Anchoring, how to stop dragging and be secure.
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- Take anchoring seriously and you can be secure in almost all conditions. Many anchors are only suitable for ‘normal’ conditions, they fail in strong wind or a difficult seabed. Anchor dragging is a menace in any anchorage, and it’s not necessary.
The new generation, high holding power anchors are a big improvement over the traditional anchors, particularly on bottoms with poor holding. But I suggest using a size larger than recommended for extra security when it matters.
The traditional chain scope calculation, using a simple multiplier, is not correct due to the curvature of the chain. 15m (50ft) plus double the depth is better calculation. But always put out more chain in challenging conditions.
Thanks to John Bellagamba for the Kata Beach video
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Independent anchor performance test charts.
www.petersmith...
Lewmar Delta size chart
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RYA - Things to think about when anchoring
www.rya.org.uk...
Underwater Manson Supreme
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Thanks to Ultimate Ambient Noise Soundzzz for the ‘relaxing’ storm video
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Caterary formula.
Chain length = Sqrt(2 x Horiz load x Depth/Chain wt + (2 x Depth))
Where Chain wt = Chain mass per unit length x 6.9/7.9 to allow for buoyancy
home.earthlink....
Formula works for metric or imperial.
The catenary shown is for 10mm chain (2.28kg/m), with a 100kgf horiz load. This matches observations of the chain on our 45ft yacht in about 25kts of wind.
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For advice on safe navigation in the digital age, please watch my other video:-
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Thank you for the video! In my experience, though, how much chain you can feed out is almost always restricted by the boats already anchored in that bay. Which is one more reason to choose an oversized anchor with good resetting capabilities.
You got me hooked and it wasn't a drag.
HAHA!
This guy gets it
This is a great point and more people should pay attention. What he does not go into and i feel is equally as important, is do not anchor on top of or over someone else anchor! Good practice is to leave enough room to swing differently and to pass to one side if one drags. Remember we all have different hull configurations and the tide, wind and waves react differently with each. Clearly you must use your own judgment but curicy never changes.
Great video! I have a 46' trawler and use a 40kg Roccna and all chain. I use a minimum 3:1 scope with the height of the pulpit included. I also use a 20' bridle that decreases the slope of the chain. I've developed a high degree of confidence in this procedure and equipment. If the wind kicks up I'll go to a 4:1 scope or more.
There is a Problem in crowded bays with many yachts around ...
Great explanation!
Keep these instructional videos coming.
Well done ol chap! Given the current state of turmoil, some things we actually have control over. In a world of size matters, compensation achieved with an oversized anchor.
Some very good advice and as you say so often misunderstood or ignored. Water and wind is unforgiving and if you are not ready you are doomed.
Thank you. We have a Rocna 25 kilos on our 40feet catamaran and are very happy with it. Could not agree more with everything you say in that video 👍
Nice. I dragged a 25 lb mushroom anchor on my 23 ft Columbia when predicted winds went from 2 to 40 knots. Now I've got chain, let out enough line and a meaner anchor. Not nice having to go to sail at 10:30 at night in bad weather. Fortunately she's a shoal draft and I found a nice, sandy, protected beach to ram her up on. Slept on dry land...on my boat.
thanks for the 15 + 2 x depth (+10 if windy) formula! that is so simple to remember!
Wise words. When we bought our Bavaria we kept aside a substantial amount of money for safety kit. The anchor upgrade was amongst those upgrades. We stepped up one size greater than Rocna suggested, still I also wish I’d gone one more step up. But so far never dragged, even when we have been surprised by weather overnight. We use plenty chain and if in a smaller bay or with boats around (especially motor boats with less experienced looking crew) we add a chum. Not so much for the weight but reduce swing so we can have plenty scope. Anyone else use a chum? A lot of discussion if these add value. My experience is not needed mostly but nice to have as I described.
What is a chum?
I'll never need this information but I listen to all of his experience knowledge.. As it was interesting and I learned from it. Knowledge is like exercising your mind as excersise is good for the body.
Good explanation . Completely agree. Frequently inspect shackles and and mechanical connections including chain.
