When anchored our H260 swings back and forth about 90 degrees in even the lightest breeze. The anchor holds and we're secure, but it gives me the creepes to see the moon and trees swinging from one side to the other during the night. We're using a 13 lb Danforth type on 20 ft of chain and plenty of rode. The line is off-center on the starboard side as it feeds out of the anchor locker. Any ideas what causes this?
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H260 Sailing at anchor
This has been discussed before in this forum. The high freeboard is causing the movement. There is a complicated and long discussion of the physics of this phenomenon somewhere but I forget where it is. Anyway, the consensus is that a kellet (a mushroom anchor seems to work well) hung about half way to two-thirds the way down the anchor roade will reduce the movement. I use a 10 lb weight but I’ve read that it has to be at least 25 lbs for this size boat. There are a number of ways to attach the kellet to the line. Others say put out another anchor. It bothers me too but I've learned to live with it.
This has been discussed before in this forum. The high freeboard is causing the movement. There is a complicated and long discussion of the physics of this phenomenon somewhere but I forget where it is. Anyway, the consensus is that a kellet (a mushroom anchor seems to work well) hung about half way to two-thirds the way down the anchor roade will reduce the movement. I use a 10 lb weight but I’ve read that it has to be at least 25 lbs for this size boat. There are a number of ways to attach the kellet to the line. Others say put out another anchor. It bothers me too but I've learned to live with it.
Simple Fix
Call your local sail maker and have make you a anchor riding sail. It is a sail that attaches to the backstay or the topping lift. It then act's like a wind vane keeping the bow of the boat pointed into the wind. I have one for my 28.5 and it works well. Cliff
Call your local sail maker and have make you a anchor riding sail. It is a sail that attaches to the backstay or the topping lift. It then act's like a wind vane keeping the bow of the boat pointed into the wind. I have one for my 28.5 and it works well. Cliff
Home made riding sail
I make this one out of some duck cloth I had left over. Riding sail helped but it need to be twice this size to be affective. H260's Love the Music of wind and like to dance! Jim S/V Java
I make this one out of some duck cloth I had left over. Riding sail helped but it need to be twice this size to be affective. H260's Love the Music of wind and like to dance! Jim S/V Java
Attachments
Questions?
Alan, I am curious if you leave your rudder and keel down while at anchor. I know my H260 use to bounce around very badly when tied up in its slip. A friend suggested to leave the keel down a bit and it did seem to help. What helped even more was the rudder. The water is very shallow at my slip so I let the stock H260 rudder float at water level and then just pulled it under the surface of the water and tied it off. I then attached bungee cords to the tiller to dappen the latteral movement of the tiller. It worked great - what a difference. Also, when at anchor, I attached my anchor line to the bow u-bolt, you know, the one you attach your trailer winch to when taking the boat out of the water. I figured it was in the center of the boat and had to be better. I used it twice last season and it seemed to help, but it wasn't very windy so it was hard to tell. Hope this helps Regards, Bob
Alan, I am curious if you leave your rudder and keel down while at anchor. I know my H260 use to bounce around very badly when tied up in its slip. A friend suggested to leave the keel down a bit and it did seem to help. What helped even more was the rudder. The water is very shallow at my slip so I let the stock H260 rudder float at water level and then just pulled it under the surface of the water and tied it off. I then attached bungee cords to the tiller to dappen the latteral movement of the tiller. It worked great - what a difference. Also, when at anchor, I attached my anchor line to the bow u-bolt, you know, the one you attach your trailer winch to when taking the boat out of the water. I figured it was in the center of the boat and had to be better. I used it twice last season and it seemed to help, but it wasn't very windy so it was hard to tell. Hope this helps Regards, Bob
Rudder & Centerboard
Bob: Ive tried different combos; rudder & board up and down, made no difference. I've toyed with the idea to attach a home-made tail-fin sail off the back using the mast crutch mount for a bracket to support a 1-3/4 inch mini-mast. But is it worth it? Like George in MN says..learn to live with it. I like anchoring for the nite in tight little creeks off the main lake, but get a liitle anxiety when I see the trees moving, wondering if we're dragging the anchor. Nuff said.
Bob: Ive tried different combos; rudder & board up and down, made no difference. I've toyed with the idea to attach a home-made tail-fin sail off the back using the mast crutch mount for a bracket to support a 1-3/4 inch mini-mast. But is it worth it? Like George in MN says..learn to live with it. I like anchoring for the nite in tight little creeks off the main lake, but get a liitle anxiety when I see the trees moving, wondering if we're dragging the anchor. Nuff said.
Riding Sail
Jim's idea of a riding sail is interesting and I'd like to try it. But as he says, his was probably too small. I've read that the riding sail should be from 5 to 10 percent the size of the total sail area (320 sq ft) or from 16 to 32 sq ft for the H260. Also it should be as far aft as possible to counter the tendency of the bow to "hunt". The normal way to rig a riding sail is to use the backstay. Looking at Jim's picture you can see that since there is no backstay on the H260 rigging a riding sail that size might be a challenge. Any ideas?
