[Rhodes22-list] Anchoring

Bill Effros bill at effros.com
Sun Mar 6 15:56:52 EST 2005


Peter,

I intended to spend a lot of time last summer working on anchoring, but 
didn't spend enough time on my boat to do any of it.

My boat is on a mooring--which is another way of saying it is 
permanently on anchor.  That anchor weighs 300 pounds, is mushroom 
shaped, and was professionally set under the mud.  Were you on the list 
when I described rowing out to my boat and finding the stern 5 feet 
above the water, 250 yards from where I last left it?  No harm done to 
my boat, but it let me know that even the biggest imaginable anchor 
could drift under certain circumstances that sometimes happen.

On the other hand, I rarely take my boat out of the water before 
November 15 (yes the water is still reasonably warm enough at that time) 
so my boat has been on anchor through many hurricanes without any 
drifting or damage at all.  I feel my boat is safer in the water pretty 
much by itself, than lined up like dominoes on land with the rest of the 
boats.

In addition to the standard issue R-22 anchor (which is still as pretty 
as the day it left Stan's plant because it has never been in the water) 
I have an 11 lb. Fortress which I keep assembled under the port seat.  A 
7 lb. Fortress which I keep unassembled in the Lazarette.  A 15 lb. 
vinyl covered mushroom sometimes called "bullet" anchor, inverted in the 
forward cowling opening above the anchor rode drawer, attached to 300 
feet of line and 20 feet of chain with a snap fitting that can easily be 
moved from one anchor to another.  Additional line and chain under the 
11 lb. Fortress in the cockpit.  Additional line and chain in a bucket 
in the lazarette.  Polypropylene line and a small float attached to a 
small vinyl covered grapnel anchor in a nylon case in the lazarette.  A 
1 1/2 lb.; 3 lb; and 5 lb folding grapnel anchor.  A corkscrew type 
"land anchor".  Another 15 lb. vinyl anchor--can be used as a paper 
weight, sentinel, or rail meat when sailing light handed.  I know that's 
more than 7--I probably have even more than that, but I can't keep track.

The smallest anchor is sufficient much of the time.  I generally stern 
anchor because that's the easiest.  If I start to drift I can see it, 
and adjust, or not.  Most of the time I would just as soon heave to, 
which is a very comfortable way to eat lunch or loaf if you can maintain 
a watch.

I anchor from both the eyes and the cleats.  There is no chafe issue 
when eye-anchoring.  I don't like anchor chocks.

You can set anchors fore and aft to keep your boat from swinging or the 
anchor from resetting.  In Long Island Sound the tide is going to shift 
180 degrees overnight.

You can set anchors 180 degrees apart and attach both to the bow eye, 
allowing your boat to swing with the tide, but not move from where you 
left it.  You can do the same thing on your stern cleats.

You can set an anchor off shore, and then back the boat to an island so 
that you can almost stand on land with the ladder down.  Take the land 
anchor auger and turn it into the beach sand.  Attach the auger to a 
line attached to the stern.  Let the boat go back out to deeper water so 
you won't be grounded when the tide goes out (we have a 9 foot tidal 
variation) and can still pull the boat back in when you are ready to get 
back on board.  Variation--tie a line to a tree.

Everyone says you should have 7:1 scope, but when they start anchoring, 
there isn't enough room for everyone so they all start short scoping, 
and you can't do anything different or you're going to smack into 
someone.  I like to sail late, so I come into anchorages late after all 
the good spots are taken.  I know how to anchor both deeper and 
shallower than most people.

Now I'll add kedging to my bag of tricks.  Never thought I'd need it, 
and of course, it's a lot less critical on a shoal draft boat, but there 
it is.

Let me know what you try, how it works, and any pointers.  It's getting 
harder and harder to find people who really know how to anchor--everyone 
just wants to pick up a mooring.  I'll let you know how I do.

Bill Effros












Peter Thorn wrote:

