Anchoring techniques

tgcasey · Post by **tgcasey** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:13 am

I have been boating for quite a while and consider myself pretty good at most things in and on the boat. The one area that I seem to have a problem with is anchoring. I currently have a 12M International but it is not the boat it is the operator, I have had the issue with my other boats.

Where I boat I boat we typically anchor off the beach and raft up and since I am one of the larger boats I am typically the one in middle of it all.

So here are the particulars of my gear and approach. I have a fortress FX-23 (maybe a 25) and all chain (150 ft). The water I typically anchor in is 6' at low tide and ~16' at high, bottom is sand in a tidal river. So for my approach... After my wife and I argue where we should anchor and how I don't listen to her for at least 10 min. I motor into the wind or the current which ever is prevailing and drop anchor. I typically let the anchor hit bottom before backing down. From everything I have read this seems like the right approach. It just seems like my anchor never catches and I end up dragging the anchor and have to start again. Last night I was reading another article that said you should back down till you feel the anchor catch, I typically kinda drift into it.

This past weekend we got to the beach early and after a few false starts, first try we picked up a lobster pot. Had to have been the only lobster pot in the river and I found it go figure....

Then the wind changed and the anchor pulled. By this time the beach was full and I have boats all around me. I finally got anchored again only to have some guy in a small runabout hook my anchor with his and pulled my anchor, so now I am floating through the fleet with two boats attached to my port. The guy then proceeded to hit my boat while trying to get his anchor line off his out drive. His response "whats the big deal I did not hit you that hard". At this point we jumped on an empty mooring until we got kicked off by the owner....

I have considered a stern anchor but it is pretty tight we I anchor and the tide rips at times...

Any suggestions?

jav · Post by **jav** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:39 am

The only thing I do differently is- I don't back down when the anchor bottoms. I let the anchor bottom AND let out all the scope I need for the depth while allowing the boat to drift back. Once I have enough scope out(I usually do 5 to 7x depth in shallow water), I cleat off and watch for the line to tighten. This usually sets the anchor if there is any drift at all but either way- once the all the slack is out- I do a short- low power reverse burst making sure the boat doesn't pull the anchor AND rocks forward slightly once power is cut.

Once the achor is set- I pull up some rode to limit swing but try maintain reasonable scope to keep the achor from draging.

Also- your anchor might be a little small for you and 2 other boats. I have 2 Danforths (small/large - can't remember the weights off hand). The small is just adequate for my boat with a good bottom. If the bottom is loose or weedy- it doesn't work real well. Even with a good bottom- it will drag if we're rafted up with another large boat. My large (storm ancor) works great on most bottoms even with mutliple boats but, it's a bitch to haul up as it tends to bring up much of the bottom with it.

It sounds like either- your anchor is too small and/or you don't leave enough scope out for the intital set so when you power back, the ancor "lifts" instead of setting.

ltbrett · Post by **ltbrett** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:02 am

I can't offer much in terms of novel advice, other than reiterate age old technique. Anchors set best if you pull them parallel to the bottom. Properly set anchors break free when their rode lifts off the bottom near the anchor. So you need plenty of rode. The way to set and stay set is to stop all your motion, drop the hook until it hits bottom. Then with an all chain rode, pay out 3x the water depth while slowly backing down. Don't try to set the anchor--you're just backing enough so the chain lays in a line on the bottom. When you've got chain at the surface of the water (not at the windlass) equal 3x the water depth, back on both engines (no throttle) until you see the bubbles alongside your boat stop moving. If you still have trouble, increase the amount of rode you pay out. If you are going to be holding several boats, a scope of 5-7x may be more appropriate or you can use a little throttle while backing.

Hope this helps!

tgcasey · Post by **tgcasey** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:21 am

Thanks for the replies...

I was thinking that my anchor might be a little small. I am also considering going to a plow anchor like a Delta.

rossjo · Post by **rossjo** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 11:15 am

The Fortress FX-23 is a great anchor, and properly sized (12-14m) for your 12M (http://www.fortressanchors.com/fortress ... guide.html)
but you might try the FX-37 (for 14-15m boats), since you have others rafting up.

I used to use a huge, heavy Danforth, and it never stuck nearly as well as my Fortress FX-23 (I also use an FX-16 on my 26' fishing boat). Our bottom is all pluff mud here, and sand (off the beaches) is the most difficult.

