Setting anchor

[MichaelB1969]

Do people usually set the anchor while the force of the rode is still on the windlass? Or do you first tie the rode to a cleat before setting by hitting reverse?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Simi 60]

Or do you simply attach the snubber and let the weight of the boat set it.

 

[Bigsfish]

I for one let out my anchor line, set the snubber and then back down to make sure the anchor is set. I sleep better that way.

 

[tadhana]

I lower the anchor and back away slowly paying out rode. At the appropriate scope I stop paying out and gently set the hook. Then I attach the bridal and put the load on the cleats and back down pretty hard to set the anchor. I aim for 800 rpm in reverse for aa protected place and set it to 1,000 if it is more exposed.. I do not put any lod on the winch when setting the anchor.

 

[menzies]

We lower the scope we want, set the windlass pawl, then back down at a little over idle until the anchor line is taut and the boat is stopped. We either do the snubber then or later before we bunk down depending on time of anchoring.

I would have thought that those pf you who put on the snubber before backing down, could be giving yourself a lot more work if, when backing down, you realized your anchor was not holding, and you needed to lift and reset.

 

[tadhana]

You are right that if you set the snubber or bridle and find that the anchor won't set, there is some work in retrieving the snubber before letting out more scope, or retrieving the anchor and moving to a different spot.. But there are two important points. First, you can bend the windlass axle if you back hard on the rode using the windlass as the dead end. Two, you are out cruising: you're not at the office. IMHO, an extra minute or three retrieving your anchor, is just not a big deal.

 

[Simi 60]

I would have thought that those pf you who put on the snubber before backing down, could be giving yourself a lot more work if, when backing down, you realized your anchor was not holding, and you needed to lift and reset.

What extra work?
For us its as simple as hit switch, chain comes in, load is off snubber and it falls off.


Never had to do it though as our anchor has never had an issue biting in instantly in mud, sand, weed and whatever else has been down there.
The one time we backed down, just in gear, it grabbed violently and we almost fell over so abrupt was the stop.
We no longer back down.

 

[dhays]

Do people usually set the anchor while the force of the rode is still on the windlass? Or do you first tie the rode to a cleat before setting by hitting reverse?

Thanks,
Mike

I use a short snubber to set the anchor.

 

[FF]

We use a short scope 4-1 to set anchor , then tie on snubber and pay out the rest of the scope.

 

[cafesport]

We use a chain stopper then add the snubber as needed. The stopper also keeps the load off the windlass when hauling the anchor in big seas.

 

[AusCan]

My methods vary depending on weather and sea conditions, overnight or not, leaving the boat or not, etc.

In calm conditions when stopping for a quick fish or for lunch in a shallow bay, I just drop the anchor and lay out a bit of chain. Thats it. No settting, no snubber, no tension on chain.
In rougher water or overnight more diligence is required.

 

[drillguy]

Like many others, I don’t pull against the windlass with the motors, I use the snubber or bridal after drifting back has given the initial set. I also don’t retrieve the anchor hard into the bow roller. I leave it just a tiny bit loose and attach a safety lanyard. My thinking, correct or not, is to avoid straining and loosening the bow roller hardware.

 

[Shrew]

We avoid putting load on the windlass. Most windlass manufacturers advise to avoid loading the windlass. We drop, pay out our scope, set the snubbers, fairly short, then I reverse to set the anchor. Once the anchor is set, I reverse up to 1,000 rpm (I idle at 800), then back to idle for 1-2 seconds, then neutral. The boat springs forward a bit on the snubbers. I bump into reverse for a second to stop the recoil. If the wind is dead, I bump back a second time to pay out any slack taken up from the recoil. We then pay out the final amount of snubber and chain slack and crack a beer.

 

[AKDoug]

With a mixed rode I use the stretch of the nylon to observe the set of the anchor and then snub off on the Sampson post after it is set. When the vessel rebounds off of the set and spins 180 degrees I am confident of my set. I usually set using the forward momentum of my vessel planning wind and current direction so that I will end up where wind and current will leave the vessel after the set.

