tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post3061734573665336504..comments2024-03-28T08:26:58.108-04:00Comments on Our Odyssey: Anchoring VectorLouisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06306854459459257368noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-4937327006757971452013-10-26T22:19:34.540-04:002013-10-26T22:19:34.540-04:00My boat is nearly the same size as yours and about...My boat is nearly the same size as yours and about the same weight although I covet your bow eye. My 10 foot bow ends up adding a tremendous amount to my chain requirement. I'm anchored in 20 feet right now but that means it's really 30 for me. So yep, I put out 225 feet to set the anchor (my chain is marked in 25' segments).<br /><br />Here's a trick that I learned for tighter anchorage - and I use it all the time especially when you're not expecting a lot of very bad weather and swing - the trick is at the end. Let out the required chain amount for 7:1 or greater. Always, and I mean always power set the anchor. This takes some finesse and time. You can't just plow backwards because the anchor will often skip out. Instead, think about easing the anchor slowly into the mud. It takes practice. We'll go in reverse and go out of gear when we're 25' from the amount of chain let out (DragQueen on the bow is an excellent tool for that along with some type of wireless headsets). Let the boat ease back those 25' and grab slowly. It'll often spring back when it grabs a little and it often drags a little (20 feet is my limit). Do that a few times.<br /><br />The ultimate point is when the anchor is set and you're in reverse and everything is holding. If the weather might be bad, we'll up the RPM's in reverse to 800 or 1000 for our normal 600 RPM idle in-gear throttle. Leave it in reverse for 15-60 seconds watching that you're not moving back - DQ again is a good tool there. You'll often see it bounce forward and back as the chain has a little spring through catenary forces even though you're in gear.<br /><br />Here's the trick. Your anchor is set well now. Pull in chain so that you're at as little as 4:1 scope. I aim for 5:1 when needed. So where I am now (Tenn-Tom River in Mississippi), I power set the anchor at 225 feet and then pulled back chain until I was at 175 feet. That's about 6:1 but gave me a more comfortable swing room and more time to react if there was dragging. I've been here for 9 days now and I've swung completely around. Because I was set so deep initially, the anchor is likely still in its original orientation but is a few feet under the mud.<br /><br />In situations like this, it'll take a little more time to retrieve the anchor and you can't use the windlass to pull it from the mud (ever). That extra time is the best wasted time I get and I'm smiling the whole time.<br /><br />Safe anchoring,<br /><br />...JeffMV Red Headhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08746387118276013808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-7450410704910908162013-10-26T21:06:54.317-04:002013-10-26T21:06:54.317-04:00If you are serious about a new-gen anchor then che...If you are serious about a new-gen anchor then check out the Sarca Excel. I expect it will fit right into your existing pulpit. Unfortunately you won't find them for sale in North America but Rex will work with you to get you one. Phone him and look at his videos. You won't regret it.<br /><br />http://www.anchorright.com.au/products/sarca-excel-anchor<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-75057298821835238532013-10-26T09:58:22.383-04:002013-10-26T09:58:22.383-04:00Well, the good news is that the deeper the water, ...Well, the good news is that the deeper the water, the greater the catenary effect, and the lower the required scope ratio. Rocna has a great write-up on this in their knowledge base.<br /><br />As far as anchor size, you're not going to start a war with me -- I'm with Steve Dashew on this: it's not big enough unless people on the dock are laughing at you. At least you admit to NTBH :-)<br /><br />The Bruce came with the boat, and it's so well integrated you'd think they built the boat around it. Crazy Canadians ;-). BTW, the original builders only included 200' of chain -- and this is in Nova Scotia, mind you. The last owner swapped it for the 400' chain we have now, which was really all that would fit in the locker without jamming.<br /><br />As it happens, I have been researching next-generation anchors for the last few days. We're looking to see if any of them would fit the existing "pulpit" (such as it is). I'd like a Manson Supreme, but I think the shank is too wide. It is possible either a Rocna or a Mantus would fit, in say 125 or 150 lb sizes. The problem is that, to know for sure, we'll have to make a mockup and try it. Which means first paying out all 400' of chain so that the roller is empty.<br /><br />That's a long-term project, so for now we will be making do with the Bruce. Which, BTW, has been absolutely fantastic here on the east coast -- sets instantly and then never moves.Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17930398671280529448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-40357436622489165222013-10-26T01:02:48.454-04:002013-10-26T01:02:48.454-04:00Its all good in theory but when there's 100 fe...Its all good in theory but when there's 100 feet of water 100 feet from shore the theory falls apart. Shore tying helps and time will give you more confidence. And at the risk of starting an anchor war, that Bruce isn't big enough for serious anchoring with your boat nor do you carry enough chain IMNTBHO.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-12447812633368187542013-10-25T12:44:26.433-04:002013-10-25T12:44:26.433-04:00Bob, thanks much for your comment. I am guessing ...Bob, thanks much for your comment. I am guessing we will encounter these issues well before the PNW as we expect to be in the fjords of South America on our way there.<br /><br />Perhaps in time we will develop a confidence to lie to a 6:1 or even a 5:1 scope, at least under some moderate conditions. More likely we will get a different anchor before then, which might have different breakout characteristics. And/or we might increase our total chain, now that our chain locker is deeper and can accommodate perhaps another 50%.<br /><br />The issue for us is that the design our anchor, a 50-kilo genuine Bruce, has a breakout angle of around 8°, according to the best information we can find (Bruce has exited the recreational anchor market, nearly a decade ago). That is to say, the anchor is designed to hold fast at an angle of pull (from the seabed) up to that amount, but will tend to break out at angles above that.<br /><br />A 7:1 scope works out to an angle of 8.2° when the catenary goes taut, whereas even a 6:1 scope is already an angle of 9.6° -- well over the Bruce's breakout angle.<br /><br />It can be argued that in moderate conditions our heavy 1/2" galvanized chain will offer sufficient catenary to ensure the angle will remain below the breakout point, and that's probably true for static loads such as a steady wind or current.<br /><br />A bigger problem arises when you account for surge loads and our 110,000-lbs of mass. A strong gust or a big wave can easily send us to the end of the chain briefly with the snubber taut and visible just below the surface.<br /><br />I suspect your much lighter boat (and also lower windage) does not suffer the same issues, and even if your anchor and chain is a good bit smaller than ours, expressed as a percentage of the mass of the boat its probably a larger share.<br /><br />I have no problem, BTW, lying 5:1 for a lunch hook, and I confess we've had to shorten to nearly that in a crowded anchorage, but in anything other than completely protected water it would make me too nervous to sleep.<br />Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17930398671280529448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-55461569113467706202013-10-25T07:48:47.294-04:002013-10-25T07:48:47.294-04:00Great post with much useful information. Thanks.Great post with much useful information. Thanks.John in Augustahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09353916956686417017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-7639209574409279352013-10-24T22:52:06.464-04:002013-10-24T22:52:06.464-04:00You'll have a lot of trouble with that 7:1 &am...You'll have a lot of trouble with that 7:1 & 10:1 scope if/when you make it around to the PNW. We carry 550 feet of chain and still find ourselves on 5:1 at most and often less than that. And we're only 4.5 feet draft. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-77490178889828694732013-10-24T20:03:29.106-04:002013-10-24T20:03:29.106-04:00As a daytime pleasure boater, 26 feet, I never fai...As a daytime pleasure boater, 26 feet, I never fail to learn something from reading one of your blogs....Rod Ivers https://www.blogger.com/profile/11622769861928590585noreply@blogger.com