Believe it or not, hand signals are internationally standardized and
used for things like crane operations, where there's commonly somebody
(the signaler) at the point where the load is going and somebody else
(the crane driver) who runs the crane in response to the hand signals.
The driver is frequently working 'blind', i.e., he can't see the load
at all -- so the signals must be pretty good! Here are dome of the
more salient ones:

Arm extended -- go that way (i.e., extended to right, go right;
extended toward the stern, reverse)
Arm bent at elbow -- go other way (i.e., if using right arm, go left)
Palm down, patting motion -- slow down
Palm up, patting motion -- speed up
Twirling index finger in any direction -- go this way, SLOWLY
Opening and closing fingers against thumb, with arm signalling
direction -- move a small amount in indicated direction, then stop
Closed fist -- STOP

To these, we've added 2 more, specifically related to anchoring:

Motion of hand vertically, from highest extent down to knees: Anchor
rode is "up and down"; hold position if possible

Sweeping arm horizontally -- anchor's aweigh; carry on at slow speed

And one, for safety when a line is under or near the hull:

Hand slash across throat -- STOP PROPELLOR (neutral or engine stop)

In the case of the crane operators (and also on our boat) the signals
refer to the _outcome_, not to the action taken by the operator. For
example, in our case the closed fist means "Stop the boat" NOT "Put
the engine in neutral." The driver generally puts the engine in
revers, and, monitoring a point on the shore or looking at the water
alongside, puts the engine in neutral when the boat has stopped. With
a less experienced driver, it might be better to think of the signals
as rudder and engine commands, so the closed fist would mean "Put the
engine in neutral". This requires the signaller to send LOTS more
signals, as "Reverse" (arm toward stern) becomes "Neutral" when the
boat comes to a stop, etc.) This, it seems to me, could cause
problems when the signaller gets tied up in other things, such as a
jammed windlass, and can't easily give the next comand at the right
time.

In any case, you should decide upon (and stick to) which convention
you are using -- do the signals communicate boat actions, or rudder
commands?

One unsolicited comment: In a breeze, as soon as the anchor comes up
the bow tends to fall off downwind. The easiest way for an
inexperienced helmsperson to stay out of trouble while the bow person
secures the anchor is to simply let the bow fall off, and, keeping the
boat headed downwind, motor slowly in revers to maintain station.
After all, the boat was anchored right there shortly before, so there
must be room for her. The alternative, motoring to windward as soon
as the anchor is aweigh, can end up with your boat moving rapidly
through a crouwded anchorage, narrowly missing the other boats -- who
cannot be expected to invite you for drinks when they see you at the
next anchorage.

wrote in message . ..
Does anybody have a good system of hand signals for anchoring, i.e. a
means for the person on the bow handling the anchor to communicate
speed and direction to the helmsman without having to yell it out?

This would be for my wife and I where she is typically at the helm
while I am on the bow. She's not real experienced at the helm so a
clear set of signals would be helpful, especially when retrieving the
anchor with the wind up, crowded anchorage, etc.

Thanks.