THE 12 COMMON ANCHORING PROBLEMS
Yachting Monthly's experts share the problems they have most often faced when anchoring, and how they troubleshoot their way out
How our experts trouble-shoot their way out of tight spots when anchoring
The basics of anchoring are one of the first things that cruisers learn. Indeed, most of us are happiest on the hook in a quiet bay somewhere, escaping the hustle and bustle (and fees) of a night in a marina.
No matter how many hours we have spent at sea, a peaceful night’s sleep at anchor is reliant on the knowledge that we are safe and secure. As with almost all aspects of sailing, knowing how to anchor is all well and good, but there are no hard and fast rules that work for all situations. We've all experienced problems at anchor, be that struggling to find a decent holding on a less than ideal seabed, or trying to limit swinging on a busy anchorage.
Often a secure anchorage is the result of applying years of experience and knowledge to ensure you stay safe and secure no matter what situation you find yourself in. With this in mind, we picked the brains of some of YM’S experienced contributors to find out what they have learned from a few of the trickier situations they have found themselves in.
1 HOW TO ENSURE YOU HAVE SUITABLE KIT Brian Black
Selecting the right tackle and equipment for your own cruising is largely subjective. What is key, however, is ensuring it is always in a good state of repair.
See what the chart says about the seabed. Is it suitable for your anchor?
Mud is good for most anchor types, but those with a large surface area will be more reliable. Silt will be suitable for most anchor types. Clay can be hard to set in but once set, holding is good for most anchors. An anchor with a sharp tip will set more readily here. Sand provides variable holding, which depends on sand hardness, but an anchor with a large surface area is preferable. Typically, beds made up of gravel and rock are weak and unsuitable for anchoring.
Check the condition of your anchor and cable. Is the bitter end lashed to the boat? Never attach it with a shackle. Instead, use a lashing or thin rope that you can cut quickly with a knife if you need to lose the anchor and cable in a hurry. I always cruise with two anchors on board to make sure I can set two lines if needed.
Is your cable entirely chain, or is it a rope and chain combination? In a combination, I always have 10m of chain between the anchor and the warp. You are going to trust your boat and your life to the anchor and the cable, so always check the recommended weight of anchor and gauge of chain or warp for your tonnage of boat. Err on the side of caution.
2 WHAT IF YOUR WINDLASS FAILS? James Stevens
A windlass is a helpful bit of kit, with many of us now using an electric one for anchor dropping and retrieval. However, understanding the limitations of this bit of deck hardware is the key both to its proper use and longevity.
The biggest cause of windlass failure is using it for the wrong purpose. A windlass is used to raise and in many cases to lower an anchor and chain rode, that’s all. It is not meant to haul the boat towards the anchor, in a blow or any time, to get to the hook. It should not really even be used to trip an anchor. Raising and lowering are the functions it was designed for.
When anchoring, lower the correct amount of chain while backing down, snub the chain, and then power astern at 3/4 max revs to set the hook. Don’t let the windlass take this load directly, it will cause the brake to fail.
You can always run the warp back to a primary winch if you want a lot of power to raise the anchor. Take care of your windlass and it will be there when you need it, otherwise it will fail you when you need it most.
If all else fails, many windlasses have a winch-handle socket. These are usually supplied to help with kedging but may do enough to get the anchor out of the ground, allowing you to haul the rest up by hand if you have burned out a motor.
3 KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR BOAT ASHORE Brian Black
Stepping ashore, whether to find a local pub, enjoy the beach or simply explore the surroundings, can be stressful if you are not 100% sure of your holding. How do you maintain peace of mind, particularly when out of visual contact?
Having a good object sighting or transit on your boat from a repeatable spot ashore can offer reassurance, leaving you safe in the knowledge that your boat is not moving.
It’s also worth noting that you are rarely alone in more popular anchorages, and I have often asked those around us to keep an eye out for our boat if we are going to be out of sight of it for a bit. Remember to return the favour if asked.
If you are anchoring in a spot with good mobile coverage, there are apps out there that will allow you to leave a device onboard (an ipad or similar) and take a linked device (your phone). The display on your phone can mirror that of the device left onboard and will let you know about swing and can sound the alarm if your anchor begins to drag.