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.

Get a pair of FRS radios with headsets. Your life will get much better when you
can just have a simple conversation. Or, if you have two cell phones with free
minutes on the weekends ...



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.

"Jeff Morris" wrote in message
...
Get a pair of FRS radios with headsets. Your life will get much better
when you
can just have a simple conversation. Or, if you have two cell phones with
free
minutes on the weekends ...
Total bull****. Last thing you need to worry about is cheap electronics
that fail when you need them most. My wife and I have a system that
requires no verbal communications. It is based on the premise that the
person at the anchor is driving the boat with his signals and any mistakes
are due to his/her failure to convey proper hand signals.
With your back to the driver :
Steering signals
1. Arm straight to the right = steer to the right
2. Karat chop forward = steer straight
3. Arm 90 vertical = steer left
4. right index spinning in the air = anchor is up, steer on predetermined
course
Speed Signals
1. palm up with an upward movement = speed up
2. Palm down with downward movement = slow down
3. clenched fist = neutral
4. thumb up = forward gear idle speed
5. Thumb down = reverse gear idle speed
6. Slash index finger across throat = stop engine

We have never had to say a word and have never had a problem with anchoring.
If there is a problem, it reflects a lack of practice on the part of the
crew.

On Sat, 6 Mar 2004 19:17:56 -0500, "Bruce"
wrote:


With your back to the driver :
Steering signals
1. Arm straight to the right = steer to the right
2. Karat chop forward = steer straight
3. Arm 90 vertical = steer left
4. right index spinning in the air = anchor is up, steer on predetermined
course
Speed Signals
1. palm up with an upward movement = speed up
2. Palm down with downward movement = slow down
3. clenched fist = neutral
4. thumb up = forward gear idle speed
5. Thumb down = reverse gear idle speed
6. Slash index finger across throat = stop engine


Great list. Quite intuitive

I would add two.

1) Karate chop aft - steer straight back.

Used after the anchor is on the bottom and you are starting lay out
the rode.

2) Arm straight up - over the anchor, stop any way.

Very useful when the anchor is buried deeply and you have to reverse
to get the anchor out of the bottom. You can then cleat off and use
the steer straight back signal.

Jack

__________________________________________________
Jack Dale
Swiftsure Sailing Academy
Director
ISPA and CYA Instructor
http://www.swiftsuresailing.com
Phone: 1 (877) 470-SAIL (toll free)
__________________________________________________

I use a very similar set with my 14 year old daughter (for the last 3
years since she was 11). Only changes....
We have twin inboards so the steering wheel is almost never used in
anchoring or docking....
1) Right hand pointing fwd= engage stbd engine fwd (pointing back...
reverse)
2) Left hand pointing fwd= engage port engine fwd (pointing back...
reverse)
3) same3. clenched fist = neutral (BUT LEFT = PORT ENGINE, RIGHT STBD)
4) Two hands together pointing in a general direction= STEER in that
direction. (typically used when we are finished pulling the anchor and I
want her to head somewhere else until I get to the bridge)
5) Right index finger circling in the air... fire up the engines
(Stolen from aviation hand signals)
6) SAME6. Slash index finger across throat = stop engine

Simple part about this system for twins is that I worry about what the
engines will do to the boat, not the helmsmen. Takes out the guess work
for them.


Jack Dale wrote:
On Sat, 6 Mar 2004 19:17:56 -0500, "Bruce"
wrote:



With your back to the driver :
Steering signals
1. Arm straight to the right = steer to the right
2. Karat chop forward = steer straight
3. Arm 90 vertical = steer left
4. right index spinning in the air = anchor is up, steer on predetermined
course
Speed Signals
1. palm up with an upward movement = speed up
2. Palm down with downward movement = slow down
3. clenched fist = neutral
4. thumb up = forward gear idle speed
5. Thumb down = reverse gear idle speed
6. Slash index finger across throat = stop engine



Great list. Quite intuitive

I would add two.

1) Karate chop aft - steer straight back.

Used after the anchor is on the bottom and you are starting lay out
the rode.

2) Arm straight up - over the anchor, stop any way.

Very useful when the anchor is buried deeply and you have to reverse
to get the anchor out of the bottom. You can then cleat off and use
the steer straight back signal.

