Whew...I just got back home after my worst anchoring disaster. I cruise the Columbia River on my Hunter 326, and in the summer fate has it that the wind blows the opposite direction of the current. On the lower stretches of the river, it blows HARD, even at night, and for more challenge the tide effects reverse the river flow. Anyway, as has happened frequently, I was attempting to anchor in the evening, and set the anchor with no problem in sand in about 15 feet. However, the wind overcomes the current and the boat rides up over the anchor. Then it starts swinging around and causes the rode to wrap around the keel. The only way out at this point is tricky motoring. THIS TIME, however, I managed to wrap the rode around the prop shaft. Damage? Still to be determined, but it starts with a 40 MILE TOW! What I could see was: bent prop shaft, prop skeg nearly ripped out of hull, engine yanked back towards prop destroying mounts (if not more!), stripped coupling bolts, huge gouge in floor, nearly destroyed packing gland assembly. I don't know yet about the engine or transmission. I was lucky that I did not sink the boat!! Let this be a lesson to all of us...motoring with anchor deployed is very hazardous! QUESTION: How do I prevent the boat from riding up the anchor and fouling the keel? My tow guy suggested deploying a sea anchor from the stern...I thought that was actually a prety good idea. Anyone do this? I have tried a stern achor in addition to the bow anchor, but so far I haven't used a large enough anchor. It also makes it very difficult to deploy and retrieve. Comments, please? Thanks! Scott
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kellet
Attach a kellet (a sliding weight) to your anchor line. Attach a line to the kellet that is longer than your draft+the distance of your anchor roller above the water. Tie the line off at either the anchor roller or a cleat. This keeps the anchor line below the wing keel if your boat swings while at anchor. This is also a big problem with wing keel boats that anchor in areas where there is a current change overnight. Fishing downrigger weights work well for this, with the addition of a shackle.
Attach a kellet (a sliding weight) to your anchor line. Attach a line to the kellet that is longer than your draft+the distance of your anchor roller above the water. Tie the line off at either the anchor roller or a cleat. This keeps the anchor line below the wing keel if your boat swings while at anchor. This is also a big problem with wing keel boats that anchor in areas where there is a current change overnight. Fishing downrigger weights work well for this, with the addition of a shackle.
Been There Done That
Scott, It has happened to me several times, though luckily I have got away with it. Although I have 75 feet of chain, when the water is deep I am on nylon rope. Nowadays I carry a BIG mooring shackle and put it over the rode and lower it about 10' on another line. This is usually sufficient to keep the anchor line below the keel. Hindsight is 20/20 and what I should have done was to deploy my kedge anchor and then grapple for the main anchor line using an extending boathook behind the keel. Having caught it then it would have been a simple matter to pull it aboard, make fast and undo the rode from the bow and pull it all through. The thing not to do (but what I did) was start the engine. But it was 2am and I was just back from a party. The gods must smile on party goers because the rope came straight off the keel. Perhaps I should add that the anchor had broken out because it had fouled a discarded one on the bottom and I was drifting beam on onto the bows of a nearby catamaran. Worse I was single handed. I guess I must live right!
Scott, It has happened to me several times, though luckily I have got away with it. Although I have 75 feet of chain, when the water is deep I am on nylon rope. Nowadays I carry a BIG mooring shackle and put it over the rode and lower it about 10' on another line. This is usually sufficient to keep the anchor line below the keel. Hindsight is 20/20 and what I should have done was to deploy my kedge anchor and then grapple for the main anchor line using an extending boathook behind the keel. Having caught it then it would have been a simple matter to pull it aboard, make fast and undo the rode from the bow and pull it all through. The thing not to do (but what I did) was start the engine. But it was 2am and I was just back from a party. The gods must smile on party goers because the rope came straight off the keel. Perhaps I should add that the anchor had broken out because it had fouled a discarded one on the bottom and I was drifting beam on onto the bows of a nearby catamaran. Worse I was single handed. I guess I must live right!