I always thread a length of Dyneema thru the anchor, and up about 10 links of chain. Most likely a failure will be the shackle, or one of the last chain links.
Just won the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race carrying a 15kg plough when only 11kg was required. Spare anchor is a small be well designed old fashioned admiralty that has proven itself in 50 knots in open water. No need to compromise. As my Dad taught me always have an escape plan at anchor.
Hello, thanks so much for this so important procedure that will save me to do it wrong. I will revise my anchor weight and type. Please, continue if I can ask with so much value instructions videos. Paul
I've found manson supreme to be brilliant anchor.. Never let me down. Plus heaps of chain. Especially with a 8 meter boat.. 8 meters isnt enough. We have 20 meters. Works a treat.. Thanks for the info.
Thank You dear Sea brother Your message is well taken ,to be heeded.. ahoy for sea
Feels like back to school but I like it
Learned a lot, thank you Sir
We send a 10 to 15 pound mushroom anchor down the rode by attaching it over the rode with a large shackle. It has a light line attached to the shackle for retrieving. The mushroom doesn't need to go all the way down because it keeps the pull on the rhode near the bottom effectively adding scope. I don't know how that works with chain.
Very reasonable tips. Thanks a lot!
Good advice, I'm looking at a new cat and no one has even mentioned this to me. I'll be looking into this Monday. Thanks Sid
Good advice, but I'm surprised that he doesn't mention use of a chain hook (pretty universal here in the Pacific Northwest) or a chain stopper.
Additionally, use a snubber on your chain. This comprises a strong hook on the end of a stretchy line, which is attached to the chain near the windlass and then paid out 2-3 M as you let out 2-3M of chain. (This is done after you have let out the required amount of chain for your boat and the conditions.) The stretchy anchor rope is then secured to the sampson post. The chain can then be run out another 2-3 M or so to let it hang straight down into the water from the bow roller. The weight of this "loop" of chain will act as a shock absorber as will the stretchy anchor line. This technique also has the added benefit of reducing the noise of the anchor chain as it moves sideways across the bottom during wind "bullets" from different directions. Sleep safely and well!
Robert Williams Good advice about the snubber, thanks for your comment. We only use a short rope and hook, but will be changing to a longer, stretchy rope in future. The snubber is really important in shallow water where the chain is nearly straight.
Wouldn't that extra chain offer even better shock absorbance if it was let out to increase your scope? I suppose the extra loop hanging from the boat acts like a kellet, but even then only half of that loop is pulling down your rode like a kellet, the other half of the loop adds nothing as it is suspended from the boat. But I imagine if you can't increase your scope for other reasons, this technique is better than nothing.
Yes always use a snubber. Amazed how many yachts let their windlass hold the chain...
Liked video. Snuber should be included and extra chain for the meantime until you get that bigger anchor! 5:1 is minimum for me. How about an extra weight slid down the chain at the boat end to change the catenary. André
Thanks Captain. Good advice.
I was there that fateful night. My anchor didn’t drag, but we were hit by at least 2 boats, and due to it being so well dug in, I was unable to recover it in the morning, so left it on a buoy, and went back to get it a few days later. And thank you for making this informative video.
Old fart sailor (80 yrs) Mainly coastal sailing all bottoms.. Last 2 boats. steel Pugh 32ft 8.4ton and Boden south seas 17 ton. Heavy. great seaboats in ANY weather.
I always have a CQR model as prime on PORT . (35lb/55lb)one size over the rating. 100 mtr chain. ALso one size over. (3\8th/1\2in) WIth a secondary pick on Stbd side 30+ lbs. with 40 ft of chain and at least 70 mtrs of NYLON behind it.
BOTH have a small ORANGE buoy on a light trip line to the anchor head for tripping if it sticks.
Stbd for short stops. Primary for O.Night.
(This not for racers>>) I also carry an 85lb ADMIRALTY PICK on stbd rail with QR straps.
With 40ish ft of 3/8 short link chain and H.Duty Swivel/SHackle.
ANy long term or heavy weather/UNknown bottom.
I attatch swivel to head loop on pick (for trip line). Lay that first, SET IT.
Drive forward a bit
Then lay out primary with longer length of chain than normal, on your end of it.
Setting that too.
