Anchoring is the only way we have of stopping the boat whenever we feel like it. We can stop for a rest, for lunch, or overnight. Here are just some things that, if got right, make it a breeze.
Don’t anchor in a fairway or a prohibited area or in someone’s oyster beds. Apart from that we can do so where we like.
Never anchor on a lee shore (wind blowing onto the shore). If the anchor were to drag and we couldn’t start the engine it would be very difficult to sail into safe water.
Will there be sufficient depth at low water for us to oat with our desired safety margin? Do we have sufficient anchor cable to lay out at high water?
Make sure that the seabed provides suitable holding – mud, pebbles, sand, broken shells are all good, but a rocky seabed is less appealing
Modern anchors these days are very powerful – Delta, Spade, Bruce, Rocna, Manson, Buegel, Ultra. And there is nothing wrong with the Plough or CQR. Make sure you have at least 3 meter of chain between it and the anchor, this will allow the anchor to set nicely.
Lay out 7 x (depth + boat height, sea level to anchor bow roller) for chain and warp. The more you lay out the better – anchor chain does no good if it is sitting in the anchor locker. Always allow an extra meter for the distance from the water to the bow roller.
Allow enough room for everyone to swing with the wind and the tide. Before dropping the hook, see how the other boats are lying in an anchorage. Motorboats will lie to the wind rather than the tide, the same for light, high, top-side short-fin keel sailing boats. Heavy displacement boats will lie to the tide rather than the wind.
Anchor ball by day, All-round white light by night.
Boats will generally driftback with the tide and the anchor will set itself. Some sailors worry that if there is not much tide to push the boat then the anchor chain will castle (pile up on itself) on top of the anchor and impede the set.
Put the engine into reverse (astern) as the chain is veered will help prevent the chain piling up on the anchor and will help the set.
All of which is great, except for one key element. It doesn’t matter what sort of boat you have or what sort of ground tackle, you will only anchor successfully when you know exactly how much cable you are paying out.
Maybe you have a system that tells you in an instant how much chain you have out. It’s called ‘anchor buddies’. You can tie colored silks into the chain or warp every 5 meters in the order that you pot snooker balls – red, yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, black.
For those to whom snooker means nothing we simply take the same colors and run them alphabetically. You may have your own favorite code but whatever it is it must be a simple one. This is because when you know how much chain you are veering and you get the scope right, and you have chosen the correct holding, you will anchor solidly and you will be able to sleep soundly.
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