Sailing to anchor: who does it?

[Kings Gambit]

So, my wife and I with two sailing buddies from FL were sailing to Cabrillo Beach anchorage, a 6-n.mi. beat from Long Beach Harbor where we used to slip the Bavaria. At a little distance west of the sea channel to the Port of Los Angeles there's not much room so short-tacking is required, where in summer the afternoon winds are 20-25 kt (the area is a.k.a. Hurricane Gulch) but there are no seas, being in the lee of San Pedro. We get close to the spot in 15 ft, furl the headsail, continuing under mainsail at reduced speed; then head-up & blow the mainsheet, coast to nearly a stop, then let go the anchor, paying out chain as she quickly falls off abeam the wind until brought up with a tightening of the clutch of the windlass as we drop the mainsail. Voilà! Time for a Tanqueray and Tonic!

Settling in, we watch as another boat near the size of the Bavaria 38 with a crew of 4 or 5 is beating up to the anchorage where we are. It's not that common to see--most boats furl, then motor, when the short-tacking begins if coming in there. It becomes evident that the crew is going to attempt the manuveur we completed about 15 min earlier. They furl the headsail, head up, and coast to a near stop, then let go the anchor. But now the show begins! She falls off but then starts sailing (remember it's 20-25 kt!) b/c the mainsail was evidently still sheeted to some degree. I guess the skipper did not know b/c the boat sailed to the end of the anchor rode, spun around, jibed hard with the main coming 'round fully against the shrouds, then picked up way, apparently dragging the anchor behind her under the force of the wind astern. [Remember, you cannot make this stuff up!!] They cannot get the boat under control as it sails close past a channel marker whereupon the anchor apparently becomes fouled on the channel marker's chain and the boat stops short facing down wind with the mainsail still appressed against the shrouds!

Hey, time for another round of T&T's!

We watched as the crew struggled to get the main down, but then could not free the boat from the [nylon] rode leading back under the boat to the channel marker. It appeared to be fouled with the rudder. A fully clothed crew then jumped into the water w/ no snorkeling gear, did several breath-hold "dives", reported to the skipper the situation, then made one last dive to cut the boat free, whereupon it [thankfully] motored away. Just another example of how one little oversight can ruin your afternoon. There was no real life-threatening "danger" here; but what an experience!

So, I was wondering, how many practice their anchoring having sailed to the spot instead of motoring? It's a good techinque to know and should be practiced at least once a year, IMHO!! Plus, I love to tell this story.

 

[Stu Jackson]

KG,

Good thing to know how to do.

We noticed an engine overheat as we were motoring to Clipper Cove a few years ago. We shut down the engine, and since we'd planned to motor all the 1 1/2 hour way, the mainsail cover was on, so we unfurled the 110% jib in 20-25 kt winds and sailed upwind into the anchorage.

Dropped the hook after furling the jib and getting blown somewhat downwind enough for the anchor to grab and hold.

This was NOT a surprise to us, 'cuz we'd practiced it many times.

It's when it freaks out the skipper and crew 'cuz they didn't try it is when the sh*t hits the fan.

We also had to sail out the next day, loss of engine coolant 'cuz the hose to the water heater died under the galley sole, like this (click on the link and the one in the thread):

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5078.msg31079.html#msg31079

KG, great post, thanks for reminding everyone. Maybe we should do this in April again, when our brethren are re splashing their boats after the winter.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Thanks, Stu. Reading your experience made me also think about bringing the boat home under sail. Sailing a heavy yacht into one's own slip in any kind of wind except on the nose going in, and even then, is a scary deal. It's better to attempt to land on an "end-tie" and then get a tow if one cannot be gotten ahead of time. The last time my wife and I did this it was afternoon--the wind at 15 kt off the port quarter, the "long dock" to starboard. Eased the main and pulled down as much of it as I could. Deployed four fenders along starboard topsides; asked the wife to approach close & parallel to the dock, and then swipe (i.e, lay against) it. The boat slowed down enough for me to get off and secure the stern line to a dock cleat and fully stop the boat. Failure would have meant a bow-on collision with the boat on the adjacent (leeward) dock.

 

[Stu Jackson]

KG, yes, you're right. Our slip is "in" somewhat in the marina, but when we first got this boat in 1998, I practiced sailing in with the motor in neutral. In our usual summer breeze, it's downwind, beam reach, downwind, beam into slip. I ALWAYS douse the main first. It's always easier to blow a jib sheet or furl the jib than to deal with the main. Of course, a year or so later the engine DID die (exhaust riser failed), so I just did it again. Midships spring line comes in handy, always.

Other times we used empty side ties, or other marinas.

