Anchors do their business by digging into the seabed. With the right anchor and a good holding ground, the power can be remarkable, but to achieve full performance the ground tackle must be given every chance. All anchors are designed to plough into the bottom as they are pulled along more or less horizontally. It follows that if they are dangling straight below the bows, they have little hope of success. Rather, they should be let out on as long a ‘scope’ as possible. The further they are from the boat, the more horizontal their pull will be and the better opportunity they will have of doing their best. In good holding and moderate weather a boat anchoring with a sensible anchor and chain cable will want a scope of four times the depth of water (generally written as 4 : 1), although three may be adequate depending on the boat and her gear. Nylon rope, or ‘rode’, calls for a greater scope of up to seven to one. Whatever you are using, the more scope the better, so long as you don’t swing ashore or into another boat.
