When do you put out two anchors?

[Seevee]

Just curious, when do you put out two anchors? I seem to do it often, perhaps too much, and perhaps not enough advantage. Most of my anchoring is in fairly light winds, and often no other boats around.

 

[ksanders]

We've never put out more than one anchor.

Can't think of why we would use more than one anchor. Perhaps I'm missing something?

 

[rwidman]

I put out two anchors once. Green Cove Springs in FL. It's a narrow creek with a sandbar in the middle. It's a local hangout and the custom is to anchor perpendicular to the creek over the sandbar. Boats need bow and stern anchors to avoid swinging.


It was a mess because I had to get into the water (it's shallow) and walk my bow anchor out and set it, then walk the stern anchor our and set it. There's 30' of chain on the second anchor (it's more of a spare than a stern anchor) so I had to use a nut and bolt on the chain to make a loop and shorten it so I could cleat the line on the boat.


There are techniques to use two anchors off the bow to reduce swinging room but I've never done this.

 

[Gdavid]

Reversing currents especially if the boat is unattended and a single anchor may not reset. Multiple anchors also greatly reduce your anchor swing.

 

[dhays]

I have not had the occasion to put out two anchors. We always had two anchors on the sailboats, but never used two.

Different regions and different waters.

 

[rwidman]

The risk with using two anchors from the bow is that the rodes will tangle and be very difficult to get untangled.

 

[Bruce B]

We chose to build our new boat with a second anchor roller and a split anchor locker. We have used two anchors before in very narrow channels but rarely. The reason we chose to include the second anchor setup was to allow a second, different type of anchor to be carried for use in different conditions.
We will have a Fortress on 40' of chain and nylon rode for the second anchor to back up our Manson Supreme on all chain rode.
Bruce

 

[Lepke]

I usually use the same chain with the 2nd anchor attached about 10 fathoms back. I use 2 anchors in heavy currents and winds, usually in anchorages open to the ocean. I don't go looking for those places, but when no other choices exist and if the conditions are right. I also do 2 anchors to hold direction. Bow and stern anchors. My insurance stipulates I have to carry at least two, easily deployed anchors. I also carry a 6' danforth for emergency.

 

[Gdavid]

The risk with using two anchors from the bow is that the rodes will tangle and be very difficult to get untangled.

Very true, it is easiest if one anchor is a combination chain/rope and you can just untie it from the boat and pass it around the other rode as needed to untangle. Otherwise if both are chain therefore too heavy and cumbersome to untangle manually you have to release a lot of slack on both so they hang straight down and slowly maneuver in circles without fouling your prop which is a major inconvenience and risky.

 

[dhays]

I usually use the same chain with the 2nd anchor attached about 10 fathoms back. I use 2 anchors in heavy currents and winds, usually in anchorages open to the ocean. I don't go looking for those places, but when no other choices exist and if the conditions are right. I also do 2 anchors to hold direction. Bow and stern anchors. My insurance stipulates I have to carry at least two, easily deployed anchors. I also carry a 6' danforth for emergency.

How do you attach the second anchor to your chain?

 

[ranger58sb]

I've not (yet?) ever had to deploy two anchors.

When we discovered some anchoring issues with previous products when used in this area... we got a better anchor. (And a better back-up anchor.)

-Chris

 

[sunchaser]

Just curious, when do you put out two anchors?

Never. With a right sized well designed anchor and carefully selecting anchorages the need and hassle has been naught.

 

[clynn]

We've used bow and stern anchors to avoid swinging while watching concerts from the boat. I've never tried using two from the bow.

 

[ktdtx]

Closest I've come to using 2 anchors is using a stern tie

 

[DavidM]

I have done it a couple of times, maybe 1% of my anchoring. Once I rigged a stern anchor to keep me aligned with the prevailing seas in Catalina Island like the fore and aft bouy setups there. Another time I set two anchors from the bow in a V arrangement to add holding power. That tangled up as others have noted when the winds died at night. I now have a bigger/better primary anchor and won't do that again. I sure won't do it in a reversing current situation- much better to have a good anchor that resets each time.

David

 

[Acheron2010]

I've only used a stern tie to prevent swinging with tide changes.

 

[North Baltic sea]

Sometimes when a strong wind and no room to swing a big movement or fall out more chain. I have used the V style, see the picture. here is not tidal, so do not go to the Lines node.





