My anchoring technique when sailing solo has always been pretty laughable.
At least for observers anyway. For some reason, it never occured to me that
i could anchor from any place on the boat other than the bow. anchoring in
isolated places usually went ok; a quick sprint to the bow with the motor
still running in neutral, drip anchor and drift back until i had enough
scope, then tie off.

Anchoring in crowded areas, particularly if it was a bit choppy or there was
a strong wind could really be an experience though.... the usual scenario
sees me dashing back and forth as i drift too far too fast to get the anchor
placed exactly where i want it, tripping over loose lines all the while.

recently i read a post where someone described how he kept his anchor in the
cockpit, with the chain stored in a bucket. he would then deploy the anchor
from the cockpit, see that it was set well, then walk the rode up to the bow
and tie off there. While it could really only work with small boats and
small anchors too, this idea seemed simple and brilliant to me. Am i the
only idiot who never thought of it?

Shaun

"Shaun Van Poecke" wrote in message
...
My anchoring technique when sailing solo has always been pretty laughable.
At least for observers anyway. For some reason, it never occured to me
that i could anchor from any place on the boat other than the bow.
anchoring in isolated places usually went ok; a quick sprint to the bow
with the motor still running in neutral, drip anchor and drift back until
i had enough scope, then tie off.

Anchoring in crowded areas, particularly if it was a bit choppy or there
was a strong wind could really be an experience though.... the usual
scenario sees me dashing back and forth as i drift too far too fast to get
the anchor placed exactly where i want it, tripping over loose lines all
the while.

recently i read a post where someone described how he kept his anchor in
the cockpit, with the chain stored in a bucket. he would then deploy the
anchor from the cockpit, see that it was set well, then walk the rode up
to the bow and tie off there. While it could really only work with small
boats and small anchors too, this idea seemed simple and brilliant to me.
Am i the only idiot who never thought of it?

Shaun


You can do even one better by running a doubly long line from the bow to the
cockpit (that's twice the length of the cockpit to the bow), set the anchor
from the cockpit as described then tie the rode off to the line at its half
length point, let it go, and keep the end in the cockpit. To pull in the
rode, simply pull in the line until the rode enters the cockpit and pull up
the anchor. You are always tied off at the bow and yet never have to go up
there. Make sure your line runs outside the shrouds, lifelines etc.

Works for me.

Ben Allez

s/v Chauncey's Gig
Morgan Out Island 41

Ben Allez wrote:
"Shaun Van Poecke" wrote in message
...

My anchoring technique when sailing solo has always been pretty laughable.
At least for observers anyway. For some reason, it never occured to me
that i could anchor from any place on the boat other than the bow.
anchoring in isolated places usually went ok; a quick sprint to the bow
with the motor still running in neutral, drip anchor and drift back until
i had enough scope, then tie off.

Anchoring in crowded areas, particularly if it was a bit choppy or there
was a strong wind could really be an experience though.... the usual
scenario sees me dashing back and forth as i drift too far too fast to get
the anchor placed exactly where i want it, tripping over loose lines all
the while.

recently i read a post where someone described how he kept his anchor in
the cockpit, with the chain stored in a bucket. he would then deploy the
anchor from the cockpit, see that it was set well, then walk the rode up
to the bow and tie off there. While it could really only work with small
boats and small anchors too, this idea seemed simple and brilliant to me.
Am i the only idiot who never thought of it?

Shaun



You can do even one better by running a doubly long line from the bow to the
cockpit (that's twice the length of the cockpit to the bow), set the anchor
from the cockpit as described then tie the rode off to the line at its half
length point, let it go, and keep the end in the cockpit. To pull in the
rode, simply pull in the line until the rode enters the cockpit and pull up
the anchor. You are always tied off at the bow and yet never have to go up
there. Make sure your line runs outside the shrouds, lifelines etc.

Works for me.

Ben Allez

s/v Chauncey's Gig
Morgan Out Island 41

You guys must be talking about fairly small
anchors. On our C27 you could easily do what you
are suggesting, but I don't think I could get the
Irwin's anchor up over the side into the cockpit
without gashing the gelcoat. If you are close
enough to the side to lift it straight up, you'd
have to be hanging out over the water on a lifeline.

Don W.

"Don W" wrote in message
et...
Ben Allez wrote:
You guys must be talking about fairly small anchors. On our C27 you could
easily do what you are suggesting, but I don't think I could get the
Irwin's anchor up over the side into the cockpit without gashing the
gelcoat. If you are close enough to the side to lift it straight up,
you'd have to be hanging out over the water on a lifeline.

Don W.

Im on a thunderbird 26, but i think i would still retreive from the bow....
leaving anchor is usually not so stressful for me, even though i do have to
retrieve by hand. if conditions are blowy, ill hall as much as i can by
hand, tie off, then motor away to free the anchor from the bottom. while im
motoring, i lock off the tiller then go up to the bow to finish retreieving
the anchor.

Its pretty easy to deploy the anchor over the side though, as long as you
can resist the strong temptation to swing it round your head grapelling hook
style. the day you throw it rather than drop will be the day the chain
either gets hooked up on something and sends the anchor right through the
side of your boat, or wraps around your leg taking you with it ;-)

Shaun

I think this method runs the risk of fouling the anchor by dropping chain
and rope on top of it. You can do the same thing by letting the rode out
too fast while the vessel still has some headway.

