jhance
Senior Member
Hoping to get some advice from those experienced anchoring by themselves. I have controls inside at the helm and also foot buttons and washdown on the bow. Setting the anchor from inside at the helm is straight forward. I guess I prefer being inside when setting because I can control the boat and I can see the rode well enough at the bow. But what is the secret to retrieving the anchor by yourself? I have gone through many different scenarios about where I should be during the retrieval process, but I am always left with a not ideal situation.
I need to 1. Keep the boat positioned and moving forward against the wind, 2. pull in the rode, and 3. Wash off the chain and anchor as it's coming in.
Can't operate from inside because I want to wash the rode and anchor. Being at the bow means I don't have engine directional control over the boat.
The best scenario I have come up with, and it works OK, is that I am at the bow and I pull the boat up to the anchor, by hand, as the windlass is retrieving the slack rode. This works OK but harder to do in gusty winds, and when I get to my 50' of chain it becomes a bit awkward.
How do you all do it solo?
I need to 1. Keep the boat positioned and moving forward against the wind, 2. pull in the rode, and 3. Wash off the chain and anchor as it's coming in.
Can't operate from inside because I want to wash the rode and anchor. Being at the bow means I don't have engine directional control over the boat.
The best scenario I have come up with, and it works OK, is that I am at the bow and I pull the boat up to the anchor, by hand, as the windlass is retrieving the slack rode. This works OK but harder to do in gusty winds, and when I get to my 50' of chain it becomes a bit awkward.
How do you all do it solo?