Setting a proper hook can
be the difference between a nice lunch on the hook and calling your insurance
company. It can also be the difference between keeping your crew safe at sea in
a storm and ending up in a funeral home. It can truly be a life or death
scenario. Now that I have your attention, let’s keep it light and get back to
that nice lunch.
If you've ever been in the playpen (just around the North
side of Navy Pier), you've likely seen many boats anchoring with terrible
procedures, form, and witnessed a boat or two breaking free. I know I have. Maybe
you've never anchored before and you’re just not comfortable with it. In this
article I will provide you with a solid starting point. The rest simply takes
practice. Let’s get started.
First you need to know what anchor you have. Check out the
images of the more popular anchors below.
Plow – Delta
Plow –
CQR
Claw (Bruce)
Danforth
Recognize yours? Good. Now let’s go through their working
characteristics.
Plow Anchors –
Plow style anchors offer good holding power in a wide variety of situations.
This style of anchor is quite popular for day sailing boats, cruising
sailboats, and powerboats alike. These are generally not recommended for soft
bottoms.
There are two different plow type anchors, the Delta and the
CQR. The CQR has a pivot on the shank and helps with changing winds or tides as
the anchor rolls on the bottom. The Delta sets fast and digs deep but will
break its hold easier than the CQR.
Claw Anchors – Claw
anchors are unique in their shape and allow the anchor to turn without breaking
free. These anchors set like a plow
style anchor but the rounded shape allows setting easily regardless of how it
initially hits the bottom. Claw anchors are commonly called Bruce Anchors.
Danforth Anchors
– Danforths are lighter weight and have two pivoting flukes. The design allows
for the flukes to dig in and bury the anchor and even part of the rode. One
great aspect of the Danforth is holding power to weight ratio. They perform
very well in hard sand or mud. Avoid rock or grassy bottoms with these units.
Now that you know a little about your anchor, or your future
anchor, let’s talk about size. Yes, size does matter. For this article’s
purpose let’s assume we are working with a 40’ boat weighing approximately
20,000 pounds. With a boat this size you want a Bruce (Claw style) that weighs
22lbs, a Danforth that weighs between 20 and 40lbs (depends on materials – high
tensile or not), and a Plow that weighs 35lbs. All of these are approximate and
recommended for ideal conditions.
If you’re just hanging out for a few hours and will be awake
and aware of your position while at anchor, size is a little less important. If you plan on napping, are in rough waters,
high wind conditions, or sleeping through the night you’ll want to use the
sizes mentioned above as minimums. You can go a little smaller and use what is
commonly referred to as “lunch hooks” if staying for a short time in calm
conditions. On my 10,000lb sailing vessel at 33ft in length we typically carry
a lunch hook. It’s a Danforth and only weighs about 10lbs. Needless to say we
only anchor in protected areas for a short amount of time and someone is always
on watch to make sure our position hasn’t shifted.
Of course the weight of your anchor may very well depend on
the size of your anchor locker or anchor roller. If you plan on doing any extended
cruising and anchoring get the biggest anchor you can of the appropriate style for
the bottom types you’ll encounter that your vessel can hold. Since we are on
size, let’s talk about diameter and length of anchor rode.
Rode: A rope by which
a boat is anchored
There are 3 basic ways in which to connect your anchor; rope
only, chain only, and a combination on the two. In the Chicago
area, for general use, I highly recommend a combination of rope and chain.
Choosing the diameter of rope will depend on a couple of factors.
If you have a windlass you will need to make sure the
rope/line and chain will work with your unit. Using the example above the 40’,
20,000lb boat would need approximately 7/16 or 1/2” rope. I would choose the
1/2”. You will then have to choose the correct chain size for the rope size.
In terms of length first decide what the deepest water you
anchor in will be. If you never, ever, leave the Chicago
lakeshore and won’t anchor out past 5 miles or so, you can pretty much be certain
the deepest water you’ll encounter is between 35-50’. Always check your chart.
Now
factor in an 8:1 ratio for safety. Sitting on the hook for a quick swim and a
cocktail in very mild conditions? You can go with a 5:1 ratio. The ratio refers
to what’s called scope. See the image below for a good example of scope.
Scope
To simplify, take the deepest water you will anchor in (50’)
and multiply that by 8. For a quick lunch, you will want at least 200’ of rode.
For an overnight, at least 400’! Now, don’t get me wrong, I've skated by many a
time with a 4:1 ratio in the playpen while taking a dip for an hour or two in
calm waters but I do not recommend doing that, especially if you’re a beginner.
Moving forward, we now need to look at Catenary. Catenary is
a curve formed by a wire, rope, or
chain hanging freely from two points and forming a U shape. See the image below
for a good example of catenary.
Of course we aren’t going to get real technical here. What you really need
to know is the amount of chain you have at the anchor end of your rode will
drastically affect your catenary. Using the above image of scope, you will see
there isn’t any chain lying on the sea floor. In the next image you will see
the catenary curve as it exists in more moderate wind
conditions of 20 knots using chain (source: petersmith.net.nz).
