[Rhodes22-list] Playing at Anchor

[William E. Wickman]

Bill,
Thanks for sharing.  How deep was the anchorage?  What type bottom?  Did
you use any chain?

Bill W.




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|         |           Bill Effros            |
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|         |           06/23/2005 08:29 PM    |
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  |       Subject:  [Rhodes22-list] Playing at Anchor                                                                            |
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Bill, Peter,

Well, it turns out all you need is a 1 1/2 pound folding grapnel anchor.

The only trick to it is an enormous amount of scope.

I've never seen a boat anchored with the amount of scope I gave myself
today -- probably around 30 to one.  I was swinging in a 600 foot arc.
But I didn't drag that anchor.

I swung through roughly a 110° arc before I got bored, and went back to
sailing.  Wind was in the four to seven knot range.

To set the anchor I furled both sails, locked the grapnel in its open
position, and lowered it overboard while the wind continued to move me
slowly forward.  I lowered from the stern, making sure that I paid out
the line faster than I was moving forward, causing the anchor to drop to
the bottom.

When I had paid out roughly 150 feet of line I cleated it off.  Sure
enough, when the line pulled straight, the boat stopped, and, except for
swinging, stayed stopped.

I then put the remaining 150 feet of line into the water, holding on to
the bitter end.  The line floated more or less in place.  I wasn't going
anywhere.

I then uncleated the line in the middle, and re-cleated it at the end.
The boat drifted to the end of the line, and stopped.  I stayed anchored
like this for 15 minutes.  Then I pulled the boat backwards for easily
150 feet before the anchor pulled free -- and then immediately reset.
As the scope got shorter, the anchor released more frequently, however
it always reset until the scope approached the 1:1 range, at which point
the tines were pointing upward like a flower, and could not possibly set.

I then pulled it straight up, and placed it, along with the flaked line,
in the Rubbermaid box, and let everything dry in the sun.  Both the
anchor and the line were completely clean.  I would not hesitate to use
it as a lunch hook in the future.  What's more, by stern anchoring, your
bow is facing in the direction you wish to go.  Pull the anchor, sail off.

I'm still going to play with the three and 5 pound anchors, and I'll try
anchoring in higher winds.

Try it, you'll like it.  Anchoring becomes so simple, and effortless you
won't think twice about doing it.  I suspect that's got to make boat
operation safer.  I have long believed that multiple anchors are the way
to go, and will start playing with multiple anchors deployed in
different directions.

Please play along.  By the end of this summer we should all know how to
anchor our boats so they won't move until we are ready.  Heavier anchors
with longer tines will allow shorter scopes.

Bill Effros
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