Almost got thrown out of the marina for mentioning this.

[alansmith]

thanks for posting this article. Enjoyed it immensely and saved it as a favorite to review again and again. I think in a seaway with scary arse conditions it is a very viable option. Hope I never have to test it out...smile

[waterman46]

Nobody mentioned having a rope anchor rode being fouled on the rudder and/or prop when anchored from the stern. When there is shifting wind and/or current your boat may run over a rope anchor rode causing it to foul on the running gear. Been there, done that.
Yes this can happen even when anchored on the bow or if using an all chain rode, but very unlikely.
BTW, sometime it is actually desireable to anchor from the stern, with the bow either also anchored or tied to a dock, tree, whatever. Many cruisers around here carry a lightweight aluminum Danforth with separate rode rigged and ready to go, on the stern. In this case since the bow is secured, the boat is unlikely to drift over the stern rode.

[Wotname]

The thread reminded me of the only time I ever anchored from the stern.

I say anchored and I guess that is true, only it wasn't intentional.

Conditions were 30+ Kts with about a 3 metre swell and 2 metres of wind wave on top of the swell. We hooked a cray pot around the rudder (rope went between the aft of the hull and the leading edge of the transom hung rudder). This quickly turned the stern into the wind and for a few minutes, we dragged the cray pot along the bottom. Thankfully got the sails down before the cray pot finally jammed on something on the rocky bottom and we were now "anchored" by the stern.

The water was maybe 100ft deep and we were being held stationary, stern to weather, by the rudder.

It was an interesting 30 minutes or more with waves breaking over the stern and partially filling the cockpit. I expected the rudder would be torn off any moment

When we finally managed to cut free, we shot off like scaled cat downwind and relative calm was restored. Clearly the KIWI builder had used decent sized rudder pintles!!!

I can't say if I remember any shearing as my mind was more focussed removing the offending cray pot line.

[Kiwi.]

Originally Posted by roland stockham

Well 'running off' before a storm is a well established storm tack-tick so so why not at anchor. Only real difference is the lack of a few knots forward speed which compared to 50kns wind speed is not significant. I would give it a go except my boat lays perfectly quietly to the bow anchor in 50kns and I would get downdraft on the stovepipe if stern to...

A storm wave travels at about 20 knots (not at the 50knot wind speed) so 5 knots of travel forward does make a significant difference.

When we were young and racing up to the Pacific Islands we would often anchor stern-to on arrival, mainly to get fresh air into a racing boat that had a minimum of hatches and a lot of sweaty young guys. It was also laziness after a weeks racing: the anchor and chain always lived on the floor in the very middle of the cabin whilst racing, so the quickest way to anchor was from the cockpit.

I remember one night when the wind picked up a bit in Suva Harbour and we were stern-to on a 40ft Ross design. The boat normally sailed around its anchor like a "ballerina on drugs" but stern anchored it was impressively stable. The noise and the amount of water that entered the boat when the wind got up was even more impressive however.

With a canoe stern I would definitely try stern-to anchoring in a good breeze. And it would be so much easier and safer to check on chafe and line security.

Another time in Fiji I was slumming it on a 70ft Warwick design that we were to deliver across to Brisbane. It was also great at sailing around its anchor. One evening at anchor off Pacific Harbour (with more rum inside than outside) we had a crew competition using the bow thruster to see who could keep the boat straightest at anchor. The bow thruster was the type that lowers down from the bow as distinct from a tube type. I forget who won the competition but to our great surprise the boat was very stable at anchor with just the thruster down and turned off. From then on the thruster was lowered at anchor whether we needed it or not.

[stillbuilding]

Well, I have a canoe stern and have anchored stern-to. All good until the wind and waves pick up and you want to move.

The prop does not work as effectively in reverse, did not have the powerful windlass to pull in the chain and rope rode, and in cannot raise any sail before lift-off. As soon as you pull up the boat is off like the scalded cat mentioned above.

Bloody lucky to have got out of it with the shore not far off. Never again. And that was in the relatively protected Sandy Straits.


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[stillbuilding]

But a good idea so with a big engine, a second hefty windlass and a long way from any downwind obstructions it may be a runner.

Did not sail around the anchor.😃


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[David B]

Originally Posted by powsmias

Was this a april fools joke?
i believe in the findings but the marina i'm at gave me some funny looks
four people refute what is printed here. someone help me cause i'm goin with the article's findings. thanx in advance

Jordan Series Drogue - Mooring and Anchoring

To start with, the author of the article in that link seems to be confusing the 'stem' (or bow) for the stern (repeated too many times to be a typo). The old saying 'stem to stern' should be ringing in his ears.

Other than that, I cannot argue with the science, but the practicality of a modern, broad-sterned yacht with open dodger and bimini (yes, they both should be removed in a real blow, but ....) facing the onslaught of waves and wind puts a hugely greater load on the mooring or anchor(s), and as observed, brings a lot more water onboard - especially with an open transom.

Against this, a wildly yawing yacht, fetching up violently at the end of each swing, before tacking back again, also puts huge loads on the mooring/anchor(s) and would certainly make the difference in a marginal situation between the anchor holding and breaking out.

