anchoring techniques

[mrb]

Thats a good idea, running the anchor line through a loop and lead back to the cockpit. I will reamember and use when needed.

Do you keep your bow line pulled back to the Stern while sailing.  I do because being a solo sailor it's nice to step off the boat with both bow and stern line in hand.

Good sailing
Melvin

[multimedia_smith]

I keep the dock line with the looped short line there while sailing because I use it to hold the boat to the dock while I move the trailer to and from the parking lot.  I mostly single hand, so there is no one to hold her while I deal with the trailer.  I leave the docking line attached to the bow and stern cleats and it's just long enough to go around a couple of posts without too much surplus to wrap up.  When I launch... I have it attached to both ends and hold the "looped" short rope in one hand while I drive down the ramp... when the boat floats off, I walk it down the pier and since the line is attached to both bow and the stern, I no longer have the problem of the wind taking the stern into the other side of the narrow slip (crunch!)... I lift it over a couple of pilings and stowe the trailer... When I return from sailing, the dockline is right there to loop over the pilings while I get the trailer... The short rope has a bowline tied in one end and slides along the docking line.  I use the same length for the anchor when I have the rare occasion to use it.
Cheers
Dale

[curtisv]

     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.

What you need to anchor depends on what type of anchoring.  Anchoring overnight in unprotected water you'd need more in the way of ground tackle than having lunch on a small lake.

What you have sound like a lunch hook.  You can anchor safely with a 4:1 scope if you are just having lunch in fairly light conditions and keeping watch.  If you plan to leave the boat or go to sleep, then this won't do.

The bow cleat is where you are supposed to secure the anchor rode.  Avoid the tow hook.

Curtis

[multimedia_smith]

Hi Curtis,
You're just about right... the "casual" anchor is a little flooke type... it holds pretty well... but when we overnighted at Ship Island (13miles off the Coast of Mississippi) I used the danforth with about 75 feet of line in just six feet of water... PLUS the little bungie rope anchor.
I just saw the pics of your boat... it's gorgeous... it looks new... people ask if mine is new sometimes... they do hold up if you take care of them... Looks like a great weather day that you had.  I finally went sailing Sunday from a different launch.  The Mandeville yacht club one is going to be under construction for the quite some time... the dyke keeps breaking before they have a chance to pour the concrete.

The season will be over soon down here anyway... just a few more weeks then it's going to start roasting and boiling up the thunderstorms 'till fall.  Enjoy your summer up there...

Best Regards

Dale

[Salty19]

"Chapmans "Piloting" has a good section on this subject.  "

Just picked this bible up. It will take a year to get through it!


Hopefully I made the right decision on a new anchor purchase for the 19-won't know until next year.

Working Anchor
9lb Danforth Anchor
12' 1/4 chain
200' 3/8" rode

Heavy Anchor
19lb Plow with 6' 1/4 chain, thinking about a real long chain if I can find on discount (16-20')
Haven't got a rode yet, thinking two 200' rodes.

Lunch Hook
4.5lb Grapnel
? chain, maybe 5'
100' rode..will use in shallow inlet

My dilemna with anchors are twofold. There is a large and very tall dam on the water I sail in. One could stall their engine out of the marina and with the wind blowing at 15knots from the North, you'll be clinging to the barrier rope in under a minute!!  And...the water is about 90 feet at it's deepest, which is most of the interior of this small lake. Near the dam it goes from 80' to dam level quickly.  There is a slight current towards the dam from a river down in the depths. MSo I need an unusually long rode just in case.  And of course smart entry paths into and out of the marna to sail out of a problem. 

You guys think the heavy anchor will stop the CP19 is bad situations.??


O

[newt]

If your trying to anchor in 90 feet maybe you need a sea anchor:) I see your dilemma, and I would approach it in a different way:
1. go out of the marina with a sail up- the one you can best sail away from the dam with. If your engine poops, use your sailing skills sailor! At the very least you can sail directly over to the side and anchor there till you get the motor worked out.
2. Have oars on board and know how to use them. Although my outboard has never failed me yet on my CP, I occasionally take it out with just oars and sails. It is amazing the peace of mind you can get knowing if any one thing failed on your boat you would have a backup.
Just my 2 cents...

[Salty19]

Problem with a sea anchor is it won't hold the boat still long enough for help to arrive.    The dam is not just a wall with rocks--it drops off several hundred feet after a very small ledge which looks to regulate the water flow. A walking bridge is over the water regulation.  So the boat would either get trapped over the "falls" or slip under the bridge and down, down, down....  Either way, would be the death of the boat and probably me.

Your points are very well taken here.  Normally I have the main sail ready to raise as I'm motoring out of the marina for the purpose you mentioned.  I may just raise it all the way and loosen the sheet until just clear of the marina where normally I kill the outboard and sail off.  That will give me another minute or so to react. I'm sure I can sail out of the situation if I'm ready for it.  But in case I cannot due to wind direction, it would be nice to know that I can throw over a huge anchor and stop the boat until help arrives. And if I need a min 5:1 scope, preferrably 7:1 or more--that's a heck of a lot of rode!

Oars probably will not work for me in a CP19 under bad conditions.  I have one and will stow it onboard, but really don't expect much since the boat is so heavy.

[nies]

If the wind is not blowing to hard , I raise the sails and motor away from the dock, of course wind direction and speed can make this a handy way to get out of harms way. I actually back my boat off the lift with the sails up with my 5 hp.......Phil

[kchunk]

You guys think the heavy anchor will stop the CP19 is bad situations.??
O

Unfortunately, the answer to this...like many other things in both life and sailing...If you really need it it probably won't work.

Not to say it's a bad idea, I'd just not plan on it being your only course of action. Like others suggest, raise the main in advance, have the oars on standby, make sure your rode is not knotted up. Any one of these plans may or may not save you from a catastrophic encounter with the damn dam, but making sure you have the ability to employ all of the plans is really the best way to mitigate your risk. I don't think you'll find any 100% foolproof solution to your dilemma...other than perhaps not leaving the dock at all. I suppose that's the best way to assure your boat doesn't go near the damn.

--Greg

[Joseph]

- If you didn't know how to fly a plane but might have to do it, and had a chance of learning only one maneuver well... which one would that be...?
- Landing!
- And if instead of a plane it was a sailboat...?
- ...

Do you catch my drift?  Good! because if you fail to properly anchor no one else may catch yours.... 

My recommendation:

Complete Book of Anchoring and Mooring
by Earl R. Hinz,
2006
Cornell Maritime Press, Inc.

J.

[fafnir]

I would recommend towing a barrel.  If your motor dies,  go over the falls in the barrel.  Much safer. 

[Craig Weis]

Anchor Setting Comparison (Video) - SailboatOwners.com
http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.ph...

skip.

[newt]

Salty- there was a smilie after the sea anchor- It would not work with the current going toward the dam.  Oars on the other hand, if set up correctly on your boat- might. I used to row my 27 foot Catalina (8000 lbs) in and out of the marina quite often. My 3000 lb Compac is much easier, and I think you should be able to get some good boat speed by rowing your 19 ft compac.
Once again- just trying to be helpful.

[Salty19]

newt--sorry, I guess I missed the humor-my fault. 

Your advice is spot on.  I used to be ready to raise the sail upon motoring out of the marina, but I think I need to go ahead and raise it prior to backing out of the slip (with sheets loose).  If a line got snaged or something, the act of raising the sail prior to needed it could save me several seconds and give me a chance to sail away from the dam.