Anchoring Single-handed

[dhays]

Wow, I never knew anchoring was so difficult. I have controls for my windlass at the helm, but often use just the foot switches at the bow deploying and retrieving the anchor when single-handed. In water under 20 feet I like to see how the anchor and chain are lying on bottom. I also need to knock over my chain castle once or twice during the retrieval process. In winds under 10 knots, I often don't use the engine when retrieving. I pull in a bit of chain, maybe 10 or 15 feet, then let the sagging if the chain slowly draw the boat toward the anchor, then pull in another 10 or 15 feet and repeat. I take my time; there's no hurry. If the wind is up, I have to make a few trips back and forth to the helm. Again, nor hurry.

That perfectly mirrors my experience.

 

[psneeld]

I only anchor when it is easy and relatively safe..... if I ever start cruising to way out of the way areas....obviously watching weather and currents plus availability of well protected achoring spots will blossom.

Of course easy to me might still be a challenge for some and baby steps for others.

 

[eyschulman]

I have observed and tried a single handed technique of releasing and setting an anchor from a sail boat which would work as well from a powered craft. I do not believe all chain would work. The method entails running the anchor and anchor line from the bow back to the cockpit and then approaching the drop point coasting slowly with the wind behind. when over the drop point the anchor is released and let run out to where it is snubbed down on the stern or bow. This assumes an anchor and rode not to heavy to man handle. This would certainly work with my fair sized aluminum spade anchor short chain and rope rode. A slight modification of this would be to flake a good part of the rode or have it in a bucket in the rear of the boat so it runs out from the stern ensuring no chance of fouling rudders or prop and The initial snub and anchor bite can then be done from a stern cleat. once the anchor is set the line can be released from the stern cleat and bow will swing into the wind.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Ed, I think it is Ed,
That is confusing. W/o more information that would establish the rode at the length of the boat. Am I to assume you mean to drag all 200' or so of rode back to the aft cockpit for deployment? What would be the advantage to just lowering the anchor from the bow when you're over the anchor drop spot? I suspect this is a sailboat thing as it would work well on a boat w/o power. But I see no advantage for a powered vessel.

I had some similar thoughts about anchoring from the stern. Not necessarily deploying from the stern but tying off aft to limit sailing back and forth. Just dragging the line aft and tying off on an aft cleat. Could reduce snaching forces in a blow too. Could also tie to both aft cleats w some centering bridal effect.
Could be a pita to weigh anchor and go in the am.

 

[eyschulman]

Ed, I think it is Ed,
That is confusing. W/o more information that would establish the rode at the length of the boat. Am I to assume you mean to drag all 200' or so of rode back to the aft cockpit for deployment? What would be the advantage to just lowering the anchor from the bow when you're over the anchor drop spot? I suspect this is a sailboat thing as it would work well on a boat w/o power. But I see no advantage for a powered vessel.

I had some similar thoughts about anchoring from the stern. Not necessarily deploying from the stern but tying off aft to limit sailing back and forth. Just dragging the line aft and tying off on an aft cleat. Could reduce snaching forces in a blow too. Could also tie to both aft cleats w some centering bridal effect.
Could be a pita to weigh anchor and go in the am.

Yes this is a sail thing where the lone sailor is in the stern cockpit and has the anchor and most of the rode with him or her with the line also run up to the bow. It is actually very efficient if the anchor and rode are not to heavy or bulky. The rode can be in a bucket . The anchor is set by the forward motion of the boat no need to back down. I know it sounds strange to people who have never used or seen it and I was also quite curious when I first saw it done many years ago and further surprised when I tried it myself. I do believe it could be applied to power boats that are small or medium sized up to say 40 ft if light ground tackle is used. With modern anchors that is not hard to contemplate. I bring it up here because it has advantages for a single hander who can drop the anchor from any where on the boat with this method and have the line play out over the stern. Picture a boat like yours with a pilot house and side door where the lone skipper leans out the door and drops the anchor. No need to leave the controls. When the anchor bites and sets walk to the stern and undo line from cleat and boat slowly rounds up bow to wind. I would not try this for the first time in a crowded anchorage for I suspect their is a learning curve involved.

