I can see some potential issues with doing it this way.

The first being, if you're on an all chain rode, not being able to apply enough force on the anchor to actually get it to set properly. Most sailboat auxiliary engines are not powerful enough to set a long length of chain rode, as most are a bit underpowered as it is.

The second being that many anchorages don't have enough room to do it this way, and if you get in this habit, you will find that in an emergency, where you default to what you know best, you'll get screwed over pretty badly.

Those are the two that jump out immediately to me... but there are probably some other fairly serious reasons not to learn to do this as a default.

 

The purpose of using the engine in reverse is two fold. The first is to set the anchor. The second is paradoxically to try and break the anchor lose, its much more convenient to have the anchor fail when you are behind the helm with the engine running than at 3:00 AM. Your anchoring method should work but after shortening your anchor line to the desired scope I would again back down on the anchor to make sure its holding.

 

Ditto the above replies + in a muddy bottom, you're gonna be cleaning a lot of rode every time you drop the hook. Not very practical.

 

If you're using a combination of a shortish length of chain then rope rode you also risk snagging the rope on whatever is lying between your boat and your anchor and shortening the life of the rode (or worse cutting it through and losing your anchor!!).
This is especially so if you're anywhere near coral.

 

It is difficult to back many sailboats straight. Once all that rode is dumped out, how can one be sure that one is backing out the rode in a straight line.

I like to drop my anchor and ease out the scope as the anchor gently digs itself in. I give some easy tugs in reverse at 3:1 and 4:1 before I give the final test. Has worked so far and have not dragged yet using this technique. But then again, you know what the farmer said when his horse died: "Funny, he never did that before"

 

Iraklis,
I think you'll end up dragging more times than not, and have much rode to take up and try again. But hey, "My horse has never done that yet either"

Harry

 

The others have come up with the complications to the "let it all out idea". In practice it usually works fine just to let a fair scope (5or7:1) out first and try it. If it won't grab then let a bunch more out and try again, which will probably work. If it still won't grab you've got a grassy bottom, the wrong anchor for the bottom type, or even something wedged in the anchor hinge as happens with Danfoth types.

 

Let it all out!!!

Reading theses posts explain why at some achorages yachts are swinging into the position of other yachts. There is a certain amount of rode required depending on the depth of water. The anchor is not what holds the boat, it is the water pressure pressing down on the surface of the rope as the boat pulls on it.

 

Reading theses posts explain why at some achorages yachts are swinging into the position of other yachts. There is a certain amount of rode required depending on the depth of water. The anchor is not what holds the boat, it is the water pressure pressing down on the surface of the rope as the boat pulls on it.

This answer is so wrong in so many ways.... Actually the water pressure has nothing to do with it... Water pressure on the rode is effectively neutral, as almost as much water is pushing down on the water as is pushing up on the water. There is some buoyancy, which works against the rode sinking, but with an all-chain rode, this is minimal, with an all-rope chain it is still not really a factor. You might want check your facts before posting again.

The scope is what determines what angle the rode will pull at. With an all chain rode, the scope can be shorter, as the weight of the chain will cause it to hang in a catenary curve, and the part of the chain near the anchor will be close to parallel with the bottom. With a combination rode or an all-rope rode, the scope has to be greater, as the line does not have the weight to hang in a catenary curve, against the tension caused by the boat, which is being pushed by the current and/or wind. The closer to parallel that the rode pulls on the anchor, the less likely the anchor is to pull free as a general rule.

The anchor, and in the case of an all-chain rode, the weight of the rode, are what hold the the anchor and rode against the bottom initially, but are not what hold the boat in position. Most anchors do not depend on the weight of the anchor as the sole factor providing the holding power. Spade, plow, fluke, and next generation anchors, like the Rocna, Buegel, and Bulwagga, all depend on burying into the holding medium to provide the bulk of the holding power.

 

Water pressure

You are right, if you notice I said when the boat pulls on it. The pressure is downward. Tie a rope say to a garbage/dustbin lid, throw it over the side, pull it up, you will notice the pressure is not neutral.

 

You are right, if you notice I said when the boat pulls on it. The pressure is downward. Tie a rope say to a garbage/dustbin lid, throw it over the side, pull it up, you will notice the pressure is not neutral.

If you are relying on water pressure to hold your boat in place, you're a bigger fool than I thought.

