Anchoring

Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
It's amazing how many variables go into something that seems so simple.
I remember browsing among the shelves at a WM year's ago, looking for ground tackle for my Hobie 18 and some guy was buying anchor rode for his bass boat. "Oh, I don't need much. Let's see... probably no deeper than 15 feet of water. Maybe 30 feet, just to be on the safe side."
Well admittedly, anchoring a bass boat, while fishing that shoreline snag, is not the same as sleeping on the hook in all weather. The dynamics of anchoring isn't obvious in the activity itself. Even those with experience may not know that much about it.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Thanks Les, Drew has been doing a lot of work on anchors and anchoring, among other things.

If you have a subscription to Affordable Adventure Cruising John Harries has also been writing about anchoring. In his current article, Drew has a insightful comment about the effects of catenary.
 
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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Looks like a great read. Ironic that the cover of the eBook shows a 40 year old boat. Plumb bows, retractable poles, asym prods, code O hard-points and baby-stays create more issues for anchoring for the average sailor of a modern sailboat than anything else.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,988
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
The best way to learn about anchoring is, of course, to do it— often. The most challenging thoughts I had about anchoring is “emergency” anchoring. You’re in 30 ft of water along a lee shore, ocean swells abeam in the 8 ft range in moderate wind, and some disabling event transpires where you see anchoring as the only thing you can do to save the boat, and crew. You are where you are, you have aboard what you have. The bottom is what it is, and the boat is “underway.” I wonder if that has been “tested.”
 
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May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
I haven't finished yet - but can extrapolate from what has been presented and prior experience. but in an emergency situation you would kill headway and drop the primary - with as much scope as safely possible - then stabilize the emergency, then worry about running offset bridals, and think about secondary anchors & triage of the emergency. You should have been looking at your charts the whole time so you know what the bottom may be, if gravel or rocks - you might want to ready the lifeboat.

maybe @thinwater would correct me if I got it wrong.
 
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Mar 26, 2011
3,399
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
Looks like a great read. Ironic that the cover of the eBook shows a 40 year old boat. Plumb bows, retractable poles, asym prods, code O hard-points and baby-stays create more issues for anchoring for the average sailor of a modern sailboat than anything else.
I had not thought about the irony. What the cover photo illustrates is a three strand snubber that became twisted around the chain and nearly chafed through in a single night. Three strand rotates under load, so a large lazy loop is needed to prevent this. On the other hand, the anchor was a Rocna, not a CQR!

The boat is an Amel in the VI. Yes, they had multiple chafe issues. They were not happy.
 
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Mar 26, 2011
3,399
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
I haven't finished yet - but can extrapolate from what has been presented and prior experience. but in an emergency situation you would kill headway and drop the primary - with as much scope as safely possible - then stabilize the emergency, then worry about running offset bridals, and think about secondary anchors & triage of the emergency. You should have been looking at your charts the whole time so you know what the bottom may be, if gravel or rocks - you might want to ready the lifeboat.

maybe @thinwater would correct me if I got it wrong.
That sounds about right to me. I've had engines die at critical moment, both in marinas and between stone jetties in a nasty cross wind. I've even had twin engines die minutes apart. The basic procedure is to use your momentum (don't dally over deciding) to coast into a safe position, drop, and set gently at very long scope (you need it to bite the first time). This can be done single handed if the anchor is ready to go, since the boat will take some seconds to slow and stop. Hopefully you have good basic procedures dialed in. Nothing fancy, no panic or rushing about, just get it right the first time. If launching a tender or taking out a second anchor is required, this should be possible in just a few minutes as well; I like to store the kedge right next to the davits.
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
in an emergency situation you would kill headway and drop the primary
That emergency may already have "killed headway":frown:
if gravel or rocks - you might want to ready the lifeboat.
Here's where that "emergency situation" gets used as an extra heavy emergency mushroom anchor.:cuss: Broken auxiliaries are heavy and might still have potential to save you from that lee shore:pray:.

;):poke::wink::doh: (just in case someone doesn't realize I'm joking. But maybe not:stir: It could work:rolleyes:).

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
Mar 1, 2012
2,182
1961 Rhodes Meridian 25 Texas coast
Once had the diesel quit JUST after coming through a bridge, against a strong incoming tides. The tender had just dropped bridge. I rushed to bow, dumped the anchor and 70 feet of chain. Boat came to a stop with stern JUST at bridge, where bridge tender was frantically trying to re raise- he had already started traffic. NEVER since been sorry for big anchors and much rode. On that boat I had 100 feet of chain- 35 foot trimaran

Sisters Creek, entering St John's River

My wife had asked if we needed o top off diesel tank before leaving and I said nah- it's fine. She never said a word, but boy did I get looks!!
 