 

[Nomad Willy]

I saw a big sailboat drop and set an anchor on the fly (probably 3 knots) in a crowded anchorage. Big splash and enough chain noise to raise a sunken ship. Not my cup of ... we had a thread about it a long time ago. PeterB probably remembers it.

Your thoughts and posts may help me w my anchor antics to come. Thanks.

 

[eyschulman]

I saw a big sailboat drop and set an anchor on the fly (probably 3 knots) in a crowded anchorage. Big splash and enough chain noise to raise a sunken ship. Not my cup of ... we had a thread about it a long time ago. PeterB probably remembers it.

Your thoughts and posts may help me w my anchor antics to come. Thanks.

Eric I just came across a few posts on the Down-East site of lobster fishermen
storing and setting their anchors from the aft cockpit. Statements about not having to go up to the bow. Most of these guys fish their boats single hand. Ed.

 

[Peter B]

I saw a big sailboat drop and set an anchor on the fly (probably 3 knots) in a crowded anchorage. Big splash and enough chain noise to raise a sunken ship. Not my cup of ... we had a thread about it a long time ago. PeterB probably remembers it.

Your thoughts and posts may help me w my anchor antics to come. Thanks.

Yes, I do Eric, as I used to use this technique in my yachting days, although we still just dropped the anchor from the bow, so there was always two of us, and I would use the slow drifting forward momentum of the yacht to set the anchor, (a Danforth back then), and mostly rope rode.

However, I still use this setting method occasionally, (one I and others have tended to call the yachtsman's set), on occasion, with my present boat. However, you definitely ideally need to have helm control over the drop doing this. Well, I do anyway, as my wife doesn't like to have anything to do with anchoring, so I'm effectively single-handed.

It works well. Particularly if approaching the anchorage from upwind, (very slowly, like in idle), as you can choose your space or gap, drop the pick in good time, right where you feel is best, and well ahead of any downwind boat, then let the gentle momentum peel out the chain, (all chain rode works fine), as I swing her to one side or the other, so the anchor & chain clears the forefoot well, then when nearly enough is out, just stopping the winch, gently sets the Sarca, and turns the boat fully head to wind the perfect position. Once settled, maybe with a wee tug, let out a bit more to the desired depth, and you're done. Love it.

 

[Blissboat]

What Dave, MurrayM, Ski and AusCan said. Take it slow and easy, step back to the helm a few times if you need to, and let the boat's weight / momentum help with some of the work.

I have set and weighed anchor singlehanded, I would guess conservatively, several hundred times, maybe a thousand or more. I get everything ready, plan each step and execute it with focus and no rush. But even with someone on the helm watching my hand signals, I prefer to be at the bow, over the anchor gear, watching and feeling what the ground tackle and the boat are doing. Running my windless while rope or chain moves over the roller, all while I am far away inside the cabin or pilothouse, would make me very uneasy. Foot pedals up on the bow are helpful, though. And yes, every once in awhile I haven't liked the look or feel of what I just did, pulled everything back aboard, and re-set the hook.

You can do just about anything singlehandedly with your boat that you can do with a crew and / or machinery - it just takes preparation and patience. Wearing a PFD while scampering around on deck is also a good idea. By the time you realize you should have put one on, it's usually too late to change your mind.

 

[FF]

"it just takes preparation and patience."

Inshore the anchor(s) should be ready to drop all the time.

Our technique (Danforth 60 + 5 ft of chain, line figure 8ed on deck ) is to aim the boat into the current or breeze and go about 1/2 boat length past the desired anchor spot.

This gives time for the boat to begin to fall back and me to reach the bow.

