[Rhodes22-list] anchoring
Bill Effros
bill at effros.com
Thu Sep 18 09:31:51 EDT 2008
Todd,
So few people anchor properly, you are not the least experienced simply
by virtue of the fact you are thinking about the problem.
You were on the list when I first started thinking about anchors. I
bought and deployed a dozen of them, mainly anchoring for an entire summer.
When we first think of anchors we think of various versions of grapnels
-- heavy things with points that grab onto something when the weight
alone is insufficient.
They are easy to understand, and easy to deploy. You just sort of throw
them overboard and wait for them to hook into something.
Modern Danforth anchors are in a different league, and the Fortress
brand is far and away the best I've found.
Here is how I set mine:
With the boat moving slowly in any direction, using any means of
propulsion, place the anchor in the water from the cockpit and allow the
rode to be pulled through your gloved hands like flying a kite under water.
The floating rode will go beneath the water, following the anchor, which
does not float. Do not hold the line so tightly that the anchor
actually rises like a kite. The anchor should fall freely to the
bottom, with the rode following, and you and the boat moving away from
it. You hold the line to keep it from fouling as it exits the locker,
goes over the side, and enters the water.
At some point you will see rode floating on the surface. Cleat the line
on the stern cleat least likely to foul the engine and rudder. As the
boat keeps moving slowly forward, taking up the slack in the line,
confirm that the angle of the taut line entering the water is 45 degrees
or less, ensuring that the anchor will automatically dig into the bottom
at a useful angle. (Don't ask how it does this -- it is brilliantly
engineered, just like an R-22, and it works perfectly if you don't try
to out-think it.)
When the line is taut, the boat will pull the anchor into the bottom at
just the right angle, and stop the boat's motion.
You are anchored, and you won't be able to release the anchor until you
get almost directly above it.
Easier done than said.
Try it.
Bill Effros
Todd Tavares wrote:
> Bill,
>
> I have to be the least experienced sailor on this list but I have been
> reading all of these anchoring posts and now I am more confused. You
> said the proper pulling angle on the shank of a Danforth or Fortress is
> 45 degrees, and you can properly set one of these anchors using a
> floating rode? My question is what exactly is the process of setting
> the anchor if rode (chain) weight and horizontal pulling action on the
> shank do not factor in? How do you get the horizontal pull/motion
> necessary to set the anchor flukes deeper than them just poking into the
> mud on impact? Do you let out more than 10:1 scope before your first
> snub? There has to be some horizontal pulling on the shank at angles much
> lower than even 30 degrees for the flukes to dig in. The flukes on my
> Danforth only pivot down 30 degrees; (if the shank is exactly horizontal)
> and if the the optimum pulling angle is on the shank is 45 degrees up: my
> flukes will be pitched up 15 degrees. Are you saying that the shank is
> pointed up 45 degrees and in line with the taut rode? Or is the anchor
> already set and shank flat on the bottom and not in line with the 45
> degree rode?? If the later, how did the anchor dig in in the first
> place?
>
> See attached
>
> Todd T.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mary Lou Troy"
> To: "The Rhodes 22 Email List"
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] anchoring
> Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:21:52 -0400
>
>
> Just for clarification's sake, I was not advocating anchoring from
> the stern. An anchor deployed from the stern can still be cleated to
> the bow. It's just a matter of when you go forward - to deploy the
> anchor or to move the rode from a stern cleat to a bow cleat after
> the boat is stopped.
>
> That's all theoretical. Because we sail double handed we've always
> been able to have one of us walk the anchor forward to deploy - even
> in our one near emergency - when our motor quit as we were motoring
> away from a drawbridge with a strong current taking us back toward
> the bridge. We have never had to anchor in rough weather but have
> considered the possibility and decided that if it was too rough to
> walk the anchor forward, we would deploy it from the stern and then
> change where the rode was cleated.
>
> We made our original decision to keep the anchor in the lazarette
> because anchor rodes used frequently in the Chesapeake get muddy and
> smelly and we really didn't want additional dampness in the cabin.
