Anchoring nightmare this week

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by DEC2017

I agree with Shanachie. I started using a Kellet and am anchoring with peace of mind for the first time. My boat has a fin keel almost 6’ deep and have had the rode (10’ of chain on a 200’ nylon line) wrapped on the keel just as you described soon after buying the boat. I got out of the situation by dropping all of the remaining rode which allowed the rode to drop off the keel and made my escape. Very frightening but I did not suffer any damage. My kellet line attaches to my bow roller and the weight clips onto the rode with carabiners so it can be attached before or after dropping the anchor. The kellet line is long enough to get the kellet weight 4’ below the keel. Prior to learning about the kellet, I was using anchors off the boat and stern which was a pain but did work pretty well.

I agree with Dec2017 and shanachie. A kellet, as described works just fine. The CONCEPT is that it keeps the rope part of the rode down below the keel WHEN THE TIDE TURNS, which is when you need it DOWN and not tripping itself against your keel. The rest of the time it doesn't natter where the kellet is; if it's windy it'll be off the seabed as the rode tightens between the anchor and the bow roller.
But for those few moments as the tide turns the boat, even if it's windy, somewhere in the process the boat turns, and usually that's when the tension on the rode disappears. At that slack point, the kellet keeps the rope part of the rode down below the keel and avoids the wrap.
I've used this successfully at one of my favorite anchorages in San Francisco: China Camp. Breezy, reversing current, same description as OP with rode against hull. I didn't start the engine though, just waited it out, bought kellet next day for use next time. Worked great for 18 years.
Trick is to only drop it as keep as the deepest the water's gonna be off the bow. It is NOT intended to keep the line from the anchor in place, it IS intended to keep the rope line from the bow below the keel when the bow changes direction 180.

[Kettlewell]

I don't see how a kellet would do any good in the situation I have experienced a bunch of times where the current is so strong it keeps my long-keeled boat pointing into the current even as the wind pushes from the opposite direction causing the anchor line to run under the boat when the wind overcomes the current in gusts. Sometimes the wind can overcome the current so strongly that you sail downwind until the anchor line becomes taught and then whips the bow around into the wind, briefly, before the current once again takes over and sends your boat the other way. Experienced this anchored in Swansboro and quite a few creek anchorages on the ICW. The boat took such wild swings it would throw us off our feet if standing up. The only way to tame things somewhat was to put out a Bahamian moor. Strong wind against strong current is a tough situation to anchor in.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

I don't see how a kellet would do any good in the situation I have experienced a bunch of times where the current is so strong it keeps my long-keeled boat pointing into the current even as the wind pushes from the opposite direction causing the anchor line to run under the boat when the wind overcomes the current in gusts. Sometimes the wind can overcome the current so strongly that you sail downwind until the anchor line becomes taught and then whips the bow around into the wind, briefly, before the current once again takes over and sends your boat the other way. Experienced this anchored in Swansboro and quite a few creek anchorages on the ICW. The boat took such wild swings it would throw us off our feet if standing up. The only way to tame things somewhat was to put out a Bahamian moor. Strong wind against strong current is a tough situation to anchor in.

I agree. Nothing, kellet or all chain, is going to help in those conditions.


Of course, the "OBVIOUS" answer to that is don't get caught in those conditions.


But you knew that already, right?



Just sayin' that those conditions are no reason to "knock" kellets.

[Kettlewell]

Of course, the "OBVIOUS" answer to that is don't get caught in those conditions.


But you knew that already, right?

Sometimes there's no other place to anchor! I've kept boats for years on moorings in tidal rivers where this wind against the current situation rears its ugly head on a regular basis. Yes, the kellet, like the heavy mooring chain, will work up to a certain point, but the wind forces can eventually build to the point that the chain/line are just pulled bar taught and going under your boat. I have had to repair lots of saw marks where the mooring chain did just this to the hull and the front of my keel. It takes less wind than you might guess, even with heavy mooring chain.

[thinwater]

Yup, sometimes you just get tangled. I'm not going to argue that.


This is when a second anchor is key. You can take it out with a dinghy or kayak. Sometimes you simply drop it off the bow, ease the main rode, and weight for the second to catch. Sometimes you can go out the main rode and attach a prusik to take the load off the part that is tangled. You just have to look at the situation.

[marcvilleneuve]

Ground tackle is the solution. I have a similar setup than yours and my keel got tangled with the anchor rope 6 times in the Saint-Laurence current (2-5kn). Now it does not happen anymore with my ground tackle. Here is a good description:
https://myboatsgear.com/anchor-ground-tackle/

Good luck!

[Renegde_Sailor]

Originally Posted by Mickeyrouse

Chain doesn’t go bad, but eventually the zinc disappears on the section that’s in the water repeatedly. I have chain that was on our boat when we bought her 27 years ago. I have it re-galvanized every 10 years or so. Find a galvanizing service with a centrifuge for chain. It’s a whole lot cheaper than buying new chain. Re-dipped periodically, it will last indefinitely.

The chain on my boat is probably older than I am, I would say that is probably beyond it's service life as when it was loaded over the bow roller either Jimmy Carter or Ron Reagan were president...

[Rohan]

Originally Posted by marcvilleneuve

Ground tackle is the solution. I have a similar setup than yours and my keel got tangled with the anchor rope 6 times in the Saint-Laurence current (2-5kn). Now it does not happen anymore with my ground tackle. Here is a good description:
https://myboatsgear.com/anchor-ground-tackle/

That's a very generic web site, no specific info at all.

[JHW]

Fortress Anchors do not reset. Good only if the tug is from an unchanging direction in which case they work very well, especially a larger, heavier one. Easy to research top resetting anchors. Get an oversized one and all chain rode and then you can sleep well.