[Rhodes22-list] Weighing Anchor Single Handed

[Roger Pihlaja]

Bruce,

As in many other boat handling skills, exactly what you do to weigh
anchor depends upon the situation.  The possibilities are endless, but
I will present a few common examples.

1st of all, let's discuss how the anchor rode & chain are stored aboard
Dynamic Equilibrium.  Dynamic Equilibrium does not have the GBI
foredeck rope locker because I consider it unseaworthy.  With the
single small foredeck haws port, I don't see how one could get the
anchor rode to coil up nicely inside of it.  If something does get
snarled up, how do you get at it to fix the problem?  Some of the
earlier versions of the anchor locker didn't even have a built-in drain
& they overflow into the V-berth?  No thank-you!  I wish GBI
would make a proper, permanently glassed-in, foredeck anchor locker
with a big locking hatch & a big built-in drain.  I wish this feature was
designed to be retrofitable to earlier R-22's like Dynamic Equilibrium.
Stan, are you listening?

So, for the moment, we must make do without a proper foredeck
anchor locker.  Fortunately, it turns out that a low profile 5 gal or 3 gal
disposable bucket will fit under the cockpit seats.  Dynamic Equilibrium
uses 150' of 3/8" OD 3-strand nylon + 25' of galvanized steel chain for
an anchor rode & all of this will fit nicely into one of these buckets.  I
like to drill four, equally spaced, 1/2" ID drain holes into the sides of
the
bucket right at the bottom.  I thread the onboard end of the nylon line
about 3' thru one of these holes from the inside.  For storage, I tuck the
bitter end of this 3' rope tail back into one the other holes in the bucket
so it doesn't flop around.  Then, I coil the anchor rode + chain into the
bucket & stow it under the cockpit seats or in the lazarette
compartment.  In use, I leave the bucket in place on the anchor rode.
I cleat it off using the 3' rope tail coming out of the bucket.

Light Air, Slack Current, Relatively Large Amount Of Room To Drift:

If you are physically fit, lock the tiller amidships, leave the engine
idling in neutral, & go to the bow.  Kneel on the foredeck & haul in the
anchor rode hand over hand.  Put the bucket right in front of you & coil
up the anchor rode into the bucket as you take it in.  If that position is
uncomfortable or if there is a little bit of wind or current; then, you can
also sit on the foredeck with your legs slightly bent at the knees & feet
braced against the bow pulpit stanchions with the bucket between your
legs.  You don't have to work fast as the boat isn't going anywhere
until the anchor breaks loose.

You will know when the anchor is about ready to break out of the
bottom when the rode gets vertical & taut right in front of the bow.
If a good steady hard pull will break it free; then, go for it!  You will
feel the tension on the rode go from very high to very low as the anchor
breaks free.  Once the anchor breaks free, continue to pull in & coil up
the rode.  The boat will start drifting now, so you might have to work
fast if there are any hazards close by around you.  You will know the
anchor is about to appear when the chain appears.  I have about 25' of
chain on my anchors.  The chain tends to drag on the bottom & can be
pretty muddy.  So, having the bucket available right on the foredeck to
drop the chain into as it comes aboard is pretty handy.  Finally, the
anchor will pop out of the water.  It will usually have a disgusting
amount of smelly bottom real estate clinging to it.  First, look around
the boat to see how much time you have to clean it before you have to
tend to the helm.  If you still have time, kneel or sit on the side of the
foredeck on the side towards which the boat will drift, so you will be
able to quickly see when you've run out of time & must get back to
the cockpit.  Repeatedly, dunk the anchor into the water to get most
of the muck off of it before you bring it aboard.  Finally, bring the
anchor aboard & set it into the 5 gal bucket on top of the chain.  A real
luxury option would be to have a source of pressure sea water plumbed
into the foredeck to facilitate this clean-up.  Stan, are you listening?
By now, you will probably have to get back to the cockpit to maneuver
the boat out of harm's way.  Take the bucket with you.  Back in the
cockpit, do whatever you need to do to maneuver the boat to clear
water.  Once in the clear, you can drift or set the tiller to motor at slow
speed in big circles while you clean up the foredeck & finish stowing
the anchoring gear.  You can dunk the whole bucket into the water &
leave it hanging over the side while the muddy water runs out thru the
built-in drain holes.  If you run out of time while you are still cleaning
the anchor; then, set the anchor on top of the bucket while you go
tend to the boat's business.  This will end up being a little messier than
if you can get the anchor completely cleaned off before putting it into
the bucket.  But, your foredeck will still stay a lot cleaner with a
bucket to stow the muddy anchor in than without it!