IF any dragging. The admiralty does it while fully setting the primary. and you then have a DOUBLE grip on the bottom.
Really bad weather coming. Lay Primary. Head to wind. SET. Head forward to equal position 45ish deg to Stbd. Lay secondary, and set.
If wind or tide shift likely. Haul secondary. swing. Position to suit and reset.
Just make sure the NYLON line has a heavy chafing tube over stem head. and I always run a 1.1\2 in Nylon spring line with claw to suit link over stem head and 2 mtrs long fron anchor cleat to chain. Hang from that to negate graunching of chain over stem head.
They should be the basic setup for all cruising yachts. (I have several of those.
Plus just dropping primary pick to full length of chain if run out of all propulsion when coastal. Even if in 1/2 mile deep. It WILL shallow.
Unless in reefy areas. It should hold you off surf line till fixed, if wind or tide drifting.
Saves bouncing on whatever bottom waiting for you there.
I have near 65yrs sailing. never dragged after my first couple. (Scared me). ALL rocks on my coastline when young
And if cruising. ALWAYS a large Admiralty with oversize diamond shaped tips welded on anchor tips. . THEY hold on 99.5% of ALL grounds. Just have a good tripping line on head.
Have fun hey.
Also, make certain that wherever you decide to drop anchor your yacht can safely swing through 360° in case there's a change in wind direction.
A 10 meter 10 ton long keel boat had 45-50 knots with Azarta 16 kg on a sandy and muddy bottom without moving. But for added safety, mount a 21kg so it's even safer on surfaces with less grip.
Nicely presented Richard ~~~
Excellent info thank you. Size matters !..
Great video. Thanks so much.
Thank you I really found your "Anchor class" helpful an very useful an easy to remember... Thanks new subscriber ✌🏻💗☺️❣️
So important information. thanks, lifes will be saved, also yatchs :-D
Very sound advise !!!
Great video--but I use chain plus 1/2" nylon line rode. Does your formula work with line? I drag a lot with my 7.5 Bruce, so I just got a 10 Rocna for my 27' Ericson.
Love, love, love my Spade...
Just wandering if now cameras are provided to monitor anchor 24/7.
Attach a weight to the top of the chain to reduce the angle between the chain and the seabed. The heavier the better within reason.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. That was a great video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"the drag queen" 😁😁😁love it! Good video and great advice.
Its the weight of the chain and anchor combined that hold a vessel not just the anchor. You should always have 2 spare anchors one for the stern and a much larver one up forwd.
There are distinct weiğts laid down, for weight type and length of chan and anchor types and their weight.
Hi Kurt, thanks for your comment. For larger vessels, Lloyds registered, there are specific rules about anchoring equipment to keep them safe. But for the craft we sail, there are no rules. The inexperienced sailor is likely to adopt the "recommended" sizes from the manufacturers, which is very inadequate in my opinion. The more experienced of us will learn a lot from personal experience and chatting to fellow sailors.
15m +2xdepth would be a problem on a lot of greek shallow anchorages; not enough space to sway around in say 3 meters depth with 21 meters out.
Otherwise - really good advise!
We allways dive down and adjust the chain (length) accordingly.
The simplyfied formular occurs more chain lenght in shallow water, but its much better than all constant ratio formulars. I use 20m + double water depth +/- 20% depending on conditions.
@@wernerlindtner2742 As I wrote; It could cause problems in shallow anchorages.
@@Knoklsnedkr In your example it is not shallow anchorages what matters, is that they are crowded
Its the weight of the chain that secures the boat. The longer the snubbing scope the more effective the anchoring. Its should all be chain.
Richard, the best way to not drag an anchor, is to not be on a boat.
No mention of the Fisherman Anchor. Anyone got thoughts on them ?
great tips. thanks
Solid good information...
Catenerary doesn't exist when you need it most, and exists when you don't need it!
It's impossible to have NO catenary, it just approaches a limit of zero as the pull increases!
@@danielevenson3978 Technically that's true of course, but I think you know what I was meaning. Better wording might be... "Catenary is almost non-existent and gives little or no damping effect when you need it most (strong wind), and is plenteous when you need it least."
