"Roger Long" wrote in
:

Anchoring, being one of those things best done slowly and delibertly,
is one of the easiest single handed maneuvers. When I read posts
about how to avoid rushing around and minimizing risk it makes me
think the issue is one of the overall approach to single handing and
vessel management and not of dealing with ground tackle.

Getting the anchor up under sail in a tight anchorage is a bit more
difficult but not much.

This is one of those things that's easier said than done. If you're in a
benign situation, then yes, it is easy. If you've got 20+ kts of wind and
other boats anchored too close, then it would be a huge challenge. What
happens if you drop the hook and it doesn't grab and you're being blown
onto another boat or a reef? In non-single-handed anchoring you'd have
one person at the wheel driving forward as the other person hauls the
anchor in. For a single handed operation I don't know the answer to this,
but it sure doesn't look like a good situation. It can be tense enough
with 2 people let alone 1. I've seen this happen and I've jumped in my
dinghy and offered to lend a hand.

Single handed operation is inherently more risky and that's especially true
when anchoring around other boats where mistakes can cause harm to others.

-- Geoff

"Geoff Schultz" wrote

This is one of those things that's easier said than done. If you're in a
benign situation, then yes, it is easy. If you've got 20+ kts of wind and
other boats anchored too close, then it would be a huge challenge.

There's your problem. Why are you anchoring right there?

Chances a pretty good that the anchor will take if there are enough boats
there to cause crowding. Most people don't know how to anchor and they
wouldn't be there if the bottom was poor. I'm trying to remember though the
name of the harbor that has a notorious big hard flat ledge right in the
middle. People come in, see that nice open spot left, and drag right down
into the other boats. This is one of the things I appreciate about having a
boat small enough that the ground tackle can be deployed by hand. I feel
for that first contact of the anchor with the bottom. If it's rock, you can
feel the "tink" right up the line and start working on Plan B right away.
You can even feel the flukes going through thick grass or weed if you pay
attention.

There's a good passage somewhere in the Patrick O'brian books about the mate
standing for twelve hours with his hand on the anchor cable while the ship
is anchored in a deep and dangerous spot.

Single handed operation is inherently more risky and that's especially
true
when anchoring around other boats where mistakes can cause harm to others.


Yes, but it can be done as safely as most multi handed operation is usually
performed.

BTW having someone motoring ahead as an anchor is hauled in is very risky if
it is being handled by hand. Even if you have a windlass, it's hard on the
topside paint.

-- Geoff

"Roger Long" wrote in
:


"Geoff Schultz" wrote

This is one of those things that's easier said than done. If you're
in a benign situation, then yes, it is easy. If you've got 20+ kts
of wind and other boats anchored too close, then it would be a huge
challenge.

There's your problem. Why are you anchoring right there?

Chances a pretty good that the anchor will take if there are enough
boats there to cause crowding. Most people don't know how to anchor
and they wouldn't be there if the bottom was poor. I'm trying to
remember though the name of the harbor that has a notorious big hard
flat ledge right in the middle. People come in, see that nice open
spot left, and drag right down into the other boats. This is one of
the things I appreciate about having a boat small enough that the
ground tackle can be deployed by hand. I feel for that first contact
of the anchor with the bottom. If it's rock, you can feel the "tink"
right up the line and start working on Plan B right away. You can even
feel the flukes going through thick grass or weed if you pay
attention.

Statments like this make me think that you haven't anchored all that
much. I spend about 1/2 of my year at anchor in various locations
throughout the Caribbean. If you have any doubts about my statement,
please check out my Google Earth file showing all of the anchorages that
I've been in: http://www.geoffschultz.org/GoogleEa...gleEarth.shtml

I've been anchored for days in a location to suddenly have the boat
start dragging (this has only happened twice, but it does happen.) I
can't tell you how many times we've had to re-anchor because the anchor
just won't grab. I almost always dive the anchor to check to make sure
that it's set. While I'm doing that I have Sue back down on it to make
sure that it doesn't pull out. You can't do that single handed. I'm a
firm believer that if I can pull the anchor out with the motor, then a
good blow can do it too. We'll back down to 2500 RPM with a MaxProp and
2800 is our normal cruising RPM.

As to why someone anchors in a given location: Well, maybe there isn't
a lot of choice; you could have bad weather moving in; it's getting
dark; other boats are anchored where you normally anchor; the bottom
changed since you were there last; weather has forced you and others
into a sub-optimal location; you name it.

