We drop hook and line while at anchor for Perch.. At anchor off the bow my 222 O'day will not stay still. I've tried three times now and she wants to wander, first to starboard and then to port. constantly moving. Our Lake Erie perch are very lazy and don't like to chase the bait. Ideas welcome. On a powerboat we mostly anchor off the stern if the seas permit and the boat stays dead in the water. And fishing is so much better. Chuck __________________ Sailing is not a matter of life or death, it is more important than that.
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I anchor off the bow because we often sail off the
anchor. I hoist the main, Go forward an haul in the rode, when the rode is vertical the weight of the boat moving forward breaks the anchor out. I finish hauling it up and secure it and then trim the main. I throw a few buckets of water on the deck to wash the mud away. I have set a strn hook also to keep the bow towards the channel so that we didn't take the wakes on our beam.
anchor. I hoist the main, Go forward an haul in the rode, when the rode is vertical the weight of the boat moving forward breaks the anchor out. I finish hauling it up and secure it and then trim the main. I throw a few buckets of water on the deck to wash the mud away. I have set a strn hook also to keep the bow towards the channel so that we didn't take the wakes on our beam.
I use a stern hook all of the time in calm waters.
Its just easier than going forward. When the seas are rough I don't like sitting still and bobbing in the water and usually when the wind waves kick up its time to sail. We do a lot of drift fishing here too. I just wonder if dropping your jib and raising your main would help steady the boat. Frank
Its just easier than going forward. When the seas are rough I don't like sitting still and bobbing in the water and usually when the wind waves kick up its time to sail. We do a lot of drift fishing here too. I just wonder if dropping your jib and raising your main would help steady the boat. Frank
Rolling Hitch
Try your usual anchor off the bow technique, except bring up a 20-30' dock line and tie it to the anchor line with a rolling hitch (Google 'rolling hitch'). Take the tail back to a primary cockpit winch or cleat; then let out 8-10' more anchor rhode off the bow till you have a bridle effect with the bow pointing say 20-30 degrees to one side. Use the winch to play with the angle and see what works best; while the boat may still swing, it shouldn't 'hunt' from side to side as much. I've used the bridle in the tidal situations in the Chesapeake to position the boat with respect to combination of tide and wind driven waves. The type of keel and amount of wind resistance from the topsides plays into the resulting motion. Another obvious solution is to use two anchors; bow and stern, but you may spend more time anchoring than fishing!
Try your usual anchor off the bow technique, except bring up a 20-30' dock line and tie it to the anchor line with a rolling hitch (Google 'rolling hitch'). Take the tail back to a primary cockpit winch or cleat; then let out 8-10' more anchor rhode off the bow till you have a bridle effect with the bow pointing say 20-30 degrees to one side. Use the winch to play with the angle and see what works best; while the boat may still swing, it shouldn't 'hunt' from side to side as much. I've used the bridle in the tidal situations in the Chesapeake to position the boat with respect to combination of tide and wind driven waves. The type of keel and amount of wind resistance from the topsides plays into the resulting motion. Another obvious solution is to use two anchors; bow and stern, but you may spend more time anchoring than fishing!
Staying Put
I agree with Ross: you could mess around with riding sails, but on a boat that small, a little mushroom or folding grapnel anchor, or anything convenient, short of a coathanger, will stop the sailing at anchor. It's just the current flowing past the keel creating a little lift; not a lot of energy to restrain there. Just let out extra scope on the bow, deploy the kedge, and come up on the bow rode until the kedge bites. If that O'Day is a swing-keel, perhaps cranking it up when you're anchored will help. What you gain in rolling at anchor (even noticeable?), you will lose in hydrodynamic lift.
I agree with Ross: you could mess around with riding sails, but on a boat that small, a little mushroom or folding grapnel anchor, or anything convenient, short of a coathanger, will stop the sailing at anchor. It's just the current flowing past the keel creating a little lift; not a lot of energy to restrain there. Just let out extra scope on the bow, deploy the kedge, and come up on the bow rode until the kedge bites. If that O'Day is a swing-keel, perhaps cranking it up when you're anchored will help. What you gain in rolling at anchor (even noticeable?), you will lose in hydrodynamic lift.
Lots of sailboats sail on the anchor. The light ones more so.
