Home / Logs / 2006 / May 28, 2006
Anchoring Systems
May 28, 2006
Anchoring is the fine art of ensuring your boat remains where you left it before running an errand on shore. Nothing is more embarrassing than returning to the small island town you recently left and explaining to the locals, often in a foreign tongue, that you somehow lost your boat. Another view on anchoring is making sure the boat also stays where you left it while you are down below, sleeping, huddling in fear of the raging storm outside or just enjoying a nice bowl of popcorn and an old movie. Fortunately, at least when you are onboard, it is relatively easy to tell that something is amiss, if for no other reason than the boat that was behind you slowly drifts in front of you with what at first sight appears to be a raving screaming lunatic on deck.
All frivolity aside, there is no skill more important to a cruiser than anchoring, once the sailing is done and you have piloted to your chosen anchorage. This log won't deal with anchoring in general but focuses on the gear that Makara will use for anchoring. Successful anchoring requires skill, patience and the right tools. The right tools are much more complex than just “anchors”. Technically, an old paint bucket full of concrete might qualify as an anchor. Practically it might work great for a small dinghy, but not for a 47’ sailboat that weighs over 15 tons.
There are three elements of the ground tackle system that will be addressed here, the anchor, the rode (chain and/or long stringy thing attached to the anchor) and the rode handling system. Complicating matters is that one type of anchor is not sufficient for all circumstances. Makara will carry several anchors for different conditions and for use at different ends of the boat. Additionally, Makara will be starting out in an area with significantly different bottom conditions than later in the cruising itinerary. Our ground tackle inventory will evolve as our experience with Makara grows and our cruising locations change. For the most part we have a pretty good idea what our initial system will look like, so let’s start from the bow (that’s front in nautical talk).
Primary anchoring systems are on the bow. Makara is no exception and our main ground tackle system is forward. Not surprisingly the heavy duty gear for anchoring lives there. Makara will normally have one primary anchor forward that pretty much stays there, always. More than one type of anchor suitable as a primary anchor will be carried and switched depending on conditions. For most situations a general purpose anchor will be used forward as the normal primary. The initial choice for this anchor is known as a Delta anchor and will weigh out at 55 pounds, a fairly hefty choice. Bigger is usually better as long as the bow remains more or less above the water! The bow of Makara has substantial dual anchor rollers thus is set up to handle up to two anchors simultaneously. Normally, especially underway, only one will be in place. This is the place where skimping on construction is not wise as tremendous forces can be generated at this location. The anchor roller system on Makara is quite substantial in order to handle these forces.
The rode attached to the anchor is stored in a locker below the deck in the bow entering through one of two hawse pipes (holes in the deck to the uneducated). The primary rode is all chain, consisting of 3/8” HT (G43) galvanized chain (although we are considering metric chain). This is one size larger than the minimum recommended for HT (High Tensile) chain for a boat of Makara’s size and weight. Again, this is no place to skimp. Normally, 300’ of chain is a standard length of rode. This corresponds to about 450 pounds of chain! Makara will carry at least 300’ of chain in two sections with a minimum of 200’ of chain stored forward and an additional 100’-200’ stored aft to balance the chain forward until it is needed for deeper anchorages. Very strong HT shackles will available to add this extra section. The only tricky bit will be getting the junction around the windlass.
The delta anchor is a newer design than the older CQR standby we are used to, but we wanted to give it a try as it doesn’t have the hinge of the CQR (which has been know to eat fingers) and is self launching so single handing the anchoring task is easier. The “backup” primary (a.k.a. the secondary) is a trickier choice for us. A secondary is necessary for several good reasons, such as the primary not holding well on certain bottom types, the primary pulling an Elvis and leaving the building (boat) unexpectedly, or the often useful technique of using two anchors when current or wind shifts could compromise the holding of just one anchor. In addition, if we have to temporarily leave the primary when we are forced to depart an anchorage too quickly to safely pull it up (read really sudden bad weather).
A possible alternative anchor is a Bruce style anchor. The problem is that the Bruce style generally favors a much heavier anchor for good holding and that could be as high as a whopping 110 pounds of hook (yes twice the primary). One solution is to call it the primary and reverse the roles, but that avoids the issue a bit and doesn’t make the thing weigh any less. One possibility is to try another more modern design such as a Rochna anchor or perhaps have a CQR handy as a secondary, just in case the old does turn out to be better than the new. One thing is certain, especially in the Chesapeake where Makara will spend some time, a heavy conventional Danforth anchor will live forward frequently. This style anchor does well in the muck up that creek. So in the near term the secondary will likely be a suitably sized high strength steel Danforth anchor in the 60 pound range. The jury is still out on the choice of secondary anchor and we will let you know once we do settle the issue.