One problem that I have is that I publish extensive logs as well the
Google Earth KMZ file, and on many occasions I've found people anchored
at the exact location that were in these files. Now I'm making my
anchorage locations less specific...


There's a good passage somewhere in the Patrick O'brian books about
the mate standing for twelve hours with his hand on the anchor cable
while the ship is anchored in a deep and dangerous spot.

Single handed operation is inherently more risky and that's
especially true
when anchoring around other boats where mistakes can cause harm to
others.


Yes, but it can be done as safely as most multi handed operation is
usually performed.

BTW having someone motoring ahead as an anchor is hauled in is very
risky if it is being handled by hand. Even if you have a windlass,
it's hard on the topside paint.

If the wind has your anchor line is tight, how do you pull it up? I
motor forward so that we're not using the windlass to pull the boat. If
you're single handed, how do you do this? I don't over the chain (well,
I try not to) and I've never scratched the paint by doing so.

-- Geoff

The obvoius answer is a radio remote control, like for model
airplanes, with tiller, gearshift and throttle controls. A wired
remote at the prow might do as well.

Carrying the anchor aft and out side the rig to be dropped from the
cockpit has worked in the past, and dragging a long anchor line out of
the anchorage has also been done, pausing in deeper water to
consolidate the situation.

Different situations demand different approaches.

Terry K

Geoff Schultz" geoff"at wrote:

Statments like this make me think that you haven't anchored all that
much.

Well, obviously not as much as someone like yourself but enought to know how
to do it. I'll admit though that I've neve anchored in your part of the
world and things may be different. Putting on the wet suit, the weights,
and diving down to set the anchor isn't very common up here in 60 degree
water.

It was sort of a joke about the tight anchorage. Sometimes you just don't
have a choice but I've watched lots of people try to squeeze into someone
else's swinging room just to save themselves another 50 yards of dinghy
trip.

I'm just trying to make the point (and not actually directed at you who
clearly knows everything that could ever be necessary to know about the
subjet) that avoiding difficulties when you can, planning ahead, and
recognizing that technique is as important as the shape of the anchor will
make it a lot easier and less intimidating for those who are new to it.
Even in Maine where standards are high, about 80% if the boats will just let
it go and then head aft for cocktails.

--
Roger Long

On Sun, 18 Feb 2007 09:53:38 -0600, Geoff Schultz
wrote:

I'm a
firm believer that if I can pull the anchor out with the motor, then a
good blow can do it too.

Absolutely right, and sooner or later it will happen.

....
There's a good passage somewhere in the Patrick O'brian books about the mate
standing for twelve hours with his hand on the anchor cable while the ship
is anchored in a deep and dangerous spot.
....

And there's a passage in one of his books about a 30 foot schooner
averaging 12 knots... Patrick O'Brian was a wonderfully gifted writer
and I love his books, but he was no sailor, and it would be very
unwise to use him as a guide to things nautical.

More on topic, in aggregate I've spent years at anchor in this boat,
often in very remote and potentially dangerous spots, and I still find
that anchoring can be pretty tricky at times. I agree that care and
deliberation are good things, but I think any much more specific
advise needs to take into account a fairly precise knowledge of the
situation. I've seen folks from all around the world anchor and there
are lots of techniques out there that seem to work pretty well, but I
don't think there is any one technique that provides universally good
results on all bottoms or in all situations.

-- Tom.

wrote

I don't think there is any one technique that provides universally good
results on all bottoms or in all situations.


I agree. And I'll agree with Geoff above that we shouldn't imply that
single handed anchoring is easy. I'm just saying that, if someone is up to
the other challenges of singlehanding (with however many warm bodies on
board) they probably won't find anchoring to be the most challenging thing
they do.

I'm trying to point towards a philosophy that will help out the anchoring
OP's. Situations are way too varied to take anything from a fourm like this
by rote. The thing about feeling how the anchor touches down for example.
I don't go up on the bow and go dipping around with the anchor (although it
might have sounded a bit like that). It's just part of a philosophy of
paying attention to the little things. A clink might be an early warning
that the plan may need some modification.

Planning ahead means already knowing what you are going to do if the anchor
doesn't grab. Even if you have a crew, it may be hard to get them up to
speed on your new plan, especially if you lose precious time making it up.

