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Anchor in an emergency, when doubtful of your position, or when weary.
Nothing seems to give quite as much comfort in times of stress or uncertainty.Have you checked all fi ve factors to make sure you’ve chosen the safest anchor-
age in gusty weather? What two things increase the holding power of a single
anchor in a crowded anchorage? How would you tie a clove hitch to a piling to
make it stronger than the mighty bowline?
In Th is Chapter, You’ll Learn How To:
D Put together a powerful all-weather ground tackle system
D Approach a crowded anchorage under power or sail
D Prevent an anchor from dragging by one of four methods
D Unground a boat with two throwable kedge anchors
D Tie fi ve of the most useful knots, bends, and hitches
How to Choose the Right Anchors for Your Boat
The market bombards us with the newest, high-tech, perfectly designed anchors. Th e
fact is any anchor will drag under certain conditions. And unless you physically dive
on the anchor and bury it beneath the seabed, you should assume it will drag. Wind
and current shift s, heaving ground swell, boat wakes, and a fouled or inconsistent
bottom unite against you. Th e anchor must reset itself in the shortest distance in a
matter of seconds. It can only do this with the help of other components.
Th e best way to understand anchoring is to see how all the components
work together. First, choose the right anchors for your cruising ground. Match
the anchor to the boat, seabed, and the amount of shelter of a given anchorage.
Carry at least two anchors and keep them ready for immediate deployment.
WHAT SIZE ANCHOR DO YOU NEED?
Most tables in marine-store catalogs or literature from anchor manufacturers
recommend anchor size based on boat length and displacement. But you should
take into consideration freeboard (height of the hull above the water) and
ANCHORING
AND MARLINSPIKE
SEAMANSHIP
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