With the mixed rode I am not concerned about the load on the windlass, the nylon takes up the major percentage of the load when I set.

 

[Nomad Willy]

To a cleat.
A big dedicated two post cleat that never gets used for anything else.

 

[O C Diver]

I have a Rocna (anchors have different setting requirements) and just drop it overboard with 7:1 scope, attach the snubber, shut off the engine, and grab a beer. My boats sails at anchor and sets the hook in the process.

Ted

 

[dhays]

I have a Rocna (anchors have different setting requirements) and just drop it overboard with 7:1 scope, attach the snubber, shut off the engine, and grab a beer. My boats sails at anchor and sets the hook in the process.

Ted

I've done that at times, but often there are some restrictions in where I am anchored. It can be a rock, other boats, needing to be at a specific spot for a stern tie etc... so I usually really try to have the anchor set right where I need it to be. Once I get an initial set, then it soaks in nicely.


One TF member mentioned a year ago or so that they drop the hook and get an initial set, than come back later after it has soaked and set it hard. I've done that on occasion and it works pretty well.

 

[kchace]

We also use a short snubber to take the load and then set the anchor.

 

[HenryD]

Sorta what Ted does....drop the anchor (Rocna) and 100' or more chain, lock the chain with the chock, let the boat sail and watch for the rode to go taught and stop the movement of the boat. Then connect the snubber and drop it it.

 

[Peter B]

I have a Rocna (anchors have different setting requirements) and just drop it overboard with 7:1 scope, attach the snubber, shut off the engine, and grab a beer. My boats sails at anchor and sets the hook in the process.

Ted

Sorta what Ted does....drop the anchor (Rocna) and 100' or more chain, lock the chain with the chock, let the boat sail and watch for the rode to go taught and stop the movement of the boat. Then connect the snubber and drop it it.

Same here. The Super-Sarca seems to set best left to its own devices. Beauty of not reversing is not only no strain on winch, but no snubber needed either, and only once clearly set, one motion to let out the full desired amount of chain, then set snubber once only.

 

[Steve Bedford]

Recently a very successful fishing charter captain contacted me about purchasing an anchor. He was having difficulty with his anchor dragging. He has 6’ of chain attached to a nylon rope for his rode. He wants exact spot positioning and holding when he anchors. He wants the stern of his boat just forward of where he believes the fish are for his customers. He does not want to startle or scare the fish away. He prefers to drop the anchor slowly and does not want the engines reving as he backs down to set the anchor. He specifically said he wants to stay in one spot (where the fish are) and not drag. He prefers to allow the boat to drift backwards while the fish “have no idea they will shortly be someone’s meal.” Of course he says he likes to play out sufficient rode but his rode length is more dependent on where the fish are and less about length to depth ratios. He admits he does not have to be as set as cruisers who go to bed with a firmly set anchor but he does not want to move at all until he wants to move!

We solved it. Many of us use some of his techniques and other aspects are not so common. He did say he ties off the nylon rode to relieve tension (if there really is much using his technique) on the windlass.

Steve

 

[O C Diver]

Recently a very successful fishing charter captain contacted me about purchasing an anchor. He was having difficulty with his anchor dragging. He has 6’ of chain attached to a nylon rope for his rode. He wants exact spot positioning and holding when he anchors. He wants the stern of his boat just forward of where he believes the fish are for his customers. He does not want to startle or scare the fish away. He prefers to drop the anchor slowly and does not want the engines reving as he backs down to set the anchor. He specifically said he wants to stay in one spot (where the fish are) and not drag. He prefers to allow the boat to drift backwards while the fish “have no idea they will shortly be someone’s meal.” Of course he says he likes to play out sufficient rode but his rode length is more dependent on where the fish are and less about length to depth ratios. He admits he does not have to be as set as cruisers who go to bed with a firmly set anchor but he does not want to move at all until he wants to move!

We solved it. Many of us use some of his techniques and other aspects are not so common. He did say he ties off the nylon rode to relieve tension (if there really is much using his technique) on the windlass.