Jack

__________________________________________________
Jack Dale
Swiftsure Sailing Academy
Director
ISPA and CYA Instructor
http://www.swiftsuresailing.com
Phone: 1 (877) 470-SAIL (toll free)
__________________________________________________

I use a very similar set with my 14 year old daughter (for the last 3
years since she was 11). Only changes....
We have twin inboards so the steering wheel is almost never used in
anchoring or docking....
1) Right hand pointing fwd= engage stbd engine fwd (pointing back...
reverse)
2) Left hand pointing fwd= engage port engine fwd (pointing back...
reverse)
3) same3. clenched fist = neutral (BUT LEFT = PORT ENGINE, RIGHT STBD)
4) Two hands together pointing in a general direction= STEER in that
direction. (typically used when we are finished pulling the anchor and I
want her to head somewhere else until I get to the bridge)
5) Right index finger circling in the air... fire up the engines
(Stolen from aviation hand signals)
6) SAME6. Slash index finger across throat = stop engine

Simple part about this system for twins is that I worry about what the
engines will do to the boat, not the helmsmen. Takes out the guess work
for them.


Jack Dale wrote:
On Sat, 6 Mar 2004 19:17:56 -0500, "Bruce"
wrote:



With your back to the driver :
Steering signals
1. Arm straight to the right = steer to the right
2. Karat chop forward = steer straight
3. Arm 90 vertical = steer left
4. right index spinning in the air = anchor is up, steer on predetermined
course
Speed Signals
1. palm up with an upward movement = speed up
2. Palm down with downward movement = slow down
3. clenched fist = neutral
4. thumb up = forward gear idle speed
5. Thumb down = reverse gear idle speed
6. Slash index finger across throat = stop engine



Great list. Quite intuitive

I would add two.

1) Karate chop aft - steer straight back.

Used after the anchor is on the bottom and you are starting lay out
the rode.

2) Arm straight up - over the anchor, stop any way.

Very useful when the anchor is buried deeply and you have to reverse
to get the anchor out of the bottom. You can then cleat off and use
the steer straight back signal.

Jack

__________________________________________________
Jack Dale
Swiftsure Sailing Academy
Director
ISPA and CYA Instructor
http://www.swiftsuresailing.com
Phone: 1 (877) 470-SAIL (toll free)
__________________________________________________

On Sat, 6 Mar 2004 19:17:56 -0500, "Bruce"
wrote:


With your back to the driver :
Steering signals
1. Arm straight to the right = steer to the right
2. Karat chop forward = steer straight
3. Arm 90 vertical = steer left
4. right index spinning in the air = anchor is up, steer on predetermined
course
Speed Signals
1. palm up with an upward movement = speed up
2. Palm down with downward movement = slow down
3. clenched fist = neutral
4. thumb up = forward gear idle speed
5. Thumb down = reverse gear idle speed
6. Slash index finger across throat = stop engine


Great list. Quite intuitive

I would add two.

1) Karate chop aft - steer straight back.

Used after the anchor is on the bottom and you are starting lay out
the rode.

2) Arm straight up - over the anchor, stop any way.

Very useful when the anchor is buried deeply and you have to reverse
to get the anchor out of the bottom. You can then cleat off and use
the steer straight back signal.

Jack

__________________________________________________
Jack Dale
Swiftsure Sailing Academy
Director
ISPA and CYA Instructor
http://www.swiftsuresailing.com
Phone: 1 (877) 470-SAIL (toll free)
__________________________________________________

"Jeff Morris" wrote in message
...
Get a pair of FRS radios with headsets. Your life will get much better
when you
can just have a simple conversation. Or, if you have two cell phones with
free
minutes on the weekends ...
Total bull****. Last thing you need to worry about is cheap electronics
that fail when you need them most. My wife and I have a system that
requires no verbal communications. It is based on the premise that the
person at the anchor is driving the boat with his signals and any mistakes
are due to his/her failure to convey proper hand signals.
With your back to the driver :
Steering signals
1. Arm straight to the right = steer to the right
2. Karat chop forward = steer straight
3. Arm 90 vertical = steer left
4. right index spinning in the air = anchor is up, steer on predetermined
course
Speed Signals
1. palm up with an upward movement = speed up
2. Palm down with downward movement = slow down
3. clenched fist = neutral
4. thumb up = forward gear idle speed
5. Thumb down = reverse gear idle speed
6. Slash index finger across throat = stop engine

We have never had to say a word and have never had a problem with anchoring.
If there is a problem, it reflects a lack of practice on the part of the
crew.

x-no-archive:yes


"Jeff Morris" wrote:

Get a pair of FRS radios with headsets. Your life will get much better when you
can just have a simple conversation. Or, if you have two cell phones with free
minutes on the weekends ...

We tried this and it just did NOT work. Bob is a bit deaf and so am I
and the FRS radio transmissions just weren't intelligible to us.


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.

This was us. Me at the helm, not experienced. Bob retrieving the
anchor.

