I have a 27 ft Catalina that sails all over the place when I am at anchor. This is especially true when there is a stiff wind blowing... It is so pronounced that I have ,twice, sailed over my anchor line and my (rather sharp) keel has snapped it. I have recieved several suggestions from friends 1) have the tiller pulled over and tied down 2) anchor fore and aft.. ( a pain in the rear).. Any suggestions DALE email ims00@knology.net
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Use more chain part 2
Anchor line floats in water and allows boat to wander at anchor.If you add 25 to 50ft.of chain it should help. All chain is the way to go but on small boat its difficult to stow 150+ ft. of chain.
Anchor line floats in water and allows boat to wander at anchor.If you add 25 to 50ft.of chain it should help. All chain is the way to go but on small boat its difficult to stow 150+ ft. of chain.
Riding Sail and Weight Distribution
Alfred: My C22 has a somewhat similar problem, especially when left alone at anchor. What helps mine is I use a small riding sail, and to avoid chaffing of the rode I use a snubber connected to the trailer attachment ring in the bow with a shackle and to the anchor rode with a rolling hitch. The guest expert this week said having the bow too high as by having the aft-end heavy and deep in the water, also causes boats at anchor to wander. That probably fits my case when boat is left alone with its heavy 4-cycle 9.9hp outboard hanging on the transom. Dick
Alfred: My C22 has a somewhat similar problem, especially when left alone at anchor. What helps mine is I use a small riding sail, and to avoid chaffing of the rode I use a snubber connected to the trailer attachment ring in the bow with a shackle and to the anchor rode with a rolling hitch. The guest expert this week said having the bow too high as by having the aft-end heavy and deep in the water, also causes boats at anchor to wander. That probably fits my case when boat is left alone with its heavy 4-cycle 9.9hp outboard hanging on the transom. Dick
Bridle
After you anchor, tie another line onto the anchor line about a foot beyond the bow with a rolling hitch. Run this line outside the lifelines back to a winch. Let the anchor line out more until the second line is just about at the waterline. Cinch in on the second "bridle" line. This will cock your boat to one side and it should reduce wandering around. Lynn and Larry Pardey - "Cost Conscious Cruiser"
After you anchor, tie another line onto the anchor line about a foot beyond the bow with a rolling hitch. Run this line outside the lifelines back to a winch. Let the anchor line out more until the second line is just about at the waterline. Cinch in on the second "bridle" line. This will cock your boat to one side and it should reduce wandering around. Lynn and Larry Pardey - "Cost Conscious Cruiser"
sailing on the anchor rode
Stu has good advice except when anticipating thunder storms. Any commments about dealing with sailing on the anchor rode should include thoughts about possible effects of severe downdrafts that produce high straight line winds, cocking the boat intentionally will likely see it driven very far over on that tack overloading the ground tackle. The degree of loading beam on compared to bow on probably cannot be appreciated. A boat that robustly hunts both ways will stop hunting in very high winds and hold one tack presenting much of its beam to the wind (I know from experience). If using the Pardey bridle... be prepared to ease the bridle dead ahead. On boats like your C27 and my C250 with an offset anchor chock, the bridle will remain under enough tension to position the rode pull dead ahead. This effectively loads the leeward cleat thus leveraging the bow back on the wind. Like you outline on your C27, my C250 hunts bad as well and came precariously close to being driven onto the rocky outrcropping to the bay opening during an evening thunderstorm. I vowed to not subject her to those risk again. And..., there is no way to anticpate which direction straight line winds will come, it all depends on where the thunder head is... every nearby shore is a potential lee shore. This makes setting two anchors not foolproof. Also, my boat was not driven before the wind, but because she sailed high on her rode, drug it off at nearly 45 degrees off the wind. The anchor in use at the time was a one size over danforth and it had been set well and was in good holding. It plowed a furrow 450 yards never breaking out (thank God). Steps taken to try to prevent a repeat performance: * the primary anchor was changed to a bruce * a riding sail is deployed * a bridle is set on the rode Effects upon the hunting on her rode: * the riding sail reduced hunting by 40% * the bridle reduces hunt by 40% * total reduction of hunting is 80% These percentages are in 25 knot winds. The hunt has been reduced adequate enough to prevent going beam on the swell far enough to roll the boat. That translates into sleeping rather than being miserable. My riding sail is a small delta aft of the backstay and I use a single bowline in a bite for the anchor bridle.
