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Anchoring Techniques |
Setting
To ensure that an anchor "sets" well, apply tension to the rode so the anchor penetrates
the bottom. We do this by making fast the line and applying power in reverse. If your boat moves,
reset the anchor and try again.
Many boaters make only a half-hearted attempt to set the anchor by putting the boat in reverse
for just a few seconds. To be sure the anchor is set you must put a reasonable strain on the rode
for a reasonable length of time. Your boat should surge forward when you back off the power,
indicating that you have put some strain on the rode to test the anchor set. We know of no way
to ensure that your anchor will hold other than by pulling on it hard.
Only when an anchor is securely set should you consider shortening scope in a crowded anchorage.
Once an anchor has been set, it will almost always hold the same amount of tension that was used to
set it, even if the scope is reduced. This means that you can pay out long scope, pull hard on the
anchor rode using the engine and then shorten scope to reduce swinging room. However, if your boat
swings and the anchor has to reset itself, it will have to do so at a reduced scope. This is known
as Anchoring Russian Roulette. >
Resetting
It's fairly easy to set an anchor when wind and current come consistently from one direction, but if they veer, some perform better than others under varying angles of pull. Any anchor can become dislodged from the seabed if the boat swings far enough. Three techniques can alert you when your boat swings:
- If you have an anchor alarm on your GPS, set it so it alerts you if the boat swings too far from the position where it was when you set the anchor.
- If you have an electronic compass or autopilot, set the course alarm so it alerts you if the boat's heading changes radically.
- Stand an anchor watch
Anchoring Bow and Stern
In tight anchorages, you may have to limit your boat's tendency to swing at anchor. By dropping an anchor close to the beach and a second anchor offshore, you can locate the boat precisely in the anchorage. You can also use the tension on one rode to help set both anchors.
Two Anchors off the Bow
Bob Ogg, co-inventor of the Danforth anchor, recommends setting one anchor into the wind or current,
and a second anchor 180º away. Then take both lines to the bow of the boat. This allows
the boat to swing around in a relatively small arch, yet will allow the boat to pull against an anchor without causing it to reset when wind or current change. |
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