Anchor Setting for Smaller Boats

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Anchoring an F-24 ?

Seems like a non problem in the first place.

Why would you want to anchor the thing when you can put it up on the beach? It's a glorified beach cat and beach cat sailors (racers) never carry anchors.

Or go up into shallow water and jump off and set the anchor by hand.

Looks like it draws about 1' or so.

I'm going to be rough on you.



I get that a lot. It's also dumb, a lot. Even beach cat sailors with a brain do not leave their boats part way in the water, if there are any waves at all. They use beach wheels to take them well above the waves.

• Wear off bottom paint as the boat moves. Gelcoat too.
• Get thrown sideways by a wake and you can loose the rudder. I saw a power boat thrown above the wash line by a ferry wake. They had to wait for the next tide and there was damage.
• If the tide drops you are stuck.
• Mosquitoes. NEVER anchor within 100 feet of shore in the Chesapeake in the summer for the night. Not even if all you have is a row boat.
• Would you really want to sleep on a half-beached boat? Didn't think so.

Photos of boats beach are either silly advertisements, or feature inexperienced or beer-drenched boaters. It's just a sloppy, dangerous, rough-on-the-boat practice.



And not all boats with low power are multihulls. This was intended to be a broad question to start discussion.


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Yes, you can set anchor under sail. Old school, I've done it many times. But there are many times, perhaps most times, when it is a poor method:

• Very soft mud. We all know that an anchor that is immediately set by any means will just drag. Common on the Chesapeake, wherer the mud is sometimes more like thick water. Drop your anchor in soup and you will just keep going.
• Tight quarters. Either other boats or a creek that is awkward to sail into, either because of wind direction or cut-up wind in a narrow creek due to trees.
• No wind. Common on the Chesapeake. Or cut-up by trees.
• Just not enough. There is a blow coming and I want to set the anchor deep, to be sure. I'm not staying up all night on anchor watch.

The people that mentioned variations on setting at long scope, taking up slack, and using either wind or power to generate momentum have it. That works. As does the two-anchor method.

[thinwater]

What about the "which anchors set with less force" question? No responses.


Not which ones are fastest to set. Most NG anchors are great. Not which ones are idiot-proof. Not which holds the most. Which anchors either...
* Set with low force.
* Are really good at working their way in over time.
* Handle all bottoms without aggressive power setting.


For example, the Northhill gets high marks with these criteria, but does have shortcomings.


Opinions?

[Don C L]

Looking at Steve's recent video, looks like the Mantus M1 would be a good choice for what you are describing.

[Panope]

Originally Posted by thinwater

What about the "which anchors set with less force" question? No responses.

Disclaimer: I have not paid direct attention to this question, so my answer is not derived from measured/recorded data.

I noticed little difference in required setting force between anchors of similar fluke size. Maybe, just maybe I can say that the "thin plate" anchors require less force than anchors with thick, ballasted flukes.

The 100 lb. Fisherman/yachtsman/Herreshof anchor required less force to set than any of the modern 45 lb. anchors.

Again, fluke size.

Steve

[contrail]

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Yes, you can set anchor under sail. Old school, I've done it many times. But there are many times, perhaps most times, when it is a poor method:

• Very soft mud. We all know that an anchor that is immediately set by any means will just drag. Common on the Chesapeake, wherer the mud is sometimes more like thick water. Drop your anchor in soup and you will just keep going.
• Tight quarters. Either other boats or a creek that is awkward to sail into, either because of wind direction or cut-up wind in a narrow creek due to trees.
• No wind. Common on the Chesapeake. Or cut-up by trees.
• Just not enough. There is a blow coming and I want to set the anchor deep, to be sure. I'm not staying up all night on anchor watch.

The people that mentioned variations on setting at long scope, taking up slack, and using either wind or power to generate momentum have it. That works. As does the two-anchor method.[/QUOTE]


Having been blessed by doing most of my sailing in areas with consistent, good wind, I will say again that anchoring under sail works. And, as someone else mentioned, backing the jib generates quite a bit of force, if you don't want to winch the main. Maybe under the very light wind conditions listed here, not so much, but they are pretty limitinlg! Having said that, if only poor conditions present themselves, part of anchoring well is to know when to go, or do, something else.


