Anchor markers........

NYSail

.
Jan 6, 2006
3,048
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
Every now and again I see someone using an anchor market showing the location where they dropped and to me they seem like a great idea. Is there any downfall to these making most people not incorporate them into the anchoring process....... doesn’t seem like much more work.

Thanks!
Greg
 
Feb 14, 2014
7,400
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
Or if you know your depth and look at least a 5 scope, you can approximate the anchor spot.
I will avoid the anchor marker myself.

Weighing anchor has enough entanglement potential.
Jim...
 
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NYSail

.
Jan 6, 2006
3,048
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
I basically know my drop location..... it’s for the other fellow boaters that don’t understand where I might be and drop so that at some point they swing over my anchor.
 
Jan 5, 2017
2,263
Beneteau First 38 Lyall Harbour Saturna Island
If you know you have a chance of fouling your anchor on bottom debris it’s helpful to be able to pull in a different direction. We use a marker where there is a chance of logging debris but have only needed it once.
 
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Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
Seems like a good bad idea to me. Usually I'm too busy at the time to think of it, but I may start. I've frequently been anchored for more than a day, and after a wind shift (or two) it's difficult to know just where our anchor is.

Edit - added the strike through above. I originally interpreted the post as putting a marker in the chart plotter. Leaving a float attached to your anchor that can act as a trip line might cause a passing boat to snag it, and pull your anchor. Probably after dark. :(
 
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Dec 25, 2000
5,703
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Why is that an issue?
I have a short story about my experience in Mark Bay (Nanaimo) last year that caused no damage, but was an example of what became an issue when it was time to leave. Unable to at the moment. Gotta go.
 

NYSail

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Jan 6, 2006
3,048
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
Why is that an issue?
Well if at some point you want to pull anchor and the other boat is in the way and not on his boat it becomes a wait till he gets back scenario. We dropped Friday in an unoccupied very large anchorage, then comes a boat that drops right over us 40 feet away (with south wind). Right now his boat is between us and our anchor. Fortunately we are leaving this afternoon when the wind will shift however if I wanted to leave now I would have more issues than dealing with an anchor marker.
 

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
Anchor 'markers' can be a real pain in crowded anchorages or where the bareboats frequently anchor. More than once I've seen boats run over them, pulling the anchor free and fouling their shaft causing serious problems for both boats. More often they get broken off or fouled by a boat anchoring ahead of you because you have doubled (or more) the space you are taking in an anchorage. After all, it really doesn't affect your position or set if another boat is sitting over your anchor, and I can't imagine that a boat sitting over your anchor wouldn't gladly move forward to let you pick up when you want. They certainly don't dissuade most captains from anchoring too close to you or on them.
As mentioned, if there is a possibility that you might need to free an anchor by tripping it out backwards (rocks, wrecks or trees) they can be very useful, if you use a line heavy enough to actually lift the anchor, not just buoy it.
All in all they are not welcome, necessary or useful down here in most of the anchorages and they do tend to make you unpopular.
 
Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
Edited my prior post above. I think anchor markers are a bad idea. The only time I'd consider it is if for a trip line -- anchoring in an area known to have debris or boulders.
 
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Jan 5, 2017
2,263
Beneteau First 38 Lyall Harbour Saturna Island
Edited my prior post above. I think anchor markers are a bad idea. The only time I'd consider it is if for a trip line -- anchoring in an area known to have debris or boulders.
See#4. I’ve seen one boat lose it’s anchor (Clam Bay) recovered later by a diver and one get tripped by a helpful other boat ( Pruth Bay). I’ve had to use it once as a trip. Very useful when you need it and we are usually anchored alone in remote areas.
 