Real Risk
In our part of the world (Pacific Northwest) current and wind shifts are frequent and it is not uncommon for the boat to swing 360 degrees a few times particulaly if we are ancohred for a day or two. Even though we use all chain rode, I am always concerned that some how it will get tangled around the wing keel (but, I think I should be able to hear it if it happens) When it is time to raise the anchor, I do not put the engine into gear until the windlass has taken up the slack rode and I am certain that the anchor is ahead of the boat and the boat is aimed straight at it. Then I give the boat a short burst of forward speed - just enough to take the load off the windlass and help break the anchor free. Peter Milne S/V Blue Heron
In our part of the world (Pacific Northwest) current and wind shifts are frequent and it is not uncommon for the boat to swing 360 degrees a few times particulaly if we are ancohred for a day or two. Even though we use all chain rode, I am always concerned that some how it will get tangled around the wing keel (but, I think I should be able to hear it if it happens) When it is time to raise the anchor, I do not put the engine into gear until the windlass has taken up the slack rode and I am certain that the anchor is ahead of the boat and the boat is aimed straight at it. Then I give the boat a short burst of forward speed - just enough to take the load off the windlass and help break the anchor free. Peter Milne S/V Blue Heron
Tools of the Trade
Think I would go with the advice Ricky posted before doing the double anchor setup. I use a mushroom anchor for a kellet as well as an anchor for the dingy. It's vinyl coated to avoid rust stains. Other tools that have come in handy: Shurhold deck brush (which converts to boat hook) that has a telescoping handle which quickly locks at five different lengths from 63” to 108”. M/N 855. This allows me to not only brush the bottom of the boat from the dock but with boat hook attachment serves as a tool for unwraping the rode. Dive gear: I have a complete wet suit in the event I have to go in the water - it's COLD!! complete with booties, goggles, gloves, hood, etc. From past experience I've found it can be really difficult to untangle the rode from the keel. Usually there is a fair amout of tension on the line which increases the difficulty. We've got a storm anchor setup so potentially I could dingy forward and set the storm anchor and tie it off to the boat to take the tension of the regular anchor rode so it could be worked on. Last resort is the .... knife! (be sure to tie a fender to the soon to be new bitter end) Fortunately I've never had to do this. The people with all chain would need a hacksaw!
Think I would go with the advice Ricky posted before doing the double anchor setup. I use a mushroom anchor for a kellet as well as an anchor for the dingy. It's vinyl coated to avoid rust stains. Other tools that have come in handy: Shurhold deck brush (which converts to boat hook) that has a telescoping handle which quickly locks at five different lengths from 63” to 108”. M/N 855. This allows me to not only brush the bottom of the boat from the dock but with boat hook attachment serves as a tool for unwraping the rode. Dive gear: I have a complete wet suit in the event I have to go in the water - it's COLD!! complete with booties, goggles, gloves, hood, etc. From past experience I've found it can be really difficult to untangle the rode from the keel. Usually there is a fair amout of tension on the line which increases the difficulty. We've got a storm anchor setup so potentially I could dingy forward and set the storm anchor and tie it off to the boat to take the tension of the regular anchor rode so it could be worked on. Last resort is the .... knife! (be sure to tie a fender to the soon to be new bitter end) Fortunately I've never had to do this. The people with all chain would need a hacksaw!
Anchor Wrap
John's right. We use the same mushroom. Also, remember that the current turns, so when you've got a wrap, it'll go away. Of course, within the next 6 hours, it'll be back! Lots of ways to deal with it, but it will always happen. I especially like the idea about the hacksaw. Now I know why I use line that sinks, and can be cut {never had to - yet}. Good ideas, and nice answers. Stu
John's right. We use the same mushroom. Also, remember that the current turns, so when you've got a wrap, it'll go away. Of course, within the next 6 hours, it'll be back! Lots of ways to deal with it, but it will always happen. I especially like the idea about the hacksaw. Now I know why I use line that sinks, and can be cut {never had to - yet}. Good ideas, and nice answers. Stu
Hacksaw
Just as a matter of interest it has always been my belief that if you have to go down to free a line a hacksaw blade or the complete tool will cut through line just as quick if not faster than a sharp knife. A whole lot safer particulary if she is swinging above you and you need to the do the job qhickly.
Just as a matter of interest it has always been my belief that if you have to go down to free a line a hacksaw blade or the complete tool will cut through line just as quick if not faster than a sharp knife. A whole lot safer particulary if she is swinging above you and you need to the do the job qhickly.
Hacksaw. One step further
I like the idea of a hacksaw to cut a fouled rode. As an retired Firefighter may I suggest two blade in that hacksaw. One pointing each way so that you cut when pulling and pushing. We used this method for vehicle extrication to speed cutting door posts when neatness didn’t matter. I suppose it may also work for rigging Bob SV Miss Lisa
I like the idea of a hacksaw to cut a fouled rode. As an retired Firefighter may I suggest two blade in that hacksaw. One pointing each way so that you cut when pulling and pushing. We used this method for vehicle extrication to speed cutting door posts when neatness didn’t matter. I suppose it may also work for rigging Bob SV Miss Lisa
Interesting Responses
Thanks for the responses. However, I am amazed that a kellet would work with the "evening breezes" of the lower Columbia. I would think the rode would still straighten out. What do you all think of the sea anchor/drogue idea? Has anyone tried this? By the way, the rode has damaged my keel as well, by wearing a groove in the edge. Hopefully you can see this in the photo.
Thanks for the responses. However, I am amazed that a kellet would work with the "evening breezes" of the lower Columbia. I would think the rode would still straighten out. What do you all think of the sea anchor/drogue idea? Has anyone tried this? By the way, the rode has damaged my keel as well, by wearing a groove in the edge. Hopefully you can see this in the photo.
