Stern Mooring

While reading the thread on Sea anchors, I visited the Jordan Series sea drogue site Jordan Series Drogue - Mooring and Anchoring

They have an interesting article on the benefits of stern anchoring in a blow. While I, like most of you, have bounced around while conventionally anchored in a blow, even with a bridle set well back to soften the ride, I have never tried a stern to anchor. The article talks sail boats but got me wondering if a bridle/yoke off the stern might be worth trying (deploying and retrieving conventionally by walking the rode back to the bow). It ends with the following statement which may be a little pretentious

There can be little doubt that a proper stern mooring would have saved many of the moored boats that were destroyed in the four hurricanes that struck Florida in the fall of 2004

As I am sure not too many of us have the capability to try this, except perhaps on a mooring ball, I guess my question will have to be theoretical. Who thinks stern anchoring may, in some instances, be beneficial?

Maybe fine for a dainty buttocked sailboat, but my wide & fat assed flat transomed trawler would take a real beating

On many trawler types other than double enders this would be dangerous not just a beating. There is also the problem of large stresses to the rudder which may break gear. On a flat day in a protected harbor as temporary situation I see no problem other than possible wake slamming into stern.

Also, if your boat has a nice big cockpit that would hold hundreds of gallons of seawater, with a relatively low transom, as mine does .........

I can't bear the thought!

Drake said:

Also, if your boat has a nice big cockpit that would hold hundreds of gallons of seawater, with a relatively low transom, as mine does .........



I can't bear the thought!

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Or any type wet exhaust on the stern.


Via iPhone.

cafesport said:

Or any type wet exhaust on the stern.


Via iPhone.

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I was thinking of this too, seems I've read of water being pushed up exhaust outlets, even into the engine?

I don't know its a viable solution for a trawler based on hull design differences vs. a sailboat

Yeah, I guess if they didn't want us to anchor from the pointy end they would have put the windlass on the stern. Was skeptical in that this was the first time I had ever heard of this and of course it was presented by a drogue vendor.....
Thanks for the responses guys!

Here in the PNW some of us do a lot of stern to shore anchoring with line of stern to shore. Similar situation with the Mediterranean system. Some boats even have windless on stern. The wind can come from shore side but no significant fetch so not a problem and I do not consider this as stern anchoring since the anchor is from the bow.

I've got a fine, wave climbing buttock that loves a following sea, but I'd never deliberately expose my exhaust outlets or rudder to such forces.

I don't get it. What are the advantages; even with a double ended sailboat with a pointy stern? I can't think of a single one.

When we're halibut fishing out in the straits in heavy weather, 3' and 4' seas, 25 - 30 mph winds, we put the stern to the seas, not the bow and hold it there with the engines at a fast idle. Very easy to stay on station and very little rocking. Surprisingly, It gives a much more stable ride than trying to keep the bow pointed into the wind and seas. And the boats stern is 14' wide and flat as a pancake.

I've stern tied to shore before, which is very common in the smaller coves in Gulf Islands and Desolation Sound in BC and used a small stern anchor to hold the stern from swinging, along with the main bow anchor. But never just a stern anchor for mooring. I'm not setup for it, but I think the ride would be pretty good based on our fishing experience.

healhustler said:

I've got a fine, wave climbing buttock that loves a following sea, but I'd never deliberately expose my exhaust outlets or rudder to such forces.

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My exhaust is mid-ship, portside. Exhaust has a short run from the engine and its easy to observe the exhaust of coolant water from the pilothouse, but there is increased instance of exhaust smell.

AusCan said:

I don't get it. What are the advantages; even with a double ended sailboat with a pointy stern? I can't think of a single one.

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I`ve seen it done so the sun shines into the cockpit. Trouble is, the waves try to follow it in. It`s a no no no for safety.

AusCan said:

I don't get it. What are the advantages; even with a double ended sailboat with a pointy stern? I can't think of a single one.

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I'm thinking the bow, being higher, would act something like a steadying sail and the boat wouldn't wander about so much on the rode if the stern was towards the anchor.

With a high bow towards the anchor, it tends to fall off the wind one way (off you go for a ride) then the other (off you go for a grand swing the other way).

We've stern tied in tight little spots where it made sense.

dimer2 said:

While reading the thread on Sea anchors, I visited the Jordan Series sea drogue site Jordan Series Drogue - Mooring and Anchoring

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Did I miss something on this website or do they lack any pictures of their product deployed? I see a bald guy with a beard kneeling next to a tangle of lines and blue fabric, but no drogue. What the heck???

Is it just me?

I drogue does not fasten one's boat to the sea bottom. Its intent is to aid control in a following sea. It has nothing to do with anchoring. A sea anchor (which also isn't tied to the sea bottom) keeps a boat's bow pointed toward the waves when forward direction is unwise when under sail or power.

MurrayM said:

I'm thinking the bow, being higher, would act something like a steadying sail and the boat wouldn't wander about so much on the rode if the stern was towards the anchor.

With a high bow towards the anchor, it tends to fall off the wind one way (off you go for a ride) then the other (off you go for a grand swing the other way).

We've stern tied in tight little spots where it made sense.

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That makes sense when there is a inconsistent variable breeze, but the article seemed to be promoting stern anchoring in a howling gale.

Thinking about it some more, the reasoning could be this:

When anchored with a long rode in a storm, the surge of a large swell would stretch out the rode eliminating the catenary and pushing the boat backwards. A boat could broach while being pushed back, especially if the rudder is not held in position at the time, resulting in being rolled.

Hmmm - Following this reasoning, it may be a more hazardous to use an all chain rode, where the catenary is more likely to be changing in a strong blow, whereas all-rope is more likely to stay taut (and therefore less backward movement when pushed by a big swell).

Something to think about.

It is about how a boat lies to an anchor at the bow.

If stable...anchor by the bow, if unstable anchor by the stern.

A lobster boat with windage forward is a good example of unstable without a riding sail.

The stern technique would work in certain situations where storm waves have already been broken by an outer barrier and thus less of a threat to the broader, more resistant stern and swamping a cockpit.

Steve said:

I was thinking of this too, seems I've read of water being pushed up exhaust outlets, even into the engine?

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A dockmate had this happen on a 30' Alure in a following sea at slow speed trolling. On one particularly big wave, the exhaust water ran forward and killed the Crusader gas engine thru the exhaust valves. The exhaust outlets used to have flappers but they broke off long before and were not replaced. Why not? Since the outlets sat about 3 inches out of the water at the dock, what did he need them for?