You have been told a number of ways to help the problem, and they should all help. The thing that I think works best is the steadying, riding, or stay-sail. A small triangular sail flown backwards. That is, the luff is on the backstay, and the clew stretched tight and secured forward. This generally holds your bow right into the wind and reduces the sailing to almost nothing. Yawls do this with their mizzen. You don't have a mizzen so this is the next best thing. And for information sailing on the anchor can be caused by current on the keel, wind on the hull and rig, waves, and spring in the anchor rode. The best way to solve more of the types of causes, is to hold the bow into the wind. BTW cruisers use the bridle described by S. Sauer all the time, when they duck in behind a peninsula for shelter, and the waves roll around and come in from the end of the peninsula, and the wind comes over it. Some times your bow points as much as 90 degrees off the wind. Good luck Joe S
You have been told a number of ways to help the problem, and they should all help. The thing that I think works best is the steadying, riding, or stay-sail. A small triangular sail flown backwards. That is, the luff is on the backstay, and the clew stretched tight and secured forward. This generally holds your bow right into the wind and reduces the sailing to almost nothing. Yawls do this with their mizzen. You don't have a mizzen so this is the next best thing. And for information sailing on the anchor can be caused by current on the keel, wind on the hull and rig, waves, and spring in the anchor rode. The best way to solve more of the types of causes, is to hold the bow into the wind. BTW cruisers use the bridle described by S. Sauer all the time, when they duck in behind a peninsula for shelter, and the waves roll around and come in from the end of the peninsula, and the wind comes over it. Some times your bow points as much as 90 degrees off the wind. Good luck Joe S
Lots of good ideas,,,,,,
This season I will be armed with these helpful ideas and hopefully improve my fishing off my sailboat. THANK YOU to all contributors. I knew I could count on this forum to share.
This season I will be armed with these helpful ideas and hopefully improve my fishing off my sailboat. THANK YOU to all contributors. I knew I could count on this forum to share.
I have a swinger
When I am anchored I get a lot of swinging. The easiest way I have found to dealing with this is a 15# mushroom anchor. Buy it at wal-mart, it's super cheap and you don't need a good anchor line since it doesn't hold hard anyway. The shroom provides enough hold to stop the swinging. Where I sail it is a clay bottom and you would be surprised at hell that little mushroom anchor can hold on.
When I am anchored I get a lot of swinging. The easiest way I have found to dealing with this is a 15# mushroom anchor. Buy it at wal-mart, it's super cheap and you don't need a good anchor line since it doesn't hold hard anyway. The shroom provides enough hold to stop the swinging. Where I sail it is a clay bottom and you would be surprised at hell that little mushroom anchor can hold on.
fishing
Put out more line with a float and as the boat wanders the float will remain the the same place unless the wind or current is strong.
Put out more line with a float and as the boat wanders the float will remain the the same place unless the wind or current is strong.
FISHERPEOPLE
PLEASE CONSIDER WHAT DRAGGING AN ANCHOR IS DOING TO THE BOTTOM- SOMETIMES YOU WOULD DESTROY DELICATE GRASSES ETC.
PLEASE CONSIDER WHAT DRAGGING AN ANCHOR IS DOING TO THE BOTTOM- SOMETIMES YOU WOULD DESTROY DELICATE GRASSES ETC.
kimbal1
First time I recall seeing your name here. Welcome sir. With that said, please read posts a little more closely, or you will be subject to getting hammered. No one has said anything about dragging an anchor. The discussion is about the boat swinging and how to stop it. Of course no matter how carefully you read, and how sincere you are, sooner or later someone will take a shot at you. Most of us on here have been shot at many times. This is a wonderful board, and Welcome Aboard.
First time I recall seeing your name here. Welcome sir. With that said, please read posts a little more closely, or you will be subject to getting hammered. No one has said anything about dragging an anchor. The discussion is about the boat swinging and how to stop it. Of course no matter how carefully you read, and how sincere you are, sooner or later someone will take a shot at you. Most of us on here have been shot at many times. This is a wonderful board, and Welcome Aboard.
Reducing 'swing' .....