Your technique sounds good, and perhaps a plow, claw or bruce anchor would work better - hard to say ... I've seen some Navy studies using Yahoo! search ...

tgcasey · Post by **tgcasey** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 1:13 pm

Thanks

Perhaps what happened this past weekend was that the tide went slack and I had too much scope out...

I give it another try this weekend

Thanks again

Agitator · Post by **Agitator** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:35 pm

Guys,
Just thought I'd thank all of you. I did not know there was a science to anchoring. I really thought you just threw it overboard and hoped your foot wasn't inside the coil of rope! I learned something from you guys. Thanks.
OK, I admit. Rarely did I have a coil of rope. It was like a wad of rope.

wowzer52 · Post by **wowzer52** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:38 pm

I used to have trouble holding with fluke anchors even with recommended sizes but have never had a slip with a Delta or CQR plow anchor. I also use the heavier end of the factory recommendation scale because I boat all year long.

rossjo · Post by **rossjo** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:39 am

I am NOT a Fortress bigot or salesman, but I will say its the best anchor I have ever used. We don;t have a windlass, so its light weight is a huge plus - and makes me fell better about it bouncing around at the end of the pulpit in heavy seas.

If nothing else, their Safe Anchoring Guide is the best I've seen (besides Chapmans):
http://www.fortressanchors.com/safe_anchoring.html
(they recommend 5:1 scope, and 6 ft of chain for every 25 ft of water depth).

Here's the Navy (and other) tests:
http://www.fortressanchors.com/anchor_tests.html

Here's the comparison:
http://www.fortressanchors.com/weigh_options.html

And here's the sizes:
http://www.fortressanchors.com/fortress ... guide.html

randyp · Post by **randyp** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 4:23 pm

Sounds like all the right info on anchoring off the bow. Now, grasshoppers I will share with you the ancient secret of the "Bahamian Moor" - read about this in Cruising World many years ago when I had a sailboat but it works for any boat.

After you've set you bow anchor you can set a smaller stern anchor. I use an 8 lb danforth, but you'd need something larger. Toss that baby off the stern as far out as possible when the stern is at or close to 180 degrees off your bow anchor point. Let it settle on the bottom and then ease the line forward by walking a lot of slack line up to your bow cleat. Give it a few tugs as you're doing this to help set it. It if doesn't set, try again, or give more slack off the bow scope to give you more room to get out more stern scope, then pull the bow line in to take up the extra scope you just let out. No need to set this stern anchor as firmly as the bow anchor as it is really just a safety stop.

Run the stern anchor rode (line) up to the bow cleat of the bow anchor and cleat this to the same cleat. This allows the boat to PIVOT off the point of where both rodes are cleated which really reduces your swing at anchor. This system works really well in a small or crowded anchorage as the boat is simply swinging on the radius of the circle made by the BOW CLEAT as its center, not the much larger radius made of the circle made by the BOW ANCHOR as its center.

No, your will not tangle the anchor lines, but I would not recommend this for rafting out as there are other boats whose keels or rudders may snag the stern rode.

When you're ready to leave haul in the stern anchor first, usually you can break it free by simply uncleating it from the bow and walking the line back to the stern.

And that, grasshoppers, is the secret of the Bahamian Moor!

Trojan26NC · Post by **Trojan26NC** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:25 pm

Now I feel enligthen. I am going to have to start print all these tips down and put them in a notebook on the boat.

jddens · Post by **jddens** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:47 pm

If I'm going to be anchored during a tide change or overnight, I use both bow and stern anchors. I have a free fall windless and usually anchor in 10-16 feet. I drop the bow and let out about 100 or so feet then set the bow. Then I throw out the stern anchor, let it settle then pull forward with the windless. When I'm about centered and the stern is set, I tie off and am good to go. I have been using the technique for years and never lost the hook.......having said that, I boat in the Sacramento delta and the bottom is mostly mud so the fortress's hook real good........John

jwrape · Post by **jwrape** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 7:51 am

I drop until it hits bottom, then back up until it catches and stops the boat.... Seems to work everytime.

rossjo · Post by **rossjo** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 9:11 am

randyp · Post by **randyp** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 9:45 am

Way to go Capt Ross! Great visuals. Pictures definitely worth thousand words in this case.