Hunter 310 swings at anchor non-stop, is this normal?

[jdy2kgt]

I have a 96 hunter 310 with a shoal keel. One thing I've noticed compared to other boats I have been on is we never stop moving at anchor. Even if there is no wind we just swing back and forth on the anchor line. Is it the shoal keel or something else I'm doing wrong that is causing this. It's very annoying at night because I have a hard time using landmarks to see if were dragging since even in calm water we move side to side.

I've attached two pictures and a video

to show what I mean. You can really see in the video the direction the water is moving and how we are moving perpendicular to it vs being in line with it.

 

[leo310]

We have a Catalina 310 and it swings. Use your chartplotter to plot your swing in the first hour or so. We use anchor watch on or AIS unit.

 

[Tally Ho]

Not sure what sort of water you are in...any current? Or just wind pushing the boat around?

Do you have a riding sail ? I think those are supposed to help keep the boat pointed into the wind.

Or how about a stern anchor to keep the boat from dancing around?

My boat (O’Day 322) will certainly dance around the anchor in a breeze.

Greg

 

[LeslieTroyer]

Throw a bucket tied to a rope over the stern and tie it to a cleat. It will slow you down.

 

[quadrille38]

Suggest you do a search in the archives. There are numerous threads where this has been discussed. You will find lots of useful information on what others have done

My 38 sails like a banshee on anchor. I bought a fin delta anchor riding sail and it helps a lot.
My dock neighbor has an O Day 34 and he has some but not as much. He went to an all chain anchor rode and said that helped.

 

[FastOlson]

If your boat sails back and forth at anchor, something is acting on the boat - wind or current. Or both.
If neither, then it just sits there with a slack anchor rode.
We have been using an 'anchor sail' attached to boom and backstay. Works perfectly, i.e. like the fletching on an arrow. Most fin keel boats with sail around to some extent when anchored if not using a small anchor sail.

 

[Benny17441]

Is it normal? for the Hunter 310 yes. The late model Hunters are known for sailing at anchor, whether it is the shape of the hull with the wide stern, the location of the mast a little towards the bow or the wing keels it just happens. A small sail attached to the backstay when at anchor reduces the problem but many of the late model Hunters do not have a backstay. There are some products out there that claim to have reduced the sailing at anchor so you can Google and see what is new. The problem is that the sailing back and forth can pull out the anchor and set the boat adrift. We went to a heavy CQR Plow anchor to avoid the dragging we had experienced with the Danforth. In a tight anchorage you may set a Bahamian Moore.

 

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[Kings Gambit]

In my experience, there are no really good solutions. The most effective is to anchor bow and stern w/ bow toward wind and sea, hopefully aligned; next, rig a “Pardey Bridle”, next try a hammerlock moor, and finally, rig a riding sail. Of course, in the world of make-believe, swap your Hunter sloop for a yawl, and raise the mizzen sail when at anchor!!

Search the SBO threads for a discussion of hammerlock moors.

 

[quadrille38]

but many of the late model Hunters do not have a backstay.

My fin delta is design to work without a backstay.
I use the topping lift to hoist it. The forward lower corner attached to the boom and aft lower attachments port and starboard can be attached to a stern cleat or in my case part of the arch.

 

[Ron20324]

Go with an anchor riding sail. I used the one I made for the first time a couple weeks ago after swinging in the breeze, making it tough reading the newspaper blowing around. Two of my crew in the water noticed the boat had come to a stop and asked if we were aground!

 

[jeff356]

Late to the party but just my 2 cents...

Have a 356 that "sails" at anchor and i do the following to reduce it as much as possible.
1. Use a riding sail. I have the sail rite riding sail that I hook the head to the topping lift, tack to the boom and run the topping lift halyard from the mast to the clew of the riding sail.
2. Add more chain as the weight will help.
3. Use a bridle to both cleats in the bow.
4. Reduce windage if you have a dinghy on the deck.

We anchor out almost every weekend during the season and have found the above works the best for us.

Jeff

 

[Ron20324]

The article I have on making/using a riding sail is to subtract TEN from the length of your boat = 21 for your 310? That would be the square footage needed by your triangular rider. Usually you'd want the angle of the boom and topping lift as one corner of the triangle. Generally, make the boom and topping lift sides the same, then calculate L x W/2 for the 3rd side and square footage of 21. I had a rectangle of sail cloth, so cut it on the diagonal and sewed the two longer halves together. You could probably use Sunbrella or whatever you might have on hand.