Anchoring best practices

jobofly

jobofly

Member
Jul 22, 2008
413
Ithaca Ny
Boat Info
1985 Sea Ray Weekender 230 OMC Stringer
Engines
5.7 260 w/OMC Stringer
hey Guys,

im getting my boat ready for splash day (May 17th) and i am curious about 2 things.

1-Do you guys have any suggestions for anchor locker organization? do you just keep the rope in a crate?

2-what is best for anchor rode length? 3-1, 5-1? I will be anchoring in a very deep lake, usually around 50-70 feet deep.

thanks for your input
 
3-1 would be minimal, there are those that will say as high as 7-1, but since you are in a lake with no tidal flow, and if the bottom has good holding power, you could get by with 3 or 4 -1 in general. I would want 4 to5-1 if I was staying on the hook over night just for peace of mind. And remember that the rode length ratio has to include the amount from the bow of the boat to the water.
 
If you add 4 feet (or more) of chain between you anchor and rode, that will help your anchor hold. The heavier you chain the better you anchor will bite. If you are in 70' of water, your probably only have enough rode to go 3-1, so the chain is needed. We don't use anything special in the anchor locker, but we wash down the rode and chain when we pull the anchor up...
 
We have not anchored our Sea Ray 380DA yet. We have used Moorings and Harbor hopped for almost a year and a half! Our Slocum 43Ft Cutter had all-chain rode and a big anchor. It took longer to go anywhere, and we used the hook a lot. 7-1 is best for overnight, if it is possible (which is almost never in a crowded anchorage). Two anchors is even better. Usually we put the boat where we want to be, motor forward 3-4 boat lengths drop the anchor to the bottom, play out 7-1 rode, and back down to set the anchor. Then we take in rode as needed to control our swing. The trick to scope is, the more you have out the more lateral the pull on the anchor. Chain between the anchor and rode accomplish the the same goal. If you can really set the anchor a 7-1, it will retain nearly the same grip if you then tighten up to 4-1. You need to be observant as to whether other boats have out one or two anchors, and try to copy any boats who were there first. Ground tackle is a good nights sleep, a frostier Captain, and can be an important safety item. Pull it all out, and inspect everything. Be sure you have a plan for release in an emergency (Maybe the bitter end is a smaller line that can be easily cut, and may there is a small float, so you can recover it later). Line the rode up on your dock and mark it every 25-50 feet. I run it over old cardboard boxes and paint stripes. You are in fresh water so salt water maintenance is mute. They say your anchor should be big enough that people laugh when they walk by on the dock.
 
1 foot of chain for every foot of boat ; anchor will never move... I am at 7:1 typically, marked line every 10 feet and the 20 feet with color liquid electrical tape; works great
 
All good advice.

2000- I think the large anchor comment is the only point I disagree. I think having some chain on the rode, proper scope, and setting it properly are the key factors.

I am using a relatively small 32 lb Ultra, and it it Holds fast. I Anchor about 50 days per year, and have never come unglued even with some fairly high winds.
 
How close to shore are you when you are in 70ft of water? The reason I ask is that at 5 to 7 to one you would have 350 t 500 ft of rode out. That will give you a swing circle of over 300 ft. In order to get clearance from shore, that is a LONG way off shore and sounds like it might not be that sheltered from weather or other boaters.

Up in our area we generally try to back stern in as close as we can (or want to) to shore and tie a stern line to tree or rock (with pins or heavy climbing nuts wedged into rock crevices - Paul on JackieJV's brilliant idea) ) and run the bow anchor out to get decent scope which varies depending on how sheltered we are, and how deep the water is.

Actually my sig picture is in about 20 ft of water with about 75 ft of chain out (I use 100 ft of chain backed by another 150 ft of rope rode) and a stern tie to a rock climbing nut wedged in a crack in the granite.
 
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Not to highjack the thread, but if you back in tie around a rock or tree, troll up and plant your bow anchor. Once you plant your bow anchor do you adjust both ropes and remove the slack from the ropes?
 
kiloil said:
Not to highjack the thread, but if you back in tie around a rock or tree, troll up and plant your bow anchor. Once you plant your bow anchor do you adjust both ropes and remove the slack from the ropes?
Click to expand...