The example above is what we are looking for; safe scope,
chain on the sea floor, all working together. Don Casey, the well published
boating and safety expert, recommends 20’ of chain and personally keeps 30’ of
chain on his anchors. I keep 15 (likely the minimum). Now let’s do a quick walk
through of anchoring procedure.
I’m going to simplify the process into steps.
1.) Find
your spot. Where do you want your boat to sit while at anchor? If the wind
shifts, will you swing into another boat? What if your anchor slips during the
set? Will you have enough space behind and to the sides of you? What about the
boats around you? Can you see what kind of scope they have out? Have they been
swinging with the wind? These are all important questions to ask before
deciding where to set the hook. Now that you have your spot let’s imagine you
are going to let out 165’ of rode (15’ of chain and 150’ of rope).
2.) You
want to motor (yes motor) very slowly directly upwind to our spot. Use just
enough power to keep steerage. You will have the windlass/crew ready to lower the
anchor. Please make sure it’s attached to the boat on the boat end. Once you are
almost at the spot put her in neutral, drift upwind, come to a complete stop,
and immediately call to lower the anchor. Let the rode out as fast as your crew
can handle and as fast as the sea will take her while staying in control and
safe.
3.) Let
the vessel drift in reverse doing your best to keep the bow pointed towards
your designated spot. You may need a bit of power (forward and or reverse) to
keep her steady. I will typically keep her in reverse idle to keep water
flowing past the rudder.
4.) Using
your forward or center line deck cleat, make the rode fast at 165’. Your rode
should be marked every 10-25’ so you know how much is let out. You will want to
do this before all the line is out!
5.) Once
you feel a “tug” on the line, the anchor is almost set. Once I feel that tug, I
another look around me (always keep an eye out) and then throw the engine in
reverse, if not already, and increase the RPMs to really dig the anchor into
the bottom. You’ll know it’s set when the rode is good and tight and you stop
making any way in reverse.
6.) Put
the engine in neutral. Keep the engine on for a good 5-10 minutes and watch
your position in relation to fixed objects and other boats around you. Watch
your swing radius, be sure you’re happy with your spot, and make sure you feel
comfortable. If you didn't get it right, start over. It’s quite possible to
think the anchor is set but only to be caught on a rock that comes loose in the
mud below.
7.) Shut
the engine down, feel satisfied, and relax!
Does this make sense? I hope so. Remember if you’re brand
new to the procedure try a dry run by going through the steps but never lowering
the anchor. By doing this you will learn your vessels tendencies while operating
in reverse for longer distances and how it responds to just drifting in the
breeze. Each step will take some common sense and practice. There’s no other
way to get it right except for doing it over and over.
Now let’s go through the process in reverse. After all we
have to get home at some point.
1.) Start
the engine and let her warm up.
2.) Organize
the crew, put away the drinks and snacks, and get ready for business.
3.) With
a crew member forward and ready, engage the engine in forward idle or with just
enough power to slowly bring the vessel towards the spot.
4.) Your
crew should be gathering the rode as you move towards the spot. Take up all
slack and be sure to have clear communication between the aft and forward ends
of the boat.
5.) When
you've pulled back up to your spot, you may have an anchor so well set that
it’s nearly impossible to get up by hand or even with a windlass. If the anchor
comes up smoothly, keep the vessel as steady as possible to allow time for the
anchor to come all the way up and be in its home.
If the anchor is stuck I
suggest tying off the rode to the same cleat you used to tie off while at
anchor and then drive forward with the engine. This will likely pull the anchor
out. You should be able to see (the rode go loose) and feel the anchor break
free. Once free, get her all the way up and back on board before moving on.
6.) Tidy
up. Make absolutely certain that your crew is ready and that no lines are left
overboard.
7.) Head
out to sea or back to the slip, mooring, or club.
Anchoring can be so enjoyable. Some of my favorite times on
boats have not been sailing but hanging out on the deck, swimming, relaxing,
and having drinks 5 miles out where there are no crowds or sounds except for
Bob Marley on the radio and slapping waves of the sea.
Please remember that this article serves as an intro to
anchoring. We haven’t covered the different materials available for rope or chain,
making sure your cleat is appropriate for anchoring (backing plates?), etc. If
you have any questions please do not hesitate to email me at
mma@crowleys.com. Of course if you want to
share your hints, tips, tricks, successes, or failures, please contact me and I
will post them in a future article or blog.
I leave you with a few tips and words of wisdom.
- Always
brief your crew and guests of the procedure. Planning makes perfect.
- Divide
the number of feet of rode being let out to boat lengths. It’s a great way
to judge distance.
- Know
the bottom you’re digging into. The holding power of any anchor will
greatly be affected by the bottom type. Check your charts for more info.
- Periodically
check to make sure you’re holding. Never hurts to check.
- From
the wisdom of Don Casey, “No anchor ever dragged because it was too big.”
- Notice
I’ve never said drop the anchor. Always lower the anchor.
- Never leave the rode in your windlass while at anchor. It's a surefire way to damage the unit.
If I missed something, let me know. See you on the water
soon friends. Until then stay warm and dream of a South breeze.
