Always be able to drop it!
During my time as Commanding Officer of the Royal Netherlands Navy sail training vessel HNLMS Urania (27m, 80 tonnes) I had some less positive experiences, which have certainly brought me a number of unique insights. One such time was in late October when there was a steady Force 8 as we were on the approach from the south towards the Enkhuizen locks, which separate the Markermeer at the south and the Ijsselmeer to the north. With 180m to go, our speed was 5 knots and I put the engine in neutral. Due to the wind on the stern the speed did not really decrease so I put the engine in reverse to stop the 80 tonnes from floating into the lock too fast. The moment I did so however, the engine stopped and we were in danger of crashing into the lock. A quick check showed some kind of electronic problem and it was clear we needed an alternative. We made a sharp turn towards the wind, which quickly reduced speed. Once we started going astern, we dropped the anchor and finally we were at anchor... less than 100m to weather of the lock, not a good spot!
The lesson here? Aways have your anchor ready. On a 30ft yacht the setup of the anchor equipment is not the same as on Urania, but what you can do is keep the chain or rope neatly coiled and be able to release the anchor from the bow in seconds. With regards to letting go – fixing your anchor on the bow with one or two ropes makes it easier to unlock than with a steel shackle as you can cut a rope with a knife which you always have to hand … don’t you?