I single hand about half of my sailing time. My boat is a small swing keel 22' sloop. Fighting the bow anchor (running forward and back) is always a pain. Even if I'm with my mate I have to do all the work. The easy method for me is to keep the achor in or near the cockpit. I toss it over and secure the bitter end to a stern cleat. This allows me to leave the anchorage by starting the outboard, carefully moving the boat over the anchor, pull the anchor up, wash off the mess, stow the anchor and control the boat and steer out. Oldtimers keep telling me that securing an anchor to the stern is dangerous (they can't say why). Any responses.
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here's why:
because anchoring from the stern will cause your boat to go stern-to into the wind and waves, and your stern ain't designed for that. (That's what the pointy end of the boat is for.) Could cause you to take a wave over the stern and possibly sink your boat.
because anchoring from the stern will cause your boat to go stern-to into the wind and waves, and your stern ain't designed for that. (That's what the pointy end of the boat is for.) Could cause you to take a wave over the stern and possibly sink your boat.
how bout this...
drop and set the anchor from the stern, then take the bitter end and cleat it on the bow.
drop and set the anchor from the stern, then take the bitter end and cleat it on the bow.
stern anchor
I gave this a try a few weeks ago, anchor is taken forward then brought back to the stern. My problems, rode shackle caught on cleat first time. One must allow for the boat to back off so on a 22 that can be 44 feet, allowing one to be into another boat already on anchor (this also happened) before a set. By the week's end I had caught on, at times it was easier and faster than going forward. I found I still had to go forward to retrieve and always had rode to deal with while sailing. Will I try it again, sure why not.
I gave this a try a few weeks ago, anchor is taken forward then brought back to the stern. My problems, rode shackle caught on cleat first time. One must allow for the boat to back off so on a 22 that can be 44 feet, allowing one to be into another boat already on anchor (this also happened) before a set. By the week's end I had caught on, at times it was easier and faster than going forward. I found I still had to go forward to retrieve and always had rode to deal with while sailing. Will I try it again, sure why not.
I frequently anchor
my H28.5 when sailing alone by dropping the anchor over the stern while heading downwind with the engine in neutral. I find the anchor sets quickly and is sort of self-snubbing (I usually pay out about 25-30 ft of rode). Once the boat stops, and I'm sure the anchor is set, I continue to pay out the right amount of scope for the depth I'm in. I then walk the rode around to the bow and secure it to a mooring cleat there. While I have little fear of being "pooped" while anchored stern to the wind, my reason for tying off to the bow is to avoid the higher potential of the rode fouling my rudder, prop, or keel if I left the boat anchored from the stern.
my H28.5 when sailing alone by dropping the anchor over the stern while heading downwind with the engine in neutral. I find the anchor sets quickly and is sort of self-snubbing (I usually pay out about 25-30 ft of rode). Once the boat stops, and I'm sure the anchor is set, I continue to pay out the right amount of scope for the depth I'm in. I then walk the rode around to the bow and secure it to a mooring cleat there. While I have little fear of being "pooped" while anchored stern to the wind, my reason for tying off to the bow is to avoid the higher potential of the rode fouling my rudder, prop, or keel if I left the boat anchored from the stern.
Stearn Anchor But Tie-Off to Bow
I single-hand so I always anchor from the stearn since I keep my anchor for my Mac 25 in the cockpit locker. After stearn cleating, I then run a rode loop forward outside of the stays with enough slack to go through my bow eye then I run the loop up to my forward cleat. This puts the anchor line low with no scuffing except to the bow eye. I then uncleat the stearn rode loop, pull in the rode which runs forward and then re-cleat. I use a small light stearn anchor to keep the Mac from too much anchor sailing.
I single-hand so I always anchor from the stearn since I keep my anchor for my Mac 25 in the cockpit locker. After stearn cleating, I then run a rode loop forward outside of the stays with enough slack to go through my bow eye then I run the loop up to my forward cleat. This puts the anchor line low with no scuffing except to the bow eye. I then uncleat the stearn rode loop, pull in the rode which runs forward and then re-cleat. I use a small light stearn anchor to keep the Mac from too much anchor sailing.
Are you lunching or overnighting?
I fish when not sailing and anchor in some tight gunk holes. If it is a short stay, I use about a half size anchor over the stern. If it drags, no problem, pull it in and reset. This is actually nice because it feeds more air into the cabin via the companionway. If I am anchored for the night I use the next size larger than recommended and bow tie it with full scope. r.w.landau
I fish when not sailing and anchor in some tight gunk holes. If it is a short stay, I use about a half size anchor over the stern. If it drags, no problem, pull it in and reset. This is actually nice because it feeds more air into the cabin via the companionway. If I am anchored for the night I use the next size larger than recommended and bow tie it with full scope. r.w.landau
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