To service a second anchor up forward there will be a second rode living up there full time, consisting of 50’ of 5/16” HT chain and 300 feet of ¾” braid line. For those who are wondering why braid instead of the more classic 3-strand nylon, the braid is somewhat stronger then the 3-strand and is much easier to handle. Braid is not as windlass friendly, so we will be testing several types to see which works best with our windlass. This second rode is also more portable and can be moved around if both forward anchors need to be deployed, but not both off the bow.
One other very important component forward is the electric anchor windlass. This (VERY expensive) handy little tool makes bringing in that 450 pounds of chain much easier on the crew (with the Delta anchor about 105 pounds dead-lift once off the bottom when anchored in 30 feet of water). Makara is equipped with a Lighthouse 1501 windlass. This is not by chance, although it is standard on all Passports. We would have specified this particular windlass regardless of what came standard with the boat. This windlass is stainless steel, very powerful and very reliable. It can handle both chain and line rode. It will be equipped with a reversing circuit to make single handed anchoring easier from the helm. The system also includes a chain counter to provide a measure of the amount of chain deployed.
Sometimes an anchor must be deployed from the stern in conjunction with one in the bow. For most applications requiring this configuration, the stern anchor does not have to take quite the load that the bow anchor does, so it can be a bit more petite. To make anchoring easier when we do need to toss one over the stern, Makara is equipped with a second anchor system in the stern (anchor, rode and rode locker). The stern anchor handling equipment is intended to accommodate as large an anchor as up forward including a rode roller on the aft coaming, just in case we need to bring that secondary anchor aft. For normal circumstances that “petite” anchor that lives at the stern is a lighter 32 pound Fortress aluminum anchor is the likely candidate, along with a suitable chain/line rode. Alas, there is no anchor windlass on the stern but this is not abnormal. A powered winch is not too far from the stern so in a pinch this can be pressed into service saving strain on the crew.
If you have been counting, we are up to three potential anchors on board so far. That to some is a lot of anchors, but to cruisers it is just the beginning. There will be at least one more, a large 100 pound Luke storm anchor (like the illustration at the top of this log) that will live somewhere on board ready to be assembled and pressed into use as a storm anchor (read very, very bad storm) or for special situations where these excel, such as very rocky bottoms. The only draw back to a Luke anchor (a.k.a Fisherman's), other than it's weight, is getting it back up. Fisherman's anchors often don't like to let go of the bottom gracefully.
In order to retrieve an anchor that gets “stuck” and won’t release, as often happens on rocky bottoms, there are two choices. Dive the anchor and pry it out, which is easiest in 10 feet of Caribbean water but much less inviting in 50 feet of cold murky Maine water, or put a trip line on the anchor. A trip line is attached to the anchor and has a float on the end so that once you reel in enough rode you can pick up the trip line and give a yank on the anchor the opposite way to which it got stuck in the first place. Usually works. Makara will carry assorted line for uses in this role and a couple of small round fisherman’s buoys, which among other things make pretty good trip line buoys. These buoys are also handy when you have to leave the anchorage in a hurry, and leave your anchor behind. The buoy makes finding the anchor a whole lot easier once you come back (remember we are talking substantial dollars of anchor and chain).
For certain cruising areas, part of anchoring includes attaching the boat to the shore with long lines, either in conjunction with, or often without any anchor deployed. Up to several 600’ lengths of line will be used when we hit these cruising grounds.
An often overlooked feature, but one which Makara is equipped with is an anchor power wash down forward. Often some of the “bottom” comes up with the anchor and chain. It is highly advisable to remove this muck before it goes with the chain down the hawse pipe and into an enclosed area near the master berth and then on to the bilge. No need to go any further there, this is not an option. The wash down makes it much easier to remove this gunk before it gets on the boat. The wash down can provide either seawater or fresh water. Occasionally, a fresh water wash down and flush of the anchor locker is a good idea to help freshen up things and help discourage salt water corrosion.
As with any new vessel, we will put the basic ground tackle on board and start experimenting until we have confidence that what we have is right for her. We have a pretty good idea of the starting point and will report on our progress from time to time on our ground tackle system. Hopefully we will be firmly attached to the bottom, enjoying the evening anchoring show in some warm Cay in the not too distant future.