be 180 degree difference!!

 

[dmmbruce]

I agree with Full Circle. I sail single handed almost always, always have. The key requirement is to plan ahead. So, go and have a look, as suggested above, prepare in advance, perhaps by heaving-to before you get there and getting the chain/warp laid out and the anchor untied etc. If your boat sails ok, then go in nearer, drop/furl the foresail and proceed quietly in under main. Go slowly, never rush! get where you want, luff up, release the main sheet and walk forward. Drop calmly and quietly. If you drag, lift it (that does need some speed, usually) and go back to the cockpit, pull in the sheet and do it again.

If you plan and organise it, which is easy, there is no rush even in a nice but lively modern boat. You don't necessarily need an engine, and you don't necessarily need an auto pilot. Both these can make it more difficult by encouraging you to rush to the spot and then try to stop the boat, hold it in position and generally behave like a well handled mobo. Just take it steadily and smile, that relaxes you and makes it more enjoyable too!

Good luck
Mike

 

[Marmalade]

it's these circumstances that a self-launching anchor type on a bow roller is made for...

 

[DanTribe]

One of the key elements here is time.

You need time to prepare the anchor on deck ( I am guesssing you dont have a windlass on a TS240) and to flake out the anchor on deck.
You need time to assess the chart and calculate a tidal height for where you want to go.
You need to survey the proposed anchorage to assess any other boats anchored, wind and tide directions. I would say holding, but this is the east coast. Its mud soup.
Then roughly calculate your angle of entry wind to tide, and try it by going in for a dry run and seeing where your bows go, and how fast you drift off your proposed anchoring point.

Boat preparation:
Before you set out from home base, make sure you have the following done.
Anchor chain clearly marked so you immediately know how much you are looking at when it is deployed on deck or in the drink.
Make sure you know how much you have in the locker, and divide by 3. This is the max depth you can even contemplate.
Make sure the bitter end is attached to the boat! (I know, basic stuff)
Measure the deck/stanchions/cleat area so you have a rough visual length when you flake out chain/warp on the deck. Its reassuring to know you are in the right ball park.
If you have an anchor locker lid, make sure you can easily secure it in the up position.
Check that cleat access is easy, or rig an anchor chain hook to a cleat for temporary use.

On the water:
Do all the work in open water for preparation to drop the anchor.
You may have to make several trips back to the cockpit to realign the boat.
Anchor ready to put overboard on roller.
Flaked around 3:1 of (previously surveyed) depth on deck and secured.

Letting go.
Go a bit further upwind/tide of your (previously surveyed) dropping point. Allow the boat to slow to 1 knot, centre the tiller (preferably lashed central) then walk up the deck and prepare.
Wait until boat is just slowly moving backward, then deploy anchor at a reasonable pace, you will feel it it touch down, keep flaking at a steady pace and then secure.
Take a couple of visual transits so you can assess your movement when the boat (hopefully) stops moving. These can be features on the bank, distant buildings, anything really so you can check you position very quickly.
Make sure you are drifting as your survey.
The boat will drift differently at the bow, as the weight of chain keeps it in check.
The chain will be almost vertical to the bow in this phase.
You will see the chain bite and stretch out, and the angle will be about 30 degrees to the front of the boat, so that the chain entry into the water is about 1 metre in front, and will tauten visibly.
Wait for 10 seconds for the boat to slew round to that tautened chain, and check your transits. If it looks OK, then return to the cockpit and recheck your transits. If still OK, apply reverse slowly. If that holds, apply more power in reverse.

With luck, it will all stop nicely. If it does not, motor slowly forward to just stem the wind/tide, return to the deck and pulll it all up again. Repeat.

The key is having enough room to be able to back out of the exercise in an orderly fashion.

I can say that Yokesfleet creek is unlikely to be blocked by your fine craft, and is not navigable throughout the tide so dont worry. Its a wonderful place.

Jim
I fully agree with everything you say, but perhaps a little wordy? It makes what is really a simple job sound like a major logistical operation involving black arts.
" Go in slowly, pick your spot, drop the hook a bit ahead of that, let out about 3x depth of water, see what happens, open the bottle"
That should cover it.

 

[Gargleblaster]

Yokesfleet can be a bit tight if you are unsure what you are doing and you could easily end up in the wrong place [there is a power cable crossing it]. Perhaps practice in Quay Reach where there is plenty of room, except on an August Bank Holiday weekend. The western side of Quay Reach has a gently shelving bottom and good protection in all but a North Easterly [you could then try the eastern side but it is harder to find the right depth].

I do single handed anchoring most of the time and I'm afraid there is not much preparation in it other than choosing my spot, where I like good clearance from any other boats and a suitable depth under me. I then bring the boat around so it is facing the same way as any other boats in the anchorage, although if I am fortunate enough to be the only one I generally come head to tide [my boat has high windage and will skitter around a lot with wind over tide, but still tide tends to be a stronger influence]. When the boat is making about a knot through the water, I go forward open the anchor locker and drop my anchor and lower all my chain [20 metres] under control over the side and pay out an appropriate amount of rope. I generally give it 5X my depth or more as the tides on the East Coast can be pretty fierce and you want the anchor to set properly on the tide change. When I think the anchor is set I check the depth on the sounder and then turn off the engine and pour a glass of wine. While enjoying my glass of wine I make sure the anchor has set properly then go and cook my dinner.

Retrieving the anchor is what I find the real chore, particularly without a windlass and no-one to motor the boat forward while I pull the anchor out of the mud. I have been in a situation where I have found that with a strong wind [F8] setting my anchor really deep I though I would never be able to pull it out. In that situation I pull in as much as I can. Motor forward a little bit to get some way on the boat, kick it into neutral and race forward and retrieve a bit more and keep repeating this until the anchor is free.

I never fix the bitter end of my anchor line to the boat as I have seen someone lose their anchor during a knock down and it caught on the bottom making the situation much worse as it pulled the bow down, I would prefer to lose the lot. But this is just a personal preference.

 

[Master_under_Dog]

What a wealth of good advice! Many thanks to all.

I took a quick spin down the Crouch to the Inner Crouch buoy and back today but it was gusting a bit too much for experiments with the anchor. Oh OK then I bottled it again. But the next time I am out in force 2-3 I shall definitely have a go.

Michael

 

[ianc1200]

I've never had problems anchoring single handed, but getting the anchor up in a blow been driven onto the mud I've found very difficult. Even with the autohelm & engine set to take me in the right direction I haven't been quick enough to get to the cockpit, open the throttle etc, and the inevitable happened.

IanC

 

[machurley22]

Have no idea whether or not this applied to your situation IanC but just as a general principle, the most important aspect to getting the anchor single-handed in a breeze is ensuring that the bow blows off in the right direction IMO.

Don't ask me how I know. I just do. OK?