@@mm5aho The catenary is still an important part of the solution and should not be dismissed. Design the length and weight of your rode so you'll have non-negligible catenary. For example, half inch chain of 200 ft, with 5000 pounds of force will have a catenary which redirects the anchor pull vector to fully horizontal in 10 ft of total depth. At 10k lbs of force it still knocks off about 5ft of depth from the angle of pull. Here's how I calculated that: www.spaceagecontrol.com/calccabl.htm?F=5000&a=400&q=2.5&g=32.18503937&Submit+Button=Calculate
@@danielevenson3978 For some data of the forces on an anchor rode see here..www.knoxanchors.com/anchoring-forces. Something doesn't seem right about that calculator of cable sag, I'll study that some more.
Indeed sir indeed
Oh...the joys of boating...
Hi Richard, Enjoyable Video. We also have a Beneteau 45 currently with 20kg Delta. Did you have to reinforce your bow roller to take the 33kg Rocna as I'm thinking of doing the same. Also how much 10mm chain do you have attached ? Thanks Andy
Hi Andy. The Oceanis 45 is a great yacht . . . Except the bow roller!
When I fitted the Rocna 33, it wouldn’t pull slowly over the single roller. Fast, it would hit the jib furler. Maybe I could have fitted a rope or bracket on top of the chain to prevent it lifting up when lifting fast.
But I decided to fit 2 extra rollers, to give an easier lift. It was really hard, I couldn’t drill the extra holes in the SS, so I made an extra pair of plates to carry the extra rollers. Difficult, and hard to fit, but it works ok.
An extra aggravation on my 45, and others I’ve seen, is that the bolt for the roller won’t come out as it’s going in the wrong direction, and hits the other roller bracket. So, I had to cut it off, and fit another bolt the other way. How easy it would be if Beneteau simply cut the extra holes, so extra rollers could be easily fitted.
Another way to ease the lift is an Osculati twist swivel, or similar. I haven’t tried one, but the curve may help a heavier anchor over a single roller.
Let me know if I can help further.
@@RichMac46 Hi Richard, Thank-you so much for the advice. Very much appreciated. I just wondered how much chain you have fitted. As our 45 was originally delivered to the Med it has only 25m of chain. We're currently in the Bristol Channel so was looking to increase to 80m ?
@@andysheridan284 I use 70m, and have never run out. And 60m of rope, just in case! Some people use 100m.
@@RichMac46 Thank-you Richard. Have an enjoyable season.
Thank you............
Good stuff here!
If you are lost at which anchor alarm to install on your phone or tablet - here is a comprehensive survey that I have created. Feedback on omissions, mistakes, and missing apps is most appreciated: trimaran-san.de/anchor-alarm-apps-overview/
I bought a brand new anchor. And it's shit . So I modified it. Now it's 200% better. Or perfect.
Anchoring and man overboard drills are overlooked too often.
Have a shot every time he said anchor ⚓
In a pinch the kellet is your best friend. It can be another anchor if necessary.
BUT IF THE WIND GETS STRONG ENOUGH, THE LINE///CHAIN GOES Taught, and THE KELLET BECOMES USELESS!!!!!
@@joebloe1401 So would anything-
New subscriber here!
💖
You didn’t mention a trip line for when your anchor gets snagged!
We don't use one, even in rocky areas, because it's more hassle than it is worth. With our Rocna we've never snagged badly - they're supposed to be more immune to snagging - and the few times we have been stuck we just motored forward and freed the anchor.
Hi Paul. What type of trip line are you suggesting? I hate it when people have a floating buoy over their anchor, it gets in the way. Is there a better solution?
Brilliant video Richard. I really enjoy listening to experienced people talk about what they know and its obvious you've real world experience in this area.
Great explanation! Thank you for the hints and recommendations. Even when it saves the vessel of only one of the viewers this video is worth $100k and the fate of a family.
Surprised at how many sailors don't understand their own boats and anchors.
Well said!
During the Medicane, Greece last year I was anchored and saw, at 2 am, a large yacht drifting passed just missing me. But my attention was diverted by a totally naked young woman on the boat, Italian and rather nice looking, working like fury to save her boat. She did, by stopping her boat 15 meters from the rocks so I heard. Had a drink with her afterwards and she was one amazing young lady. It pays to have a good anchor whilst others are dragging.
