How to Set Anchor
(To keep from dragging all night)
How does this apply to Frugal Boating? Being comfortable that you can anchor well and stay put will make it more likely that you will
stop staying in marinas every night while traveling. This can save you LOTS of money.
Saltwater Suzi and I have watched others dropping anchor thousands of times. There are almost as many methods as there are boaters. The worst are almost comical and seldom successful. The best are usually successful.
Among the worst we’ve seen was a Grand Banks trawler from Quebec we watched in a little creek down in Georgia. Happily he pulled in to the creek, smiling and waving. He brought the boat to a stop stepped smartly from the helm to the foredeck and stepped on the button to release the anchor. The moment it stopped unreeling, he cinched it off and with a wave and a smile he stepped back to the deckhouse, went inside and disappeared.
Among the worst we’ve seen was a Grand Banks trawler from Quebec we watched in a little creek down in Georgia. Happily he pulled in to the creek, smiling and waving. He brought the boat to a stop stepped smartly from the helm to the foredeck and stepped on the button to release the anchor. The moment it stopped unreeling, he cinched it off and with a wave and a smile he stepped back to the deckhouse, went inside and disappeared.
We thought, well, he just stopped for a moment. He didn’t even set his anchor, let alone put out any scope. Nor did he take into consideration the eight-foot tide.
When the sun rose on a misty morning the next day, we peeked out and didn’t see him where he had been. So we assumed he had left the previous evening.
When the sun rose on a misty morning the next day, we peeked out and didn’t see him where he had been. So we assumed he had left the previous evening.
Coming out on deck though, we discovered that he had stayed the night. And, you guessed it; the tide
had come in and lifted his anchor off of the bottom. He drifted over what had, earlier, been the shore.
Eventually, as it so often does, the tide went back out. But he didn’t. It left him stranded, high and dry and
perched at a rather precarious angle.
Trying to help him was unsuccessful. We don’t speak French. He spoke very little English. I offered to call the tow-boat people for him, but couldn’t see what good it would do. He had to wait until the tide came in far enough to float off. All’s well that ends well. He passed us a few days later in South Carolina. Didn’t seem to be smiling as much though.
Maybe you have all the experience you need and you never drag. In which case, you might as well stop reading this. But if you’re like most boaters, you could probably use a few tips.
I’m not going to belabor the types of anchors for various bottoms, the size of the anchor in relation to the size of the boat, and all the technical stuff you probably already know. If you don’t, there are books:
Maybe you have all the experience you need and you never drag. In which case, you might as well stop reading this. But if you’re like most boaters, you could probably use a few tips.
I’m not going to belabor the types of anchors for various bottoms, the size of the anchor in relation to the size of the boat, and all the technical stuff you probably already know. If you don’t, there are books:
An Anchoring Method that Works
What we want to explain to you is a technique we use when anchoring which has worked very well for us.
1. In determining where you are going to anchor:
a. check your chart - look for depths, whether it is a designated anchorage
b. make a circular excursion around where you intend to drop your anchor while checking the depths of your swing area
c. check the type of bottom
d. check the state of the tide and the range
e. check the weather
f. know your wind and current and when each is likely to change
g. select your anchor and flake out your rode and chain
(all this stuff is in the books above, it may seem like overkill; do it anyway.)
1. In determining where you are going to anchor:
a. check your chart - look for depths, whether it is a designated anchorage
b. make a circular excursion around where you intend to drop your anchor while checking the depths of your swing area
c. check the type of bottom
d. check the state of the tide and the range
e. check the weather
f. know your wind and current and when each is likely to change
g. select your anchor and flake out your rode and chain
(all this stuff is in the books above, it may seem like overkill; do it anyway.)
2. You are now ready to drop anchor. Your boat is facing into the wind and / or current and starting to float backward.
3. Slowly drop the anchor until you feel it hit bottom. Give the rode some resistance to aim the anchor, and then pay out the anchor rode as slowly as the boat is backing. This lays the rode in a straight line along the bottom - not all piled up. (If there is no wind or current, your helm person may have to help a little with the engine - just in reverse at idle speed. Work out hand signals.)
3. Slowly drop the anchor until you feel it hit bottom. Give the rode some resistance to aim the anchor, and then pay out the anchor rode as slowly as the boat is backing. This lays the rode in a straight line along the bottom - not all piled up. (If there is no wind or current, your helm person may have to help a little with the engine - just in reverse at idle speed. Work out hand signals.)
4. Usually the boat will turn across the wind/current. When you’ve reached approximately 1/3 of your intended scope, cinch off the rode and wait until the boat straightens out.
5. Use no engine throttle at this time - just the momentum of the boat. This accomplishes three things:
a. It straightens the rode you’ve paid out;
b. It starts to set the anchor gently;
c. And, if the boat doesn’t straighten out, it tells you that the anchor is dragging and you need to pick another spot.
a. It straightens the rode you’ve paid out;
b. It starts to set the anchor gently;
c. And, if the boat doesn’t straighten out, it tells you that the anchor is dragging and you need to pick another spot.
6. Assuming the boat straightens out, uncinch the rode and start paying it out - again, as above, only as fast as the boat is backing. When you reach 2/3rds the length of your intended scope, cinch off the rode again. After a few moments, the boat should again start straightening out, indicating that the anchor is holding. You have just gently nudged the anchor a little deeper.
