Anchor Sail Etiquette

[Paul and Judy]

My Hunter 33.5 swings like crazy while at anchor when the wind is blowing. I seem to swing more than the other boats around me. My question is - is it acceptable to fly an anchor sail and prevent swinging while at anchor in a busy anchorage. In all likleyhood the other boats wiill be swinging. Sure would like to hear everyones thoughts on this.

 

[Bill Roosa]

Why yes, others will appreciate the reduction in swinging on your anchor.

 

[Bad Obsession]

My boat swings some too. Anchoring etiquette is something I wish more people had. There are just things that should be done......Like asking the person in front how much scope they have out so you can adjust your scope and distance from them.

The anchoring sail may keep your more comfortable but it shouldn't effect the people around you if everyone has the right distance and scope from each other. Just remember to take it down if a storm is coming!

 

[RichH]

The problem with an anchor riding sail is that your boat will swing 'first' in any change of wind direction.

To stop the boat from sailing on anchor I would suggest using an 'anchor bridle' first.
A bridle is a secondary 'rope' thats attached to the normal anchor rode but pulls the anchor rode 'down' to the point of where the bow meets the water ... the knots of the bridle to rode connection are usually very close to or in the water. The knots are usually 'enhanced 'rolling hitches' or large 'prussik' knots and can attach two 'ropes' or just one long bridle rope. If you have an all chain rode, all the better, as all you'll need is a 'chain hook' to connect the rope bridle to the rode.

The bridle is attached to the boat well back from the bow and on each side of the bow, usually from auxillary 'chocks' or hawse holes in a bulwark ... and can be (but not necessarily) pulled very tightly so that the rode is essentially attached to the boat AT the bow's waterline ... thus the anchor and rode are pulling at the boat and the 'connection' is AT near the bow waterline.

On most boat this works as well or better than an anchor riding sail ... at least in my experience.

hope this helps

 

[MrBee]

RichH,
I like the what you have explained and plan to try it. I am trying to picture just how to hook up the Lines to the chain ? Do you use a boat hook to pull the chain up to you so you can hook on to it ?

We are over in Middle River, New boat to us and unlike our old boat this one has a Windlass. I plan to switch to all chain rode as soon as I get the anchor locker figured out so there is enough room for it to be fed below. What amount of scope would you use with chain compared to line ?

Didn't mean to hijach the thread.

Brian

 

[RichH]

In the bay I use 4:1 when anchoring on chain when in 'protected' waters.

10:1 in Rock Creek or Swan Creek because of the very thick soft mud, the back to 4:1 after the anchor has 'settled in'.

Attachment of the bridle is quite fast/easy. The bridle 'legs' are premarked .... I set the anchor, attach the bridle from the bow(sprit) to the rode and then simply let out more rode, and make a final adjustment of the bridle if the 'connection' is off or not AT the waterline.


Whats also good about a bridle is that you can hold an 'offset' from dead into the wind/waves, especially good when the waves are deflected around a corner, etc. and the wind 'isnt'.
With all chain and a chain hooked bridle you really have to be concerned with topside damage ... simply plan so the hook is clear.

 

[RAD]

My boats always Horsing around at anchor and I use a anchor sail all the time and it makes a big difference I like what Rich posted about the bridle.....quite a few people stop by and ask about it on a regular basis

 

[Rob2435]

I noticed my boat swings more than ones that use all chain. It makes sense as the chain weights more than line and helps slow the swing. I just live with the extra swing and make sure I am not close to a boat with all chain out.

 

[RECESS]

My O'Day swung at anchor. It was an odd feeling when we anchored on our Pearson and it stays pretty much in the same spot with a steady breeze.

I do not think anyone would have a problem with you using an anchor sail.

 

[robertsapp]

The problem with an anchor riding sail is that your boat will swing 'first' in any change of wind direction.

To stop the boat from sailing on anchor I would suggest using an 'anchor bridle' first.
A bridle is a secondary 'rope' thats attached to the normal anchor rode but pulls the anchor rode 'down' to the point of where the bow meets the water ... the knots of the bridle to rode connection are usually very close to or in the water. The knots are usually 'enhanced 'rolling hitches' or large 'prussik' knots and can attach two 'ropes' or just one long bridle rope. If you have an all chain rode, all the better, as all you'll need is a 'chain hook' to connect the rope bridle to the rode.

The bridle is attached to the boat well back from the bow and on each side of the bow, usually from auxillary 'chocks' or hawse holes in a bulwark ... and can be (but not necessarily) pulled very tightly so that the rode is essentially attached to the boat AT the bow's waterline ... thus the anchor and rode are pulling at the boat and the 'connection' is AT near the bow waterline.

On most boat this works as well or better than an anchor riding sail ... at least in my experience.

hope this helps

I tried this a couple of years ago. This might work with some boats, but with our later model hunters, the high freeboards, wide flat bottoms with shallow bilges, and forward stepped masts to accomodate the full roach mains create such a sailing effect at anchor that you end up just sailing right over the bridle. You stop when it tangles up with your keel.

The only way to truly fix the problem is to anchor from the stern.

 

[Nodak7]

The problem with an anchor riding sail is that your boat will swing 'first' in any change of wind direction.