The anchor and spotting buoy are released (kicked) and it drops .

A paper chart shows the water depth so about 5X the depth is taken from the line and secured .

Sitting on the cabin top its very simple to see if the anchor has set, the line becomes tight , and the boat will check.

Depending , a bit more line will be let out , then I go aft , engage a bit of reverse to be sure of the set,, secure the engine , go all the way aft and set a stern anchor , which is lead outside of everything and tied off at the bow.

The reefer is on the aft deck (propane) so I grab a cool one and use a broom stick to install a pail over the dry stack exhaust.

DONE, except for lighting a 5 mile anchor light , LED so no problem if it is 5 hours to sunset.

 

[tallswede]

I have a 36' trawler with twins that I anchor solo quite often. I have no remote for my windlass and it will only raise. I plan to remedy this situation at some point but am in no hurry right now. Here is how I do it. First, I have a rode with 40' of chain and 180' of rope. Because my windlass doesn't have a down function, I prep by pushing my 40 lb Danforth off the anchor roller and let it hang in the teeth of the windlass. Back to the helm, I pick my spot to drop and observe wind and current effects and slowly ease up to my spot. I then go forward, pull the chain off the wildcat and let the anchor go in a controlled manner. (I wear gloves while handling the rode.) Living where I do and cruising the Texas Gulf Coast my anchorages are usually less than 25' deep. By the time my anchor is on the bottom, the bow is usually falling off the wind. I let out enough scope (usually 3-4 to 1) and then cleat off. The anchor starts to set and the bow comes back to the wind. I use the engines in reverse to set and then let out 5-7 to 1 to ride at anchor. Retrieving is much more difficult. With the engines running in neutral I begin pulling in rope by hand. If the wind is blowing much, I use the rope drum on my windlass to help me retrieve until I get the chain onboard. I take my time and as the bow swings in the wind, I retrieve rode as the bow comes around straight and wait for the swings. I'll cleat in between swings and feed the rope into the hawse hole until we swing back and then pull some more. When the chain comes aboard, I put it in the wild cat and put the rest of the rope into the hawse hole and feed the chain in there so it will drop on top of the rope. I will have rigged my hose so I can rinse the mud off the chain as it comes in now and repeat the waiting for bow swings and finish retrieving the chain and anchor. As the anchor breaks out (often I have to help it by motoring forward a bit) I bring it to just below the surface of the water. By then my bow is falling off the wind so I go to the helm and slowly motor away letting most of the mud wash off the anchor. When clear of other boats or obstructions in the anchorage, I go to neutral and finish bringing the anchor aboard, rinsing the mud and securing the anchor. Then back to the helm and off I go.

Kevin

 

[kartracer]

Wireless remotes are inexpensive

I installed the remote that is on ebay, under $20, in the above post on my Lewmar, works great.

 

[Nomad Willy]

tallswede,
Good description of your anchoring. It's hard to do w/o leaving out important things or just being confusing.

Surly you don't use the capstan w the chain?
Have you ever had the rode tangle on the stocks or shank of your Danforth?
Does your boat "sail" a lot at anchor?

Good

 

[ghost]