I like to watch the stuff floating on the water until the moment when the
boat is totally stopped (may require some adjustment in current) and then
let the anchor go until it just touches bottom. Then, I try to let the
chain out at about the same speed the boat starts drifting backwards, or
blowing off to the side in most cases, so that the chain has the best chance
of laying smoothly out along the bottom instead of piling up on top of the
anchor. When I get the right scope out, I snub the line and the intertia of
the drifting boat digs the hook in. By this time, the boat is usually
crosswise to the wind. My 32 footer is small enough that a series of jerks
to bring her around pointing towards the anchor usually sets it very firmly.
Then, I let out the full riding scope and usually sleep soundly.

It sounds to me like you are making the common (almost universal) mistake of
trying to do things too fast. Relax. Try to do everything at half speed
like you were trying to impress the crowd on the yacht club veranda. You'll
be surprised how much time there actually is to do things. If not, you're
probably anchoring too close and that was your first mistake.

If you do have to anchor in a tight spot, there is usually a direction with
more room and a little thinking ahead will make sure the boat falls off in
that direction. Don't forget to scope out the current. If it is going to
have more of an effect on the boat than the wind, nothing you do will work
out right if you try to anchor upwind with a stern current. I still make
this mistake sometimes.

--
Roger Long

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
I think this method runs the risk of fouling the anchor by dropping chain
and rope on top of it. You can do the same thing by letting the rode out
too fast while the vessel still has some headway.

I like to watch the stuff floating on the water until the moment when the
boat is totally stopped (may require some adjustment in current) and then
let the anchor go until it just touches bottom. Then, I try to let the
chain out at about the same speed the boat starts drifting backwards, or
blowing off to the side in most cases, so that the chain has the best
chance of laying smoothly out along the bottom instead of piling up on top
of the anchor. When I get the right scope out, I snub the line and the
intertia of the drifting boat digs the hook in. By this time, the boat is
usually crosswise to the wind. My 32 footer is small enough that a series
of jerks to bring her around pointing towards the anchor usually sets it
very firmly. Then, I let out the full riding scope and usually sleep
soundly.

It sounds to me like you are making the common (almost universal) mistake
of trying to do things too fast. Relax. Try to do everything at half
speed like you were trying to impress the crowd on the yacht club veranda.
You'll be surprised how much time there actually is to do things. If not,
you're probably anchoring too close and that was your first mistake.

If you do have to anchor in a tight spot, there is usually a direction
with more room and a little thinking ahead will make sure the boat falls
off in that direction. Don't forget to scope out the current. If it is
going to have more of an effect on the boat than the wind, nothing you do
will work out right if you try to anchor upwind with a stern current. I
still make this mistake sometimes.

--
Roger Long

Best advice for almost everything! Slow down and think about what you are
doing. I like it.

Ben Allez

s/v Chauncey's Gig
Morgan Out Island 41

On Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:20:58 -0500, "Roger Long"
wrote:

My 32 footer is small enough that a series of jerks
to bring her around pointing towards the anchor usually sets it very firmly.
Then, I let out the full riding scope and usually sleep soundly.

Hopefully you back down on it with the engine at some point. That is
the acid test for me and I highly recommend it. Take a shore sight on
something to verify that you are not moving even an inch, then go to
sleep.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:20:58 -0500, "Roger Long"
wrote:

My 32 footer is small enough that a series of jerks
to bring her around pointing towards the anchor usually sets it very
firmly.
Then, I let out the full riding scope and usually sleep soundly.

Hopefully you back down on it with the engine at some point. That is
the acid test for me and I highly recommend it. Take a shore sight on
something to verify that you are not moving even an inch, then go to
sleep.



It's a good practice as long as you don't do it excessively. If you do, you
tend to create nice drag marks in the bottom. I usually do so moderately.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

On Fri, 16 Feb 2007 17:53:08 -0800, "Capt. JG"
wrote:

It's a good practice as long as you don't do it excessively. If you do, you
tend to create nice drag marks in the bottom. I usually do so moderately.

I would much prefer creating a "drag mark" during the day time when
I'm wide awake, than in the middle of the night sound asleep. If the
anchor is not set well enough to withstand backing down with the
engine, especially a small sailboat engine, it will never hold during
a wind squall.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 16 Feb 2007 17:53:08 -0800, "Capt. JG"
wrote:

It's a good practice as long as you don't do it excessively. If you do,
you
tend to create nice drag marks in the bottom. I usually do so moderately.

I would much prefer creating a "drag mark" during the day time when
I'm wide awake, than in the middle of the night sound asleep. If the
anchor is not set well enough to withstand backing down with the
engine, especially a small sailboat engine, it will never hold during
a wind squall.



Certainly true, but you don't need to leave skid marks to know the anchor is
set. We never have a problem in the SF bay area, because my old tennis shoe
would hold in the mud, but places were things aren't quite so certain, we
drop the hook, let out about 70 percent of what I believe will be the final
rode length, snub it, and back slightly. Then, assuming all is well so far,
ease out the remaining 30 percent, then back down at 1500 rpm or so... if
the boat stops moving, we're set. Never had a problem doing this. Last time
it was gusting to 35 kts, and this worked.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com