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Hi all,

I will admit I am the worlds worst at anchoring.

e.g. on NYE gave up as each of 4 attempts we dragged and the one time we stayed steady we had dragged so much that it was not safe as we were too close to other boats. Depth varied from 5 m with a sandy bottom to 10 metres also with a sandy bottom.

My manual capstan, i.e. token bloke / galley boy after 4 haul ups refused to do any more. I am surprised he is still talking to me and that his arms are still attached to his shoulders.

Luckily I was able to raft up with someone on a mooring. Prretty nifty in Athol Bay on NYE.

I have been advised and shown by 'experts' and still I drag.

This is not only on a Top Hat and also was during my Day Skipper practical course when I was shown by the instructor how to anchor. We dragged.

Anyone have any fool proof (or Diana proof) methods of anchoring?

Bear in mind I am not a muscle man and also rarely have a willing muscle man on board. And generally sail solo or with land lubbers.

And/or has anyone been able to fit a windlass or some other sort of assistance to manual muscle on board so I could have a heavier anchor / and or longer chain.

All (sensible) suggestions appreciated.

Diana
Sea Lady

What type of anchor are you using Diana? Might be worth investing in one of the latest and greatest (eg Sarca) rather than a Danforth or plough anchor. Cheers, Mark

Diana,

This is my arrangement on SEAKA , but some may question the choice of anchor, but that's what SEAKA came with and I have not yet seen any reason to change .

The anchor windlass is an old version of the present Muir VR850. [Page 166 in whitworths]

Phillip
SEAKA

G'Day Dianna, Despite the problems achoring I hope you still had a good New Year.

Firstly, on Felicite I have a CQR (or a copy) and 5m of 1/2inch chain with 5m of 5/16th chain. The chain is the solution not the anchor itself. You need to get the pull angle low to the seabed. If you want to use lighter chain then you can run a weight down the rope (rode) on a pully and lowered on a light piece of rope, say 10mm.
You need plenty of scope, even 3:1 may not be enough. When you dragged did you let more rode out?

Have you tried a "Cruising Drop" That is where you approach the anchorage from up wind. The boat is travelling downwind, the anchor is in the water but far from the seabed. Take a turn around the samson post with the anchor warp, when you get to your spot quickly lower the anchor so that it lays the chain out straight on the bottom. Let your required amount of rode out and slow the boat down by letting the rode slip around the samson post. The boat will turn upwind and dig the pick in HARD. You can reverse the motor to ensure the anchor is dug in well if you wish.

Instead of installing a windlass, have you though about using the sheet winches. You can attach a cleat to an old jib sheet and cleat it on the anchor rode, taking 5 or 6 metre bites at a time. Did you do the right thing and motor up on the anchor to take the load off your bio degradable windlass (ie Mr Wonderful)?

I hope that helps. I've only dragged a couple of times, it will happen again.
Greg.

I use an old fashioned 27lb plough(CRQ style) anchor, 10m of 3/8 inch , small link chain and 50m of 12mm nylon rope and provided you play out enough line (1:3 to 1:5) it rarely drags. I don't have a capstan so it is quite hard work to retrieve the thing (even when you motor onto it) and for this reason I only anchor as a last resort. I still think you should look at recently developed anchors because they have more holding power for less weight and set more readily.

Cheers,
Mark

Thanks everyone,
I have on board a 10kg ish plough anchor and a 'bucket of 10mm chain' 45 kg worth, I have not measured the length, certainly more than 15metres, then easily another 20m of line. Hence the trouble with my muscles hauling it up in more than 6m of water. Combined just the weight is 55 kg if I am in deep water, which is more than I can lift.
When anchoring I generally put it all out, and still drag. So perhaps it is the anchor or me??? I will measure everything when I am next out probably on the weekend and take pictures.

I have managed to stay put in 3m of water and dead calm. But that is certainly overkill and that is not always available. I do use my GPS anchor alarm when staying overnight. I never get a good nights sleep when at anchor.


I have asked the shipwrights about installing a windlass, but they say that the deck at the bow is not strong enough to take it and the reinforcing would cost too much. My quote is $5000 for the windlass and the installation including the reinforcing, a lot of money for a Top Hat. I can buy a windlass for about $1000 and I think the $4K for installation is ridiculous.

Has anyone had a windlass fitted?

p.s. Greg.... generally I am solo so I motor to a spot get steady, not moving forward or in reverse and then let the wind or tide slide me back with the engine in neutral, I give a bit of reverse if necessary but after all chain has been let down.

On NYE even in 5 metres of water, with the anchor, 15 meters of chain and about 10 meters of line we still dragged.

Yes had a great night. Landlubber guests brought a bottle of Bollinger for midnight. Biodegradable windlass held a mutiny and went on board the bigger yacht we were rafted up to. They fed him more beer. He passed out and slept through the midnight fireworks.

So unless I can work out a system for me I am in need of a new manual, carbon based windlass.

Diana

Dianna, I'd say you have too much chain.

Make it simple. I remember once anchoring at Bundeena, and seeing all the chain laying on the sandy bottom with the anchor still on its side not dug in. The 5m of 1/2inch and 5m of 5/16, as a springer, was enough to hold the boat.

It shouldn't be that hard.

One other thing to remember, and I may be preaching to the converted here, but if you attach more chain mouse the shackel pin so it can't vibrate loose. My mooring parted company because the contractor forgot to do it!

The next question is, for all the times I have moored up to a buoy, how do you stop the thing banging on the side of the boat right next to your ear all night? One thing I was told was to moor normally and then take another line from the top of the buoy to midships. it holds the buoy off to the side.

Greg,

You should never moor to the mooring buoy itself.
The mooring buoy should be attached by a light rope to a larger 1" or such rope.
This is the rope [the 1" one] you should bring back to your bollard. See my photo above.
You can the tie off the buoy to your pulpit so it won’t annoy you .

When anchoring your chain should also come back to your bollard via a rope anchor snub with a chain grab hook, see Whitworths pp98. You should never anchor using just your windless, its only for raising the anchor!

I installed my own windless and will post some photos after Thursday.

Phillip
SEAKA

Greg, what do you mean by attaching more chain mouse?
In landlubber terms please?

Phillip, do you want a job?
Beer, bubbly and food as payment?


As to mooring another way is to use a line and loop it thorugh the loop (loop the loop) of the mooring line and secure to the anchoring cleat.

Gives more space between you and the banging buoy and also does not get all the dirt on the bow of your boat.

Especially good when using a dirty mooring.

G"Day Dianna, Mousing is just simply putting some wire or a cable tie through the shackle pin, the bit withthe thread on it and wrapping it inside and around the "D" part of the shackle in a figure 8 pattern. It simply stops the pin from rotating loose. You can drop it in polite conversation and seem quite like an old salt!

Philip, do you hang the mooring buoy from the pulpit? I think you might mean the little mooring buoys on privte mooring. I mean the big courtesy mooring buoys that most moorings have. You havn't got a ghost of a chance of lifting them. I have tried putting a light (12mm) rope through the eye as Dianna said but all that does is make the buoy bang further down the boat and it gets stuck there more often.

Greg.