Anchoring a Ranger 29

[lastclipper]

Greetings,

We own a Ranger 29S (2012) Formerly until birthdays caught up, we have been Sailors so our anchoring has been fairly straight forward. In brisk winds, all boats in a harbor or bay swing together. I have noticed with the Ranger, that the wind will catch the raised bow and swing it rapidly to the other side.. then the opposite happens and it swings back rapidly and uncomfortably. This seems to happen with or without a bridle. Thank you in advance for any help provided.

Mark and Jan
Dragonfly 2012 R29S
Port Charlotte, FL

 

[DavidM]

There probably isn't much you can do about it. Sometimes pulling in one side of the bridle so the bow tries to hold off to one side might help a little. The only sure thing is a riding sail, but I don't think you can add one to a Ranger 29.

David

 

[MurrayM]

Welcome aboard

Look into 'riding sails' which are small-ish sails near the stern of an anchored vessel. We have a bit of tarp fashioned into a riding sail, and much like the feathers on an arrow, it reduces swinging at anchor quite a bit.

More importantly, it stops the shock loading to the anchor system. Our boat tends to be driven back on the wind...then the boat bounces back upwind as the stretch comes out of the nylon rode...then as its upwind bounce runs out of stream the boat falls off the wind sideways...then its driven back downwind for another big bounce.

The riding sail completely takes away the 'big bounce'.

 

[localboy]

Our C-Dory does the same. I have been unable to find a viable solution. Since we draft so little, I usually get us inside most anchorages to shallow water and try to stay away from other boats via that advantage. Alas, in summer months it does not always work.

 

[MurrayM]

If you have no radar mast to work with, maybe something in the water off the stern to create drag and slow down/reduce the swings?

 

[RonR]

Have you tried a sea anchor? We use to use one on our 25' Searay. Just a simple 2' of chain attached to a sea anchor and 10' or so of rode. It slowed down the sway a lot, but it did not eliminate it all together. I have even seen 5 gallon buckets with a small chunk of chain to help keep it down and a few feet of rode to get some depth. Might be a cheap unit to try first, not that sea anchors are much $$

But also note, in the PNW we almost always have some kind of current running to help the sea anchor do its job.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Perhaps using a chock near the bow normally used for a side mooring tie will allow the wind to “pin” the hull about 30% sideways. Or if you’ve got a good side cleat tie off at midships. Weather permitting.
In other words don’t let the wind/breeze get ahold of one side.
The side tie amidships would only be safe in light breezes.

 

[Frosty]

Our boat tends to be driven back on the wind...then the boat bounces back upwind as the stretch comes out of the nylon rode...then as its upwind bounce runs out of stream the boat falls off the wind sideways...then its driven back downwind for another big bounce.

I take it you have a fair bit of nylon rode? I read an idea on Drew Frye's Sail-Delmarva blog that I have been wanting to try (however, no boating last summer). He postulates that with a rode that is mostly (or muchly) stretchy rope already, that having a stretchy snubber too may be deleterious because it's basically stretch upon stretch and thus too active. Specifically he mentions surging.

He suggested actually using a non-stretchy bridle/snubber (something like Dyneema). I have not tried this out yet, but whereas my previous sailboats rode like churches with their big keels and all chain rodes, my current small (planing) boat rides more like a pinball, with only 30' or so of chain (rest is nylon). So I thought it was interesting.

Here is the blog post where he talks about it:

Sail Delmarva: Dyneema Anchor Bridle

BTW, I had gotten to the point of buying some Dyneema to try it out but wasn't sure of the size. When I mentioned the concept at a seasoned "cruisers'" chandlery while standing in front of the row of line spools they looked at me like I had three heads. Of course most cruising sailboats would already be riding like the aforementioned churches to their all chain rodes.

PS: Frye has written a book called "Rigging Modern Anchors," which I have not read (yet).

PPS: While dredging up the link above I noticed he had a blog post on riding sails:

Sail Delmarva: Riding Sails

 

[FF]

A number of solutions might work.

At the bow a lump of metal 40 + pounds can be lowered as a bottom drag , that might avoid the bow falling off.

A second anchor off the bow at a long enough scope to hold the bow to one side.

Use an anchor ball and a couple of flags on the side anchor line to warn others passing by .

It looks lubberly to others but simply anchoring by the stern is an easy solution .

Garden solar LED can outline the boat at night , no power consumption.

These also work well in commercial areas that have before dawn departures and sleepy crew.

 

[RonR]

Earl R. Hinz book has a few more options.

 

[localboy]

You just reminded me. I think I have that book on board! Thanks.

 

[bayview]

Two things to try. Look up springing the rode, sailors often know this, add some windage aft. sometimes it doesn't take much.

here is one link:https://www.windcheckmagazine.com/article/springing_the_rode/

 

[RonR]

You just reminded me. I think I have that book on board! Thanks.

You bet, I was looking at our copy last night as this post was making us wonder if there were other/better ways.

 

[rsn48]

Look up springing the rode, sailors often know this,

So looking at the diagram in the article, the boat is placed at roughly the same angle as the Pardy's use to set their sailboat in a storm with a sea anchor off the bow and rigged to set the sailboat at an angle. This is how they rode out most bad storms while out on the big pond.

 

[lastclipper]

Guru, Thank you for this information. I appreciate your interest.