This story needs a follow up...
A naked young woman is a bigger liability than an anchor dragging boat RUN FOREST, RUN! 😂
Thank you, well explained!
Very very precious advice. A very wise and experienced sailor.
no mention of the snubber, an equally important piece of the holding gear when there's a blow. For a 48 footer 1 1/4" mooring line is good to 35 kts, over that, double the snubber one port one starboard and be sure the attachment point to the boat can take the load and also have anti chaffing wrapped wherever the line is going to touch a chaff point.
I always use a double snubber attached to a choker hook, fold it over into a bag on the bow pulpit. I also have a 20 Lb kelty when I don't like the bottom. Anchoring is about the most serious and under rated activity on a boat.
I had seen some dropping the anchor in a slip, if the weather was foretasted to become very bad.
Excellent update. Made me realize that I need to update my anchors.
Great advice... it is good to hear someone telling people what they need to be told rather than what they want to hear!
Good advice. I am paid skipper in Croatia, and have slept lot of nights on anchor this summer with sailboats(40-50 feet) and catamarans(around 40 feet). All those advice are good ,very good and there are few new things i learned actually! (i never watched size of anchor on my yachts ). Also i would advice, watching weather forecast is most important of it all, luckily here in Croatia they are very very very precise , so if there is any chance of stronger wind during the night then we sleep somewhere more safe (on very protected bay, or good buoys or port /marina). And let me repeat this - it was said in video but i ll repeat it again.. Every time you do anchoring , use engines to test it and bury anchor even stronger-when you are reversing on at least 1500 RPM and your boat is holding, that means you are pretty safe - up to very strong storm(for that you should be following weather forecast and have reservation on some marina/port) . If you are reversing and you are being pulled back, - go repeat process.. i did this hundred of times just this summer season..
Many thanks Luka, good advice from an experienced skipper. You mentioned a very important point that I didn't cover - watch the weather and go somewhere safer if you need to. Anchor dragging should not be inevitable, it's up to the skipper to fit the right gear, choose a safe anchorage to suit the weather, then set it properly. Then always test it, I've seen so many people just stand on the bow and watch it for a while with no load!
For information and conmen sense, that was the best eleven minutes I’ve ever watched. 👍🏻
Yes, there is no excuse for not having 100 meters of chain on a 45-foot boat. Your scope recommendations are too low. Nevertheless, anchoring is why large yachts (bigger than 10 meters LOD) are unsafe. They are totally dependent on unreliable windlasses which often fail in deep anchorages.
Please explain more - don't all windlasses have a manual aux? Place to put bar in an manually crank up?
Thank you sir for this great information that I will use. Please make more videos?! Thanks.
I believe that there's an error in here and that it's a common misconception. All caternary is gone when the chain/rode is bar tight and it contributes nothing near the point of failure but a little dampening of load as it sags and pulls through the water. This is why a snubber is so important, and why some nylon rode would be even better in that regard. When bar tight (assuming the anchor is holding), the angle will be solely determined by the scope, regardless of chain or rode.
Excellent explanations, Richard. I will certainly follow the advice.
Much better idea is to not anchor on a lee shore. Something to think about is the just how weak 3/8" chain is. In Tahiti in '82, every boat over 40 that was anchored at Mieva beach broke their gear and piled up ashore. The two boats with 1/2" chain survived....my Herreshoff H-55 and a Swan 65. 3/8" chain on a boat over 36' is NOT going to hold ya in a 100mph wind. How windy was it? Well, it blew all the paint off the front of the masts, broke 3/4" nylon snubbers several times (sounds like a cannon shot over the shreek of the wind) and elongated the 3/4 bolts that the windlass was installed with over a half inch. (120 kts, actually) All this inside the reef with about a mile of fetch upwind. My heart goes out to anyone who goes on the beach, if they are live-aboards like I was, it'd be a life changer. By the way, we ran the engine on a slow bell to take a bit of the strain off, which came in really handy to dodge other boats (up to 100') dragging down on us from well upwind. If we'd used more than one anchor, we would have been toast. It was quite a night. Keep a snorkel handy to stuff down your shirt so you can breath....and a dive mask so you can face the wind.....you are going to HAVE to go forward. Crawling.
