anchoring techniques

[roland cobine]

     since im fairly new to sailing and have previously owned a hobie 16 and a 15' mutineer, i need some advise on anchoring my cp16. the anchor is i imagine one that came as original equipment in 1981. its a danforth with a length of chain and about 60 feet or rope. on my fishing boat i use bow "gripper" cleats but im unsure what i should tie the rope to on the cp16. i know the question sound rather "basic" but  i would rather do it right than srew things up.

[Paul]

Not the bow eye!

Rather the bow cleat.  Regular figure eight hitch typically found on cleats should be fine.

Many years ago, I found a great all round small boat primer entitled "The Complete Sailor" by David Seidman.  It's just right.  Not too much information, but over simplified either.  If you are new to sailing, it may be another good choice for good information.

Hope this helps,

Paul

[Bob23]

Roland:
   Please, 7:1 scope on your anchor line. Iv'e seen adequate anchors, chain and line not do thier job because of not enough line out to maintain proper scope. Rule of thumb: 7 feet out for every 1 foot of water depth.
  Bob23 in "Koinonia"

[B.Hart]

Hi Roland, Bobs right on here, in rough seas without enough scope you will lift the ancor instead of pull on it.   BILL

[roland cobine]

   as always thanks for the good advise. i pretty much sail a fairly shallow lake and would most likely anchor in 8 foot or less. my main concern is attaching the anchor rope to the boat. i would never use the bow eye but is the cleat just behind the forestay attachment strong enough. I was thinking of replacing it with a "gripper" style like i have on my fishing boat. never had one fail to hold.  thanks again

[newt]

8 times 7 is 56, with 60 foot total rode you should be OK, but cutting it a bit tight. I would make sure your anchor setup is beefy enough to take the pull of your boat in the highest winds, and then double the strength.  Rodes tend to break down over the years and you want plenty of backup. Nothing like cutting loose from your anchor at 3 in the morning in gale force winds, esp. if you are next to a rocky leeward shore or in a tight anchorage.
Not to scare you, but if you are serious about anchoring overnight- I like to use two in a Bahamian moor if it is going to be rough, and get something besides a Danforth- a CQR is the one I have on my 23... but I may be overdoing it. What does everyone else think?

[Lost Lake]

8 times 7 is 56, with 60 foot total rode you should be OK, but cutting it a bit tight.

Remember to add the freeboard! 8 feet of water plus three feet of freeboard would be 11' feet times 7, or 77 feet.

'Least that's how I was told to figure it.... 

[Bob23]

   Ah,,,that sneaky freeboard. I anchor in 4 to 7 feet of water usually. (Our bay is shallow) and carry 100 feet of 1/2" line plus 10 feet 5/16 inch chain. I'm in the process of upgrading to 200 feet of 5/8 line, same chain. (Too cheap to buy more chain!)
   Newt's advice is good. I carry a spare anchor and using 2 anchors, I keep the swing to a minimum. I also fly an anchoring (or riding) sail at anchor. It cuts the swing in half, degree-wise, puts less strain on the anchor and line,  and boat and is much more comfortable. I bought mine at a yard saile  but Banner Bay Marine makes 'em. So does any good sailmaker.
   The factory cleat on my 1985 23/2 has never failed me. It's held the boat at anchor in 25-30 knt winds plus 3-4 ft waves. Not so much as a surface crack on the deck. The Hutchins boys do it right!
   Bob23 in NJ and warming up!

[newt]

Hmm... probably right about the free board, although he did say a length of chain rode before the rope rode. I would still get rid of the original equipment and get a real anchor with a new rope rode, at least in addition to the Danforth. BTW, how high above the waterline is the bow of a CP 16? Is it really three feet? I thought that is about what my CP 23 is.
Hi Bob! Good to talk to another 23 sailor. I just got mine about a month ago and I am already sold on her...she save my bacon (see "can you tip these babies over")
Back to the subject...What type of anchors do you find useful?