If you have a bad back, are not physically fit, or are simply small of
stature; then, you might not be able to haul the anchor rode in by
hand even in a light air/slack current situation.  In this case, leave the
anchor rode running thru the bow chock & lead it back to the cockpit
on the side deck.  Set the bucket on the cockpit floor right in front of
you.  Lock the tiller amidships.  Shift the engine into forward gear &
idle forward toward the anchor, taking in anchor rode & coiling it into
the bucket as you go.  If the boat gathers a little too much speed &
you find you are not keeping up in taking in the anchor rode; then,
shift into neutral.  Whatever you do, don't let the boat run over the
anchor rode.  You might get the anchor rode fouled in your keel,
rudder, or prop.  If you allow something like that to occur; then,
your problems are just beginning & it's going to be a very long day,
Pilgrim...  Remember, there is no need to hurry, the boat is not going
anywhere until the anchor breaks loose.  Keep an eye on the bow &
when the chain appears; then, shift the engine into neutral, stop taking
in anchor rode, & let the boat run over the anchor.  The momentum
of the boat pulling backwards on the anchor will probably break the
anchor loose. (9 times out of 10 on the 1st attempt!)
Assuming the anchor breaks loose, go about the rest of the anchor
recovery procedure as described above.

Stronger Wind/Current/Reduced Room To Drift Situations:

The most common situation is with the wind coming directly at the
bow over the anchor with lots of "stuff" around the boat.  After
breaking out the anchor from its hold on the seabed, it may be
important to ensure that your R-22 is on a particular tack.
i.e.: Think the maneuver thru before you begin!
Perhaps only one tack leads clear into safe water?  After you have
formulated a plan & know which way you want to head; then,
start the engine & leave it idling in neutral.  Prepare the genoa to be
unfurled.  Run the anchor rode & bucket back to the cockpit as des-
cribed above.  Hoist an amount of mainsail appropriate for the
windspeed & trim the mainsheet for a close hauled point of sail on
the tack you want to be on after breaking the anchor loose.  As,
before, lock the tiller amidships.  Now, shift into forward gear &,
as slowly as possible, so that you can keep up with taking in &
coiling up the anchor rode into the bucket, motor towards the
anchor.  Again, it's better shift into neutral & slow down rather than
allow the boat to run over the anchor rode!  But, don't allow the boat
to slow down so much that it loses steering control.  When the
anchor rode has been taken in to the point where the anchor is
almost ready to break out; then, unfurl the genoa out an appropriate
amount for the windspeed & cleat it on the opposite side so it is
backwinded.  Shift the engine into neutral.  The boat will shear off to
leeward & the off angle pull will nearly always break the anchor free
of the bottom.  As soon as the anchor breaks free, quickly tack the
genoa, & cleat it off for a close-hauled point of sail on your preferred
tack.  Quickly go to the bow & recover the rest of the anchor rode,
chain, & anchor.  Clean it up later after you are in clear water!
Right now you need to get back to the helm to avoid T-boning the
Catalina 36 lying at anchor directly in front of you!  Don't be afraid
to use your engine to avoid the stuff around you.  Although, your
eventual goal is to get sufficiently proficient at this maneuver to be
able to leave your engine idling in neutral & simply sail thru the
obstacle course to clear water.  The folks in your anchorage will be
impressed.  Good luck!

