"Jere Lull" wrote in message
news:2007110313362816807-jerelull@maccom...
On 2007-11-03 07:02:47 -0400, "JimB" said:

YES! And the test of good anchoring is to check that your anchor holds
aginst full astern.

Maybe, but only AFTER it's been set and settled in for a while with lesser
strain. It's so amusing to watch someone immediately punch it and drag
through the most friendly anchorages.

With our Maxprop, full reverse will drag pretty much any anchor if it
isn't thoroughly buried first, and we have 20 HP.

--
Jere Lull
Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/


This is a lesson I learned early on. Anchoring for me is two minute
process. The anchor needs time to settle in. I usually watch it (my 'old'
style CQR) go down and lay, pay out some chain & let the boat pull it tight,
pay out more....eventually with more than enough scope out & several tugs, I
reverse the engine & wait then gradually begin to increase rpm but not to
max. Sometimes on a rode that's not all chain, where I've not room for max
scope, I've used mushroom/river anchors clipped onto the rode with an extra
line to hold the rode down (simulating larger scope). I usually use the
dingy to hand-over-hand out on the rode to deploy these.

I'm no expert anchorer but my experience has taught me that care & thought
in anchoring (vs. drop & run) has more to do with anchor performance than
the type & weight of anchor. One cannot assume that because an anchor is
overboard that it is set. Care in setting my smaller secondary CQR in less
than ideal bottom has seen us stay put in blows 50+ knots...where the boat
is rising and falling in the swells & shuttering with the gusts. I have
also had boats drag around me in a great anchorage with good protection &
holding in pretty moderate breeze (because they dumped the anchor & chain
overboard & ran for the bar).

Glenn.
s/v Seawing.