Question?
Being unfamiliar with your area, please don't consider this a "smart Alec" question. But couldn't you just throw another anchor off the stern? Like a 14lb Danforth? Nothing real heavy, that would need a windlass, but enough to keep you from swinging that much? Tell me more about your area. My wife and I would like to trailer up there to sail. She has relatives to visit.
Being unfamiliar with your area, please don't consider this a "smart Alec" question. But couldn't you just throw another anchor off the stern? Like a 14lb Danforth? Nothing real heavy, that would need a windlass, but enough to keep you from swinging that much? Tell me more about your area. My wife and I would like to trailer up there to sail. She has relatives to visit.
re: "evening breezes"
With regard to the evening breezes, if the rode is stretched at all then there SHOULDN'T be a problem, BUT, if the boat turns just right (just wrong?) then one could still potentially get a keel wrap, but I think the odds would be so much less when using the kellet. Usually when the boat turns to ride exactly over the rode, which would be required to get a keel wrap, the tension on the rode would have to be reduced and if this happens then the kellet should do it's job by weighting the rode so that it drops straight down, or nearly so, from the bow thereby preventing keel wrap. With the currents and famous sailing surfboard winds on the Columbia a bow and stern anchor system could put a lot of strain on things and make anchoring a total pain, both coming and going. For this reason I'm not a fan of bow & stern anchoring in strong currents or strong winds. By the way, that's an impressive "notch" in the keel picture - surprised the rode held up after that! Must have been three-strand??? Thanks for sharing your experience with us. It'll make me look more carefully at my anchoring situation in the future.
With regard to the evening breezes, if the rode is stretched at all then there SHOULDN'T be a problem, BUT, if the boat turns just right (just wrong?) then one could still potentially get a keel wrap, but I think the odds would be so much less when using the kellet. Usually when the boat turns to ride exactly over the rode, which would be required to get a keel wrap, the tension on the rode would have to be reduced and if this happens then the kellet should do it's job by weighting the rode so that it drops straight down, or nearly so, from the bow thereby preventing keel wrap. With the currents and famous sailing surfboard winds on the Columbia a bow and stern anchor system could put a lot of strain on things and make anchoring a total pain, both coming and going. For this reason I'm not a fan of bow & stern anchoring in strong currents or strong winds. By the way, that's an impressive "notch" in the keel picture - surprised the rode held up after that! Must have been three-strand??? Thanks for sharing your experience with us. It'll make me look more carefully at my anchoring situation in the future.
Reverse Kellet?
Some time ago someone mentioned this idea. I have never tried it but was intrigued by the idea. The theory from what I remember is to use a fender to keep part of your rode on the surface of the water and the pull of the fender up would reduce the shock on your rode. OK, now if the portion of the rode that is floating is as or just a bit longer than the boat seems it would be very difficult to get it wrapped around the keel. Sounds almost loony enough to work. We spent the day in the sun and then came home and imbibed just a bit so it may be me that is loony right now. The other thing I was wondering is using two anchors one up stream one down both attached to the bow. Is that a viable option?
Some time ago someone mentioned this idea. I have never tried it but was intrigued by the idea. The theory from what I remember is to use a fender to keep part of your rode on the surface of the water and the pull of the fender up would reduce the shock on your rode. OK, now if the portion of the rode that is floating is as or just a bit longer than the boat seems it would be very difficult to get it wrapped around the keel. Sounds almost loony enough to work. We spent the day in the sun and then came home and imbibed just a bit so it may be me that is loony right now. The other thing I was wondering is using two anchors one up stream one down both attached to the bow. Is that a viable option?