Jim's idea of a riding sail is interesting and I'd like to try it. But as he says, his was probably too small. I've read that the riding sail should be from 5 to 10 percent the size of the total sail area (320 sq ft) or from 16 to 32 sq ft for the H260. Also it should be as far aft as possible to counter the tendency of the bow to "hunt". The normal way to rig a riding sail is to use the backstay. Looking at Jim's picture you can see that since there is no backstay on the H260 rigging a riding sail that size might be a challenge. Any ideas?
Rigging a riding sail
You can hoist the head of the riding sail with the main halyard. You can also use the jib halyard if you have a hank-on headsail or the spinnaker halyard if you have one. If you're anchored in a small creek or tight cove, you can also try running a stern line ashore to hold you in position. If you can raise the rudder and centerboard, you can pull the stern tight into shore (as long as the bugs aren't bad). Double the stern line and cleat both ends on board so you don't have to go ashore to leave the next day. Even if the wind reverses overnight, you'll be tucked in so tight the chance of waves over the stern should be minimal. Peter H23 "Raven"
You can hoist the head of the riding sail with the main halyard. You can also use the jib halyard if you have a hank-on headsail or the spinnaker halyard if you have one. If you're anchored in a small creek or tight cove, you can also try running a stern line ashore to hold you in position. If you can raise the rudder and centerboard, you can pull the stern tight into shore (as long as the bugs aren't bad). Double the stern line and cleat both ends on board so you don't have to go ashore to leave the next day. Even if the wind reverses overnight, you'll be tucked in so tight the chance of waves over the stern should be minimal. Peter H23 "Raven"
additional anchor
Since I sail in fresh water (no tides) I have used an additional small anchor off the stern. I let the boat swing all the way to one side and then drop the other anchor from the stern. Let the boat swing back until almost pointing into the wind and tie off the line. This way the wind will keep you very nicely in place. (At least untill it shifts direction!) Also for anchoring for short periods while on board it works very well to tie the anchor line to one of the stern cleats only. The boat is very steady this way and you get the breeze into the cabin.
Since I sail in fresh water (no tides) I have used an additional small anchor off the stern. I let the boat swing all the way to one side and then drop the other anchor from the stern. Let the boat swing back until almost pointing into the wind and tie off the line. This way the wind will keep you very nicely in place. (At least untill it shifts direction!) Also for anchoring for short periods while on board it works very well to tie the anchor line to one of the stern cleats only. The boat is very steady this way and you get the breeze into the cabin.
I've always been afraid to tie a stern anchor to a stern cleat. I wonder how strong that cleat is? Would it be better to tie it off the rudder post? It looks a lot stronger to me.
like a day sailor
A Hunter 260 like all water ballasted center boards behave much like a day sailor. They have lots of free board and very little under the water to resist the swing. I sail in Kanas with high winds that change direction every few minutes. When achored for lunch with one bow anchor I have noted swings of 180 degrees. I have three anchoring techniques. If it just for lunch I put out one bow anchor and swing. For the night we 1. will put out two bow anchors bahamanian style to cut down the swing and to protect from a wind shift. I have gotten up in the morning and found the rodes wraped around each other after a storm. We were safe and secure because of two anchors. 2.We anchor stern-to to the shore and put out one or two stern anchors. We motor to shore with the center board up and I drop the bow anchor off while my wife motors in. When we get to about 3 ft depth she releases the rudder and it swings up while she backs us around to the shore. When it gets shallow enough I step off the back and take anchor ashore. We often use this technique at noon when we want to go ashore to walk as well. To leave pull up the stern anchor wald to the boat and motor over the bow anchor and leave. This even works if the wind is on your stern you just have to get to the boat before it leaves. Often my wife or I will hold the boat while the other comes in with the anchor. We have been dong this for over 10 years with our McGregor and now our Hunter. One of the advantages of an shoal draft boat is to go ashore without a dingy. The disadvantage is swinging in the wind. ct MeriCay
A Hunter 260 like all water ballasted center boards behave much like a day sailor. They have lots of free board and very little under the water to resist the swing. I sail in Kanas with high winds that change direction every few minutes. When achored for lunch with one bow anchor I have noted swings of 180 degrees. I have three anchoring techniques. If it just for lunch I put out one bow anchor and swing. For the night we 1. will put out two bow anchors bahamanian style to cut down the swing and to protect from a wind shift. I have gotten up in the morning and found the rodes wraped around each other after a storm. We were safe and secure because of two anchors. 2.We anchor stern-to to the shore and put out one or two stern anchors. We motor to shore with the center board up and I drop the bow anchor off while my wife motors in. When we get to about 3 ft depth she releases the rudder and it swings up while she backs us around to the shore. When it gets shallow enough I step off the back and take anchor ashore. We often use this technique at noon when we want to go ashore to walk as well. To leave pull up the stern anchor wald to the boat and motor over the bow anchor and leave. This even works if the wind is on your stern you just have to get to the boat before it leaves. Often my wife or I will hold the boat while the other comes in with the anchor. We have been dong this for over 10 years with our McGregor and now our Hunter. One of the advantages of an shoal draft boat is to go ashore without a dingy. The disadvantage is swinging in the wind. ct MeriCay
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