Anchors Aweigh

Tips for anchoring your boat with ease

How many people have been out boating to their favorite beach spot, when the tide goes out and leaves their boat high and dry? Or maybe you remember that one time when the person driving the boat (maybe it was you) did all the wrong things when dropping anchor.

If there is one activity on the water that can make people look like they have no idea what they are doing, it would have to be anchoring. This particular skill does not discriminate by profession. Anyone can screw up.

Often overlooked, sometimes confusing, many times performed without any thought process to the end goal, anchoring is a challenge. Here are some pointers for anchoring a boat at the beach.

COMMON MISHAPS

Here’s a typical scenario: You drive the boat forward with the bow into the beach and then throttle the boat onto the beach. If done with lots of force, half of the boat may be on dry land. Then the anchor is dropped off the bow of the boat into dry sand. This method will likely leave the boat high and dry in a short time if the tide is going out.

Another common problem is using only one anchor. This means the boat can shift with the current and allow the anchor line to break loose.

PREPARE TO ANCHOR

Get your anchors out before you get to the beach and make sure the lines are not tangled and free of obstructions. This helps assure the anchor will flow out of the boat with ease and not get caught on something or someone. True story: Years ago I had a passenger on board who wanted to help throw the anchor out. I agreed. Standing on the bow, he threw what he thought was going to be a nice high arching lob, but what he didn’t realize was that he was standing on the line. The anchor went up in the air, then quickly back down, just missing his foot and landing on my freshly painted bow, leaving a divot in the top side of the boat.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT

For the shallow waters and sands on the barrier islands of Southwest Florida, a sea-claw anchor is recommended; most boaters require ⅝-inch line. You need two anchors and two lines, one for the bow and one for the stern.

KNOW THE TIDES

What is the tide doing? If it is coming in, the water will get higher while you are on the beach. When the tide is going out, the water level drops, and if not anchored properly, your boat could be aground rather rapidly. When this happens, it is never any fun.

THE PROCESS

With this advice in mind, let’s start the process for a safe and secure anchoring at the beach. Before you get to the beach, have one line with an anchor ready for the bow and one ready for the stern. At roughly five lengths of your boat from the beach (a 20-foot boat would be about 100 feet from the beach), start to back your boat toward the beach. When you are three boat lengths from the beach, toss or set the bow anchor over the side of the boat. Keep pressure on the line so you can feel the anchor

catch on the bottom. When you are one boat length away from shore, tie down the bowline anchor to the bow cleat.

Now you are ready to throw your second anchor off the stern of the boat toward the beach (this may be on dry land or in the water). Raise your engine and secure the stern-anchor line to a cleat in the back of the boat. Ideally you want the stern of the boat to be in a foot of water.

Many people can drive a boat, but far fewer can anchor a boat correctly on the beaches of Southwest Florida. Prepare, know before you go, and have a fun day at the beach. Anchors aweigh!

Capt. Brian Holaway is a Florida master naturalist and has been a Southwest Florida shelling and eco-tour guide since 1995. His boat charters visit the islands of Pine Island Sound, including Cayo Costa State Park, Cabbage Key, Pine Island and North Captiva.

What he didn’t realize was that he was standing on the line. The anchor went up in the air, then quickly back down, just missing his foot and landing on my freshly painted bow.