The resistance you feel, trying to pull a dustbin lid up, is not water pressure, but resistance due to the shape of the lid and the viscosity of the water. However, water is not as viscous as mud or sand, which provides far more resistance to the anchor moving. You might want to re-read what I've written previously about what the real forces holding your anchor to the bottom really are.

 

Sailingdog, I'm glad you said it

and not me. It saves me alot of time.
Some of the replies you get here can be outright scary. That is almost as good as, if you jump into the air inside a house you will crash into a wall, due to the earths rotation.

Fair winds

Cap'n Dave

 

and not me. It saves me alot of time.
Some of the replies you get here can be outright scary. That is almost as good as, if you jump into the air inside a house you will crash into a wall, due to the earths rotation.

Fair winds

Cap'n Dave

LOL... Yeah... water pressure is really gonna hold a boat in place... under that theory, the boat should be flying through the air from the water pressure underneath it.

 

What!!!!!!

Reading theses posts explain why at some achorages yachts are swinging into the position of other yachts. There is a certain amount of rode required depending on the depth of water. The anchor is not what holds the boat, it is the water pressure pressing down on the surface of the rope as the boat pulls on it.

I hope I never anchor near you! The anchor IS most certainly what holds the boat. A good length of rode keeps the line more horizontal so the anchor can remain set and not yank out from a rode that is almost vertical. That is the most ridiculous logic I have ever heard and I've been sailing for 35 years. There is no downward pressure on nylon rope that is enough to even make a difference. Whn you get in the water is there downward pressure on you? No! Rope is the same it is actually ligher when it is in the water due to trapped air in the strands and the nearly neutral bouyancy of nylon. Now if you run an all chain rode than the weight of the chain is what keeps the line closer to the bottom not "water pressure"?? If the anchor does not hold the boat why don't you just toss some rode over board next time you're out and see where you wind up.

The proper scope for anchoring is 7:1 but in many anchorages you need to pull back to 5:1 or perhaps 4:1 but lets hope the wind does not blow. You should always set and BURY the anchor on a long scope like 7:1 minimum. On a short scope the anchor will only bury partially and not very deep. I anchor out constantly and frequently dive on my anchors . I have been dragged onto many times by inept idiots who don't know how to properly set an anchor so I make it sort of my mission to never drag and always set my anchor by backing down hard with a minimum 7:1 scope. I once handled a storm with gusts to 74mph. When we woke up in the morning the only other boat left in the anchorage, that was not on the rocks, was using the same scope as me a 10:1.

Keep in mind that scope is water depth PLUS bow height from water. Most sailors look at their uncalibrated depth sounder that is 12-18 inches below the surface and think ok I have 10 feet of depth I'll run a 5:1 at 50 feet. The reality is that in order to run a 5:1 in this situation you would need to add back the 1 foot for the transducer and the 4 feet of bow height making it 15 feet not ten! a 5:1 in this situation is 75 feet of rode not 50. So now most sailors are really setting 3:1 scopes and not burrying the anchor at all.

As for the ASA instructor barely passing the OP that guy should have his teaching certificate revoked he's an idiot..

Anchoring is easy:

Figure scope - water depth plus height of bow
Drop hook to bottom while already moving backwards (don't drop moving forward or you run the risk of fouling the flukes or shank when you set in reverse)
Pay out scope to 7:1+
Cleat off anchor rode and back down at about 2/3 throttle to make sure anchor is set.
Pull back to 5:1 if necessary
If wind picks up to 15-17+ go back to 7:1 if wind goes over thirty go higher with the scope..

 

I think the best time of the day is to get to the anchorage early, set my hook, fix myself a drink and watch everyone else come in. A laugh a minute. You can tell the newbies right away.
Up in the 1000 Islands, they rent these house boats to just about anyone. They come into the cove ,literaly drop the anchor (danforth) over the side with 20 feet of rope in 10 feet of water and go inside.
Most of these rentals end up on the rocks or worse.. into some unsuspecting boat in the middle of the night.
If you really want to have a good nights rest. After you are sure you have set your anchor - slide a down rigger weight ( 10 -15 lbs) ) 10 feet down your anchor rode. It decreases the angle your rode sits to the bottom . Of you ahev have to have the weight attached to your boat.
alan

 

Thanks solent for retracting your stupid statment and adding an even more idiotic one. The pressure is in fact neutral. When you pull up you are feeling resistance. If you were to pull down it would be the same if the lid had neutral bouyancy. Can I put foreward a motion that people should have to pass a grade 8 physics test before they can post? Was it you that asked about the fan on the sailboat? Cause that wasn't even as stupid as this. Thanks for coming out.