To stop the boat from sailing on anchor I would suggest using an 'anchor bridle' first.
A bridle is a secondary 'rope' thats attached to the normal anchor rode but pulls the anchor rode 'down' to the point of where the bow meets the water ... the knots of the bridle to rode connection are usually very close to or in the water. The knots are usually 'enhanced 'rolling hitches' or large 'prussik' knots and can attach two 'ropes' or just one long bridle rope. If you have an all chain rode, all the better, as all you'll need is a 'chain hook' to connect the rope bridle to the rode.

The bridle is attached to the boat well back from the bow and on each side of the bow, usually from auxillary 'chocks' or hawse holes in a bulwark ... and can be (but not necessarily) pulled very tightly so that the rode is essentially attached to the boat AT the bow's waterline ... thus the anchor and rode are pulling at the boat and the 'connection' is AT near the bow waterline.

On most boat this works as well or better than an anchor riding sail ... at least in my experience.

hope this helps

OK Rich, not being the brightest sailor in the world I tried to envision what you are describing here and just had some issues.... So I went to the Internet and did a search on it... Found nothing which I thought was interesting. I then went to my Chapman's and again found nothing, then to the Complete Sailing Manual and finally to the Sailors Illustrated Dictionary...again (need I say it) found no reference to what you are describing. :cry: Can you lead me to a picture of what you are doing?

Never mind I found it... Try this one....

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...MqZT87NMdLuggeMj4nvBg&ved=0CE0Q9QEwAA&dur=406



It sounds a lot like a Sentinel or Kellet set up. Is that kind of what you are describing?

 

[zeehag]

a bridle is something made to exit the bow on both sides via the hawse or chocks and become Y shaped with the anchor chain when attached.. many snubbing systems are one sided and make the boat yaw(sail at anchor).

yawing is natural movement of the boat when at anchor or moored. can be minimized by use of a bridle. i used a bridle set up when i was moored. i also make a bridle snubbing system when i am anchored if i find the anchorage protected and i do not have to re anchor frequently.

hobby horsing is action made by the up and down motion of the bow when the boat is improperly loaded and more weight is in bow and stern instead of between masts in a ketch or centrally located in a sloop or cutter. caused by heavy ends. a bridle will not stop this action nor decrease it. hobby horse comes from the kids toy after which it is named. only re-trimming the load will change this characteristic.

to answer the original question--an anchor sail will help--for a sloop or cutter, place on the back stay. ketch and yawl use mizzen sail for this or place a dinghy sail as an anchor sail. yes yur boat will change direction in wind with this, but it does seem to help a lot.

 

[FastOlson]

Anchor Sail = plus one!

We cured our boat of wandering back n forth at anchor with an "anchor sail". It's small, and the long side is tight-sheeted forward along side the boom. The shorter side is clipped to the backstay and "hoisted" with a spare halyard.
Works just like the fletching on an arrow.

Local sailmaker made ours, and you can DIY and order up a kit from Sailrite.
http://www.sailrite.com/Anchor-Riding-Sail-Kit-12-5-Sq-Feet

It Just Works,

LB

 

[ifmdalvey]

Rich H, i am interested in your bridle system, any chance you could make a drawing of how it all looks on the boat?
Ian

 

[RichH]

Can you lead me to a picture of what you are doing?

The red would represent the bridle, yellow the rode. The object of this method is to get the 'connection' as close to the waterline as possible. When in waves from two directions, then less close to the waterline to help keep the boat 'steered' into the wind direction.

In 'heavy and rolly' anchoring situations, I will usually use the bridle on the chain rode ... and add the anchor riding sail - all depends on how the boat is 'swinging' and yank-impacting on the rode. This boat - because of high freeboad, tall heavy mast and at 50% LOD, and immense amount of 'crap on de back' - is like a hyperactive ballet dancer when anchored. Ive been anchoring this way for the past 4-5 years for about 30K++ nMi ... seems to work best for this boat.

Another poster stated that sometimes its just plan simpler to anchor stern-to .... a good suggestion for a boat that has a LOT of high freeboard and when a bridle doesnt give you the 'relief' you need.
;-)

 

[sinnettc]

We had good luck with our anchor sail except for one thing. The first two nights we were in Echo Bay on Sucia Island I got woken up in the middle of the night to the boat rocking side to side. First night I thought a freighter had gone by. Second night I realized the tide had changed and was going in the opposite direction as the breeze and we were at 90 degrees to the waves. Next morning we moved to a different mooring where there was less current.

 

[JustDucky]

I too use the chain/bridle combo and have had a very good experience.

 

[jimmcgee]

Just remember to take it down if a storm is coming!

I'm looking at making an anchor sail using the Sailrite kit. Up to what wind speed do you keep yours up?

 

[zeehag]

i watch as wind grows here in la cruz de huanaccaxtle, nayarit, mexico--we get 20+ daily--the ones using anchor sails use em in high winds and remove em for light winds. same with using mizzen for same purpose.

 

[Steve Christensen]

My boats always Horsing around at anchor and I use a anchor sail all the time and it makes a big difference I like what Rich posted about the bridle.....quite a few people stop by and ask about it on a regular basis

Hey, I thought that anchor sail looked familiar - we have the same one. Made, if I'm not mistaken, by Kent Sails in Michigan.

In fact I wrote an article featuring that anchor sail for Good Old Boat Magazine a few year ago.

http://www.goodoldboat.com/reader_services/articles/horsing.php

As for wind speed, that was never an issue, and we kept it up in all conditions. It worked great, and I would never be without one. And I agree that it was a great way to meet people, as they were always rowing over at the anchorage to ask about it.