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

I sail solo most of the time and find it very convenient to sail to the anchor spot under main alone whenever I can as it allows me the time to drop and furl it after the anchor has taken hold. don't even need to leave the cockpit as I can activate the windlass and deploy the anchor with the control switch in the cockpit. Always interesting to see the looks on the faces of already anchored sailors. Many dinghy over later to comment and ask questions about the manoeuver and set-up. That and getting to your dock under sail are 2 things sailors should practice and be able to do.

 

[rgranger]

Another good thing to practice is sailing out of the slip. Two summers ago, I was tied up at a slip on Tangier island and my outboard decided to act up. I suspected dirty gas. I had an internal tank and suspected some sludge had gotten in the line. Go figure, a fishing community with no place to buy a gas can. Anyway, the wind was on my nose so I talked the crew through the maneuver and we used spring lines to ease ourselves out of the slip, released them one at a time leaving the stern port line for last and as the nose drifted to starboard we unfurled the head sail right as the wind was abeam. We sailed right out of Tangier on the head sail smooth as silk and raised the main once we were clear of the channel. I felt really salty and my "crew" (a.k.a. my kids) all had big smiles on their faces. It turned out to be a positive in the memory book.

 

[Boomer54]

Another good thing to practice is sailing out of the slip. Two summers ago, I was tied up at a slip on Tangier island and my outboard decided to act up. I suspected dirty gas. I had an internal tank and suspected some sludge had gotten in the line. Go figure, a fishing community with no place to buy a gas can. Anyway, the wind was on my nose so I talked the crew through the maneuver and we used spring lines to ease ourselves out of the slip, released them one at a time leaving the stern port line for last and as the nose drifted to starboard we unfurled the head sail right as the wind was abeam. We sailed right out of Tangier on the head sail smooth as silk and raised the main once we were clear of the channel. I felt really salty and my "crew" (a.k.a. my kids) all had big smiles on their faces. It turned out to be a positive in the memory book.

True, great story. Thanks for sharing, no doubt the kids will cherish that memory and the ones yet to be made.

 

[Ukeluthier]

I usually sail up to anchor in my little catboat when the conditions are right. Makes it easier to furl the main when you don't need someone to tend the helm.

Once, back in the '80s when I owned a 45' cutter, I was joining my yacht club cruising group for our annual Baltimore cruise in October. Although the anchorage in the Inner Harbor was fairly crowded, I could see a clear upwind passage to where I wanted to drop the hook. As I had experienced crew on board, I decided to sail up to anchor. Everything went like clockwork... the jib smartly furled and the main dropped along with the anchor as we coasted to a stop... and just then all hell broke loose. The crowds of visitors at the shoreside pavilions started roaring, other anchored boats started blowing their airhorns, and the fireboat tied up at the National Aquarium let loose with its water cannons.

I thought, "Wow, I know we put on a pretty good show, but I don't think it was THAT good!"

A moment later my friend Jim rowed over in his dinghy and said, "Did you hear the news? The Orioles just clinched the pennant."

 

[capta]

We sail onto our anchor about half the time. Unlike most, we furl the main and continue in under the Yankee alone. Most of the time there is 18 to 25 knots of wind keeping us at 6 to 7 knots as we are making the last few tacks into the anchorage, a bit fast for my taste. Therefore each time we tack, we roll in the jib a few turns so that by the time we are turning up into the wind to drop the pick the handkerchief aloft has us down to a bit over a knot.
With the wife on the foredeck standing by the windlass, I furl what's left of the headsail as we turn into the wind and she drops the pick just as all forward way comes off the boat.
I'll throw the helm hard to port with the last little bit of forward momentum, and the wife will pay out the chain as the bow falls off, in a big arc, to about 100 feet of chain and we'll wait for her to round up on the anchor and see how she's laying, then pay out the scope we want to lay on.
I've never understood why folks try to sail to anchor under the main for exactly the reason you mentioned. We see it quite often. A jib on a furler furls much more neatly and quickly than a main and it can't create any forward motion as it's all rolled up.
Even before furlers, I basically used the same method, only dropping the jib onto the foredeck instead of rolling it up. Of course, you have to know your halyard won't get fouled when you drop the sail.

 

[Kings Gambit]

I've never understood why folks try to sail to anchor under the main for exactly the reason you mentioned. We see it quite often. A jib on a furler furls much more neatly and quickly than a main and it can't create any forward motion as it's all rolled up. Even before furlers, I basically used the same method, only dropping the jib onto the foredeck instead of rolling it up. Of course, you have to know your halyard won't get fouled when you drop the sail.