Twins anchor rules for vessel (Finish navy)


When using two anchors grip increases only in the event that the anchors are close to each other, (not more than 30 degrees to each other), and the chain is sufficient outdoors.
While the vessel is moored with two anchors should be controlled in turn depend on the ship's anchors in such a way as to avoid confusion with anchor chains.


ANCHORING stern Mortgages
2.Two anchors for approaching moorings parallel to the dock or the shoreline far enough away from it. When the first anchor is calculated, continue forward or backward, until agreement is reached on this about four times the depth of the corresponding distance when calculating a second anchor. After this, the stern of the vessel turned towards the moorings and act as has been said in the previous paragraph.



Removal is carried out in such a way that the chain is removed first, and the ship is using the machines in such a position that the lifting anchors is safe and can be free to deal with the beginning of the anchors detached from the bottom. Often it is necessary to keep upwind stern rope stick and give it to loosen, until the origin is clearly outside the space for mounting

 

[Lou_tribal]

Never yet in my short life of boat owner

 

[rwidman]

I've only used a stern tie to prevent swinging with tide changes.

I don't think that is a good idea. I let my boat swing and when I'm sharing anchorages, the other boats seem to do the same. If they swing and you don't, there could be a problem.

More importantly, if you anchor from the stern, once the current changes direction, it will be pushing on the flat stern, not the pointed bow. It's going to exercise a lot more force on the stern and could pull the anchor loose or swamp the stern.


There are times and places where a stern tie or anchor are appropriate but mostly where there is little current or where you can tie the stern to a tree or rock on shore.

 

[AusCan]

I've never used two anchors off the bow. I'm confident in the one I have.

I often use a 2nd anchor off the stern when the swell and wind are at 90 degrees from another. A short duration swell on the beam makes for a rolly night at anchor on my soft chine boat.

The swell around here is almost always from the SW, and wind is often from the SE during the summer.

Under these conditions, I drop the bow anchor and reverse to north letting out more rode than usual. I then drop the 2nd anchor off the stern and let the boat swing to the west with the wind. I then suck in a bit of rode on the bow to adjust my angle so my bow is pointing SW. If required I can fine tune my angle during the night with the bow windlass.

 

[Steve]

A few times I have used a second anchor off the stern to keep the boat from sailing back and forth. I have a Fortress for that.

 

[Bigsfish]

I have used a Bahamian moor a number of time but prefer not to. I use it in a very narrow channel where the current will reverse strongly and there is not enough room to swing on the rode of one anchor. I have also used it when I get to an anchorage where the first boat there have used it and I don't want to swing into them. It's not hard to put the two anchors out if you use the current.

I'm confident in my anchors with the primary being a Boss. It sets immediately when first set and when the current reverses it sets in a couple of feet.

 

[101TUG]

we have 2 anchors with 2 separate windlass
in 2 years we never put 2 anchors but last summer we get 50kt of wind in BVI (unexpected wind) but during gust I was thinking I'm bad I suppose to put my second anchor ...
but with 50kt of wind I don't want to send some body on bow to operate windlass...
At the end we don't drag ... but that to only time we suppose to do it.

Hugues

 

[BruceK]

You only need to explore this complication if you lack a good main anchor. Like a Super Sarca.
:lol: Feeling mischievous today.

 

[markpierce]

Haven't had the need to employ two anchors. In our protective waters, the most likely scenario would be anchors off bow and stern when swing is inadvisable.

 

[Peter B]

Just curious, when do you put out two anchors? I seem to do it often, perhaps too much, and perhaps not enough advantage. Most of my anchoring is in fairly light winds, and often no other boats around.

Seriously, wit the anchor I use, (Super Sarca), I have never, and would never, put out a second anchor. If conditions were so bad as to even make me consider it, I'd be outa there and seeking a more sheltered anchorage.

 

[Bigsfish]

Pete

It is not as much as a better anchor but where you are anchoring. I had anchored in a channel about 8 feet deep that is only about 50 feet or less wide with very shallow water on the outside of the channel, if I use a proper ride of 60 plus feet I would swing on to the banks when the tide changes and the wind blows perpendicular to the channel. The only way to stay centered is a Bahamian moor.

 

[psneeld]

Yep, sometimes the need to limit swing is the deal, not holding power.

Not even the "sorta" anchors are that super...

 

[Bigsfish]

Hi Scott

Up early this morning. Thanks for making my opinion more clear.

 

[psneeld]

Normal morning for us.

Last day in FL. Heading out of Jacksonville for Cumberland Island, Ga.


Many routines in boating are similar no matter where you boat, but every region has some peculiarities that may require developing special techniques.