In my view, a bridle at the bow, with another line on the windward side coming aft through a stern or midships cleat to a primary winch would be preferable. In the relative security of the cockpit, one can via the winch, adjust the line so that the bow is off the wind sufficiently prevent tacking, but no more than needed, so as to to minimise the increased loading on the anchor through exposing more beam to the wind and waves.
Then also one would in most cases, need to go to the bow to ensure the leeward half of the bow bridle is not chafing over the stem fitting (that's the bow as we all know ).

It has been touched on in other comments, but a riding sail off the backstay can also make a very significant difference (as per the article - feathers on the end of the arrow) to a sloop rig, and of course this is an advantage of rigs such as the yawl.

[undercutter]

Has anyone considered current here? What happens when the current is running strong or on my boat any at all she will not hang in the wind but in the current. We learned this real quick in Asia where we were blown blown over our anchor in a thunderstorm when the current and wind were directly opposed.

Tried running out a stern anchor in these situations but found that every time the tide turned you were likely to end up with the rodes twisted around each other and what a mess.

Thinking that anchoring from the stern only in any current would just result in the rode fouling the anchor/prop (full keel) with possible resultant damage including scraping off all the bottom paint. 300' of 1/2" chain only rode on primary anchor with 2nd bow anchor (20' chain) and 3rd anchor mounted on stern all rope. Hope someone will teach me something here.

[capt-couillon]

Anchored up off the stern for 2 nights now. 15-20 kt winds from the East. No fetch so little wave action, but a good strong breeze... (Drum Roll)

No more drunken ballerina. Set stern to the wind quiet as you please. Gonna check out getting a rider for the back-stay as not sure I would be comfy in a more substantial sea, but for now a new tool in the box.

Tks

[hpeer]

I think I will give it a go also.

But we have a long stern overhang with the he rudder attached to the keel so it would be hard to foul. We have two back stays which make a riding sail more difficult.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by RichandHelen

We have 250' of chain and ALWAYS use a snubber tied off to port and starboard bow cleats. The boat still tacks back-and-forth. The sailing around has more to do with boat design characteristics. If you look around at most anchorages you'll see that the majority of monos over about 30' use snubbers (bridles).

Hi R&H. I understand the boat design characteristics make it a different issue with a monohull vs cat. Erik in post 8 cited an example of a cat dragging while anchored stern-to. My point was just that I could never see any reason to anchor stern-to from a cat, especially since the design and anchored characteristics of the boat favor bow anchor so much more.

[powsmias]

Originally Posted by roland stockham

Well 'running off' before a storm is a well established storm tack-tick so so why not at anchor. Only real difference is the lack of a few knots forward speed which compared to 50kns wind speed is not significant. I would give it a go except my boat lays perfectly quietly to the bow anchor in 50kns and I would get downdraft on the stovepipe if stern to...

Found this on a sail blog about jordan's writings on the subject.. pretty good read,

Anchor by stern

[Kiwi.]

Originally Posted by undercutter

Has anyone considered current here? What happens when the current is running strong or on my boat any at all she will not hang in the wind but in the current. We learned this real quick in Asia where we were blown blown over our anchor in a thunderstorm when the current and wind were directly opposed.

Tried running out a stern anchor in these situations but found that every time the tide turned you were likely to end up with the rodes twisted around each other and what a mess.

Thinking that anchoring from the stern only in any current would just result in the rode fouling the anchor/prop (full keel) with possible resultant damage including scraping off all the bottom paint. 300' of 1/2" chain only rode on primary anchor with 2nd bow anchor (20' chain) and 3rd anchor mounted on stern all rope. Hope someone will teach me something here.

I've spent many enjoyable days anchored in strongly flowing tidal creeks and streams in New Zealand and Australia. The trick is to have a stern anchor (the only good use for a Danforth) with a rode at least twenty times the depth you will anchor in, (10 ft of chain and the rest rope is ideal). As an example with a 10ft tidal range, a six foot draft and wanting to have 3 feet under the keel at low tide, that's a stern anchor with at least 400ft of rode! You drop the stern anchor and motor into the current until all 400ft are let out and you set the stern anchor firmly with a good push of half throttle. With the throttle still open you drop the main bow anchor to the bottom, then put the motor in neutral and drift back pulling in the stern anchor rode whilst letting out the main anchor rode until you've pulled in 200ft of stern rode. Then start pulling the main bow chain back in until it's very firm. (If it's high tide pull it tight). At that point you should have 200ft out both ends with rodes 10 times the depth at both ends. 10 times is the minimum for this sort of anchoring as even a light wind on the beam puts huge pressure on the anchors. You start with the stern anchor because the main anchor (with chain) typically does not have enough rode length. In the Australian Northern Territories where 30ft tides are common we carry a 400 metre (1300ft) coil of rope for our stern anchor. A buoy attached to the stern anchor rode is not a bad idea either; if it comes onto blow from the beam you have to be ready to drop the stern anchor in a big hurry and let the main bow anchor do its job; next time that happens I hope I'm brave enough to buoy off the bow anchor and see how she lays stern-to on the danforth!

[donradcliffe]

Before you anchor your boat by the stern, jump twice off a high diving board into the pool. The first time go in feet first and keep your arms by your sides. The second time do a belly flop or land flat on your back.

Now think about the shape of your stern vs your bow. If your stern is flat, remember what the belly flop felt like.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

B
Now think about the shape of your stern vs your bow. If your stern is flat, remember what the belly flop felt like.

But on some boats it would be more like jumping in feet first or head first.