While out on the water, one of the most common mistakes I see involves improper anchoring techniques. How many times have you pulled up to your local beach or sandbar and watched a guy hurl his anchor off the bow? Better yet, is watching a novice husband & wife team try and anchor their new craft which usually turns into a screaming match.
The best piece of advice I can give with regards to anchoring is think ahead. The five most important criteria any skipper should know before attempting to anchor are as follows: depth of water, wind and/or current direction, type of bottom (mud, sand, rock), sea conditions and room to swing on the anchor.
In normal sea conditions, you will want to multiply the depth of the water by approximately 7 to figure out how much anchor rode (line) and chain you should let out. For example, if you are in 10 feet of water, you'll want to let out about 70 feet of line and chain. In stormy conditions, you'll increase the scope ratio (scope is the ratio of rode in use to the depth of the water) to 10:1. So, if you are in 25 feet of water, you'll increase your rode to 250 feet. Don't forget to have enough chain (often the length of your boat) on your anchor line because without the weight of the chain holding the anchor down, it will be rendered useless.
After you have determined the water depth, direction of wind/current, and how much space you will have to work with, now you are ready to begin the anchoring process.
First, you will want to head the boat into the current. Next, when you've determined where you want to anchor, continue slightly beyond that point and then let out the appropriate amount of anchor line. Once you have let out enough line, tie off the line on the bow cleat (never, never anchor from the stern or the side!) and let the current take the boat until the line becomes taught, which indicates the anchor is set. If there is not a current, you will need to put the boats engine(s) in reverse and slowly reverse away from the anchor until it sets. Once anchored, keep the engine running, until you are able to get a visual on a couple of fixed objects, which will help you determine if the anchor is dragging. Many GPS units have "anchor drag" alarms on them, which will alert the captain if the boat drags a certain distance beyond the original anchoring location. Once you are confident that boat is secure, go ahead and shut down the engine(s) but always keep an eye out to see if the boat is dragging .
When it comes time to head home for the day, now you'll need to retrieve the anchor. The best approach is to motor slowly toward the anchor while simultaneously retrieving the anchor line (Obviously, this task is much easier with two people - one on the bow retrieving the line while the captain runs the boat). Once the boat is over the approximate location of the anchor, the forward momentum of the boat should pop the anchor free, at which time, you will need to finish retrieving the remaining anchor line and anchor. Once the anchor is just below the bow, it is generally a good idea to rinse it off first, then bring it onboard and stow it away securely.
Capt. Ed Mancini
The Navigator Club, Inc.
Charlestown, MA 02129
http://www.thenavigatorclub.com/
Boston's premier boat club
617.880.2525
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