Almost got thrown out of the marina for mentioning this.

[powsmias]

Was this a april fools joke?
i believe in the findings but the marina i'm at gave me some funny looks
four people refute what is printed here. someone help me cause i'm goin with the article's findings. thanx in advance

Jordan Series Drogue - Mooring and Anchoring

[mstrebe]

On my 26, I anchor from the stern routinely, and for exactly this reason: It eliminates the hunting and dancing. On the 38' I've only done it once.

But it works just fine. I wouldn't do it in a storm however, because both of my boats have open transoms and the flooding wouldn't be worth the extra stability.

[AiniA]

I had a Nonsuch 30 that would sail like crazy when anchored. If you anchored off the stern it was wonderful except for the noise of wave hitting the broad, flat transom.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by powsmias

Was this a april fools joke?
i believe in the findings but the marina i'm at gave me some funny looks
four people refute what is printed here. someone help me cause i'm goin with the article's findings. thanx in advance

Jordan Series Drogue - Mooring and Anchoring

Fundamentals are correct. I wonder how it would work with a heavy anchor & chain rode. We are modified full keel and skeg mounted rudder; 36 tons. The problem I see is all of the ground tackle is on the bow.


We set well on the hook but I've never had to test it above a 30 knot blow in a protected cove.

[zboss]

This could be easily tested in a computer simulation or model tank.

[Mr Big]

The bridle has more to do with it then anything...

[donradcliffe]

Try stern anchoring some time and see if it works for you. On a boat with a flat run aft, I can guarantee you will only try it once.

[ErikFinn]

About a year ago there was a 40 foot cat anchored from the stern just outside the marina here. Owners (or charterers?) went to the town and left nobody aboard. A thunderstorm arrived like they frequently do, and the cat dragged the anchor in the mud for a good half a mile during a time interval of about 45 minutes. Lucky the boat didn't hit the marine police concrete pier when it dragged past at about 200-300 feet away.

[noelex 77]

Anchoring from the stern is quite easy to do. You can deploy the anchor normally. Then tie the snubber at the stern, then let out more chain

We did it reasonably frequently with one of our previous yachts mainly because the solar panels were significantly shaded with the sun from one direction. Turning the boat around could eliminate the shading.

It was also nice to get a different view of the anchorage from the cockpit, especially in trade wind conditions when you tend to face the same way all the time. In addition, when tied from the stern there is more breeze in the cockpit, which is good when conditions are hot.

The biggest problem in mild to moderate conditions is every boat entering the anchorage comes over on the assumption there must be some problem. A side benefit is they will generally anchor further away .

It has been suggested and used as a strong wind anchoring tactic because of the reduction in sheering. I would not recommend this on most boats though. The impact of waves becomes very significant when they hit from the stern and I think this will outweigh any reduction in the dynamic loads caused by reducing the sheering.

I took this photo (facing backwards) last year during a storm at anchor. The waves always look less in a photo, but you can imagine the extra load an the anchor gear if these were hitting from the stern. The distance from shore at this anchorage was about average, but it takes very little fetch for significant waves to form in very strong wind.



There are other practical problems such as getting out of the companion way. You will be hit by not only spray, but in many boats even green water in bad conditions.

There are many other tactics to reduce sheering. A riding sail can be used. A bridle. A small anchor (or even a loop of chain) can be dropped off the bow. Two anchors can be deployed in a V pattern. A drogue can used off the bow. A variation on the "anchoring from the stern" idea is to lead a snubber back along one side so the boat adopts a permanent angle to the wind. The drag from the partial sideways position is higher, but it keeps the boat on the same "tack".

In general I prefer a much more KISS approach to strong winds at anchor: an excellent oversized anchor combined with a good snubber and scope.

[a64pilot]

I can see how it would work, I see lots of problems
1. I assume all of us have all the tackle, windlass etc. in the bow
2. Rudder isn't as protected from waves, possible flotsam etc
3. My bimini and Dodger won't take the wind from the stern like it will from the bow, from the stern it's like a parachute.

Having said all that, I think I will give it a try for normal anchoring, not storm conditions. I have lots of reserve bouyancy aft, but the sailing at anchor is annoying at times, and the wind through the companionway sounds compelling, and if others think I'm nuts and keep their distance, that's a bonus

[capt-couillon]

Well, something new to try this evening... Winds in south FL have been running steady 15-20 and the "drunken ballerina" description fits Solitaire to a tee. Have a spare hook with 35' chain and rode in the aft lockers for emergency or double hooking in a narrow anchorage. Planning to anchor up in Manatee pocket this afternoon, and might just try it out in a protected anchorage with little fetch. As a single hander with no windless it would sure beat running back and forth from the cockpit to the fore deck to drop or pull the hook.

What could possibly go wrong?

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by AiniA

...except for the noise of wave hitting the broad, flat transom.

This is going to be the issue, and not just because of the noise. The wind and waves hitting a flat transom are going to create huge forces compared to the same on the bow.

If you have a canoe stern then anchoring by the stern is probably a good idea. With a flat stern... I would think twice, and proceed very cautiously.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

. . . In general I prefer a much more KISS approach to strong winds at anchor: an excellent oversized anchor combined with a good snubber and scope.

Amen to that.

I have anchored from the stern a few times. It is definitely more stable -- the Jordan principles are definitely correct.

I wouldn't do it in rough weather because of wind and water into the cockpit. As Noelex says, you can control sailing at anchor by putting a second snubber on, further down the chain, and hauling it in to hold the boat at an angle to the wind. This works well, at least, up to a certain wind speed.

HOWEVER, if I had to be anchored in an actual hurricane, I might consider it. Boats wrecked in hurricanes at anchor, according to reports, chafe through their snubbers and break their gear from violent sheering. Which is exactly the result of the principles Jordan writes about. You would probably have better chances of survival anchored from the stern, but of course you had better have the boat very, very tightly closed up. And you should not be on it

The transom (depending on your hull form, of course) will take more load from waves than the bow, but the snatch loads from sheering is a much bigger problem than that, I think. Boats anchored from the bow in hurricanes turn almost broadside as they sheer back and forth -- much greater loading than taking waves on your transom.

[Bulawayo]

Hi Erik, I am trying to see the relevance of anchoring by the stern as opposed to an anchor dragging? They are not the same thing - if a cat is anchored by the stern I agree the windage is probably increased but the real issue that you mention is one of the adequacy of the anchoring arrangement. Its got nothing to do with the rear anchor technique nor of it being a cat.
We have anchored often by the stern but we do it for ventilation. We also hang our drogue from aft when it has been prudent and that validates that particular method but that is not tying us down to a fixed point.

Originally Posted by ErikFinn

About a year ago there was a 40 foot cat anchored from the stern just outside the marina here. Owners (or charterers?) went to the town and left nobody aboard. A thunderstorm arrived like they frequently do, and the cat dragged the anchor in the mud for a good half a mile during a time interval of about 45 minutes. Lucky the boat didn't hit the marine police concrete pier when it dragged past at about 200-300 feet away.

[contrail]

For what it is worth, in Puerto Rico, at least on powerboats but also some sailboats, anchoring is done almost universally from the stern. Same thing for moorings. Took me awhile to get used to seeing it, but they do it really well, and it doesn't matter that the tradewinds are blowing.

Cheers,
Tim