Ways to stop a Hunter from hunting while at anchor in a blow.

Aug 22, 2019
1
Hunter 31 1983 Charlotte harbor Florida
How do other Hunter sailors stop their boat from hunting while at anchor in a blow.
 

Mikem

.
Dec 20, 2009
820
Hunter 466 Bremerton
I use an "anchor sail". A triangle shaped sail attached to the aft end of the boom. It doesn't eliminate but it reduces it greatly. I have read that some folks with in mast furling roll out a few feet of the main and it seems to help.
 
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Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
The riding sail dampened the velocity of the swinging but the boat swung as far - for me. It didn't snap up as hard. I was never able to get it tight enough. I don't remember using a bridel. What worked was a line tied to the rode with a rolling hitch and led to a stern cleat. But it got bottom paint on it and made a mess in the aft lazerettte. I eventually got used to hunting and slept with an awareness that if the boat was swinging, the anchor was holding.
 
Apr 11, 2010
946
Hunter 38 Whitehall MI
Suggest you try a quick search in the archives using the terms sailing at anchor
you will find an Extensive amount of helpful information on the topic.
Its routinely brought up and extensively discussed and I think you will find all that you need to help you decide how you want to deal with it
 
Apr 8, 2011
768
Hunter 40 Deale, MD
FinDelta riding sail. Buy once cry once. Yes its expensive. But it works really well on my 2009 H36 (and on a friend's H41DS who used it for a trip down the ICW this year). After I had a 50 kt squall cause really wild swings and drag my anchor across good holding ground I purchased a FinDelta. I had previously decided just to live with the sailing at anchor common to boats like ours, but that squall changed my mind - it can be dangerous, even in good holding ground. Since purchasing the FinDelta I've used it on several occasions and it makes a huge difference on my boat. I still sail at anchor, but a LOT less, and a LOT more gently. I used it once last season on an overnight when we had an unexpected storm system blow through for 24 hours bringing winds of up to 40 knots - not squalls, but consistent windspeed. It blew in overnight and the FinDelta held us very nicely, putting minimal strain on the anchor rode. I know, because I stayed up all night watching. So I highly recommend a riding sail, and the FinDelta is probably at the top of the effectiveness scale for them - see Practical Sailor, etc. I rig it all the way aft on my boom, tied off to each davit arm on the stern, and then low on the mast. It takes ~5-10 minutes to rig and make it bulletproof.
 
Jun 15, 2012
694
BAVARIA C57 Greenport, NY
Solved this problem on my 41DS with a simple fix. Bought a Mantus anchor. Boat still rides at anchor, but it doesn't matter as anchor has never let loose.
 
Aug 21, 2015
15
Hunter 33 Hong Kong
Our Hunter 33 swings wildly from side to side on a long rode in strong winds, probably through 180 ° which doesn’t help with anchor holding. The boat doesn’t swing on its mooring with 2 mooring lines attached to the bow cleats, different dynamics I guess. I tried this setup with a shackle attached to the anchor chain and a mooring line to the amidships cleats last time I was at anchor, and it seems to help. As the boat swings rough the wind the horizontal force on the line provides a correcting force that’s damps the swinging motion.
 

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Feb 10, 2017
305
Hunter 41 Progreso
i made a homemade sail that i attach at the front to the mast by a long rope, at the top to the boom hylard, down at the boom, and has two wings that will fly back and attach to the dinghy davids. you can buy one all ready made on the internet. now my h41 is straight has an arrow. The boat that are hunting side to side is because the center of the wind effort is in front of the keel, so you only need a little sail as far back you can install one so the new center will be at the back at the boat.
 
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Apr 22, 2019
9
Hunter 44ds Rothesay
i made a homemade sail that i attach at the front to the mast by a long rope, at the top to the boom hylard, down at the boom, and has two wings that will fly back and attach to the dinghy davids. you can buy one all ready made on the internet. now my h41 is straight has an arrow. The boat that are hunting side to side is because the center of the wind effort is in front of the keel, so you only need a little sail as far back you can install one so the new center will be at the back at the boat.
Do you have any photos?