 

I've seen it all...

But last weekend was the funniest one yet. A guy comes into a cove in a Macgregor 26, goes to the bow to launch his Danforth type anchor with about 6 feet of the white, rubber coated chain & a 3/8 rode. He then proceded to do the "Hollywood Toss". He look like he was throwing a shot put. He did this four times and pulled the anchor back "fouled" each time. I finally felt bad that he spent so much time watching people launch anchors on TV that I went over to help.

I explained nicely the concept of how and anchor digs in and how rode works and how you need to be moving backwards before the anchor actually hits the bottom etc etc.. Now keep in mind I did not TELL him how to anchor just explained the concept. The guy was so flamboyanty arrogant he proceded to tell me to "bug off buddy I know how to anchor a boat". I went my merry way because the guy was behind me not in front of me, if he had been in front he would have got an ear full, and I waited. About 9:30 I heard some yelling and saw lights it seems the "know it all" really had no clue how to anchor & dragged into a J Boat who were not real happy. He wound up motoring off in the dark with his wife yelling at him never to be seen again...

The arrogance of sailors with little knowledge cracks me up to no end. So just remeber it's the weight of the water on the rode that keeps you anchored & not the anchor! Not!!!!!!

 

I personally like aphil138's approach... and the weight he's talking about is an anchor kellet...

 

Some of you should see this video..

I made these videos this past spring after buying yet another anchor in my quest for the ultimate Maine Coast anchor. The video's were done "above water" in an intertidal zone with a very hard sand top layer of about 4 inches and a thick mud substrate. I performed these tests to compare setting charecteristics of my own personal collection of anchors. In all I tested a CQR, Bruce, Delta, Fortress, Spade A-80 (aluminum), Spade S-80 (steel) and a Manson Supreme. Yes I own a lot of anchors but over the years as you buy & sell boats you wind up with a fairly good collection.

I won't bash any anchors but I will name the anchors I no longer use. The CQR, Bruce, Delta & Spade A-80 are no longer on my boat. I use the Manson Supreme as my Primary the Spade S-80 as my secondary and the Fortress as my stern anchor...

There are definately differences in the way all of these anchors penetrate the bottom, how quickly they penetrate and some even hop out after being set. The Manson Supreme which is similar to a Rocna was the clear winner with the Steel Spade coming in second.

To satisfy one of the above posters I'll admit I had no water pressure on the rode to aid in getting these anchors to set but I was at sea level so there was plenty of oxygen to aid the rode??? I suppose if I had done this test at camp 4 on Everest none of them would have set right????

Manson Supreme Video
http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=86200&cdate=20060313&ctime=160000

Spade A-80 Video
http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=86200&cdate=20060725&ctime=143932

 

That's priceless. I hate to say it but I NEVER anchor next to a MAC26. Ever. Now everyone know's why.

 

On no!

Was it you that asked about the fan on the sailboat? Cause that wasn't even as stupid as this. Thanks for coming out.

Please NO, anything but THE FAN again !

 

LOL, how about a windmill on a boat, and using it to power an underwater prop...

 

How about using 2 anchors?

http://www.karenannii.com/articles/002.cfm

 

Just let me comment that Solent's statement that "water pressure pressing down on the surface of the rope" has any effect on the boat's anchoring stability is not a sign of stupidity, but it just reveals a total ignorance of basic laws of physics. His school should be proud to have him once in the past as a pupil!

 

Newbie Question

First, let me qualify my question: I'm fairly new to this whole thing and my experience base is very much lacking. That said, What am I missing?

I know the book solution for anchoring is 7:1 but I only carry 300 foot of line on my boat (and about 30 foot of chain on my primary anchor). To get 7:1 scope I'd have to anchor in no more than, say, about 40 foot of water and in the area I have anchored most (Thumb Cove off of Resurection Bay) that puts me about 100-200 feet off the beach. If I dropped the anchor at 40 foot and tried for a 7:1 scope I'd run aground before I could set the anchor, wouldn't I? Besides, the area can get a little crowded during our short season (it's a popular place to lay up) and I don't think there'd be room for every boat there to be swinging around in an area roughly equivalent to two football fields.

I know someone's going to laugh, but I truly don't get it.