He has learned two things:

a) Don't anchor in a crowded place

b) Explain to me face to face what he intends to do first so that the
hand signals will make more sense. For anchoring, he says something
like - I want to anchor about there (pointing) in 10 feet of water (or
whatever depth he's decided on) and I want you to come into the wind.
I sometimes call out (yell) the soundings to him as we motor in.

For pulling the anchor, he will say something like - the anchor's dug
in good (because he always retrieves most of the chain first to allow
the boat to come up close to the anchor so he can tell that), and you
will have to motor up into the wind for me to break it out. When the
anchor is free, I want you to go out of the anchorage this way (and
shows me by pointing) out to the red 17 marker and then down the
channel.

We have a MINIMUM of hand signals and we almost always use them more
for pulling the anchor rather than anchoring.

The hand signals are only 4
1) Go forward in a specified direction
2) Drop back to idle
3) Back up (mostly for anchoring to check that the anchor is set)
4) and mostly for pulling the anchor- The anchor is up - leave the
anchorage

1) Point with whole arm and pointing finger means put the power on and
steer in the direction he is pointing. Move arm up and down from the
elbow pointing in a direction and looking irritated means go faster in
that direction. As the boat swings, he continues pointing in the
direction he wants the bow to go.

2) Move hand side to side quickly parallel to the water means go back
to idle

3) Facing forward if he drops his hand back down to his side with the
palm toward me and pushes the hand backwards a couple of times, that
means back up. He may also turn and point backwards. This is usually
to set the anchor.

4) Extended forefinger pointing and circling.

These hand signals were not agreed on by me particularly because I
would not have known what signals were needed - they just kind of
evolved. I don't think you need anything elaborate and your wife
doesn't have to come up with the signals for them to work.

My main problem is with #1 - if there is wind or current, I have
trouble holding a heading without swinging past it as it takes the
boat some time to respond to the power and actually go in the
direction I want it to go and then it goes on past before I get it
corrected. So your wife should practice steering some without
anchoring.

It is helpful to have a rudder indicator on the autopilot because I
can see which way the rudder is set. Before we had an autopilot, I
put a piece of white tape on the wheel where the rudder was in the
center.

grandma Rosalie

x-no-archive:yes


"Jeff Morris" wrote:

Get a pair of FRS radios with headsets. Your life will get much better when you
can just have a simple conversation. Or, if you have two cell phones with free
minutes on the weekends ...

We tried this and it just did NOT work. Bob is a bit deaf and so am I
and the FRS radio transmissions just weren't intelligible to us.


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.

This was us. Me at the helm, not experienced. Bob retrieving the
anchor.

He has learned two things:

a) Don't anchor in a crowded place

b) Explain to me face to face what he intends to do first so that the
hand signals will make more sense. For anchoring, he says something
like - I want to anchor about there (pointing) in 10 feet of water (or
whatever depth he's decided on) and I want you to come into the wind.
I sometimes call out (yell) the soundings to him as we motor in.

For pulling the anchor, he will say something like - the anchor's dug
in good (because he always retrieves most of the chain first to allow
the boat to come up close to the anchor so he can tell that), and you
will have to motor up into the wind for me to break it out. When the
anchor is free, I want you to go out of the anchorage this way (and
shows me by pointing) out to the red 17 marker and then down the
channel.

We have a MINIMUM of hand signals and we almost always use them more
for pulling the anchor rather than anchoring.

The hand signals are only 4
1) Go forward in a specified direction
2) Drop back to idle
3) Back up (mostly for anchoring to check that the anchor is set)
4) and mostly for pulling the anchor- The anchor is up - leave the
anchorage

1) Point with whole arm and pointing finger means put the power on and
steer in the direction he is pointing. Move arm up and down from the
elbow pointing in a direction and looking irritated means go faster in
that direction. As the boat swings, he continues pointing in the
direction he wants the bow to go.

2) Move hand side to side quickly parallel to the water means go back
to idle

3) Facing forward if he drops his hand back down to his side with the
palm toward me and pushes the hand backwards a couple of times, that
means back up. He may also turn and point backwards. This is usually
to set the anchor.

4) Extended forefinger pointing and circling.

These hand signals were not agreed on by me particularly because I
would not have known what signals were needed - they just kind of
evolved. I don't think you need anything elaborate and your wife
doesn't have to come up with the signals for them to work.

My main problem is with #1 - if there is wind or current, I have
trouble holding a heading without swinging past it as it takes the
boat some time to respond to the power and actually go in the
direction I want it to go and then it goes on past before I get it
corrected. So your wife should practice steering some without
anchoring.

It is helpful to have a rudder indicator on the autopilot because I
can see which way the rudder is set. Before we had an autopilot, I
put a piece of white tape on the wheel where the rudder was in the
center.

grandma Rosalie