The Real Scoop on Scope

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Tom Senator

But Peggie what if you are solo anchoring?

then it is not so easy to drop the anchor and backdown nicely at the same time. It can be done but its not as easy as I'd like And I don't believe that is a correct statement " if you just drop any anchor straight down and then pile rode on top of it before backing down, the odds are, the rode is gonna get tangled in the anchor" Rarely if ever true with the Delta and the new Spade (and in many respects the CQR). They are almost impossible to foul this way. In all my years anmchoring I have never done it. ---- But its very easy to do with the Danforth.
 
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Gary

Dropping Anchor

I used a poor choice of words when I mentioned "dropping" anchor. I have always stopped the boat in water (very important not to be moving forward) and start lowering anchor and at the same time put engine in reverse at idle speed. As I mentioned before, it did not work in Canada and I thinking the major problem was the rock and gravel on the bottom not the anchor. The anchor did hold went I "tested" it. I have anchored my Danforth in mud many times and it has plenty of holding power. The real problem was not knowing the condition of the bottom and the inappropriate use of the Danforth for that bottom for a rocky bottom. It was of some comfort to know that at least one other boat had dragged anchor that night, but that is missing the point. Maybe the Bruce would not be appropriate either, but there were a lot of big boats in the area with all chain rode and I would guess they had Bruce anchors. How was I to know about the bottom? It was not on charts. Any ideas? How to sample the bottom? I am on this site to learn! I did an informal survey of the boats, both power and sail, in my dock of the marina. Results: Danforth type 11 Bruce, Claw 47 CQR, Delta, The vast majority were Bruce. My short term solution was to get a bigger anchor, Bruce 33. Long term solution is to learn more about anchoring.
 
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ted

solo anchoring

solo anchoring is easy if you have a system and practice on getting your timing down, this is what i do ( i learned this by watching a french guy on a 70 footer, who was single handed sailing around the world) first, bring the boat to a stop, use your friction lock to hold your course streight back, put the trans in reverse at about 1000 rpm (may vary by boat)it takes the boat about 30 seconds to start slowly moving back, this gives you plenty of time to get your gear in the water, feed you scope out as the boat moves back, when you have reached the desired scope move back and shut her down, works like a charm every time. im allways setting in deap water 90-150 ft, and ive never put out 7-1 usually 3 to 4-1, but i also run 100ft of chain
 
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress

I singlehand most of the time...

..and without a windlass. It's not hard, but it takes some practice and advance preparation...so a crowded anchorage in a stiff breeze isn't the place I'd recommend to try it the first time--or even the first dozen times. Drop your sails first (now you're a powerboat <g>)...motor in to where you want to drop the anchor. There are two ways to do it: 1. Put your engine in reverse and start the boat moving slowly backward...whether you leave it in gear or take it out of gear and let it continue coasting backward depends on the circumstances and your comfort level. Go forward and pay out the anchor and rode till you feel it bite...if you're still in gear, tie off and scoot back to the cockpit to take it out of gear...then pay out the remainder of the scope needed and tie off for good. Alternatively (and the one I use most): 2. Have an anchor and rode handy in the cockpit so you can anchor stern-to without all that running back and forth. Go forward instead of backing down...pay out plenty of rode, tie it off, make sure it's set...then walk the anchorline forward and tie it off again at the bow. If conditions are likely to pull the line out of your hands before you can move it forward, don't untie from the stern cleat till you've tied off at the bow. When all else fails, I've been known to ask for help from another boat in the anchorage...either dink over and carry my anchor out to drop it, or come aboard to work the foredeck for me. But maybe that's just 'cuz I'm a girl. :)
 
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Justin - O'day Owners' Web

Funny anchor story

So in August we took a trip down to Tortola for a week of sailing and diving. One night in a cove off Peter Island, this ~50 foot power boat comes in and slows up bow to wind to drop her hook. Everyone visible on the boat is on the fly bridge, but they have power down, so power down it is and they try to back down. It doesn't take much above idle to drag the hook, so they raise it and try again. After a whole bunch of attempts, we avert our eyes and we climb into our HBI and tool off across the anchorage. Twenty minutes later we're on our way back out to the boat and low and behold, they're STILL trying to set their hook. I can't help it, so I motor over and ask if I can be of any help. The skipper explains that its a charter boat, and that the hook just won't set, and that he's about ready to drive it back to Soper's Hole and fly home to Conn. As we're talking he's raising the hook again. So I motor up forward to see what's what with the hook. It turns out to be an enormous Bruce, with a small rock stuck in it like a Jai Al'ai scoop. I explain this to the skipper, who exclaims, that explains it and proceeds to power up, plane out (in the anchorage) and scream off in the general direction of Soper's Hole. The next day we're off Norman Island, having a cocktail, when into sight comes the same boat. Same skipper. Same crews positions except there's someone aft this time. Slows up into the wind, drops the hook and - the person aft jumps overboard with mast and fins and dives on the anchor. Comes up. Engines off. Party on. So, I'm intrigued. I get snorkel gear on and snorkel away from our boat on a circtuitous route that will take me toward their anchor, but not obviously. There's the hook. There's the rock, still in the hook. THERE's a little Danforth snapped to the Bruce's trip line hole with a foot of chain holding the whole thing. I dove on the hook and knocked the rock out. The next day, we see the same boat at the Baths off the south coast of Virgin Gorda. They come in, head to, drop hook, in goes the diver, off goes the engine, on goes the Party. I wonder if they ever figured it out. Moral: Don't bother getting involved, its not going to matter anyway. :) Justin - O'day Owners' Web
 
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Bob McDowell

Sailing to anchor

I learned to sail on boats with no motor up to and including an Ericson 27. I now sail into an anchorage when ever I am "sailing" (not motoring). The process I use on our Legend 35 is easy, approach from upwind after rolling up the jib, stay upwind as you choose your spot. Sail at about a 45 degree angle towards your "spot" and release the anchorand turn downwind. Don't jibe. Be very careful of that anchor rode as it pays out. Sail downwind until you have adequate scope to set the anchor (5/1 or so) and cleat off, the boat should round up after the anchor sets. Drop the main at this point. Once you are settled you can pay out more scope. I have used this method in many anchorages in many places with success. I have had it fail a few times over the years. Remember, the boat moving through the water with the main driving it is plenty of force to set the anchors. If you don't think this will work go ahead an try it. The Pardey's have not set an anchor with a motor on their own boat in thirty years!!!! Any comments? Bob
 
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress

Then there's the one...:)

The Moorings people at Sail Expo swore it was true: 7 day charter in the BVI...when the boat came back in, they asked the usual "did you have a good time, everything work ok, any problems" questions. "Everything was perfect," they said, "except for one thing: it was a 7 day charter, but you only gave us 3 anchors."
 
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