anchoring ?

I hope Idont get lauged at tooooo much for this one!!!

anyway, My boat is an 88 4winns 22' I/O. Since purchasing last year, Ive been out less than a dozen times.....Ive never used the anchor!!!
It sits in a nice little compartment right at the nose. Its not the mushroom type anchor, the other one..dont know the correct term for it.
What is the proper way to set the anchor? What about when pulling the anchor out??? If its hooked in the ground to hold the boat, how do you get it unhooked????

I was doing a bit of cleaning on her, and it was one of those deals where I opened the anchor hatch to get a towel in there to clean, and I ended up just staring at it for a minute and going HHmmm.....

Once youre done giggling you can post!!!LOL

Re: anchoring ?

An anchor is important saftey gear and your should pratice useing it a few times. Many types of anchors but the flute type or danforth is I think most popular. Navy type is another Type.

How you set and retreive depends somewhat on what type it is.
The first anchor is almost always set from the Bow. This will hold the Bow into the wind and waves or if the current is stronger into the current.

In General for most anchors the first step is to determine where you want the boat to end up. Go to that spot then turn into the wind or current which ever is stronger. Move in that direction about the length of you anchor line then stop the boat and start backing toward spot you want to be. As soon as your have sternway take motor out of gear and lower the anchor to the bottom. Do not throw it in, put it over the bow and lower it to the bottom. Now back to your spot or let out line and let the wind or current push you back to your spot but keep the motor running.

Let out proper scope. Normal scope is 7 times the depth from your bow to the bottom. So if you anchor in 18 feet of water and the clete where you tie the anchor to is 2 feet above the water then you need to pay out 140 feet of anchor line then tie it off. 18 plus 2 =20 times 7 =140 feet. After that you make sure the anchor dig in to hold you. You can do this with the motor to put some strain on the line on just let the wind or current do it, but make sure the line is tight and you are staying in postition before you shut off the engine.

The reason you keep the engine running is because if the anchor sets and you have strong wind or current the line can rip right out of your hand and your loose the anchor. Some will pull out the right length of line for the depth and tie the line to your bow clete then coil the line on the bow before lowering the anchor. Just make sure your do not get foot caught in the coil of line.

7 to one scope is considered nornal scope. This will hold best in a storm or strong current. Of course the type of anchor you have also makes a difference. Now in light wind or current if you have some chain attached to the anchor and then to your anchor line use can use less than normal scope.
You can go as short at 3 to one with a flute type or danforth type anchor and still hold in light conditions. You would not do this at night or when you will be sleeping or in strong currents, big waves, or storng winds. Only when condition are good and people can see if the anchor starts to slip where your would need to let out more line.

To retreive You start the motor note which way the anchor line goes. Use compass or a land mark to set a course to where your anchor is. Have someone tend the line and pull it in as your drive to above the anchor. Line need to be keep snug or tight so line does not end up wrapped around the prop. After you just pass your anchor stop the boat and pull the anchor in. Most times in this postion it will pull up off the bottom easily.

Re: anchoring ?

140 ft of anchor line in 18 ft water seems way too much. I dont even have 140ft of line on mine. When I anchor i dont really use any mathematical formulas. I just drop the anchor and back up a bit to drag it in the mud and stop and wait to see if its hooked. Usually im anchored in 20ft waterbso i have about 25-28 ft of line out. No need to have 140ft of line in 18 ft deep water, thats a little much.

It's very simple. Really depends what kind of anchor you have, type of bottom your in and the wind/current direction.

Re: anchoring ?

There's no reason for giggling we're all here learning stuff.

The thing I think is most important to remember is don't shut the motor off till your happy with the anchoring and always get it running before you pull it up.

I know it sounds silly but I see it happen, someone pulls up their anchor and then can't get the motor running- panic sets in.

Re: anchoring ?

Kev144 said:

Usually im anchored in 20ft waterbso i have about 25-28 ft of line out.

Click to expand...

You're either in a very small boat, and/or a very small body of water. Your setup wouldn't even stop a 16' boat from moving around here much less hold it still. In fact, I'm not convinced it would even hold at all in any conditions other than maybe a pond.

Boatist's post is dead on: Somewhere between 3 to 7x the depth in scope depending on the factors he mentioned. I find around here that I usually end up right in the middle at around 5x. I have 160' of line and 6' of SS chain on my bow anchor...

Re: anchoring ?

No one is laughing, but it is a skill you do need to practice.

We have a diverse floor in Lake Erie... some spots where we like to perch is all clay - and other spots out deeper are quite rocky. The lake can kick up quite rapidly here - so we need to know how to use that anchor if we get stuck. Last night the water went from calm rolling 1's to 4-5's in a matter of 15 minutes. Took some of the guys (on our local forum) 45 minutes to get three miles in. In an emergency - they need anchor skills to keep them out of trouble. OH, and if you like to swim, you may not want your craft drifting away from you... current and wind can be an enemy. And you may be a good swimmer, but I guarantee that boat can move faster than you can swim. Then, like NSBC said, panic sets in - and mistakes happen.

This is a GREAT forum and full of information from the seasoned vets... but as a new boater myself, nothing replaces the importance of the boaters safety course. Please consider taking that course, it is well worth the time.