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Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
My wife and I went for a sail with a friend and his wife, aboard his 24' Corsair trimaran. We had just cleared a breakwater, and were heading onto the ocean against the breeze, when the outboard quit. I jumped to the fore deck while the owner tried to restart the engine. My intent was to quickly deploy the anchor and keep us off the lee shore, which was rocky. The anchor and rode were there alright, nicely coiled and secured with zip ties! The owner noted the look of shock on my face, and quickly handed me his boat knife. I got the anchor deployed, it quickly set, and the engine was started, and we finally set sail and went flying across the swells of the Pacific off the leeward coast of Maui. I don't think he ever used the zip ties on his anchor again!
 
Oct 3, 2011
825
Anam Cara Catalina 310 Hull #155 155 Lake Erie/Catawba Island
You are where you are, you have aboard what you have. The bottom is what it is, and the boat is “underway.” I wonder if that has been “tested.”
Eileen and I took a Safety of life at Sea seminar-The instructor said "You go in the water as you are"
There is no hold on just a second while I.... Hence we ALWAYS wear our life jackets no matter wether we go across the channel just motoring or we are out sailing in big wind/waves. Nothing teaches better than expierence!
 
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Mar 26, 2011
3,399
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
... Nothing teaches better than expierence!
Good judgment results from experience. Experiences result from poor judgment.
(Or at least it often seems that way. I've learned some from reading, some from calculating, and some from stepping deep in the mud. Reading about the experiences of others is cheaper and less painful... which is why we are here on this forum!)
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,988
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
You are where you are, you have aboard what you have. The bottom is what it is, and the boat is “underway.” I wonder if that has been “tested.”
To me this means that the anchor you have on the bow should be ready to drop (gravity) and go straight to bottom even if the boat is making leeway in beam seas. That it will not “fly” or “skip” over the bottom; i.e., it will set quickly and hold. That the rode can be veered fast enough so the anchor does not drag much until you are ready for it to set, etc. Clearly, this means a heavy (steel) anchor such as a plow type or Bruce, or other stockless with the broad palms—-on chain to a significant degree. This could well leave out the lighter fluke anchors such as Danforth and Fortress as primary anchors on the bow. Relative to this extreme example, it does not matter the holding characteristics of one set and tested in calm, or relaxed, “venues”, IMHO.
 
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Mar 26, 2011
3,399
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
To me this means that the anchor you have on the bow should be ready to drop (gravity) and go straight to bottom even if the boat is making leeway in beam seas. That it will not “fly” or “skip” over the bottom; i.e., it will set quickly and hold. That the rode can be veered fast enough so anchor does not drag much until you are ready for it to set, etc. Clearly, this means a heavy (steel) anchor such as a plow type or Bruce, or other stockless with the broad palms—-on chain to a significant degree. This could well leave out the lighter fluke anchors such as Danforth and Fortress as primary anchors on the bow. Relative to this extreme example, it does not matter the holding characteristics of one set and tested in calm, or relaxed, “venues”, IMHO.
I often hear the suggestion that a Fortress can be used as an emergency brake from the stern. This is flawed for a number of reasons:
  • As you point out, Fortress anchors have a tendency to "fly." I love the product, but you need to understand that light weight results in compromises.
  • You really don't want to set an anchor while moving with any speed. It won't set unless EVERYTHING is perfect, and then the forces will be enormous, on the order of a huricane, when momentum is included. Better, through the wheel over to kill speed, and then set the bow anchor. There really are very few times you can't make a 180, and in most, you didn't have enough space anyway. spinning and grabbing a piling can work.
  • The stern anchor is probably too small. Stopping a moving boat requires your best anchor.
I've had a number of situations over 40 years, and a stern anchor was never the right answer. (Med moor and similar are good uses.)
 

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
To me this means that the anchor you have on the bow should be ready to drop (gravity) and go straight to bottom even if the boat is making leeway in beam seas. That it will not “fly” or “skip” over the bottom; i.e., it will set quickly and hold. That the rode can be veered fast enough so anchor does not drag much until you are ready for it to set, etc. Clearly, this means a heavy (steel) anchor such as a plow type or Bruce, or other stockless with the broad palms—-on chain to a significant degree. This could well leave out the lighter fluke anchors such as Danforth and Fortress as primary anchors on the bow. Relative to this extreme example, it does not matter the holding characteristics of one set and tested in calm, or relaxed, “venues”, IMHO.
We have a Supreme plow type anchor on the roller, with 100' of chain and 100' of three strand nylon rode, ready for instant deployment. Lashed to the pulpit is our old Delta plow anchor. In the cockpit locker is the Fortress anchor and two sets of rode, including chains and three strand nylon. At times, we have had the plow anchor not hold in mud, and the Fortress was deployed with a spare rode. At other times, both plow anchors have been deployed in a Bahamian Moor, or bow and stern moor. I am a firm believer that you can't have too many anchors.