Steve

A buddy of mine runs a 30 person head boat (stand at the rail, bottom fishing). He uses 2 anchors about 90 degrees apart. On big wrecks or rocky bottoms, it allows him to move the boat anywhere he wants by adjusting the length of the two anchor lines.

Ted

 

[FlyWright]

When sturgeon fishing, I anchor similar to the technique Steve describes. I mark fish with my GPS MOB feature, then motor up-current/upwind far enough to drop a 3:1 or 4:1 scope and leave the fish 50-100 ft behind the boat when the anchor is set.

If I'm fishing in 30 ft water (my norm), it's a 200 ft offset from my MOB, drop 100-120ft of rode, then drift back and set using one engine in idle at a time. I typically do this without a snubber. In benign conditions for an hour or so of fishing, I might not even use a snubber.

Then it's an easy 50-100 ft cast to where the fish are waiting for my bait.

 

[Rain Dog]

I always back down before attaching the snubber for two reasons:

- I back down at 3:1 and always anchor at 5:1 or more.
- The snubber acts as a shock absorber, so really undermines the value of backing down.

Backing down at 3:1 with no snubber comes close to guaranteeing you will not drag if the wind picks up to 50 knots in the middle of the night.

If I was worried about my windlass strength I would use a very short (or Dyneema) line lead to a cleat when backing down.

 

[Nomad Willy]

I always set the anchor.
900rpm, 1100rpm or 1400rpm.
Various scopes for various reasons.

When I was young (20's) I just put the anchor (Danforth) over the bow and added "some" line for scope. Probably didn't know what the word scope meant. When I heard of setting I thought it was stupid. After all if you're going to need the anchor it will obviously set itself. Yup I was a confident youth.

One should not set to see if it's going to hold. No amount of setting will likely determine that. Setting will indicate there's a good chance though.

The real reason for setting is to test the bottom ... the most variable of anchoring variables. If you have a small anchor known to bring up some bottom doing that will actually give you a look at what the bottom is. Don Hemingway (cruise guides) does this in prep for his cruise guides.

I always lay the rode out on the bottom by hand so when I put tension on the line I have the rode in a typical and most useful arrangement for setting. I give the anchor little chance to fail. But I can feel an anchor dragging along the bottom. Time for a different anchor or another try if it does.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Interesting that talk of snubbers has suddenly reached record levels.
Hardly ever heard of snubbers for years and years and recently it's been snubber this and snubber that. Why the sudden interest in snubbers?

 

[dhays]

Interesting that talk of snubbers has suddenly reached record levels.
Hardly ever heard of snubbers for years and years and recently it's been snubber this and snubber that. Why the sudden interest in snubbers?

No idea. Maybe folks are starting to read the information from their windlass manufacturers. Snubbers are cheap, windlasses not so much.

I agree with some that have said debating the minutia of snubbers is pretty silly. Just drop the anchor, lay out enough scope and go enjoy the boat. However, there are some geeks like me around that find the topic interesting.

 

[psneeld]

The problem with drop and forget is if you are in a really silt rich area and when dropping your anchor there isnt much wind or tide.

Especially if there are nearby boats or obstructions. Sure many wouldnt anchor in spots like this but I do, so I use enough reverse to see if it will finally find something to bite into.

As far as setting in most mild conditions, my philosophy is if the windlass cant take a slight steady strain, good luck the first time you try to pull an anchor in wild, bucking seas and you think the windlass is going to rip off your pulpit.

 

[Group9]

I have a Rocna (anchors have different setting requirements) and just drop it overboard with 7:1 scope, attach the snubber, shut off the engine, and grab a beer. My boats sails at anchor and sets the hook in the process.

Ted

Yep, the two beer method. Followed up by a back down test.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Psneeld wrote;
“As far as setting in most mild conditions, my philosophy is if the windlass cant take a slight steady strain, good luck the first time you try to pull an anchor in wild, bucking seas and you think the windlass is going to rip off your pulpit.”

I’ve always thought that too. The “don’t put a load on the windlass” thing has gone too far. But if some of the little cheap ones were installed w/o a backing plate ..............