Roger Anderson Amazing story, many thanks! I agree about chain size, modern production yachts only have windlasses and bow-rollers for ‘standard’ sized chain and anchor, which is inadequate for very strong winds. On our 45 ft Beneteau, we have 10mm chain, and an oversized 37kg Rocna, it works well, but can still drag in extreme conditions. If I was doing it again, I would use 12mm 1/2” chain, another size up of anchor, and a bigger windlass, then maybe I could survive like you did in Tahiti. Did you keep sailing after that, or quit the sea and take up golf?
Thanks for this.
@@richardmacfarlane8404 Did a good bit of sailing after that....my last notable passage was Seattle to San Francisco, with 60kt+ winds off the Oregon Coast. Pulled into Port Orford for a bit of rest as I was single handing right then, there were fishing boats in the anchorage with blown out windows that the Coast Guard were looking for, but the crew could not get ashore to make a phone call. All their radio gear was drowned. I moved ashore when I was 45 and started a hot air balloon scenic flight company in Oregon and am now retired after 25 years of that. It was a hell of a good ride.
Hi Richard, i dont even own a boat (but hoping to in the next couple of years) thank you for the great anchor information you provided.
i suggest you befriend someone so you can go out a few times before you purchase a boat
Like the most of us......
I agree having sailed professionally since 1962 in sizes up to 150 tons dead weight. Pick your chain and anchor and winch as a family unit. With all the chain and anchor hanging vertically the winch must be capable of lifting it with EASE.
One extra large anchor with over size chain and a bigger winch if needed and you will be sleeping soundly. My choice is a Rocna. The CQR used to be my preferred until Rocna appeared. However the CQR can revolve and dig itself out. Yes it happened to me. The Bruce doesn't like a very hard bottom but once dug in is good. Put out as much chain as the room allows. Each little link lying on the bottom is acting as a tiny anchor. Good cruising.
By the way afore I go always have root vegetables aboard. A broken pipe can be mended with those round wooden plugs beloved of chandlers but when the pipe breaks can you ever find them ??? Everyone knows where the potatoes are.
David Power
Agree with your conclusion above 100%. Never dragged with our oversized (42 kg) Rocna and up to 100 meters of chain on our 52ft, 13ton Catamaran.
I yanked out a Rockna several times in grassy mud. Came out with a big ball of crud on it and wouldn’t reset.
“ULTRA” is the best available anchor.
Why not in the comparison list.
The only problem of Ultra is, it is StainlessSteel and expensive.
But cheaper than buying a new boat.
ULTRA is simply the best anchor. I am surprised that you did not mention it.
Well explained. Nicely done.
I’m anchored out in a storm at the moment. I’m running an oversized Rocna and more than a 10:1 scope, all chain. I also have a couple 30 pound river anchors clipped along the chain in tandem to dampen whipping action from the swells. It’s been blowing 40 knots all weekend and I’m still holding a tight pattern. This setup has gotten me through many storms, some in excess of 60 knots. I still keep 2 anchor alarms set at all times and have a robust backup anchor, just in case.
Best anchoring video ever. Thank you.
Yes! I had to watch the whole video to get to the best part, but do, definitely, swim or dive on your anchor when you can. It's VERY enlightening! Thanks for a great tutorial! :)
Good tips from a wise man. thank you!
👍Good info sir. I agree with you. I love your curly hair too. Thank you. 💝
Richard, this presentation is now over 3 years old. Following an interesting discussion on Cruisers Forum after you made the video, I have laminated up a picture published from your video and placed it in the inside of the anchor locker lid as a reminder.
I think the 15m plus 2x depth solves the problem when using the RYA 4x, eg, not enough catenary in very shallow water when you really need it and penalises you in deeper water. Your formula has worked well over the past couple of years and until someone comes up with a better solution will be our go to method.
So thank you for making this video, it is still very relevant today.
Great Info!! Thanks for sharing. I'll be using the 50ft plus double the depth calculations from now on.
sorry i am new 15m chain ? and double depth ?