> After years of anchoring, I've never regretted it. That being said, I
> would much rather have the anchor on the bow with a true anchor
> locker.
>
> With your arrangement do you have to attach the rode to anchor each
> time you use it? I'm not sure I would be comfortable with that -
> especially in rough weather or when you needed to deploy an anchor
> quickly.
>
> Best,
> Mary Lou
> 1991 R22 Fretless
> Rock Hall, MD
>
>
> At 08:45 PM 9/17/2008, you wrote:
> > Mary Lou,
> >
> > Let me point out that when both the rigging and motor fail, you'll
> have to
> > use your anchor to keep off the rocks. Unfortunately, an anchor
> kept in
> > the cockpit won't do the job.
> >
> > An anchor deployed from the stern will result in a very wet wait
> for help
> > (and for most boats other than the R22, a sinking.) The alternative
> is
> > risking injury or going overboard attempting to carry an anchor,
> chain and
> > rode forward in rough seas.
> >
> > So the anchor and rode locker on the R22 is in the right place. I
> store
> > 20' of chain and 200' of rode in the locker with room to spare.
> >
> > My peeve is the size of the access hole. On the best of days, I can
> just
> > fit my hand through. So that's not something I want to attempt
> rolling
> > around on the bow deck due to rough seas.
> >
> > To solve the problem, I thread a 1/4 inch nylon line through an eye
> inside
> > the cap. I tie one end of the line to the bitter end of the rode
> and the
> > other end of the line to the anchor end of the chain. Pulling off
> the cap
> > pulls up the rode and chain so they can both be attached before
> pulling
> > the rest of the tackle onto the deck.
> >
> > Rick
> >
> > > You've discovered my biggest pet peeve about the R22 - lack of a
> > > workable scheme for anchor storage. There are lots of ideas in
> the
> > > archives. Here's what we do.
> > >
> > > We keep the rode, chain and anchor in a mesh bag in the
> lazarette.
> > > The mesh bag is made for rode storage and has handles for
> carrying
> > > and a grommet for you to thread the bitter end through.
> > > (http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detail.htm?fno=400&group=776 I
> think
> > > West has them too) The rode is very carefully flaked back in the
> bag
> > > after each use so it is ready to go. Because we usually anchor in
> > > shallow water, we have bundled the rode in 50 ft increments with
> > > velcro ties - the first 50 or 70 ft are flaked loosely, the rest
> > > bundled. We also have the rode marked with vinyl markers
> available
> > > from various marine supply stores so we know how much we have
> out.
> > >
> > > We always sail double handed so its easy for one of us to walk
> the
> > > bag forward, secure the bitter end to the bow cleat and deploy
> the
> > > anchor. We leave the bag on the foredeck while anchored and
> retrieve
> > > the line back into the bag and walk it back when we are done.
> > >
> > > Single handed we would probably cleat to a stern cleat, deploy
> the
> > > anchor from the stern and then walk the rode forward to cleat
> from
> > > the stern after the anchor was secure. In that case, we'd
> probably
> > > leave the bitter end secured from the stern cleat, the mesh bag
> in
> > > the cockpit and just walk a length of rode forward to secure from
> the bow.
> > >
> > > We've put a Nicro solar fan vent in the opening to the anchor
> rode
> > > tray and leave the rode tray home.
> > >
> > > Best,
> > > Mary Lou
> > > 1991 R22 Fretless
> > > Rock Hall, MD
> > >
> > > At 05:53 PM 9/14/2008, you wrote:
> > >>How do you guys anchor?
> > >>
> > >>The forepeak (tiny bow storage area) is an impractical way to
> store
> > >>rode and the opening is to small for my big hands to get in
> there.
> > >>
> > >>I've resorted to storing the rode below the cockpit benches, in a
> > >>Rubbermaid container, and walking it forward and attaching it to
> the
> > >>Danforth anchor handing from the bow pulpit when I need to.
> > >>
> > >>Where do you cleat it? The central bow cleat?
> > >>
> > >>I'm hoping someone has a better suggestion.
> > >>
> > >>Paul K
> > >>"Clarity"
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