Stern Anchoring Question

[FishFinder]

What about keeping your anchor on the bow, but running your anchor line back to the cockpit? I've done this a bunch of times when singlehanding and in tight anchorages. This would require a bow roller, so that when you release the anchor line from the cockpit, the anchor drops off the bow.

[downeast450]

John,

We have a stern anchor, stern rode locker, and a stern anchor roller, which makes it comparatively easy.[/QUOTE]

Would you share a bit more about your stern locker and roller configuration? I am interested in setting up to anchor from the cockpit.

Thanks,

Down

[Hesper]

Not sure I understand why you think it's necessary to go through all the hinckiness of a stern drop. Once you droppe the anchor, you can pull forward on the boom and back the boat down under sail. If there's enough wind, you don't even need to do that, just have patience. I rarely use my engine to anchor, just to weigh (I'm getting to old to wrestle with weighing under sail).

[seafrontiersman]

I've set mine under sail several times by simply flaking or coiling 3X depth plus bullnose height, sailing into the wind, luffing, and letting the wind/ current take me back until the rode is stretched out and then backwinding whatever sail i'm carrying to set it and then paying out until I've got at least a 5/1 scope.

I'm sailing in a 23 ft. boat and I'm anchoring in 10-15 ft; might not be viable on larger vessels in deeper water.

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by downeast450

John,

Would you share a bit more about your stern locker and roller configuration? I am interested in setting up to anchor from the cockpit.

Thanks,

Down

Hi Down,

Sorry, I don't have any good photos of our arrangement at the moment. So I will describe as best I can.

What we have is a Windline DR-1 Stern Anchor Roller that is mounted to the cap rail at the stern of the boat.

Belowdecks, in the port quarter, is a locker for the stern anchor rode. There is a capped/hinged hawse hole in the deck, through which the rode passes. This locker can be accessed through the lazarette.

We use a Fortress FX-16 stern anchor. It is mounted to the stern rail via a Windline PM-1 Rail Mount Anchor Holder.

The anchor is mounted outboard to the stern rail, so it is always ready to deploy and the lead for the rode is fair. The anchor rode has about 10-15' of light chain before it transitions to rope. The chain is led from the anchor shank, through the stern roller, then down the hawse hole to the rode locker.

Using the hardware linked above, I think it would be pretty easy for most boats to replicate this set-up. Even if there's no dedicated locker area for the rode, a large plastic bucket could be secured in place below the hawse opening, and it would be effectively the same thing.

[downeast450]

John,

Thanks you for the details. I am sorting out a similar solution for our boat.

Down

[AdamLein]

I've done the stern anchor thing a few times. We have an outboard so I was always worried about the rode fouling on the outboard and tearing it off the transom. At the time I was keeping all my anchor rode in a canvas bag, so it was a bit of a hassle hauling it around the shrouds. Plus chain on gelcoat makes my flesh crawl.

Fundamentally the main reason I don't do it anymore is that my motivation for doing it in the first place is gone. I think I was basically afraid to be away from the cockpit and not in control of the boat, even briefly. After anchoring a many times last year, I learned to be copacetic about the fact that the boat is going to do something out of my control, albeit fairly predictable, while I'm up at the bow. So there's no incentive to try weird anchoring-from-the-cockpit stuff anymore.

[Omatako]

Glassdad makes an excellent point - the main is the last choice of sail because it's really hard to depower when running off the wind. If you have to do this use the headsail which can be let fly when the boat needs to stop.

The whole process sounds a little dodgy to me but then I sail a 12t boat. I have serious confidence issues sailing my boat straight at a lee shore hoping that the bottom hasn't got stuff on it that prevents an anchor from setting. Rocks can rush up on you way faster than you think.

Find a way to turn the boat into the wind and remotely release the anchor which is hanging from the front. There are suggestions in earlier posts that should be considered (slip knots, etc). If you can get this consistently right there will be several sailors in the average anchorage that will watch you with envious eyes.

[Chris12345]

I am sure it works great if you have a proper anchoring setup, i.e. anchor, chain locker, stern roller and anchor cleat in your cockpit.

Else, it is going to be a dirty mess of chain and anchor line in the cockpit that is going to skin your shins and knuckles, and ruin the boat in no time. (Chain running out trough/over what? Hands? Pulpit? Fiberglass?) Plus, you will still be walking forward, this time just with a loaded anchor line in your hands, which you will be handling outside the shrouds. Ouch.

I am sure you can minimize damage and injury with a lot of effort and smarts, but why? Use the stuff that is installed in front, you paid for it!

Originally Posted by Mandofish

So, I've read a lot about setting an anchor and all the various techniques folks use. I have set an anchor from the bow of my 26' sailboat several times now using under power using the typical "approach anchor spot, lower anchor, back away under power slowly, set anchor, back down hard to make sure set" technique.

However, I'm interested in honing my setting anchor under sail skills. The question is, why not set the anchor the following way:

1. select anchor spot
2. approach spot sailing dead downwind, main up only, control speed
3. deploy anchor over the stern, from cockpit
4. let 3X scope out then cleat
5. anchor should set and stop downwind motion of boat
6. move rode to the bow chock and cleat

So what am i missing? Why is this technique never used or talked about? Seems a lot easier, especially for singlehanding, rather than dealing with tackle at the bow.

[sck5]

I have anchored alone various times and didnt have to resort to dragging the anchor or anything else back to the cockpit (and I really dont want a boat length of chain banging on my gel coat).

Unless I am anchoring in a tight spot (and so need to get my wife to help) I just motor upwind to the approximate spot, put the engine in neutral, run up to the bow and let the anchor go. When I have enough chain out I go back to the cockpit to back down on it. I dont get to choose the EXACT spot the anchor sets but how often do you get to do that anyway?