CHRIS198490. The simple multiplier of the depth (scope) doesn’t allow for the curve of the chain, it’s flatter close to the bottom which uses more chain. A better calculation for chain length is a fixed length (eg 15m) plus a depth multiplier (eg 2), hence 15m plus double depth. See the charts in the video.
Great video - thanks for posting! I'm a cruising sailor who's anchored in hundreds of places on the US East coast, Bahamas and Bermuda. I'm also a firm believer that "bigger is better". I've assisted many other boats that have dragged in squalls (always at 2:00 AM!) and it inevitably comes down to too small an anchor or not enough scope. One notable exception was a couple who lost a beautiful 44' cruising boat due to the failure of a fancy stainless steel anchor swivel.
Many thanks for your comment.
As regards scope, the simple multipliers doesn’t work very well. In shallow water (like the depth-deprived Bahamas) you need a very big number, depending on your depth measurement. Many sounders measure from the transducer, whereas chain depth should be from the bow-roller, this error is a big difference when it shallow.
In the Med, Greece and Turkey, you anchor in deep water, 10-15 m, sometimes up to 20m. It’s crowded, and it’s safer to move out away from the draggers. So, the 7:1 scope requires more chain than anyone carries, and it’s not necessary. The simple scope multipliers give too little chain in shallow water, but prevents boats from anchoring where it’s deeper and may be safer.
It's always the stainless anchor swivels!
Great advice Richard. Thanks for sharing and explaining so well. Fair winds.
Vera useful video. Can you give us your opinion about ULTRA Anchor? Thanks
One of the BEST anchoring things you can do in my opinion is to get a drag alarm. My chart plotter/gps unit has one built in, and can be plugged in by where I sleep. It will start beeping very loudly if you drag more than your specified amount (I usually put in 150 feet, because the boat does spin a good bit)
Shouldn't the alarm distance be in relation to chain length you put out? I mean chain length plus some.. Gives the best results IMO.
@@maxx9384 I would guess double the chain length + some ?
Great video...I am a newbie to yachting but I was thinking maybe setting in low tide could be a problem too! Cheers
Richard thanks. I had never added the height of my bow from the water. Depth of water 15 x2= 30 + 38 (boat)= 68 ft of chain. Thanks
Hi Dan. Yes, depth calculations can make a big difference in shallow water. People set up their sounders differently, some showing depth under the transducer, or adjusted to show water depth, or clearance under the keel. Then nobody allows for bow height. That’s why the simple scope multiplier gives inadequate chain in shallow water.
Good Story and recommendation. However where was your anchor watch protocol and or all navigation apps employ an anchor watch feature. You can always mitigate drag if alerted early enough. Use it always. I cray two anchors one oversize and one much smaller that I can attache to the chain to and add as extra bit.
Once again, thank you. I have forwarded this on to a few in the sailing club...
snubber, Rocna and alarm. End of. xxx
Thanks for the reminder to size up! If you are curious about independent research that seeks to answer questions about how scope affects holding power, whether an all-chain rode is a good idea (it's not!), how to size and rig your snubber and how much good it does (reduces loads by ~70%), whether chain catenary does anything (the answer is complicated but the short version is that there is no catenary at winds over 20 knots), what actual wind and wave loads are on real boats, how important it is to prevent your boat from sailing around the anchor (critical!), how to estimate rode fatigue, etc, check out Drew Frye's book called Rigging Modern Anchors.
Conflict of interest? No, but I'm on a mailing list that he's on as well... Mostly I just wish everyone anchored near me had read it!
Hi Ben, thanks for that, the more we study the safer will be our anchoring. But I must challenge the statement that there’s no catenary over 20kts of wind, it’s simply not true if the boat is anchored properly. I’ve often dived on my anchor in 20kts, and I’m making sure that the end of the chain is on the bottom, not pulling the anchor up. In 6m of water, I would have 27m of 10mm chain on my 45footer, and there would always be good catenary left. A lot of anchor load calculation use the ABYC tables, which have been proved to be 3-5 times overstated. But I’m still interested in the book, must have lots of good stuff in it.
Where to buy this book?