7. As before pay out the rest of the scope and again, cinch it off. Let the boat straighten out again. It should be gently setting even deeper.
8 .Now, take a look around you. Line up two objects along the shore abeam of the boat. Watching these two objects, signal the helmsman to gently give the boat some throttle in reverse. Watch those two objects. They should appear no longer lined up. Your catenary should straighten. Indicate to your helmsman to return to neutral. The boat should slowly move back forward as the catenary slacks and the objects you have selected on shore should realign. Now your anchor is ready to be set hard.
9. Indicate to the helmsman to set, or snub the anchor with a hard reverse. If you’re not sure, repeat step 6 before snub.
10. You may want to snub more than once if you’re in a hard bottom or an unknown bottom. Once set, kill the engine. Or at least, turn it off. Use your hand-bearing compass to take bearings off several objects around you. It is helpful if one or more of them is lighted so you can check after dark.
11. Wait 15 or 20 minutes and check your bearings again. Use that time to prepare the wine and cheese and crackers and find whatever novel you’re reading.
12. Repeat # 11 except that now instead of preparing the wine and cheese you’re snacking and reading.
13. About half an hour after sunset, TURN ON YOUR ANCHOR LIGHT! And record it in the log that you did so. (A well-organized logbook, with each page signed by the Captain, can be a legal document in court. If some schmuck runs into you at O:dark:thirty, and claims you didn’t have your anchor light on, you can point to your log and show that you did. If you have a history of logging these things it adds more credence to any testimony.)
14. Sleep well knowing your anchor is buried deeply.
Cautions
We have seen many who lay out enough scope, and then back down hard, without easing the anchor into the bottom. Often, it will start to set, and then start to pull out. It will feel like it is set, especially if it catches on something, but often it is laying on its side and as soon as the boat swings around as the current or wind shifts, it just starts sliding along the bottom. Using the method above, you have a better chance of ensuring that the anchor is in and in deeply.
If you’re ever in clear water, like the Bahamas, or the Caribbean, watch somebody’s anchor and rode as they go through their anchor setting procedure. It can be a real eye opener. Dive on your anchor or another boat’s anchor after watching their procedure.
Retrieving Your Anchor
Now you’ve had dinner, a little whoop-de-doo, and a good night’s sleep, and it’s morning. And you’ve got to pull up that anchor which is dug in so deeply. Man, you gotta be thinking, why did I set that anchor so deep, cause now I gotta pull it up.
No, you don’t. You let the boat pull it up. Using your hand signals again, your helmsman, with gentle forward throttle, heads the boat toward the anchor while you retrieve the rode. When you are almost directly above the anchor, that is, the rode is approaching vertical, you cinch the rode, and signal neutral to the helmsman. Most of the time, the momentum of the boat will pull the anchor right out, and you can pull it the rest of the way up on deck.
No, you don’t. You let the boat pull it up. Using your hand signals again, your helmsman, with gentle forward throttle, heads the boat toward the anchor while you retrieve the rode. When you are almost directly above the anchor, that is, the rode is approaching vertical, you cinch the rode, and signal neutral to the helmsman. Most of the time, the momentum of the boat will pull the anchor right out, and you can pull it the rest of the way up on deck.
This method saves a lot of wear and tear on you, if you, as I do, retrieve the anchor by hand, or saves wear and tear on your windlass. Most windlasses are designed to pull the anchor up onto the deck, however, to pull the boat up to the anchor and then dislodge the anchor before pulling it up on deck puts a great deal of stress on the gears, the motor, and the wires, which can become overheated trying to supply the needed energy.
Final Words of 'Wisdom'
There are laws in some areas that allow you to anchor in one place only a certain period of time, mostly 72 hours. These laws seem to be on the books only to prevent those who give cruisers a bad name by living on derelict boats - some of which will barely float.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you to break the law - however, we anchored for several weeks in the Fort Pierce, Florida inlet (while doing some pick-up work to replenish the cruising kitty). We were never asked to leave and we kept the boat in sight of the Coast Guard Station. We waved to the Coasties every day.
We did get boarded once by the Florida Marine Patrol - he just went over our paperwork - which was all in order, had a cup of coffee with me and was on his way. Always have your paperwork together and available.
We were also once asked to move the boat because we were in the way of the judges’ stand for the Christmas Boat Parade of Lights. We moved and had a great seat for the parade.
Be polite, keep your boat neat and they usually leave you alone.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you to break the law - however, we anchored for several weeks in the Fort Pierce, Florida inlet (while doing some pick-up work to replenish the cruising kitty). We were never asked to leave and we kept the boat in sight of the Coast Guard Station. We waved to the Coasties every day.
We did get boarded once by the Florida Marine Patrol - he just went over our paperwork - which was all in order, had a cup of coffee with me and was on his way. Always have your paperwork together and available.
We were also once asked to move the boat because we were in the way of the judges’ stand for the Christmas Boat Parade of Lights. We moved and had a great seat for the parade.
Be polite, keep your boat neat and they usually leave you alone.
If you'd like to learn what we have to offer regarding Bahamian Mooring, click on the Button below.
And if you've ever experienced waves at an angle to the wind enough that you're rockin' and rollin' all night long, click on the Rock and Roll Button to see what to do.
And if you've ever experienced waves at an angle to the wind enough that you're rockin' and rollin' all night long, click on the Rock and Roll Button to see what to do.
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