With regard to anchoring choices, I have found the Bruce to work well in mud, but again, maybe not mud as soft as you are saying. I also love my Spade, but haven't used it on the Chesapeake. There are sooo many situations. I think picking one as the all round best is not as good as having many arrows in your quiver! And there are quite a few different arrows in the answers here.

[contrail]

---


Yes, you can set anchor under sail. Old school, I've done it many times. But there are many times, perhaps most times, when it is a poor method:

• Very soft mud. We all know that an anchor that is immediately set by any means will just drag. Common on the Chesapeake, wherer the mud is sometimes more like thick water. Drop your anchor in soup and you will just keep going.
• Tight quarters. Either other boats or a creek that is awkward to sail into, either because of wind direction or cut-up wind in a narrow creek due to trees.
• No wind. Common on the Chesapeake. Or cut-up by trees.
• Just not enough. There is a blow coming and I want to set the anchor deep, to be sure. I'm not staying up all night on anchor watch.

The people that mentioned variations on setting at long scope, taking up slack, and using either wind or power to generate momentum have it. That works. As does the two-anchor method.[/QUOTE]


Having been blessed by doing most of my sailing in areas with consistent, good wind, I will say again that anchoring under sail works. And, as someone else mentioned, backing the jib generates quite a bit of force, if you don't want to winch the main. Maybe under the very light wind conditions listed here, not so much, but they are pretty limitinlg! Having said that, if only poor conditions present themselves, part of anchoring well is to know when to go, or do, something else.


With regard to anchoring choices, I have found the Bruce to work well in mud, but again, maybe not mud as soft as you are saying. I also love my Spade, but haven't used it on the Chesapeake. There are sooo many situations. I think picking one as the all round best is not as good as having many arrows in your quiver using whatever is safe and available! No one has mentioned current, and, in some places, that can be better than anything mentioned so far. But, there are quite a few different arrows in the answers here.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Panope

Disclaimer: I have not paid direct attention to this question, so my answer is not derived from measured/recorded data.

I noticed little difference in required setting force between anchors of similar fluke size. Maybe, just maybe I can say that the "thin plate" anchors require less force than anchors with thick, ballasted flukes.

The 100 lb. Fisherman/yachtsman/Herreshof anchor required less force to set than any of the modern 45 lb. anchors.

Again, fluke size.

Steve

^^ Yes, this. In my experience, it takes more to set a Delta, less for the Northill (something like fisherman's), and others are in the middle.


I wonder if there are other factors that come into play, over time, as the anchor settles in. Or perhaps that is all.

[Secondshift]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

How about laying out full scope, then motoring forward to windward as far as possible, putting in reverse and building up as much speed and momentum as possible back downwind. Even the minimal thrust of a small o/b in reverse should build up some speed, and the resulting jerk when fetching up should drive the hook in.

Haven't tried this myself, but would if required.

Jim

Similar to our preferred method for a 22' and 26'. Set, reverse, slow motor forward , full reverse bounce repeat. I've thought to advance too fast or too far might catch the line in the prop.

Best Regards

[Ken Z]

Another needed anchoring post, tho this time not directly about type of anchor , galv. or ss, type of chain, degree of rust, nor the type of line used but perhaps the most important setting the hook. Taught at 8 yrs. old aboard the familys 42’ boat with 20’ of chain and manila line. Lower the anchor til you touch bottom, take a turn on the cleat, slowly pay out line as the boat falls off, if NO wind or current a slight reverse may be needed. After paying out 10-20’ put pressure on the line it may start to feel heavier, resistant, pay out another 20 or so foot, all depending on the depth, see if it starts to bite, slowly give and take line until the boat points to the anchor, at that time usually its digging in, time for a little reverse, neutral and a stronger reverse, a few rpms over idle, at that time youll know if its holding, engine in neutral for 5-10 minutes ,in the rare occasion it breaks free, let boat settle . I have been doing the same for 62 years, thousands of times, it works for me and have changed to three strand nylon. p.s. if someone pulls up close to me while anchored and “throws “ the anchor in I will move if possible, fenders hanging over the side is another clue.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Looking at Steve's recent video, looks like the Mantus M1 would be a good choice for what you are describing.

Yes, that is one of its positive attributes; quick hook-up with low force. An M1 is one of the anchors I have used on my F-24. Unsurprisingly, storage (huge roll bar) is a challenge (tiny anchor locker, no roller). But the anchor worked very well with low setting force. This unquestionably makes it a very good dinghy and small boat anchor.