Another common situation is when the wind & current are both
fairly strong & oppose each other.  You will be able to detect this
situation because the bow of the boat will not be pointing directly
into the wind.  Quite often, the boat will also be sailing around her
anchor more than usual in this situation.  The preferred point of sail
in this situation after you have broken out the anchor from the
bottom is a dead downwind run under genoa only.  Again, think
the maneuver thru carefully before you begin.  Start the engine &
leave it idling in neutral.  Prepare the genoa for unfurling.  Prepare
the mainsail for the point of sail you are going to want to gibe onto
after going a few boat lengths downwind, but don't hoist the
mainsail yet!  If the boat is sailing around its anchor; then, wait until
the boat is oriented on a beam reach relative to the wind.  When the
moment is right, lock the tiller amidships.  Now, shift into forward gear
&, as slowly as possible, so that you can keep up with taking in &
coiling up the anchor rode into the bucket, motor towards the
anchor.  Again, it's better shift into neutral & slow down rather than
allow the boat to run over the anchor rode!  But, don't allow the boat
to slow down so much that it loses steering control.  When the
anchor rode has been taken in to the point where the anchor is
almost ready to break out; then, unfurl as much genoa as is
appropriate for the windspeed & trim the genoa sheet for a run.
The boat will gibe instantly & run before the wind.  Again, the
off-angle pull on the anchor will almost always break it free of the
bottom.  Quickly, go to the bow & recover the rest of the anchor
rode, chain, & anchor.  Clean it up later.  Get back to the cockpit
& maneuver the boat as per your plan to get free into clear water.

Bruce, this post is getting rather lengthy, so I'll stop here.  If you have
questions re a specific anchoring situation I haven't covered; then,
ask away & I'll try to help.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium



----- Original Message -----
From: <CHIMNEY18@aol.com>
To: <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2003 10:43 PM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Sailing questions


> At the risk of interrupting the recent threads on war, politics, welfare,
> etc. the cold weather has caused me to reflect on various experiences last
> summer that clearly tell me I have yet to graduate from newbie status,   I
> thought I would solicit guidance from the group.
>
> Anchoring - I finally worked up the courage one day to practice
anchoring -
> one of my hidden anxieties - while singlehandling.   Dropping and securing
> the anchor was not a problem.   I threw the anchor out from the cockpit,
> walked it forward, let out sufficient scope while the boat backed up in
the
> wind, and secured the line on the bow cleat when I was satisfied the
anchor
> was secure.   I had lunch and read a little while watching for drift,
which
> didn't occur.   Retrieving the anchor was more problematic.   I released
the
> line from the bow cleat, walked back to the cockpit, motored up and hauled
in
> the line until I guessed I was pretty much over the anchor, and began to
haul
> it up.   I found it was very difficult to do, difficult to keep the boat
in
> place, and needed at least a couple of more arms to handle the tiller,
motor,
> anchor,etc.   It seems to me I obviously went astray somewhere but I'm not
> sure where.   I am need of at least some helpful hints and maybe serious
> instruction.
>
> Jibsheets inside the stays - Two summers ago - my first with the boat - I
> found myself having a lot of difficulty heading up when in a stiff wind
with
> the jib partly furled.   It was suggested that, among other things, I try
> moving the sheets to one of the inward positions.  This past summer I did
> just that and found that I indeed was able to point somewhat better.    I
> also found, however, that unless I was sailing closehauled, the jib sheet
was
> hard against the outer sidestay.   I didn't see how to avoid that unless I
> kept re-running the sheets every time I changed my point of sail, which
> didn't, and still doesn't seem very practical to me.   Again, what am I
> missing here?
>
> Spinnaker blocks - Someone - I think it was Jay - just asked this
question -
> but I need a more detailed answer - or at least pictures.   I have a
harken
> furler (which I love, by the way) which uses the third sheave on the
masthead
> block and am confused as to where and how to install the necessary
additional
> blocks for a spinnaker (or UPS) halyard and topping lift for the
> spinnaker/whisker pole.   As I recall Roger's posting in the Q&A, he made
his
> own masthead block.   That is probably not in the cards for me.   Can
someone
> give me some guidance as to what to order and how to install an
appropriate
> masthead?
>
> Thanks in advance for all your help and advice.   Feel free to change the
> subject heading to one specific to the topic.
>
> Bruce Greenwald
> S/V Ruach II
> _________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>