Stu has good advice except when anticipating thunder storms. Any commments about dealing with sailing on the anchor rode should include thoughts about possible effects of severe downdrafts that produce high straight line winds, cocking the boat intentionally will likely see it driven very far over on that tack overloading the ground tackle. The degree of loading beam on compared to bow on probably cannot be appreciated. A boat that robustly hunts both ways will stop hunting in very high winds and hold one tack presenting much of its beam to the wind (I know from experience). If using the Pardey bridle... be prepared to ease the bridle dead ahead. On boats like your C27 and my C250 with an offset anchor chock, the bridle will remain under enough tension to position the rode pull dead ahead. This effectively loads the leeward cleat thus leveraging the bow back on the wind. Like you outline on your C27, my C250 hunts bad as well and came precariously close to being driven onto the rocky outrcropping to the bay opening during an evening thunderstorm. I vowed to not subject her to those risk again. And..., there is no way to anticpate which direction straight line winds will come, it all depends on where the thunder head is... every nearby shore is a potential lee shore. This makes setting two anchors not foolproof. Also, my boat was not driven before the wind, but because she sailed high on her rode, drug it off at nearly 45 degrees off the wind. The anchor in use at the time was a one size over danforth and it had been set well and was in good holding. It plowed a furrow 450 yards never breaking out (thank God). Steps taken to try to prevent a repeat performance: * the primary anchor was changed to a bruce * a riding sail is deployed * a bridle is set on the rode Effects upon the hunting on her rode: * the riding sail reduced hunting by 40% * the bridle reduces hunt by 40% * total reduction of hunting is 80% These percentages are in 25 knot winds. The hunt has been reduced adequate enough to prevent going beam on the swell far enough to roll the boat. That translates into sleeping rather than being miserable. My riding sail is a small delta aft of the backstay and I use a single bowline in a bite for the anchor bridle.
Try an anchor riding sail
Rather than try to hook up a bridel (which sounds pretty complicated for my tastes) consider an anchor riding sail as some have suggested. TGhis is a small triangular sail that attaches a halyard and to the backstay. It will catch the wind and make your boat stay to one side. SailRite makes a kit you can buy to make your own; I seem to recall they also offered finished sails as well. I think this sounds like a pretty simple solution. Brad
Rather than try to hook up a bridel (which sounds pretty complicated for my tastes) consider an anchor riding sail as some have suggested. TGhis is a small triangular sail that attaches a halyard and to the backstay. It will catch the wind and make your boat stay to one side. SailRite makes a kit you can buy to make your own; I seem to recall they also offered finished sails as well. I think this sounds like a pretty simple solution. Brad
a mooring trick may hold some answers
I know that Alfred's problem is with anchoring rather than mooring, but something I discovered about my mooring pennants may hold a solution: my boat does a lot less riding when I have two pennants attached to the bow at port and starboard cleats. It's as though the triangle formed by the pennants keep the bow from wandering. Some kind of similar triangle could be made on an anchor rode with snubbing lines. Even though most anchor rodes will lead out from the center of the bow, that may not prevent the bow from turning as well as a triangle attached further back along the deck...
I know that Alfred's problem is with anchoring rather than mooring, but something I discovered about my mooring pennants may hold a solution: my boat does a lot less riding when I have two pennants attached to the bow at port and starboard cleats. It's as though the triangle formed by the pennants keep the bow from wandering. Some kind of similar triangle could be made on an anchor rode with snubbing lines. Even though most anchor rodes will lead out from the center of the bow, that may not prevent the bow from turning as well as a triangle attached further back along the deck...
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