Re: anchoring ?

bjcsc said:

You're either in a very small boat, and/or a very small body of water. Your setup wouldn't even stop a 16' boat from moving around here much less hold it still. In fact, I'm not convinced it would even hold at all in any conditions other than maybe a pond.

Boatist's post is dead on: Somewhere between 3 to 7x the depth in scope depending on the factors he mentioned. I find around here that I usually end up right in the middle at around 5x. I have 160' of line and 6' of SS chain on my bow anchor...

Click to expand...

I'm in a 18ft boat and it holds well. I leave it out in the lake while i swim to shore with my brother. Never moves at all. I've been doing the same thing on boats from 14ft to 22 feet for 35 years and never once had a problem. No need for me to put out 140 feet of line in 18 feet deep water. Never seen this in my life being on Georgian bay, large lake.

Re: anchoring ?

I have a couple questions about anchoring... hope I'm not hijacking, but these questions should be right on topic to the OP:

1) Is it OK to tie to the cleat on the port or starboard side of the bow? i read in another anchor thread that tieing to the bow eye is the best way, but unless I'm in shallow water and can get out of the boat, that wouldn't really be easy to do on my boat.

2) What's a good general rule of anchor weight to boat? I have a 7 lb. anchor that came with my 900-1000 lb. 16' runabout, and my boat is always drifting and dragging the anchor with it. Am I not "anchoring" the anchor properly, or should I have bigger anchor?

Re: anchoring ?

Kev144 -

I know it seems like a lot, but we need at least 140-150' of line on a lake that can kick up the 4-5' ers. I vow never to be on a lake that unsafe in my craft - but in a depth of 50' - if you need to toss anchor through a storm - the extra line would allow slack for the higher swells and help keep the water (hopefully) out of the boat.

inland lakes without the likelihood of large swells may not need that much. But in an emergency - that anchor line can be used as tow/tether or a toss out for the life ring. Younever know what you're going to run into.

Re: anchoring ?

Kev144 said:

I'm in a 18ft boat and it holds well. I leave it out in the lake while i swim to shore with my brother. Never moves at all. I've been doing the same thing on boats from 14ft to 22 feet for 35 years and never once had a problem. No need for me to put out 140 feet of line in 18 feet deep water. Never seen this in my life being on Georgian bay, large lake.

Click to expand...

I hope you keep that good luck going.

Boatist information is correct and it is the proper way to anchor a vessel. For example, just because someone starts its inboard without the use of a 5 minutes blower and dont blow up does not means it is the correct procedure to start a boat.

Re: anchoring ?

Mike
"IS IT OK TO TIE TO CLEATS ON THE PORT AND STARBOARD BOW?"
Yes it is fine.
The bow eye is usually stronger but on many boats hard or dangerous to reach.
While the bow eye is stronger there can be some advantages to useing the bow cleat on port or starboard or both. Many places you anchor you will have current coming from one direction and the wind from another. This will usually cause the boat to sit at a angle to the current and the boat can travel from side to side. By picking the cleat on port or starboard your can cause the boat to sit straighter and not move as much side to side.

Another thing one can do is make a anchor Bridle that will attach to both cleats on the bow. I will try to describe. Take a peice of line and put a loop in the end that will fit your cleat very well.
Now take the line around the bow and to the cleat on the other side but leave enough slack for the line to go about 4 feet out in front of the bow then tie another loop for clete on the other side.

Next go up in front of the boat and pull the line foward in front of the bow get it as straight foward and in the center as possible and tie a third loop in the line.
Put the line up on the deck and when you anchor you tie your anchor to the front loop you tied.
With this set up if the boat is straight both side will share the load.
If the boat turn to starboard the starboard line will get tight and have all the load while the port line will be loose, this will try to turn the boat to port or straight in the water. of course if it turn to port the port line will try and turn back straight. One important thing is to not make the line so long that if you droped it in the water it could reach the Prop.

"HOW MUCH WEIGHT"
Weight really depends on the type of anchor you use.
As a example I use a 4 Pound Fortress FX-7 on my 21 foot 2800 lb dry boat. The anchor is rated for boats from 16 to 27 feet. It is not a cheap anchor but I belive the best anchor. It a Flute type Anchor but the flutes and the shank are sharper than a standard anchor so it digs in faster and deeper. It been rated by the Navy and many boating mag and in every test I have seen been rated the best.

We first got it because My First Mate does not like to drive the boat up on anchor when it is very foggy and can not see land. So she had to pull the 8 pound anchor. Even with gloves it would hert her hands. Even after up off the bottom she could hardly pull it up. It would come up with big clumps of heavy mud. After we got thr Fortress the first time she pull it she accused me of not attaching the anchor right because it broke off and she almost fell over backwords. Of course when she got the line up she found the anchor was on the end.

I have always carried 2 anchor but my old 7 pound danforth has not been in the water since we got the Fortress FX-7.

On the second link you can look to the left and click on test and see several tests by difference groups.

http://www.iboats.com/Fortress_Anch...214635108--**********.144559537--view_id.4943

http://www.fortressanchors.com/AnchorTestNavy.html

Re: anchoring ?

Thanks Boatist! Great info.