[Bob23]

Newt:
   I have a custom (read: homemade-by-someone) stainless steel Danforth style anchor. Bought it at a nautical flea market along with 400' poly line for 20 bucks. Not bad. I also have a large, cast Danforth, don't know the number and it's raining out now so I won't go out and get it.
   I looked for a 23 for a few years before this one (1985) came up for sale a few years ago. We've been in love ever since. I hope I can learn to post photos here...I've done quite a bit to her. I guess soon she could use a new suit of sails although the originals are still in good shape.
   Newt, where do you sail?
   bob23 in NJ
   

[newt]

I charter down in Florida and the Bahamas, but I bought my 23 to get my fix here at home...sailing in the Great Salt Lake. Its amazing how much like the ocean it is, except very little traffic and no fish .  The landscape reminds me of pictures of Baja. It is desert and isolated around the lake, but I like it that way. Nothing like anchoring out and listening to classical guitar when you are the only person around. Haven't done any extended trip with her yet, but I will, once I get a little sea sense to how she reacts to different situations.
Salty but inland
Newt

[mrb]

hello

one more idea on anchoring.  everone right on the scope issue,the main point is to keep the anchor flat on the bottom.   how much chain you have and the water or weather conditions 7to1 is a good start point. as current and or wind picks up you need to let more line out.  however some times there just isn't enough swing room. that is where other options come into play.  I have tried the two anchor systems and found you can wake up to a real nightmare with tangled lines. I like to send down a sentinel variation and had nothing but good results in some real blows and extream currents.  What i doe is first send down my large danforth with chain followed by braided nylon. On this I then send down a small danforth with a ring on the shank. the main anchor line is passed through the ring. I have a suitable line hooked to this ring so that after first anchor is set I can lower the small anchor which also sets and works to keep my main anchor line parallel to the bottom. the trick is to get the small anchor down to the chain which lets the nylon float off the bottom. in rocky ground you don't want your line to rub and cut on the rocks. Chapmans "Piloting" has a good section on this subject.  Some times you can find a copy at a used book store or chandlery for not a great sum of money.  A good book to have at any price.

Then I would look to see how bow cleat is mounted. When in doubt up grade or why not tie end of line to something like the bow pulpit(down low) then  use cleat to take load of anchor.  I always check gps position a couple of times before settling in for night.

most important practice in safe area before heading out into the unknown.

good luck
mrb

[multimedia_smith]

I was wondering why not use the bow eye... or at least running through the bow eye to the cleat... isn't it strong enough to haul the boat onto the trailer and hold it there on the highway?  It eliminates the freeboard... I run the anchor rope through a loop in a "bridle" rope that goes back to the cockpit for easy retrieval without going forward.  I have used this method for "casual" anchoring for brief activities (lunch or wading). 

One thing I found at one of the boat shops is pretty cool... it's called "anchor buddy" and it is an anchor rope with essentially a bungie cord at its core... it still has the nylon outer rope for strength, but its stretchability takes the strain off of the anchor when waves rock the boat and helps to prevent the anchor from breaking loose... I have used it mostly on sandy bottoms and it really smoothes out the "ride" on the boat if you are sitting on it at anchor.

Cheers

Dale

[mrb]

HI

the bow eye looks inviting,low freeboard and strength.  Problem is if you have to get the anchor up fast or wind and or waves pick up
you may find that laying over the bow to get a hold and the anchor is not something you want do do.  On a 16 there is not that much room between the forstay and pulpit stanchions.  For safety you should be able to get the anchor on deck quickly and easily once you start the retrieval process.

good sailing
mrb

[multimedia_smith]

You're right about wanting to get to it quickly if necessary.  That's why I run the anchor line through a loop on a rope that is led to the cockpit... With the anchor line attached to the bow, I can still get to it without leaving the cockpit.  (for this I use the line that runs from the bow to the stern cleat when docking).

All the best. 
Dale