I anchor a lot on my 48, mostly single handed. I now prefer to do it myself. My button controls work slowly, so I almost never deploy that way. So even if I had a down button at the helm I would not use it. If you want to know what your anchor is doing, you have to see and feel. Prep is to get the anchor ready to drop, which means letting a foot of chain out so the anchor is ready to drop. My windlass has a manual free fall clutch, so I get that ready too. Nose into the wind or current and pick your spot to drop. Spot picking is an art gained over time, it's where you want to drop in relation to where you want to come to rest. I generally want the boat to be near a dead stop, with maybe a slight way on in reverse, but I should be slow enough to even mosey all the way down from the flybridge. If everything is ready, I simply free fall the anchor at a fast but controlled rate. I do that from the bow, where I can see and react quickly. As soon as the chain slows indicating I've reached bottom, I pause. I don't want to pile chain or foul the anchor. I then tighten the windlass enough to start pulling the chain a bit and when I'm satisfied the chain slack is out, I release the drag and let the boat drift take the chain out. If not enough drift, the use reverse. The anchor should be right where I originally dropped it as I've not really pulled on it other than the weight of pulling out the chain itself. Once I have my full scope out, I make the windlass firmly set and let the boat settle. If enough wind or current, I let the anchor set on its own slowly. Otherwise, I set with the Engine once the boat tells me which way it wants to set. That's it. If I have picked the right drop spot, I've just set quickly, don't need to be back at the helm, and since I'm there at the anchor my set rate is high. If I have a problem it's likely that I misjudged my drop point, more so than a bad set. So I retrieve and try again.

I don't like dropping with slow electric controls. I'm out of position before it ever hits bottom. I like to watch the chain tighten. I can tell in a moment if the set is good. I do have an electric helm switch that will retrieve. Seldom used, but in a tight quarter it does let me take up slack while keeping the boat where I want it. I would not want a windlass that does not have a good free fall clutch. I'd miss drop spots constantly without it and single handing means getting things right more often on the first try than not. It all comes down to preparation.

At least, that's how I survive. I anchor better now without help, than with.

 

[tallswede]

Surly you don't use the capstan w the chain?
Have you ever had the rode tangle on the stocks or shank of your Danforth?
Does your boat "sail" a lot at anchor?

Good[/QUOTE]

You're right, it's sometimes tough to be clear in a single post.

No, I don't use the capstan with the chain, I use it with the rope part of the rode if I need a little help due to wind or if I want to go quicker. Once the chain comes over the bow roller, I switch to the wildcat to bring in the chain and anchor.

I've never had the rode tangle in the anchor on this boat. I did have it happen on a smaller boat when I threw the anchor and rode over in a wad one time.

My Prairie doesn't sail any worse than most boats I've been on and it is much less so than my little Hunter water ballast sailboat, It's no worse than a 47' sailboat we anchored out on last weekend, I may try experimenting with my riding sail some this summer to see if it has an effect.

 

[Nomad Willy]

ghost,
Very excellent post. Hard to make these anchoring drills clear. And I'm very keen on your preference to anchoring on the bow being very aware of what's going on. You wrote "I do that from the bow, where I can see and react quickly" and "If you want to know what your anchor is doing, you have to see and feel". I very much agree. I had thought of this as a small boat thing though and am very happy to see/hear of it being done on a near 50' boat. You write "As soon as the chain slows indicating I've reached bottom"... that's a critical moment of deploying anchor and being on the bow is the place to be.


tallswede,
Ever think of rigging up a V bridal on a nylon line rode? I'm thinking there must be a way. A pair of some kinda jam cleats or a knot that won't slip? My Willard sails a lot and I've thought in the above terms but never get serious about it. Always something else more important.

 

[tallswede]

Ghost, I do prefer to be on the bow too. Much easier to tell what is going on.

Nomad Willy, I've tried bridles on other boats and have not found them to be much use in stopping sailing. It does seem to work better on catamarans in my experience. Must have something to do with the wide beam and hull shape.

I have heard that a weight or bucket attached somewhere along the rode is helpful. I may try this sometime soon.

Kevin

 

[dhays]

Ghost, I appreciate the post as well. I've not ever used the brake to let the chain down, always using the motor. I think this likely is a mistake on my part. I need to figure that out.

Thread drift but I also need to look at taking apart and servicing my windlass. I've not done it in the year that I've owned the boat.

 

[psneeld]

Freefall is one method, powering down is another.

Some situations call for a high speed deploy, others it can be slower.

No right or wrong way in general, just possibly for a certain situation.

 

[twistedtree]

Ok, nobody has said it, so I will. If he had a bigger anchor and more chain, would any if this matter?

