Anchoring techniques

[JamesGY]

I was out on the water last week and I had such a hard time trying to get the anchor to hold. <br /><br />What are your techniques? I have owner my boat for about a year and never really managed to find an easy technique of doing this.<br /><br />I simply just drop the anchor and release several feet of rope after the anchor hits the bottom and then i'll slowly drive the boat back hoping that the anchor catches something. <br /><br />How do you do it?

 

[Luna Sea]

Re: Anchoring techniques

Same way, but with a bigger anchor! I watch way too many people pull up, throw the anchor 20 feet.....<br /><br />My theory is: If you can throw it, it ain't big enough! <br /><br />I have a 25' Grady that came with a 13lb anchor, but I have the 22lb one from my old boat I use when I want/need to stay put!<br /><br />Oh, and by the way, you should let out 3 times the line to the depth of water ratio. Like a 30 degree angle. And if there's a current, I don't back down either, the wind and current will set it.<br /><br />Happy boating!

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Anchoring techniques

Just to add to Luna Sea's good advice. A length of chain between the anchor and your anchor line will help hold the flukes on the bottom.

 

[cuzner]

Re: Anchoring techniques

If you don't have a chain attatched try adding one.It keeps the anchor flat until the boat drags it and it has a chance to dig in. I found it made a huge difference.<br /><br /> Jim

 

[Mark42]

Re: Anchoring techniques

According to the boating course I just took, for the popular flukes type anchor (Danforth is popular brand) in average water conditions, it takes 7 times the depth of the water in line to make that type of anchor work. It also needs a few feet of chain or it will not work properly. The chain keeps the line from lifting the lever of the anchor and freeing it from the sea bed.<br /><br />The proper technique is to have a knot or mark on the anchor line every 10 feet. When you want to anchor, let the anchor straight down beside the boat and determine how many feet deep the water is based on your marks. Then let out 7 times that amount. So for 10 feet depth, it takes 70 feet of Rode (line) to set the anchor. In choppy water, the ratio increases to 10 to one.<br /><br />To retrieve the anchor, retrieve the line until the boat is above the anchor then pull the line straight up to free the anchor from the bottom.<br /><br />The flukes anchor is designed to dig into the sea bottom when pulled sideways. That can not happen with a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of line to depth, so the anchor will never grip.<br /><br />This info is from the United States Power Squadron's "Boat Smart" course. Completing this course will get you certified to operate boats and jet ski (personal water craft). You will also know how to use all kinds of neat boat stuff like anchors and chocks and cleats and what those funny red and green things floating in the bay mean. <br /><br />And it only took me 4 evenings of class time and $40.

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Anchoring techniques

Just to add to Mark42's info, fluke anchors hold by force, not by weight per se. To work, the force on the anchor needs to be nearly horizontal hence the 7:1 and the chain. The chain (several feet) and the long scope keeps the forces nearly horizontal. That is why pulling straight up on the anchor breaks it free. That's not to say a smaller scope won't work but it's just not optimum (like when when achoring overnight or in heavy seas.) The more chain, the less scope you need becuase the heavy weight of the chain helps to keep the force horizontal.

 

[18rabbit]

Re: Anchoring techniques

This came up in another thread a few days ago. I spent some time researching the appropriate chain length for an anchor rode. For a dingy, minimum 6-ft of chain. Any boat that is bigger, see #3 below, but not less than 6-ft. Lots of good advice splattered over several of the posters in this thread. Here’s what I got:<br /><br /> (1)Do not throw the anchor. Lower it.<br /><br /> (2)Any anchor used on a boat discussed in these forums is set by the weight and scope of the anchor chain, not the weight of the anchor or scope of the nylon line. A mud anchor (a.k.a. mushroom anchor) is set by it’s weight and a rocking motion.<br /><br /> (3)MINIMUM chain length should be (a) ½ the length of your boat, or (b) a length of chain equal to weight of the anchor, but not less than ½ the length of your boat. More chain is always better.<br /><br /> (4)Fluke type anchors require a minimum scope of 5 to set. A scope of 7 is preferred and allows the chain to set the anchor faster, more securely. In crowded anchorages, use a heavier anchor and thus more chain (see 3b above) and reduce the scope to 3.<br /><br />I like #4 … the suggestion that I am carrying a “bigger anchor”, just in case … NOT! And I don’t have enough chain on the rode, either. Someday I’ll fix that.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Anchoring techniques

Originally posted by Mark42:<br /> The proper technique is to have a knot or mark on the anchor line every 10 feet.

I wouldn't put a knot in the rode, that will weaken it and cause problems with any rollers. You can mark it with colored heat shrink tubing, paint, or permanent markers. Don't forget to add the measurement from the waterline to the bow cleat to the water depth when figuring scope.