The higher the freeboard the greater the chance of a boat 'hunting' around an anchor; the lower the 'attachment' to the water the less the 'swing'. My old P30 had an installed 'bow eye' down low. For fishing, I tied a 'messenger' that when pulled would take the anchor line down close to the bow eye and the boat would become more stable. What you need to look for is a greater than 3:1 scope angle **AT** the boat to keep the boat stable. For fishing consider to use a lighter weight (lunch hook) anchor and with 'light weight' but high strength non-stretchable rode that will pull out straight and with the minimum of 'catenary'.... floating polypropylene line works best. Its the action of 'gravity' on the rode that pulls the boat forward ... which eases tension on the rode, etc. If the rode is too heavy it will sink and create too much 'catenary' (sag) on the line thats underwater; hence, the 'instability'. On my heavyweight current boat when I changed from a rope/chain combo to all chain, the boat became 'aggressive' when at anchor in 'moderate' conditions. For low/moderate condition whenever possible I now use a lightweight rope/chain combo (sometimes with a 'float' on the rode) ... and the boat sits much 'quieter'.
The higher the freeboard the greater the chance of a boat 'hunting' around an anchor; the lower the 'attachment' to the water the less the 'swing'. My old P30 had an installed 'bow eye' down low. For fishing, I tied a 'messenger' that when pulled would take the anchor line down close to the bow eye and the boat would become more stable. What you need to look for is a greater than 3:1 scope angle **AT** the boat to keep the boat stable. For fishing consider to use a lighter weight (lunch hook) anchor and with 'light weight' but high strength non-stretchable rode that will pull out straight and with the minimum of 'catenary'.... floating polypropylene line works best. Its the action of 'gravity' on the rode that pulls the boat forward ... which eases tension on the rode, etc. If the rode is too heavy it will sink and create too much 'catenary' (sag) on the line thats underwater; hence, the 'instability'. On my heavyweight current boat when I changed from a rope/chain combo to all chain, the boat became 'aggressive' when at anchor in 'moderate' conditions. For low/moderate condition whenever possible I now use a lightweight rope/chain combo (sometimes with a 'float' on the rode) ... and the boat sits much 'quieter'.
Balloons
Try a nice party balloon as a bobber and plenty of slack, this works on Blues and Stripers the rest is luck.
Try a nice party balloon as a bobber and plenty of slack, this works on Blues and Stripers the rest is luck.
wow interesting answers
First: There are no grasses in Lake Erie to destroy. Second: For perching, you just bait the hook and drop it in the water, and wait. The water varies in the western basin from 20 to 40 feet. The perch are at various depths. Third: My 37'er has a HUGE freeboard, but it doesn't swing to much. If it does. I use a second anchor off the aft end. Fourth: I never tried a small sail on the backstay to steady the boat. Fifth. I don't think it matter s much to the perch what the heck you do. If they be bitin, they be reeled in!!!!!
First: There are no grasses in Lake Erie to destroy. Second: For perching, you just bait the hook and drop it in the water, and wait. The water varies in the western basin from 20 to 40 feet. The perch are at various depths. Third: My 37'er has a HUGE freeboard, but it doesn't swing to much. If it does. I use a second anchor off the aft end. Fourth: I never tried a small sail on the backstay to steady the boat. Fifth. I don't think it matter s much to the perch what the heck you do. If they be bitin, they be reeled in!!!!!
Lake Erie Perch are--
fat and lazy. "Fifth. I don't think it matter s much to the perch what the heck you do. If they be bitin, they be reeled in!!!!!" Not only do they not want to chase a worm because your sailboat is wondering all over the place they can't even bite on a whole worm. You have to break the worn up into small pieces for them to just open their mouths ever so slightly. I'm telling you these fish are very persnickatey, and if you don't do things right, they will seek out a different fisherperson. Why I've seen persons sitting all day long, catch nothing, while a person next to them catches way more than their share.
fat and lazy. "Fifth. I don't think it matter s much to the perch what the heck you do. If they be bitin, they be reeled in!!!!!" Not only do they not want to chase a worm because your sailboat is wondering all over the place they can't even bite on a whole worm. You have to break the worn up into small pieces for them to just open their mouths ever so slightly. I'm telling you these fish are very persnickatey, and if you don't do things right, they will seek out a different fisherperson. Why I've seen persons sitting all day long, catch nothing, while a person next to them catches way more than their share.
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