>Bill,
>
>That's interesting and thoughtful.  Would you mind explaining in a little
>more detail what anchors you carry and specifically what each is used for?
>My knowledge of anchors ends pretty much at night hook and lunch hook.
>
>PT
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Bill Effros" <bill at effros.com>
>To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2005 2:02 PM
>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Kedging
>
>
>  
>
>>Brad,
>>
>>That had something to do with my "water temperature" question of last
>>week.  I have stopped sailing in water so cold that it can kill me if I
>>wind up in it.  It's just not worth the risk.  You can kedge with the
>>proper anchor and a life vest if you can get into and out of the water
>>without killing yourself.  I gather from last week's replies that your
>>water is borderline for possibly killing you.  Remember, that if you
>>start to suffer from hypothermia, you can die even if you can get back
>>to your boat and get warm dry clothes.  Again, not worth the risk.
>>
>>If you can get into the water without risk of dying, you secure the
>>kedging anchor to a life vest and swim it out.   Then you set it, and
>>see if you can pull the boat toward the anchor.
>>
>>I don't think you were on the list when I mentioned that I am currently
>>carrying 7 anchors and trying to learn to use them.  They are all
>>different types and sizes, all smaller than the standard issue  R-22
>>anchor.   Everyone sizes their anchor for a huge storm on a much larger
>>boat--just to be on the safe side.  Then they never learn to set these
>>anchors, or don't regularly carry them because they are simply too big
>>to use on our little boats.
>>
>>I have found that tiny anchors are more than sufficient for most
>>situations, and that they can be so small that a 10 year old can set and
>>retrieve them without hurting the boat.  Used in combination, these
>>small anchors can match the holding power of much larger anchors.  Set
>>in different locations, they can obviate the risk of drifting, or the
>>necessity for an anchor that can reliably reset.
>>
>>Small kedging anchors can be thrown far enough to start  the boat
>>heeling, and if you have more than one, they can be "walked" from one to
>>the next by throwing them further out as the boat heels more and more.
>>I've never tried this--I just read it.  I do try different anchoring
>>techniques to try to learn about them when I'm not in trouble.  It's
>>kind of fun, and I find it interesting.
>>
>>I saw the attached note recently and thought of you.
>>
>>Bill Effros
>>
>>brad haslett wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Bill,
>>>
>>>As we were passing the time whilst freezing our arses
>>>off Friday night, we dug through the ships library for
>>>ideas and that one was discussed.  One problem; we
>>>didn't have the dink with us.  I tried throwing the
>>>anchor over the side the next morning but couldn't get
>>>the distance required for the leverage needed.  When
>>>my friend showed up we started with brute force and
>>>were "that close" several times.  Knowing what I know
>>>now, I'll go for the kedging first thing, AND, I'm
>>>taking the dink with me on our Spring trip in a few
>>>weeks.
>>>
>>>Brad
>>>--- Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Brad,
>>>>
>>>>The technique is called "kedging" and can be
>>>>performed with a dinghy and
>>>>an anchor.  It works better with an anchor built for
>>>>kedging because the
>>>>pull on the anchor line is in a direction that is
>>>>designed to release
>>>>most of the anchors we tend to carry.
>>>>
>>>>Bill
>>>>
>>>>brad haslett wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>The wind on Friday was awesome!  15-20 mph with
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>gusts
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>to 30.  I had the CoraShen indicating 9 knots when
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>the
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>max hull speed is supposed to be about 7.5.  My
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>older
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>brother was on his first sail and was as excited as
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>a
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>little kid.  We came up on a part of the river I'm
>>>>>pretty familiar with and decided to swing wide
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>rather
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>than tack because we were going fast and having too
>>>>>much fun.  THEN, I made the shortest landing in my
>>>>>career.  We went from 9 knots to 0 knots in about
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>10
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>feet.  It wasn't a jolt, we just quit moving.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>About
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>two seconds later the depth alarm went off, real
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>good
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>timing.  What we had after that was a sailing
>>>>>simulator.  You could do anything you wanted with
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>the
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>sails, engine, etc. because the boat wasn't going
>>>>>anywhere.  As the sun started down we lost the wind
>>>>>and the will to solve our prediciment.  I made some
>>>>>calls on both the radio and cell-phone but couldn't
>>>>>raise anyone for help.  So, we spent the night on
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>the
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>boat.  It got down to the low 40's and I didn't
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>find
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>the blanket I knew was on the boat until the next
>>>>>morning.  Anyway, I was able to get ahold of a
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>friend
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>of mine that lives on the lake Saturday morning and
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>he
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>showed up with his pontoon boat with a 115hp
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>engine.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>We towed the bow, the stern, clockwise,
>>>>>counter-clockwise, but didn't move the boat.  We
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>were
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>only 5 feet from deep water but couldn't get there.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Finally we tied the halyard to the side rail and
>>>>>started towing from the top of the mast.  After the
>>>>>boat was heeled about 45 degrees it started
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>floating
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>and we drug it sideways to deeper water.  Hopefully
>>>>>this will be my only grounding for the season but
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>if
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>it happens again, I'll pull that solution out of
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>the
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>trick-bag first.  By 11 am Saturday we were free
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>and
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>sailed back to the dock.  I was so tired from the
>>>>>experience I didn't feel like doing any work on the
>>>>>boat.  Oh well, that's a good excuse to go back to
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>the
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>lake later in the week.
>>>>>
>>>>>Brad Haslett
>>>>>"CoraShen"
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>__________________________________
>>>>>Celebrate Yahoo!'s 10th Birthday!
>>>>>Yahoo! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web
>>>>>http://birthday.yahoo.com/netrospective/
>>>>>__________________________________________________
>>>>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>__________________________________________________
>>>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
>>>>www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>__________________________________
>>>Celebrate Yahoo!'s 10th Birthday!
>>>Yahoo! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web
>>>http://birthday.yahoo.com/netrospective/
>>>__________________________________________________
>>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>
>
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>----
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>
>  
>
>>Name: Note for Brad.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 57815 bytes Desc: not
>>    
>>
>available
>  
>
>>Url:
>>    
>>
>http://www.rhodes22.org/pipermail/rhodes22-list/attch/200503/06/NoteforBrad.jpg
>  
>
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>----
>
>
>  
>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>    
>>
>
>__________________________________________________
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>
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