Yes. I position the boat over the spot to drop the anchor and drop to the bottom then slowly back while letting the chain out with the windlass till I am a bit away from where I want to be then gently start to back and set the anchor. Then take the dingy to shore to set the stern line. then can tighten one or the other to take the slack out. Over a bit of time the anchor sets a bit and pulls back and down into the bottom so I check and re-tighten and repeat till the stern line stays taut. Then I know the anchor is well set. Then if I want I can let some more anchor line out and tighten the stern and go closer to shore if I want.
 
during the day - 4 or 5 to 1.

Over night - 7 to 1.

Don't forget to add the height of the tie off to the depth. So - if you were in 10 ft of water and your anchor tie off is 4 ft above the water - then you would calculate scope as ratio number times 14.


How long is the chain rode? I would want at least 25 ft.

My current boat has 250ft all chain - I would be nervous about a 70 ft anchor depth over night. Course that depends on where you are and conditions - but even back when I was on a lake - winds blow, I still stayed at 7 to 1 for overnight. On saltwater - I don't deviate.

One thing I do that I picked up from others.

When anchoring, I set the anchor, pick out land marks that I can monitor for 30 minutes whether or not I am dragging.

Once I am comfortable that I am dragging I setup the chart plotter.

I normally run the chart plotter with heads up - I change it to N up.

Then I zoom in to the lowest level of distance available - maybe 1/16 - then turn on tracks.

Over the next hour or so, the track will become an arc as the boat swings back and forth.

At anytime - I can look at the plotter - see whether I am on the arc. I am on the arc I am not dragging. If I do drag, it is immediately apparent that I have drug. The initial visual alignment gives me a backup on position.

I leave the plotter on overnight - if something is happening (wind, storm, etc) I can tell quickly what is happening.

I use DragQueen app on my iphone as my anchor alarm.

Mark
 
Lot's and lot's of great advice above about proper scope. While there will be differences of opinions, just keep in mind that you can NEVER go wrong with more chain, more line or a bigger anchor. If you're in a situation where you NEED it, you can't just pull over to the side of the road and wait out the storm under a bridge.

For the anchor locker - just let the line fall into the locker naturally and it will come back out easily. There's no reason for a crate - it only makes your effective storage area smaller.
 
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The first review on the Drag Queen App is from a professional captain out of FL. He charters a 53 and an 85. If he likes it, it's good.
 
First, use the correct anchor for the bottom type you are anchoring in. A boat length of chain is a decent rule of thumb for your current situation.

Chain helps to keep the anchor flat as it sets.


433px-Stockless_anchor_1_NT.jpg


Good Luck!!!!
 
I don't want to hijack this topic but I think its relevant. How would these methods apply in a rafting situation?
 
Lazy Daze said:
Lot's and lot's of great advice above about proper scope. While there will be differences of opinions, just keep in mind that you can NEVER go wrong with more chain, more line or a bigger anchor. If you're in a situation where you NEED it, you can't just pull over to the side of the road and wait out the storm under a bridge.

For the anchor locker - just let the line fall into the locker naturally and it will come back out easily. There's no reason for a crate - it only makes your effective storage area smaller.
Click to expand...

Sorry Dennis... I just gotta ask... What?
 
JimG said:
Sorry Dennis... I just gotta ask... What?
Click to expand...

I was making an analogy to driving in a car. In a car, if you're caught in a big storm, you can simply pull over to the side of the road and wait it out. Maybe even pull the car underneath a bridge/overpass. In a boat, we don't have that luxury so "being prepared" is key... plenty of line, even extra line, at least two anchors, etc.
 
Lazy Daze said:
I was making an analogy to driving in a car. In a car, if you're caught in a big storm, you can simply pull over to the side of the road and wait it out. Maybe even pull the car underneath a bridge/overpass. In a boat, we don't have that luxury so "being prepared" is key... plenty of line, even extra line, at least two anchors, etc.
Click to expand...
:thumbsup:
 
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