jimi
Well-Known Member
Ah hand signals.. Very useful when singlehanded ;-)
Weighing anchor single handed
- Thread starter SimonFa
- Start date
Ah hand signals.. Very useful when singlehanded ;-)
Storyline
Well-Known Member
Iliade
Well-Known Member
Places where the current is against me and can be 7kt or maybe more. One could drift quite a way while manhandling 30m of chain and a CQR back on board.
Near to me, Beachy Head, Selsey Bill, Portland Bill, the Solent and Channel Islands all have silly currents.
Actually I'm thinking of getting two balls welded into the rigging ;0)
TQA
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 20 Feb 2005
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- Carribbean currently Grenada
I am 68 and single hand on a 44 ft boat. It came with a manual windlass and the first thing I did was change that for a Lofrans Tigres electric windlass. I use it to pull the boat up to the anchor. I do this in short bursts and if the chain straightens out I wait until some catenary is established again. When the chain is vertical or nearly vertical I wait until wave action breaks the anchor out. Very occasionally I will have to go back to the cockpit and give a short burst in forward to break the anchor out.
I regard having an electric windlass that is capable of doing this to be an essential safety related piece of equipment as I am able to anchor and reanchor even when tired.
I regard having an electric windlass that is capable of doing this to be an essential safety related piece of equipment as I am able to anchor and reanchor even when tired.
snowleopard
Well-Known Member
A windlass is not designed to haul the boat up to the anchor. My technique is to haul in until the chain comes taut then the weight of the chain causes it to sag and drags the boat forward a few feet. When it has developed a catenary again I take up the slack. I continue until the chain is pretty much up & down then bring the rest in. As soon as it the anchor is on the roller I stroll back to the helm and get under way. A minute later I dash below to the GPS to turn off the drag alarm I have forgotten AGAIN!
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
All about anchor- BALLS!
This how I go about it
If I have one up, I get rid of it first when getting ready to leave.
Engine on to give extra umpf for the windlass.
Sails (main and mizzen) up next with slack sheets.
Power windlass to take cantanary out of chain, wait for weight of chain to move boat fwd.
Keep repeating till chain is vertical or has just been overun.
Power windlass till anchor is near surface.
Go aft and set main and mizzen or put engine in gear depending on conditions.
Set autohelm course.
Go fwd and stow anchor.
Deploy genoa, engine off, then make coffee.
PS I don't use the engine to drive the boat fwd except in very windy conditions as even at tickover the boat will overrun the chain.
This how I go about it
If I have one up, I get rid of it first when getting ready to leave.
Engine on to give extra umpf for the windlass.
Sails (main and mizzen) up next with slack sheets.
Power windlass to take cantanary out of chain, wait for weight of chain to move boat fwd.
Keep repeating till chain is vertical or has just been overun.
Power windlass till anchor is near surface.
Go aft and set main and mizzen or put engine in gear depending on conditions.
Set autohelm course.
Go fwd and stow anchor.
Deploy genoa, engine off, then make coffee.
PS I don't use the engine to drive the boat fwd except in very windy conditions as even at tickover the boat will overrun the chain.
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Searush
Well-Known Member
I'm beginning to think that an electric windlass may be a good idea for me too, given that it will almost only ever be used with the engine running. Perhaps with a dedicated traction battery near the winch. I am coping at 67, but I can only see it getting more difficult as time passes.
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
If it helps mitigate the risk of doing your back in.
Well worth the investment.
sighmoon
Well-Known Member
Is it a myth that if you have the main up, and centre it, and also centre the rudder the boat will sail up the anchor on her own - the chain snagging causing the boat to tack?
I've not actually tried it, but I think I read it on these boards, so it must be true.
I've not actually tried it, but I think I read it on these boards, so it must be true.
Searush
Well-Known Member
It may depend on what the tide is doing too.
Hambler Rambler
Well-Known Member
Not forgetting to ready suitable provisions for conditions of restricted visibility!
Storyline
Well-Known Member
As an alternative you could just run some heavy duty cables up from the engine battery which is what we do. iirc this has been discussed at length on here but even if you had a battery close to the windlass you still have to charge it and probably good not to add even more weight to the bow.
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
The Main doesn't help. If you sheet it in it positively hinders because as the boat swings, the main takes the wind and she's off! On the other hand, a sheeted and centred Mizzen does help to keep the boat up to wind.
One of the main reasons that the boat swings off line is over running the chain.
Birdseye
Well-Known Member
That makes sense and is the usual advice. So you pull a bit in but as soon as the windlass is straibing abd the chain is at 45 degrees, you stop and wait for the boat to move foreard / the wind to ease. Carry on like that until the anchor is near the surface when I usually put the boat into reverse. The wash over the anchor cleans it. Once in deeper water bring the anchor home.
Personally I have always found that stowing the anchor is the big pita - I bough one of those roll bar types and it simply doesnt fit well. So theses days I use an ally Fortress knock off and its great.
GHA
Well-Known Member
Works on my boat, done exactly that before single handed with a manual windlass.
alahol2
Well-Known Member
Not a myth although personally I leave the rudder free. If anchored close to shore you sometimes have to wait for the boat to come onto the right tack before breaking out the anchor. And just occasionally the anchor will break out unexpectedly on the wrong tack, so I always have the engine running under those circumstances ready for a bit of correctional power.
jwilson
Well-Known Member
May not work in every case or with every boat but hoisting mainsail (reefed if required) and pinning in hard amidships plus engine low revs forward usually produces a fairly straight to windward path whilst you are on the foredeck. Also takes load off anchor chain so easier to haul in, whether by windlass or hand.
knuterikt
Well-Known Member
Have you newer tried sailing of a mooring?
Most sailboats will be able to sail upwind with only the main sail (if that is your scenario - but it works the same way with head & main sail).
When the boat is hanging from the nose with the main sheet'ed in it will not act as a wind vane but it yaw a little.
As soon as the wind catches one side of the sail with enough lift to sail the boat will go forward and start sailing to windward (as it is designed to do
.As long as the boat stay on course and is balanced it will move.. until it's stopped by the anchor (or mooring).
It might tack or just stop and fall back - it all depends on the boat and the conditions.
If you leave the main sheet slack the sail will act as a wind vane with less chance of the boat sailing on it's own.
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basic
Well-Known Member
I have a manual windlass and I always sail out the anchor. You don't need the engine or an electric windlass if you know what you are doing. Full instructions in ''Cruising Under Sail'' by Eric Hiscock. Maneuvering Under Sail page 214. It may seem a bit daunting the first few times you try it but with practice you will improve your seamanship no end and gain a lot of confidence in your sailing ability. Practice away from other boats until you feel confident.