I suppose the reasons are: 1) to slow the boat; 2) dousing the mainsail while underway is a bigger job than furling the headsail [if you don't have a furling mainsail]. Also, you can bring the boat head to wind w/o the main getting in the way of the anchor deployment whereas a headsail normally could, although your incremental reduction in headsail area I see would work the same in that regard; & 3) if you have to abort the attempt under sail [i.e., not engaging the diesel] you can fall off, gybe, and return for another try w/o having to handle jib sheets, etc., which are more trouble if you're single-handing. I suppose one could douse the main b/f going forward to deploy the anchor. Or, for people with a windlass remote, could do it from the helm as the anchor rode is being veered out. However, I don't really like veering the chain using the windlass motor; I prefer to have it fall by gravity.

 

[TomY]

Nice post. We anchor under sail for fun and practice - when there is plenty of room and winds are mild. I too have settled on sailing under main only - for slowing the boat down and the easier sail handling(especially single handed). Setting up on a beam reach, I'll take a pass or two to check out the area we plan to lower the anchor. I spend time reaching, pointing up, tacking, keeping sufficient speed up, under main alone on my boat, to get a feel for what it's capable of. It's a self tending manuever with the mainsheet fixed.

Choosing the moment to head up to windward comes from experience with your boat(anchoring or catching a mooring). The nice thing about an anchor is you can overshoot your mark, as long as you left enough room to go over the anchor as you come to a stop.

My first concern once the anchor is lowered, is dousing the main-asap. And your account is why. Problems with the mainsheet catching, the sail stuck in the slides, etc., these things can happen so I try to think of the what ifs.

It's good to make sure you've done everything to eliminate those problems and the boat sailing off.

 

[SOCAL C50]

So, my wife and I with two sailing buddies from FL were sailing to Cabrillo Beach anchorage, a 6-n.mi. beat from Long Beach Harbor where we used to slip the Bavaria. At a little distance west of the sea channel to the Port of Los Angeles there's not much room so short-tacking is required, where in summer the afternoon winds are 20-25 kt (the area is a.k.a. Hurricane Gulch) but there are no seas, being in the lee of San Pedro. We get close to the spot in 15 ft, furl the headsail, continuing under mainsail at reduced speed; then head-up & blow the mainsheet, coast to nearly a stop, then let go the anchor, paying out chain as she quickly falls off abeam the wind until brought up with a tightening of the clutch of the windlass as we drop the mainsail. Voilà! Time for a Tanqueray and Tonic!

Settling in, we watch as another boat near the size of the Bavaria 38 with a crew of 4 or 5 is beating up to the anchorage where we are. It's not that common to see--most boats furl, then motor, when the short-tacking begins if coming in there. It becomes evident that the crew is going to attempt the manuveur we completed about 15 min earlier. They furl the headsail, head up, and coast to a near stop, then let go the anchor. But now the show begins! She falls off but then starts sailing (remember it's 20-25 kt!) b/c the mainsail was evidently still sheeted to some degree. I guess the skipper did not know b/c the boat sailed to the end of the anchor rode, spun around, jibed hard with the main coming 'round fully against the shrouds, then picked up way, apparently dragging the anchor behind her under the force of the wind astern. [Remember, you cannot make this stuff up!!] They cannot get the boat under control as it sails close past a channel marker whereupon the anchor apparently becomes fouled on the channel marker's chain and the boat stops short facing down wind with the mainsail still appressed against the shrouds!

Hey, time for another round of T&T's!

We watched as the crew struggled to get the main down, but then could not free the boat from the [nylon] rode leading back under the boat to the channel marker. It appeared to be fouled with the rudder. A fully clothed crew then jumped into the water w/ no snorkeling gear, did several breath-hold "dives", reported to the skipper the situation, then made one last dive to cut the boat free, whereupon it [thankfully] motored away. Just another example of how one little oversight can ruin your afternoon. There was no real life-threatening "danger" here; but what an experience!

So, I was wondering, how many practice their anchoring having sailed to the spot instead of motoring? It's a good techinque to know and should be practiced at least once a year, IMHO!! Plus, I love to tell this story.

I sail Hurricane Gulch almost every weekend and I have seen stuff like you saw all the time (it's a circus) 1200 ft container ships expected to yield to a 22 ft Catalina..... Ha... I have never seen a C22 move so fast when they got the 5 horn blasts from the ship.
P.S. Sometimes I am too tired to sail so I just go to that anchorage to get away from the marina.

 

[Kings Gambit]

We've rarely seen boats anchored at Cabrillo Beach, although I've always thought it to be a good overnight anchorage. When planning a cruise westerly from Long Beach (e.g., the Isthmus, or Santa Barbara Island) but departing our slip in the afternoon after the wind is already up and we not wishing to battle sea conditions, we'll stop there for the first night to get an early start the next morning. Doing so is also a good way to check out the gear, etc., especially the anchor windlass, b/f committing to the sea voyage.