Anchor Setting for Smaller Boats

[thinwater]

My last boat was a cruising cat with twin 9.9 Yamamha saildrives. They were strong in reverse compared to most outboards. Now (F-24) I'm using a 4hp with a standard prop, and I have only 35 pounds thrust in reverse, 10 times less than before. Hardly worth the effort. Many small sailboats with outboards have similar low reverse force.

And the boat (F-24) only weighs ~ 1500 pounds, so setting downwind isn't going to do that much unless you are going a good clip, certainly faster than you want for good engagement on many bottoms.

So, how do you set the anchor? [inboards and big motors need not reply--we've beaten that horse to death]

• Power setting. Not going to do much.
• Let the wind do it. Yes, if it really comes up. But not reassuring if you are not onboard through the process.
• Other?
• Does the type of anchor matter (some require less force to set)?
• Does the size of anchor change (smaller requires less force to set)?
• Chain vs. rope rode? Snubbers?

[I know what I do, if I want it secure, but I would rather just start the discussion.]

[Panope]

Set a stern anchor and pull tight with winch.

Steve

[Cheechako]

Are there any 4 hp without gearboxes that you just swivel 180 for reverse?

Old timers without engines just used the sails to set as best as they could. I guess as long as it's not dragging, it will set if the wind comes up.

[contrail]

There are a few things you can do under sail; drop, whilst going forward, and then turning the rudder so you don't over-run the chain. When enough is out, put on the stopper and come to a stop with a jerk that heads you to wind. Alternatively, drop the anchor and wait until you are hanging back on it, and then hold the mainsail out to the side, as if sailing backwards. OR, drop the anchor, fall back and wait a bit, then do as you would sailing the anchor out. As I am sure you have done, the boat turns and tacks when it gets to the end of the chain, and then you pull up the chain as you sail on the other tack towards the anchor, rinse and repeat. Except, don't pull up the chain. A few back and forths will put a good bit of load on the anchor, as it tacks the boat. But, I have to agree with Hal Roth, noted sailor and writer, that the most important job of the auxiliary engine is to set the anchor. None of these methods is as good. And, I can't tell you how often the only time I have run the engine has been at the end of the sail, after I have dropped the anchor under sail and fallen back, to set the anchor properly. I have never tried Panope's suggestion of dropping a stern anchor and then using a winch, but it does make sense. OF course, if you only want one anchor down, you now have to drop back to the stern anchor and bring it aboard....and it will have set, just like the other!

[chris mac]

The best thing you could do is buy my aluminum spade anchor[emoji56]
Only 13 lbs and will hold up to 12000 lbs boat.
When I had the lake boat with a 5hp outboard, I would back down anyways more as a set check. But could back wind the main as well for extra push

[Cheechako]

I forgot about "sailing in the anchor" as Contrail mentioned. I did that for a while when I liked to try anchoring and leaving without the engine.
It does work to some extent, a good jerk will occur with an anchor that sets fast. You may scrape your topsides at times though with much chain rode.

[thinwater]

I have done as Panope suggested (winches); Easy enough if you are setting two pivoting fluke anchors in a V anyway. Drop the first anchor, lay back on VERY long scope and lower the second, then pull up to the middle and winch them together. Very effective.


You can futz around with sails, but I find bump-setting easier with light boats. Honest, if there is enough wind to do much, are you really going to have much control with backed sails? Much force (I doubt it)? Do you really have an easy way of backing the sails with real force (you will need to winch them out)?



Set the anchor, wait a bit for the mud to consolidate around the anchor while you square away the deck and cockpit. Then pull up to very short scope and motor straight back, with the throttle according to how the boat moves (you want to get to 3-4 knots). The rode will stretch a lot if it is nylon or you have a long snubber. Peak load will last several seconds. I've done this with dinghy anchor on the beach in testing. Take 100 feet of thin nylon, put it around your hips, and take a short run at it. The anchor goes deeper than it will just pulling.


With heavier boats, just pulling up short and letting it drift back can work, according to the wind. Really simple.


In Chesapeake Bay creeks there is often no wind to speak of in the summer... but a 50-knot squall can come suddenly. Using the wind to set is undependable and requires a lot of faith, since the holding ground my be crap.



I've anchored down wind plenty of times. My first boat didn't have a motor. I find it a little hard to control sometimes and unnerving close to shore or other boats.


----


What anchors do we think set with minimum force? This does NOT imply that these are my favorite anchors, this only means I have found them easy to get started. A very specific question.

• Northill
• Mantus
• Bruce
• Not Delta. At low force it is not in deep enough to be stable.
• Manson and Rocna, medium.
• Fortress, depends on the bottom and the size.

[lars]

Backing the jib works pretty well for setting

[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

[Tayana42]

Many years ago (how many comments begin that way?) I had a Seafarer 24 with a 5 hp British Seagull outboard. When that motor didn’t work I set the anchor by sail. I dropped anchor in the normal way but then lead the rode aft to a stern cleat and sailed dead down wind to set the anchor. This was in the Chesapeake Bay and Long Island Sound so mostly sand and mud bottoms.

[SV__Grace]

I've seen boats drop and set their anchor going forward instead of backwards. Different, but when thinking about it, makes sense!

[Don C L]

A variation of what Jim says: lay out plenty of scope, walk the rode to the stern and cleat it off, then give it all its got (in forward), and/or put up the spinnaker
oh, and if Fortress is in the mix, don't discount Danforths.

[Boatguy30]

Sail downwind, drop the anchor.
Anchor sets, boat rounds up.
Drop sail.

[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 (but slower) 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.

[Don C L]

All true, but if you are feeding the rode off the bow and sailing downwind the rode is, of course, sliding along the hull, which if nylon, is probably ok as long as it doesn't foul on the rudder or a knotmeter paddle wheel, or spinner in my case. As long as you sail in a bit of an arc, watching and leaving the rode behind and off the upwind side, it's fine. If you have a stern anchor and rode that is the equal of the bow then things are easier; drop the stern and set it firmly and then walk the rode to the bow to cleat it there. I have done this before. The only downside is what happens if the anchor does not set? Do you have room to keep sailing around, round up, take up on all the rode and anchor, and then fall off and keep sailing, without getting close to other boats, beach or rocks?