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Proper Anchoring Of Your Boat
Logic would have it that dropping and setting an anchor is merely nothing more than lowering the anchor, setting out some line and kick back and start having fun. Not so quick! To function, an anchor must set in the sea bed sufficiently to endure the wind and the tides. An anchor’s capacity to develop resistance is completely dependent on its capability to penetrate the sea bed. So we will assume you have selected the best anchor for your known sea bed conditions. And of course, we will assume you have plenty of rode to play out the anchor. When approaching your intended anchorage, remember to allow plenty of swing room. The tides, currents and winds will always swing the boat so be sure to allow plenty of room to avoid hitting other boats that may be anchored nearby. Be sure to estimate how far you'll be from your anchor when it is set. When you have selected the best place to anchor, place the bow into the wind and or current and slowly bring her to a stop. Look at other anchored boats to get a feel of the tides if necessary. On our trawler, the Patricia Ann, we have all chain rode. We have marked the chain with red nylon twine every 25 feet (5 meters). The first 25 foot section has one twine, the second 25 foot mark is identified with 2 strings and so forth. This makes deploying the anchor with accuracy. Once in place, begin playing out the anchor. Your yacht will begin drifting slightly with the current. When you have played out enough rode to place your anchor on the bottom, bump the engines into reverse to begin laying the rode out. We just do not want the anchor and rode lying in a pile on the sea bed. Do not keep the yacht in reverse; you just want to begin laying the rode out. When you have enough rode out. Stop the boat's reverse speed. So-called boating experts claim that a rode of 7:1 is needed to hold a yacht. That would equate to 7 foot of rode for every 1 foot of water depth. For example, to properly anchor in 10 feet of water, would require 70 feet of anchor rode. But we routinely anchor the Patricia Ann in 15 foot waters with a 35 lb. CQR anchor and 5/16 inch chain rode. We usually deploy 50 feet of rode and have never had a dragging anchor even in some 25-30 mph winds. I suspect that the more chain you use, the greater the holding power as the rode is pulling more horizontal to the sea floor and the chain further provides additional weight. When you have the proper amount of rode out, you now have to set it. We have an electric chain windlass aboard our trawler. The windlass has no locking device so the chain will continue to be deployed if enough force from the trawler is applied. Your windlass may be different but you must make certain that you can secure the rode so no more will be deployed. We use a nylon bridle (25 ft 5/8 inch dock line) to both stop further chain deployment and provide some elasticity to the rode to reduce the shock of passing boat's wakes. A stainless steel shackle is attached to a 5/8 inch 25 dock line. The shackle is connected to the chain rode as it is lowered; the other end is tied to the king post. Be sure to use chafing gear where the bridle meets the anchor roller. If you are using nylon rode, you will not need to use a bridle. If you are using a metal cable, you can use a cable or wire puller to fasten a bridle to it. Once the bridle is fixed, the boat is backed-down until the anchor is set. Finally, the rode is lowered a bit more allowing the bridle to hold the yacht. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Mike Dickens, the author, is a live aboard boat owner and owner/Broker of Paradise Yachts in Florida USA. Paradise Yachts offers used quality yachts to customers worldwide. Visit the Paradise Yachts website to view our selection of Used Trawlers, Used Motor Yachts, and Used Sailboats for Sale National and international sales. We ship Used Trawlers, Motor Yachts and Cruisers worldwide. Located in Florida, USA. 904/556-9431 Interact with us at the Trawler Blog |
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