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Ok, nobody has said it, so I will. If he had a bigger anchor and more chain, would any if this matter?

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Yes of course if he had to pull it all up by hand otherwise no.

 

[eyschulman]

Freefall is one method, powering down is another.

Some situations call for a high speed deploy, others it can be slower.

No right or wrong way in general, just possibly for a certain situation.

Fully agree.The certain situation when I don't like free fall is when there is no wind or current to move the chain away from the anchor allowing the chain to possibly fall on the anchor. True the boat can be in motion predetermined from helm then skipper has to move forward to release the free fall again making it a judgement call where you end up something I think is inherent in the anchoring process. This may be more of a problem with anchors with shapes that lend to snaring of the rode. Like everything else in boating we skippers just have to understand the parameters of what we are doing.

 

[eyschulman]

Yes of course if he had to pull it all up by hand otherwise no.

Excellent point even with windless for they don't always work as I found out a couple of years ago. Now my thinking is better smaller anchors with half the chain I used to have and backup light high holding secondary anchors I can set from my dinghy when conditions call for it.

 

[Nomad Willy]

eyeshulman,
Yes indeed any excessive weight, especially those rode parts we must or choose to handle manually is dangerous in some or even many situations. Anything excessive on a boat is folly and should be dealt with. Bigger is better only if something is heaver than it needs to be. And much traditional thinking produces ground tackle that is far in excess of what is necessary.
Thanks for your support that indicates some new and objective thinking would be well spent on ground tackle on our pleasure boats.

 

[tallswede]

Last weekend we overnighted at a popular anchorage with some friends on their 47' sailboat. They had a new windlass with most likely the largest chain that would fit. As we were lowering the anchor the chain jammed in the windlass just after the anchor hit bottom so it didn't set. We managed to get it unjammed, raised the anchor and circled around to try again. Attempt #2 went the same way. Fortunately the boat had a spare anchor with a chain/rope rode ready to deploy so we did that manually. After getting set we fiddled with the windlass and removed the little flipper chain guide and it's post and then the windlass ran the chain smoothly. Just goes to show, it's good to have a Plan B.

Kevin

 

[Peter B]

Well, I hear what everyone is saying, but yez are just rationalising...

For mine, the most enjoyable thing to me about the power cruiser, trawler, call it what you will, we have now, compared to our yachting days of mixed chain and rope rode, and hauling by hand, is the sheer, unmitigated pleasure I have in being able to sidle up to my anchor spot, and with the flick of a button, lower, set, and later retrieve, the anchor, guided by my self-installed chain counter, and all from the protection of my inside helm. Gasp...wow, sorry about the length of that sentence, but there was no other way to say it.

 

[AusCan]

Usually I can see the bottom when anchoring so I power down with the windlass until the anchor is just above bottom. I then drift until I get to the preferred anchor position and power down the last meter or two.

I usually only loosen the clutch and use free fall when the water is too murky or deep to see bottom.

 

[psneeld]

Well, I hear what everyone is saying, but yez are just rationalising...

For mine, the most enjoyable thing to me about the power cruiser, trawler, call it what you will, we have now, compared to our yachting days of mixed chain and rope rode, and hauling by hand, is the sheer, unmitigated pleasure I have in being able to sidle up to my anchor spot, and with the flick of a button, lower, set, and later retrieve, the anchor, guided by my self-installed chain counter, and all from the protection of my inside helm. Gasp...wow, sorry about the length of that sentence, but there was no other way to say it.

Me too.....effortless cruising is my agenda....have had a full life of challenges. You can still adventure without sweat or stress. Especially anchoring...if I could only make the boat self repairing.

I write that way too. Not for everyone, but works for me.

 

[Bay Pelican]

Ran across this photo of Bay Pelican anchored in Grenada. A crowded anchorage like this is not everyone's cup of tea, but the ability to do so gives one options. I would not have tried this from the bow.