Anchoring the Easy Way: A Three Part Series

Part I-Preperation

Part II-Time Management

Part III-Anchoring

I apologize.  Last time I promised to disclose the closely guarded secrets of how to actually anchor a sailboat.  Instead, I rambled on for a page about mental states and who knows what else.  At the end of the day, the editors decided that including another few paragraphs on anchoring technique would be too long.  (As the great Mr. Billy Joel says, “if you’re gonna have a hit, you gotta make it fit.”)  Blame it on the nice weather, blame it on the coronavirus, but I messed up, and now I owe you a straightforward article simply outlining the correct way to anchoring.  This isn’t it, but I think it comes close enough to buy me a stay of execution.

The problem is sailors cannot agree on the correct way to anchor. (Editor’s Note: Sailors cannot agree on the color of an orange!)  As I alluded to in the first installment (see Part I—Preparation), as with many things in sailing, everyone seems to have their own opinion, and most are mostly correct.  In the previous two parts, I tried to stay above the tumultuous tempest underlying both the issue of selecting an anchorage and the approach.  Instead, I focused on things with which nearly everyone agrees: (1) there are four major things to think about when anchoring (depth, shelter, bottom, swing) and (2) leaving yourself more time is never bad.

Such luxuries are seemingly impossible when discussing the actual anchoring technique.  It appears we must wade into the ugly morass in which all anchoring discussions ultimately lie.  For a writer of simply average skill, this task would be impossible.  Luckily, I am acutely aware I am nowhere near average—I am far below it.  Therefore, I feel completely comfortable providing you only with the following items on which most sailors will agree: the goals of a good anchoring technique, well-known mistakes that will get you hurt, and two anchoring methods commonly taught at Spinnaker.

The goal of any technique in sailing is to make everyone’s life as easy as possible.  Sailing is supposed to be relaxing, and nothing is worse than ruining a great sail by a poor anchoring sequence.  Beyond doing everything to prepare properly (see parts I & II because really, preparation is 80%), make sure you and your crew have carefully briefed the procedure.  Everyone should know generally where you are trying to park, what method you are using, and ALL hand signals.  In addition to making your life easy, anchoring should end with the anchor firmly set (meaning it is no longer dragging), with the proper amount of rode released, away from other boats and traffic, and without any damage to the boat or her crew.

As for what to avoid, all captains know the easiest way to ruin a day on the water is to injure a passenger.  Notice how that sentence was phrased.  When anyone on your boat gets hurt, you, as the captain, injured them.  That’s how the law sees it, and more importantly, that’s how everyone else on board will see it, even if they had it coming (I’m looking at you, Mr. “Sneaks a Beer Every Time My Back Is Turned Even Though I Told Him He Was Cut Off.”)  Anchoring poses a challenge because people will feel comfortable walking around more as the boat enters calm water, but you as the captain must organize the crew to drop anchor, a dangerous task as many incredibly strong forces are involved.  If your passengers are especially lively, ask them to go below deck and start making drinks or food to get them out of the way.  Only those involved with anchoring should stay on deck.  In your briefing with the crew, make sure everyone understands their body comes first, and the boat comes second.  No one is a hero by grabbing a chain running through a windless or twisting an anchor over the roller.  Make sure everyone knows the dangers involved and how repairing fiberglass is easy but recovering a severed finger off the ocean floor is not.  This is the time to stop having fun and be serious, as being serious now means you can have fun later.  (If this section seemed out of character with the rest of my writing, good.  I can’t stress enough how anchoring is one of the maybe four situations in sailing when a Captain Jack Sparrow laissez-faire attitude is not appropriate.  But remember, most the time such an attitude is exactly what is appropriate, so make sure your eye patch and rum are close at hand for after the anchor is set.)

Now, as promised, here are two known ways to accomplish the above goals when anchoring:

Method #1 (useful when little to no wind is present)

First, prepare the anchor and rode so it is easily lowered.  Second, put the engine in reverse, stop the boat where you want to lower the anchor, allowing the boat to begin moving backwards ever so slightly before returning the engine to neutral.  Third, lower the anchor until it hits the bottom (you’ll see the chain or rope change as the weight of the anchor is relieved.)  Fourth, allow the boat to move backwards slowly while the rode is let out at the same rate (you want the rode to lie on the ocean floor in a line, not in a jumbled heap.)  Fifth, once about a 3:1 ratio is released, secure the rode. (Editor’s note: Any less than 3:1 invites the anchor to drag and possibly get fouled, so make sure you have actually achieved the correct scope).  Sixth, put the engine in reverse until the anchor sets (check markers on shore to confirm.)  Seventh, let out more rode to reach the desired scope.  (Congratulations all around and start the blender for drinks!)

Method #2 (useful when enough wind is present to push the bow away)

First, prepare the anchor and rode so it is easily lowered.  Second, put the engine in reverse, and slow the boat as if you were approaching a mooring buoy, with the engine in reverse idle.  Third, just before you lose steerage, lower the anchor until it hits the bottom and return the engine to neutral.  Fourth, if there was enough wind to blow the bow away, no reverse engine is needed to let more rode out, so simply let out enough rode for the desired scope.  Fifth, once desired scope is reached, secure the rode.  Sixth, put the engine in reverse until the anchor sets (check markers on the shore to confirm.)  (Congratulations all around and start the blender for drinks!)

(Editor’s Note: Due to the above mentioned disagreements between sailors, the author was instructed to keep his comments regarding scope more vague than he desired)