Safe Boating

Anchoring properly will ensure a carefree stay

By Roz Butziger
Posted 4/29/16

Great day fishing with the family. Now you pull in to a quiet cove to spend the night. Time to throw out the anchor. This gives you pause, though, because the last time you anchored, the boat dragged …

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Safe Boating

Anchoring properly will ensure a carefree stay

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Great day fishing with the family. Now you pull in to a quiet cove to spend the night. Time to throw out the anchor. This gives you pause, though, because the last time you anchored, the boat dragged the anchor quite a bit and you ended up almost colliding with another boat.

What went wrong? Well, in the first place you never “throw out the anchor.” Anchoring securely requires knowledge and planning. First of all, consult your chart. How deep is it? For a short stay, you use about a 5:1 ratio – five times as much anchor rode (line) as it is deep. For an overnight stay, use 7:1. In heavy weather, you would increase to about 10:1. You can attach chain to your anchor (and the anchor rode to the other end of the chain). This greatly improves your holding power. Buy as much chain as you or your crew can handle. You have to be able to pull it up, unless you have a winch to help. The more wind resistance your boat has, the more chain and anchor rode you need. A marine store can assist you selecting the amount to use. There are two anchor types that are more popular in this area, the plow anchor and the Danforth. The Danforth is lightweight, easy to store flat and has blades or flukes that dig in to sandy or muddy bottom for good holding power. This type of anchor has problems digging in if the bottom is rocky, hard clay, or covered in kelp or seaweed. A disadvantage to those large flukes is that in a strong current, or if the vessel is still moving when the anchor is dropped, the anchor may skate over the bottom instead of digging in. Also, it may break free if there is a drastic change in wind or tide direction.

A plow anchor is good in a variety of bottom types. It lands on its side, and when you pull on it, the anchor buries itself. If the wind or tide later pulls in a different direction, it resets easily. CQR is a pivoting plow anchor with a hinged shank so, in changing conditions, the anchor can turn instead of breaking out. You do need to pull on a plow anchor longer to set it. There are many charts to consult to determine the anchor weight you need for your particular boat.

So how do you actually go about anchoring? First get out on deck the amount of line you need. It is a good idea to spray paint or otherwise mark your line in 50- or 100-foot lengths. Choose the spot you want your boat to sit. Run upwind the length of the anchor rode you have on deck. Stop the boat and have a crew member go forward and lower your anchor, paying out the anchor rode until the crewmember feels the anchor hit bottom. Then have them let out about 15 feet more and tie it off while the captain slowly backs up until they feel it grab. The crew member signals the captain to stop. Give it a tug or two and then let a bit more out a couple of times to cause the flukes to bite into the bottom. That is step one. Now drop back slowly until you have reached the spot you decided on. Make sure to back slowly so the chain doesn’t lay on the anchor and get caught. Take some bearings or ranges or use the GPS anchor watch – a setting that beeps if you move outside the circle you can swing around your anchor. This would indicate you are dragging your anchor. Check your position periodically.

So you anchored properly, spent the night, and now it is time to weigh the anchor and be on your way home. Slowly run the boat towards the anchor while the crew brings in the rode. They should point in the direction of the rode so you can steer directly towards it. Go forward until the anchor is straight down and cleat off the rode, bringing it through a chock. Make sure you do not over-run the anchor. Have the captain go forward to break out the anchor. When it breaks free, stop the boat and bring in the rest of the rode. Slosh the anchor up and down a couple of times to wash it off, maybe by putting the boat in reverse, especially if you were anchored in a muddy bottom. Then bring it aboard. 

What if you do all this and it doesn’t break free? Let out some rode – two to three times the depth and back down until the line is taught. Then turn at a 45-degree angle to turn the anchor so hopefully it breaks free. Be careful at all times to avoid getting the anchor rode in your propeller. An old fishermen’s trick is to bore a hole in a fluke and put a shackle through. Attach some small diameter line with a float. You now have the ability to pull the anchor from its opposite end right out from where it is stuck. If all that doesn’t work, you can tie a fender to the end of the rode, throw it overboard and get a diver to recover your anchor.

Take the time to anchor properly for a safe and carefree stay.

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