Stop Anchor

[janice142]

In reading the What Would You Have Done? thread "What would you have done?" deploying an anchor was mentioned. I wondered how many have anchors ready to drop. Do you have more than one?

Do you have an anchor at your transom in addition to the one (or two) forward? Windlasses?

Thanks.

 

[rslifkin]

I don't keep anything rigged and ready at the stern. At the bow I would need to quickly run forward to release the safety line on the anchor and then releasing the windlass clutch would make for a quick drop. I do have a fortress on hand with rode attached, but it's not stowed where I could drop it as quickly as the primary on the bow.

We're also twin engine, so the chance of a total power loss simultaneously on both engines with no warning is low.

 

[SteveK]

My anchor is ready to go. Of course it first requires going forward to deploy. Are you saying we should be able to quick release faster than that.

 

[O C Diver]

On Slow Hand there's a bow anchor ready to go that doesn't require electricity to deploy. I think in the scenario of the video, I would be steering as I have a large foil rudder that's effective without prop flow. In addition, there's also the bow thruster. While dropping the anchor makes sense, in an emergency, it's best to take a few seconds to consider all the options.

In confined area such as the video, travel only fast enough to maintain control of the vessel.

Ted

 

[janice142]

I am curious as to how many folks are ready to stop their boats using an anchor. And if that is via an anchor on the bow or stern... I've never dropped my primary anchor in an emergency though my cockpit Stop anchor did save me once.

Of late I have not seen stern anchors on vessels however to be fair you wouldn't see mine unless I lifted the locker lid... just wondered if the secondary stern stop anchor is a thing nowadays.

On our 40'er we never had a stern anchor. On my 23'er I put the spare anchor aft. Since then I have come to use it maybe 5% of the time as a lunch hook. However I did use it to stop Seaweed quickly once so there is that.

 

[jleonard]

I had 2 bow anchors ready on the Albin. They were both easily deployed without power but someone had to go to the bow and release a light safety line and the windlass clutch on the main.

 

[psneeld]

When entering an anchorage or other tight areas (not necessarily marinas) or down current with any obstructions around such as a closed bridge ahead....yes...I kept my main anchor hanging, ready to electrically or manually deploy.

 

[rslifkin]

I am curious as to how many folks are ready to stop their boats using an anchor. And if that is via an anchor on the bow or stern... I've never dropped my primary anchor in an emergency though my cockpit Stop anchor did save me once.

Of late I have not seen stern anchors on vessels however to be fair you wouldn't see mine unless I lifted the locker lid... just wondered if the secondary stern stop anchor is a thing nowadays.

On our 40'er we never had a stern anchor. On my 23'er I put the spare anchor aft. Since then I have come to use it maybe 5% of the time as a lunch hook. However I did use it to stop Seaweed quickly once so there is that.

On a single engine boat it's not a bad idea to have a stern anchor rigged as a brake. Especially if you spend any significant time in confined waters where seconds would matter in a failure. I've known a few sailors to keep a setup like that rigged for quick deployment.

It's all about risk assessment. Depending on the equipment on the boat in question, what kind of confined areas you operate in, etc. will determine how much risk there is of a failure where being able to get an anchor down very quickly would be enough to avoid things getting ugly.

 

[sd1209]

Janice---from my USN days--"Set the Special Sea and Anchor Detail"....You will notice many Navy ships are hanging an anchor, ready to drop, entering or leaving a harbor...This practice is learned from experience....The bow anchor on my boat is ready to drop within less than a minute, have to run fwd and release the safety catch and deploy from the bow.....I have a stern anchor but it is not ready to deploy quickly....

 

[O C Diver]

On Slow Hand with its all chain rode, unclip the safety and loosen the clutch. Probably takes 15 seconds to dump the first 50' and 10 seconds to dump the next 50'. Then tighten the clutch and hit the bow thruster.

Ted

 

[psneeld]

I never bothered with a stern anchor and wouldn't unless I could deploy it faster than hitting the windlass switch next to the helm. By the time I reached the stern and released, My bow anchor would ptobably hit bottom at the same time or most likely way before. I also can steer and see ahead for danger/use the radio when still at the helm.

 

[Mambo42]

We don't have a stern anchor, we have a spare anchor, but that cannot be deployed rapidly. Our bow anchor however is basically always at water level when we come into a port, since we have to do stern to mooring with an anchor in most cases. I can control the anchor from the pilothouse and the fly bridge as well as with a remote, so in case of emergency I would be able to lower it rather quickly, but it would not be free fall.

 

[ancora]

Janice---from my USN days--"Set the Special Sea and Anchor Detail"....You will notice many Navy ships are hanging an anchor, ready to drop, entering or leaving a harbor...This practice is learned from experience....The bow anchor on my boat is ready to drop within less than a minute, have to run fwd and release the safety catch and deploy from the bow.....I have a stern anchor but it is not ready to deploy quickly....

Here in San Diego the Navy ships have their anchors ready to deploy. My son is a chief engineer in the Merchant Marine. When his ship is in the harbor, an engineering officer and a deck officer must be on the bow ready to release the anchor...it's company policy.

 

[rslifkin]

Here in San Diego the Navy ships have their anchors ready to deploy. My son is a chief engineer in the Merchant Marine. When his ship is in the harbor, an engineering officer and a deck officer must be on the bow ready to release the anchor...it's company policy.

Along the same lines, I've noticed at least most of the ships on the Great Lakes have a stern anchor in a hawsepipe ready to go, presumably for emergency situations.

 

[Hippocampus]

On the sailboat had had two rollers and two anchors ready to deploy. Also a fortress available for the stern. On the NT only have one roller and one anchor on the bow. The fortress is unassembled and its chain and line rode unattached.
So realistically my only option is the Vulcan at the bow. There’s controls at the bow, pilot house and fly. But I’d still need to go forward to unclip the safety line unless I did it beforehand.
Thread is of interest and may change my protocol with me unclipping when entering tight quarters. Thanks.