Reverse Kellet
While the Reverse Kellet (floating) may help decrease shock loads, it does so at the expense of “apparent” scope. A conventional heavy kellet (sentinel) decreases the pull-angle on the anchor rode, thus increasing the apparent scope; whereas the float increases the pull angle. Simply put; I want as much of my rode (both length & weight), as I can get, on the bottom, where it can do it’s job. I don’t recommend the floating kellet. I am a great fan of Bahamian Mooring (Upstream & Downstream anchors from the bow); but don’t think the system will prevent wrapping a rode around the keel. While the technique keeps the boat more closely “pinned” at the bow, you generally need enough slack (in both lines) that you may still sail up over a rode & hook it. In that unfortunate event, you will have a second anchor to fall back to, whilst unwrapping the fouled rode. Upon uncleating & slackening the fouled rode, the heavy sentinel may help to disengage the line from the keel. Peter wrote that he’d hope to hear it (if keel wrapped). Don’t worry - you’ll know it for certain. The conditions that are likely to cause the wrap, will be lively enough to introduce a significant heel to the boat! Always take care when engaging the propeller in proximity to anchor rode. You don’t need another problem, at this point. Regards, Gord
While the Reverse Kellet (floating) may help decrease shock loads, it does so at the expense of “apparent” scope. A conventional heavy kellet (sentinel) decreases the pull-angle on the anchor rode, thus increasing the apparent scope; whereas the float increases the pull angle. Simply put; I want as much of my rode (both length & weight), as I can get, on the bottom, where it can do it’s job. I don’t recommend the floating kellet. I am a great fan of Bahamian Mooring (Upstream & Downstream anchors from the bow); but don’t think the system will prevent wrapping a rode around the keel. While the technique keeps the boat more closely “pinned” at the bow, you generally need enough slack (in both lines) that you may still sail up over a rode & hook it. In that unfortunate event, you will have a second anchor to fall back to, whilst unwrapping the fouled rode. Upon uncleating & slackening the fouled rode, the heavy sentinel may help to disengage the line from the keel. Peter wrote that he’d hope to hear it (if keel wrapped). Don’t worry - you’ll know it for certain. The conditions that are likely to cause the wrap, will be lively enough to introduce a significant heel to the boat! Always take care when engaging the propeller in proximity to anchor rode. You don’t need another problem, at this point. Regards, Gord
Reverse Kellet
While the Reverse Kellet (floating) may help decrease shock loads, it does so at the expense of “apparent” scope. A conventional heavy kellet (sentinel) decreases the pull-angle on the anchor rode, thus increasing the apparent scope; whereas the float increases the pull angle. Simply put; I want as much of my rode (both length & weight), as I can get, on the bottom, where it can do it’s job. I don’t recommend the floating kellet. I am a great fan of Bahamian Mooring (Upstream & Downstream anchors from the bow); but don’t think the system will prevent wrapping a rode around the keel. While the technique keeps the boat more closely “pinned” at the bow, you generally need enough slack (in both lines) that you may still sail up over a rode & hook it. In that unfortunate event, you will have a second anchor to fall back to, whilst unwrapping the fouled rode. Upon uncleating & slackening the fouled rode, the heavy sentinel may help to disengage the line from the keel. Peter wrote that he’d hope to hear it (if keel wrapped). Don’t worry - you’ll know it for certain. The conditions that are likely to cause the wrap, will be lively enough to introduce a significant heel to the boat! Always take care when engaging the propeller in proximity to anchor rode. You don’t need another problem, at this point. Regards, Gord
While the Reverse Kellet (floating) may help decrease shock loads, it does so at the expense of “apparent” scope. A conventional heavy kellet (sentinel) decreases the pull-angle on the anchor rode, thus increasing the apparent scope; whereas the float increases the pull angle. Simply put; I want as much of my rode (both length & weight), as I can get, on the bottom, where it can do it’s job. I don’t recommend the floating kellet. I am a great fan of Bahamian Mooring (Upstream & Downstream anchors from the bow); but don’t think the system will prevent wrapping a rode around the keel. While the technique keeps the boat more closely “pinned” at the bow, you generally need enough slack (in both lines) that you may still sail up over a rode & hook it. In that unfortunate event, you will have a second anchor to fall back to, whilst unwrapping the fouled rode. Upon uncleating & slackening the fouled rode, the heavy sentinel may help to disengage the line from the keel. Peter wrote that he’d hope to hear it (if keel wrapped). Don’t worry - you’ll know it for certain. The conditions that are likely to cause the wrap, will be lively enough to introduce a significant heel to the boat! Always take care when engaging the propeller in proximity to anchor rode. You don’t need another problem, at this point. Regards, Gord
Third lung
I haven't had this problem - but one that I will now think about. However I have worried about lobster pots, tangled lines around the prop etc. To that end I purchased a - (this is close to correct)- Browies third lung. It is a detachable 100 foot hose that attaches to a conventional SCUBA tank, I use a small tank with the first stage of the regulator on the tank and the secound stage at the end of the 100 foot hose. With this arrangement I leave the tank in the locker and just need to put the mouth piece in then over the side without the tank etc. Haven't needed it yet but will probably try it to change a zinc etc. A little on the expensive side, but much more convienient that trying to keep diving gear on board or a compressor etc.
I haven't had this problem - but one that I will now think about. However I have worried about lobster pots, tangled lines around the prop etc. To that end I purchased a - (this is close to correct)- Browies third lung. It is a detachable 100 foot hose that attaches to a conventional SCUBA tank, I use a small tank with the first stage of the regulator on the tank and the secound stage at the end of the 100 foot hose. With this arrangement I leave the tank in the locker and just need to put the mouth piece in then over the side without the tank etc. Haven't needed it yet but will probably try it to change a zinc etc. A little on the expensive side, but much more convienient that trying to keep diving gear on board or a compressor etc.
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