[Rhodes22-list] Kedging

Sun Mar 6 14:02:37 EST 2005

Brad,

That had something to do with my "water temperature" question of last 
week.  I have stopped sailing in water so cold that it can kill me if I 
wind up in it.  It's just not worth the risk.  You can kedge with the 
proper anchor and a life vest if you can get into and out of the water 
without killing yourself.  I gather from last week's replies that your 
water is borderline for possibly killing you.  Remember, that if you 
start to suffer from hypothermia, you can die even if you can get back 
to your boat and get warm dry clothes.  Again, not worth the risk.

If you can get into the water without risk of dying, you secure the 
kedging anchor to a life vest and swim it out.   Then you set it, and 
see if you can pull the boat toward the anchor.

I don't think you were on the list when I mentioned that I am currently 
carrying 7 anchors and trying to learn to use them.  They are all 
different types and sizes, all smaller than the standard issue  R-22 
anchor.   Everyone sizes their anchor for a huge storm on a much larger 
boat--just to be on the safe side.  Then they never learn to set these 
anchors, or don't regularly carry them because they are simply too big 
to use on our little boats.

I have found that tiny anchors are more than sufficient for most 
situations, and that they can be so small that a 10 year old can set and 
retrieve them without hurting the boat.  Used in combination, these 
small anchors can match the holding power of much larger anchors.  Set 
in different locations, they can obviate the risk of drifting, or the 
necessity for an anchor that can reliably reset.

Small kedging anchors can be thrown far enough to start  the boat 
heeling, and if you have more than one, they can be "walked" from one to 
the next by throwing them further out as the boat heels more and more.  
I've never tried this--I just read it.  I do try different anchoring 
techniques to try to learn about them when I'm not in trouble.  It's 
kind of fun, and I find it interesting. 

I saw the attached note recently and thought of you.

Bill Effros

brad haslett wrote:

>Bill,
>
>As we were passing the time whilst freezing our arses
>off Friday night, we dug through the ships library for
>ideas and that one was discussed.  One problem; we
>didn't have the dink with us.  I tried throwing the
>anchor over the side the next morning but couldn't get
>the distance required for the leverage needed.  When
>my friend showed up we started with brute force and
>were "that close" several times.  Knowing what I know
>now, I'll go for the kedging first thing, AND, I'm
>taking the dink with me on our Spring trip in a few
>weeks.
>
>Brad
>--- Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
>  
>
>>Brad,
>>
>>The technique is called "kedging" and can be
>>performed with a dinghy and 
>>an anchor.  It works better with an anchor built for
>>kedging because the 
>>pull on the anchor line is in a direction that is
>>designed to release 
>>most of the anchors we tend to carry.
>>
>>Bill
>>
>>brad haslett wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>The wind on Friday was awesome!  15-20 mph with
>>>      
>>>
>>gusts
>>    
>>
>>>to 30.  I had the CoraShen indicating 9 knots when
>>>      
>>>
>>the
>>    
>>
>>>max hull speed is supposed to be about 7.5.  My
>>>      
>>>
>>older
>>    
>>
>>>brother was on his first sail and was as excited as
>>>      
>>>
>>a
>>    
>>
>>>little kid.  We came up on a part of the river I'm
>>>pretty familiar with and decided to swing wide
>>>      
>>>
>>rather
>>    
>>
>>>than tack because we were going fast and having too
>>>much fun.  THEN, I made the shortest landing in my
>>>career.  We went from 9 knots to 0 knots in about
>>>      
>>>
>>10
>>    
>>
>>>feet.  It wasn't a jolt, we just quit moving. 
>>>      
>>>
>>About
>>    
>>
>>>two seconds later the depth alarm went off, real
>>>      
>>>
>>good
>>    
>>
>>>timing.  What we had after that was a sailing
>>>simulator.  You could do anything you wanted with
>>>      
>>>
>>the
>>    
>>
>>>sails, engine, etc. because the boat wasn't going
>>>anywhere.  As the sun started down we lost the wind
>>>and the will to solve our prediciment.  I made some
>>>calls on both the radio and cell-phone but couldn't
>>>raise anyone for help.  So, we spent the night on
>>>      
>>>
>>the
>>    
>>
>>>boat.  It got down to the low 40's and I didn't
>>>      
>>>
>>find
>>    
>>
>>>the blanket I knew was on the boat until the next
>>>morning.  Anyway, I was able to get ahold of a
>>>      
>>>
>>friend
>>    
>>
>>>of mine that lives on the lake Saturday morning and
>>>      
>>>
>>he
>>    
>>
>>>showed up with his pontoon boat with a 115hp
>>>      
>>>
>>engine. 
>>    
>>
>>>We towed the bow, the stern, clockwise,
>>>counter-clockwise, but didn't move the boat.  We
>>>      
>>>
>>were
>>    
>>
>>>only 5 feet from deep water but couldn't get there.
>>>      
>>>
>>>Finally we tied the halyard to the side rail and
>>>started towing from the top of the mast.  After the
>>>boat was heeled about 45 degrees it started
>>>      
>>>
>>floating
>>    
>>
>>>and we drug it sideways to deeper water.  Hopefully
>>>this will be my only grounding for the season but
>>>      
>>>
>>if
>>    
>>
>>>it happens again, I'll pull that solution out of
>>>      
>>>
>>the
>>    
>>
>>>trick-bag first.  By 11 am Saturday we were free
>>>      
>>>
>>and
>>    
>>
>>>sailed back to the dock.  I was so tired from the
>>>experience I didn't feel like doing any work on the
>>>boat.  Oh well, that's a good excuse to go back to
>>>      
>>>
>>the
>>    
>>
>>>lake later in the week.
>>>
>>>Brad Haslett
>>>"CoraShen"
>>>
>>>
>>>	
>>>		
>>>__________________________________ 
>>>Celebrate Yahoo!'s 10th Birthday! 
>>>Yahoo! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web 
>>>http://birthday.yahoo.com/netrospective/
>>>__________________________________________________
>>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
>>>      
>>>
>>www.rhodes22.org/list
>>    
>>
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
>>www.rhodes22.org/list
>>
>>    
>>
>
>
>	
>		
>__________________________________ 
>Celebrate Yahoo!'s 10th Birthday! 
>Yahoo! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web 
>http://birthday.yahoo.com/netrospective/
>__________________________________________________
>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>
>  
>
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