Anchoring 101 - Smart boating tips

Smart Anchoring - how good are your skills SW

Smart anchoring - away from obstructions © SW

The first thing to get right is to choose a good spot to anchor. Here's some things to think about...

Consider the sea bed. Sand is ideal and firm mud is OK. Obviously you need to avoid rocks. If you haven't anchored in a bay before... check the chart to see what's at the bottom.

While you're checking the chart look for cables and no anchoring zones. You need to be sure you are anchoring in a suitable spot.

Next have a think about the weather. If you are anchoring overnight you'll need to check to see what the wind is going to do. If the wind is due to change direction overnight you don't want to wake up and find yourself on a lee shore.

Have a think about the tide. Depending on your location, you might need to consider the tide carefully.

You must have enough water under you for when the tide drops. So if it's high tide and there's a 2m tide variation you would want at least 4m under the keel.

Finally look at the other boats around you. Which way are they facing? Where is their chain likely to be?

In general try to anchor near similar boats to your own boat - they are likely to have similar chain length out and they will be affected in the same way by the tide and wind. Avoid anchoring near moored boats - they have a much shorter swing.

Now it's time to drop the anchor.

Smart Anchoring - getting set © SW

Dropping the anchor:

First up... it's vital you know your boat, and this becomes an especially important consideration if you've chartered a boat, and the systems are unfamiliar. You need to know which switches need to be on for the windlass to work. On many yachts there's a separate battery switch for the windlass and a switch on 12V panel. Your yacht may also have a trip switch. Do you know where it is?

Now while you are in clear water head to the bow, lift up the anchor locker and secure it open.

Release any ties or pins securing the anchor. Attach the windlass control if you need to.

Then test it. Briefly press the down button. Is it working? Great! If not since you are still in clear water you've got time to look for the problem.

Have a chat between helm and crew. Decide how you are going to communicate with each other. How is the helm going to tell the crew to start and stop dropping anchor. Will the cue be verbal or a hand signal? If it is to be verbal can the crew hear from the bow or is it too windy? What depth are you planning to anchor in? How much chain should the crew let out?

To decide how much chain to let out you need to understand that your anchor chain should lie along the seabed for a distance before it runs up towards your yacht. This means the weight of your boat is converted from a vertical into a horizontal force and your anchor is far more effective.

Smart anchoring - using the windlass © SW

So the golden rule... let out lots of chain! In the days before windlass systems more chain out meant hard work getting the anchor back. There are no excuses these days! In most cases let out 5 times the depth (this allows for the depth of your keel too) but don't forget to allow for changes in the tide too. If it's really windy go for 6 or 7 times the depth.

OK. As you approach your anchoring spot head into the most significant force - tide or wind. If you're not sure look at the way other boats are facing. Motor forwards slowly then stop your boat where you want to start dropping your anchor.

Now, reverse very slowly and begin dropping the anchor. If you don't have an indicator, it's important that the crew counts the chain markings or cable ties to see how much chain has gone out.

When your crew signals they have let out enough chain put the engine in neutral and wait for the boat to come to a stop. You will feel the chain go tight(you can feel the tightness if you put your foot on it).

Once the crew is happy the chain is tight, take visual bearings with the shore and go into reverse, at first softly, to dig the anchor into the seabed, and gradually increasing until you are reversing fairly hard for a few seconds, sometimes, if you're not sure, up to 30 seconds. This digs the anchor in well and you can check that it is well set before you relax.

Now sit with the engine in neutral for a few minutes and let your boat settle. Take a number of visual bearings and check you are not moving. Double check you're not going to swing into another boat or the shore.

Once you're happy... relax and open the bar!

Smart Anchoring - giving clear instructions © SW

Weighing anchor:
If you chose a smart spot to anchor it should be fairly easy to weigh anchor and get out for your next day's sailing.

It's important to realise that your anchor windlass is a motor designed to lift the anchor when the chain is vertical.

Your anchor windlass is not designed to pull your yacht forwards towards the anchor spot. If you put too much strain on the anchor windlass by using it to move your yacht forwards, you will overload it and the trip switch will activate.

Start by getting your yacht's main engine running. Then motor forwards until the chain is vertical.

Your helm won't be able to see which direction to go in so your crew needs to be at bow giving directions. Once the chain is vertical the crew can start bringing the anchor in.

If the chain tightens again and angles away from vertical, stop and signal to the helm which way to move until the chain is vertical again.

It's important also for the crew to keep an eye on the chain as it comes into the anchor locker.

Sometimes it gets bunched up and backs up to stop the windlass working.

If it starts to bunch up, stop the windlass, and use a broom handle or similar item to push the chain down.

The windlass is a really powerful motor, never try to manually adjust the chain when the windlass is running.

If you have trouble breaking the anchor out, bring it in as tight as possible, then motor gently astern, increasing power until the anchor breaks out.

(Don't motor forwards as this may damage the bow and you can bend the anchor shank. This is for simple situations. Stuck anchors in coral or behind a rock are a much longer story, and there are anchor release systems that can save losing your anchor)

The stern anchor:
If you are tight in the head of a bay or in a crowded anchorage and you want to reduce swing you can lay a second, stern anchor.

The easiest way to do this is to take the kedge anchor out in the dinghy and drop it in the required spot, then tighten the stern anchor down on the yacht.

Alternatively you can let out significantly more chain than you need on the main anchor, drop the kedge and then tighten then main cable while loosening the kedge to position your yacht between the two anchors.
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Smart Boating is located in Pittwater Sydney and they provide bareboat yacht charter, boat hire, skippered yacht charter and a sailing school.

To learn more about Smart Boating, go to their www.yachtcharter.com.au!website, or phone 02 9997 5344 to speak to any one of the Smart Boating Team.