SAILING TIPS Mike Huston Anchoring in Puget Sound
Good anchoring skills open up your cruising possibilities and provide a good night’s sleep. Anchoring, along with things like
docking and heavy winds, can make sailors nervous, and rightfully so. If not done properly anchoring can lead to some very unpleasant situations; I know this because I have experienced and witnessed such things. For example, when I was young (many years ago), we dragged anchor and ended up with the keel bouncing on the beach. We were very fortunate in that it was a quiet night and the beach was not rocky, so we were able to motor off and sustained no damage; however, dragging anchor during the night seldom turns out this well. On the flip side, when anchoring is done correctly there are seldom problems. So, what does it take to anchor properly? There are basically four elements:
• Equipment – There are two parts to the equipment, ground tackle (anchor and rode) and the boat side items needed to handle the ground tackle (windlass, bow roller, cleat, etc.). • Conditions – What are the tide, current, wind and waves likely to do while you are anchored? • Location – Anchorages should provide good protection from wind and waves, good holding (bottom conditions) and have a workable water depth. Also, you will need to know the position and anchoring methods of other boats in the area.
• Technique – The skill needed to choose a good location and setup your equipment to best handle the expected conditions.
Many good resources discuss
anchoring in depth, Chapman’s and The Annapolis Book of Seamanship, just to mention two. I don’t have space here to do an expansive discussion, so if you want to really understand this subject,
favorites are the Danforth style and CQR. I know many people swear by their Bruce anchors, but I have found them difficult to set when seaweed is present. Any of the plow type anchors should be sized such that the anchor weighs more than the boat is long. If your boat is heavy, or has lots of windage, go up a size higher yet. The rode (the line and chain
connecting the anchor to the boat) should consist of either all chain or a chain and Nylon line combination. If you use combination rode, the chain should be at least as long as your boat length and double that is better. For total length of rode, I would
Danforth anchor
do some research online or hit the books. My goal in this article is to provide the basic knowledge needed to anchor safely in Puget Sound waters during a summer cruise. Therefore, I will not be covering techniques for anchoring in a storm, stern ties, etc. With this in mind, let’s go into more depth on the four elements listed above.
EQUIPMENT From purely a performance point
Bruce anchor
48° NORTH, AUGUST 2010 PAGE 32
of view, the anchor and the rode (rode is all the parts between the anchor and the boat, including shackles, chain, line, etc.) are the most important. The anchor needs to be sized properly and be designed to work well in this area’s muddy bottoms, which are sometimes covered in seaweed. My personal
recommend at least 200’ (allows 7 to 1 scope in 30 feet of water) but 300’ is even better if you have the ability to carry it. Plus, a backup anchor and rode set are good to have in case the primary fails (or is lost) and for use as a stern anchor. For this purpose the Fortress anchor is very popular, the two main reasons are its lightweight and ability to lay flat (making it easier to store in a locker). The boat side equipment is less critical to holding power but there needs to be, at the least, a good solid cleat where the rode can be secured. A windlass is not required unless your ground tackle is too hefty to be hauled by hand. If you have all chain rode you will also need a snubber line.
CONDITIONS Before choosing where to anchor
for the night it is important to listen to the weather report for your area. Are strong winds expected, and if so, from which direction? You should also know the current, the tide height and how much it will rise and fall during your stay. This does not have to be exact, plus or minus a foot is fine.
CQR anchor
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