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
Well if at some point you want to pull anchor and the other boat is in the way and not on his boat it becomes a wait till he gets back scenario. We dropped Friday in an unoccupied very large anchorage, then comes a boat that drops right over us 40 feet away (with south wind). Right now his boat is between us and our anchor. Fortunately we are leaving this afternoon when the wind will shift however if I wanted to leave now I would have more issues than dealing with an anchor marker.
Whenever someone ends up on top of my anchor and I believe that I will want to pick up before them I will jump in the dink and mention when I intend to leave, nicely. I've never had anyone ignore this and leave the boat untended at the appropriate time.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Not only is the use of anchor buoys not a good idea generally:snooty:, the buoys make extra trouble to set in. The lines need to be the correct length to match bottom depth. With too long of a line, the buoy does not reside over the anchor with tidal changes in water depth, and sometimes under wind influence. If set at the correct length at low tide, it may be become submerged at high tide. For other vessels arriving at night during high tide, your submerged, or partially submerged, buoy could be a hazard to them. So before you drop the hook, you must take the trouble to get the correct length, anticipating where the buoy will reside with changes in conditions (if you wish to do it right). Also, changes in wind and tide may actually cause you to drift or swing into your own buoy line which could (and would) foul your rudder or prop. That’s a mess for you fix. And, as pointed out above, you’re now sequestering more space than you really need for lying to your anchor.
 
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Apr 8, 2010
1,942
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
We have used a fender tied with a short line to the crown of our anchor when in side channels of the Columbia River where there is much ancient logging debris (iron monger-y, rusty cables, and timbers) in the bottom mud. I have not lost an anchor yet but have seen another cruiser lose his, nearby.
Using an anchor float, IMHO, is not an 'always' or 'never' sort of solution -- it just depends on the location.

Fun memory: I was anchored in Warren Slough when a neighbor boat had a small Danforth down and could not haul it up, so a helpful couple in a heavy Hans Christian 38 offered to transfer the line to a primary winch and crank it in...... after heeling their heavy boat over noticeably, the line line finally had to be cut... and the anchor is probably still there, several decades later! :(
 
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Jan 5, 2017
2,263
Beneteau First 38 Lyall Harbour Saturna Island
We have used a fender tied with a short line to the crown of our anchor when in side channels of the Columbia River where there is much ancient logging debris (iron monger-y, rusty cables, and timbers) in the bottom mud. I have not lost an anchor yet but have seen another cruiser lose his, nearby.
Using an anchor float, IMHO, is not an 'always' or 'never' sort of solution -- it just depends on the location.

Fun memory: I was anchored in Warren Slough when a neighbor boat had a small Danforth down and could not haul it up, so a helpful couple in a heavy Hans Christian 38 offered to transfer the line to a primary winch and crank it in...... after heeling their heavy boat over noticeably, the line line finally had to be cut... and the anchor is probably still there, several decades later! :(
Same scenario in Clam Bay. We had a CT 37 then, also very heavy, same result except anchor was recovered by a diver. Charter boat.
 
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DArcy

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Feb 11, 2017
1,691
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
It seems that a float in the water attracts boaters like a light draws a moth, or bears to honey.
This really is true. Many years ago I was on my father's boat in the Bahamas; he used to use a marker buoy on the anchor. A trawler came into the anchorage and for some reason dropped his anchor right next to the marker buoy. My dad called over to him that he dropped his anchor right where ours was and he was going to drift down right on top of us when he let out scope. The man on the trawler was friendly enough and hauled up his anchor - with ours hooked to it! He tossed it back in and said it's ok, he put it back. A half hour later we were all re-anchored and everyone went back to their drinks.
Trip lines may be useful in rocks but they don't always help. I was anchored in a nice spot not far from home and got up early to enjoy a coffee alone when I noticed a friend trying to raise his anchor. It just wasn't coming up, no matter how hard they pulled or tried to break it out on short scope with the motor. I dove down to have a look and the rode was wrapped twice around a submerged log. I managed to unwrap it but a trip line would not have freed it.
I don't use a marker buoy and was a little annoyed at one a few weeks ago in a crowded anchorage. I avoided it but a boat came in just after, anchored next to us and kept running it over. The marker buoy line got tangled around their anchor rode at one point.
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,733
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
I think there are certainly times it would be good to have a trip line on the anchor. An anchorage is not the place. A well used anchorage is unlikely to have a bottom covered with snags. It's the isolated lake and shallow unused coves that a trip line may be a good idea for, places where you just don't know. Reefs and rocks too, but those also are not likely to be commonly used anchorages.
Anchor bouys are for finding your anchor again when you can't just pull it up, but have to go. I don't know when you might want to do that except where you can't get it out or haven't enough time to get it up.
If you are setting up for a trip line in a crowded anchorage, use weak zip ties to hold the trip line to the anchor shaft and bring it back to the boat. No bouy needed.
I have a roll of 300lb test fishing line on a spool, in case.

-Will (Dragonfly)