Eventually, things to go wrong. The boat blows off the wrong way, the
anchor doesn't grab. Even then, it's amazing how much better the mind works
and how much time there really is if you learn to keep mentally processing
at optimum speed instead of blasting off into panic overdrive. Boats move a
lot slower in these situations than it seems when things aren't working out
as expected.

It's all about learning how to think and plan, not creating a mental list of
"If this happens, do this." items.

-- Tom.

"Roger Long" skrev i en meddelelse
...

"Geoff Schultz" wrote

This is one of those things that's easier said than done. If you're
in a
benign situation, then yes, it is easy. If you've got 20+ kts of
wind and
other boats anchored too close, then it would be a huge challenge.

There's your problem. Why are you anchoring right there?

Well Roger, you might be in a situation, that you are actually anchoring
as one of the first boats with lots of "room" around ... And later
arrivals may make your departure much more challenging. I have often
experienced, that other boats have decided to anchor (pretty close)
behind me ... and when I want to leave, wind and current will have a
tendency to drive the boat backwards directly towards the "later
arriving boat" when I'm trying to secure my anchor in the front of the
boat.

Single handed operation is inherently more risky and that's
especially true
when anchoring around other boats where mistakes can cause harm to
others.


That is also my experience ...

Yes, but it can be done as safely as most multi handed operation is
usually performed.

BTW having someone motoring ahead as an anchor is hauled in is very
risky if it is being handled by hand. Even if you have a windlass,
it's hard on the topside paint.


If the wind is around 10m/s (roughly 20 knots) when you want to leave,
and your boat is 5 - 8 tonnes, it would be nice to have a "little help
from the cockpit": i.e. someones help to make the boat not drift
backwards, but by help of the rudder/propeller/engine keep the boat
"fixed" on the position or even better: Make it move very, very slovly
forwards, so you can take home the rode and anchor without having to be
'Superman' ... Without this help, it can be very difficult, because the
boat starts to drift backwards towards the "later arrivals", as soon as
the anchor does not hold the boat any more, and you still need a few
moments to get he rest of the rode and he anchort on deck and secured
.... Personally (sailing single), I find this situation very challenging
.... and under these circumstances, I wish I had a second person or a
remote controller of the engine and rudder at the same time, to help me
out without any damages ...

I could also decide, to wait until the other boats have departed ... and
this is often my favorite solution ... ;o) ...

-- Geoff


--
Flemming Torp
Gimle/DEN-61

On Sat, 17 Feb 2007 15:32:18 -0500, Harlan Lachman
wrote:

I have been intrigued by the discussion of anchoring -- especially the
thought of rigging an anchor so one can drop it off the bow from the
cockpit. Thinking about spin pole, cleats, hatches, etc., I wonder if
anyone has figured out the best ways to accomplish this maneuver with
the least risk. And how early in the game did they rig their anchor set
up.

harlan

First and foremost, as Roger Long said:
Slow down, plan ahead, be able to anticipate how your vessel will act,
and
you'll be surprised how easy everything is.

That's good and accurate advice in any and all cases, even with a
"crew" on board.

Single-handed a lot, including 'Final Step', a high windage Coronado
35. No windlass. To answer Harlan's question, a lot of times I ran the
rode, from the bowsprit roller mounted anchor, back and over the
main's winch on the mast to one of the cockpit winches. Now the
Coronado is a flush-deck center cockpit, so the rode wasn't touching
anything except the two winches. Mostly this was for raising - just
winch it up all the way.

To drop it was mostly get set up, turn into the wind, engage autopilot
(if not already), release main, mizzen and jib sheets if under sail or
throttle back and neutral if under power at the proper time (Roger's
anticipate your vessel), calmly walk forward and drop at the proper
time. Use the wait to lower jib, etc., keeping an eye on things.

Now, if conditions are a bit rough. If under sail drop main at some
convenient point before anchorage and enter under jib and mizzen. Drop
jib while "coasting" to anchor spot (not always possible). Drop mizzen
after it's all done. Or... Crank up the engine and drop all sails at
convenient point before anchorage if really, really rough and or
really, really crowded.

How early in the game to get set up? Before you get in tight quarters
at the latest. Set up as much as possible at all times. Just like have
your bow and stern lines run back and coiled at the cockpit _before_
you hit the first channel bouy if going in to a dock. That way you can
pull up to the dock, grab both lines and step onto the dock. No
running about, watching the stern swing out, etc.

Rick