Since anglers spend most of their time on deck, this is rarely a serious issue but it’s still not the sort of problem you would want to go unnoticed. When inshore, the most convenient check is to line up a couple of features ashore – known as a ‘transit’. Ideally, your transit should be more or less abeam and comprise a close object and a distant one. So long as they remain in line, you know your position isn’t changing.
Another sign that you might be dragging is if the boat fails to lie true to the wind or stream. Anchors often drag in a series of jerks – pulling free then catching, and so on. In those circumstances the bow will tend to fall away then suddenly straighten. The first remedy is to let out more rode. If that doesn’t work there is a good chance you have a bunch of weed around the anchor, in which case there is no alternative but to pull it up and clear it before re-anchoring.
