Backing Down? Why Bother When Tide Changes

[svfinlandia]

Originally Posted by Benz

I am not in the habit of backing down. Usually I set the anchor club-hauled by having some way on when I drop it (I'm often sailing into the anchorage). But if I drop it from full stop, I just let the pressure of the wind or current gently pull the anchor in. In some bottoms, pulling too hard before the anchor has had a chance to wiggle into the mud can drag it all over and it never sets (seen that before!). We are lucky to live in a time when anchoring is easier than ever. If I had to cruise with a CQR or a Delta or a Bruce I'd probably never leave the house.
Ben
zartmancruising.com

Ben
I agree that modern anchors are much easier to set now. I had a Bruce for years and it used to set well but was fairly picky. I have found that my new Mason Supreme does not want to set if you try to pull on it too quickly. Now I let it settle and let the wind or current pull the chain out slowly and by the time I get the proper scope the anchor is usually set. If I think the bottom may be questionable, then I will back down on it. If not, I just leave it there and go to sleep for the night with the anchor alarm on
I left my boat for a week once hanging on the Bruce in St. Mary's, Georgia where the tides can be 7+ feet and ripping through pretty rapidly. When I came back and raised the anchor I fuond the chain wrapped around the shank several times but it was still firmly set.

Al, S/V Finlandia

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Certainly. It is not, however, a judgement call, whether redline exerts a greater force on the ground tackle, than half of redline.

I'm not really sure, why people would be so easily satisfied, by pulling daintily on the chain. That midnight thunderstorm might be less dainty, and where will you be then, if you didn't use all available power to check the quality of the set earlier?

It's always a lot of variables. But:
-Rarely in a thunder squall has the original wind direction been in evidence in my experience. So continued pulling in the original direction has little use.
-Many different bottoms exist. There's a lot of bottoms out there with shallow sand over clay or hard pan. Strong pulling is just going to cause a reset of the anchor. You are not going to set any deeper.
- Once your anchor sets at moderate pulling, if you have a more extreme event later in the same direction, and IF you have good bottom conditions, it will dig in more.
So many variables....

[svfinlandia]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

On my boat, for example, 2000 RPM does not pull the chain tight.

I guess everything is relative. Max RPM on my old Perkins is only 1700 RPM, but it is 85 hp with a big prop. If I don't let the anchor settle in some and back down on it I can yank it out nearly every time. Once it has settled I can back down on it and it will hold solid.

Al, S/V Finlandia

[Ken Z]

please be curtious to others anchored around you. BACK DOWN, unless its your lunch hook. Bad tides,currents ,two anchors, bahama style, please.my dad would roll in his greve if our family didnt back down, set it... I always do so i can get a good nights sleep, two hours at a time. its agood way to know if your shaft issecurely connected. assume one thing your going to die sometime...

[nautitrix]

Even setting in is not a guarantee, but it is a responsible attempt to use best practices. One year while working a crab boat on the northern BC. Alaska, border we set and backed down, throttle test and all. With 0 wind, a neap tide of 20+ feet, and a current change to 2 knots, we went to sleep in BC. and woke up in Alaska.
Fortunately with 300 feet of rode and chain out we did not snag ,but we very sheepishly snuck back to the Canadian side before we had to explain ourselves to the USCG. I guess I'm saying that "stuff" happens, but more often if you are taking short cuts.

[bongo]

On large ships we back down to set the anchor; but, more importantly, we set an ANCHOR WATCH.

[thomm225]

I kind of enjoy watching the boats coming into anchor and making a big show of backing down.

It can be quite the scene for all the locals at the anchorage that have simply let go their anchor on approach and let the wind and tide do the rest.

Some of us give a couple hard yanks after setting to insure our old CQR's etc that came with our boats are set for peace of mind while knowing the really setting was happening with the letting go on approach and cleating off

I guess it depends on knowing your anchorage and experience.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I kind of enjoy watching the boats coming into anchor and making a big show of backing down.

It can be quite the scene for all the locals at the anchorage that have simply let go their anchor on approach and let the wind and tide do the rest.

Some of us give a couple hard yanks after setting to insure our old CQR's etc that came with our boats are set for peace of mind while knowing the really setting was happening with the letting go on approach and cleating off

I guess it depends on knowing your anchorage and experience.

Please do me a favor, and don't anchor upwind of me!

You can still see the fiberglass repairs in my boat, from the last time someone anchored upwind by just chucking over an old CQR, and imagining that it would set itself without any effort on the part of the crew.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Please do me a favor, and don't anchor upwind of me!

You can still see the fiberglass repairs in my boat, from the last time someone anchored upwind by just chucking over an old CQR, and imagining that it would set itself without any effort on the part of the crew.

Like I said, it all comes down to experience and technique.

If you want to make a big deal about anchoring that's fine but I've been doing it the same way since age 16 and haven't had a problem.

A little common sense helps..................I do enjoy the backing down show though

I'm guessing if you spend $500.00 plus on an anchor you need to make a big deal over it but didn't folks sail and anchor the same waters when they didn't have the capability of backing down with a new generation anchor and didn't have a problem?

Then there are the folks that have sailed around the world without an engine that anchor and make it work

I've just been using the old anchor(s) my $2,000 boat came with and so far so good. I haven't tried the other 5 anchors yet. The PO was an anchor fanatic I reckon


This is my first cruising boat though so I'm wasn't the best at choosing anchorages at first and have been caught several times in onshore winds of 28 knots plus at 2am while anchored 70 yards offshore and the anchor held.................although I may have been praying a bit as the anchor rope slide back and forth.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by rwidman

Since there are hundreds of varieties of boats out there, I don't think a given RPM has the same effect on all boats.

It's a judgment call on what RPM is suitable for your boat.

2000rpm is maximum for our boat in reverse gear, MaxProp and held fast by an anchor rode. Max rpms are 3600 in forward gear without the resistance from being held fast.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Like I said, it all comes down to experience and technique.

If you want to make a big deal about anchoring that's fine but I've been doing it the same way since age 16 and haven't had a problem.

A little common sense helps..................I do enjoy the backing down show though

I'm guessing if you spend $500.00 plus on an anchor you need to make a big deal over it but didn't folks sail and anchor the same waters when they didn't have the capability of backing down with a new generation anchor and didn't have a problem?

Then there are the folks that have sailed around the world without an engine that anchor and make it work

I've just been using the old anchor(s) my $2,000 boat came with and so far so good. I haven't tried the other 5 anchors yet. The PO was an anchor fanatic I reckon


This is my first cruising boat though so I'm wasn't the best at choosing anchorages at first and have been caught several times in onshore winds of 28 knots plus at 2am while anchored 70 yards offshore and the anchor held.................although I may have been praying a bit as the anchor rope slide back and forth.

We'll see if you remain as smug in your anchoring ability/confidence when you eventually encounter 35-50 knot unexpected winds in an anchorage with a leward shore. Please get back to us on how it works out, I'm sure there will be many lessons to be learned. ;-)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9lyypubKVrU

[alctel]

Like Dockhead and all I always reverse hard on my anchor once it's set. Setting is down with slow reverse, once it's grabbed I'll slowly ramp up the RPM till I'm redlining, and will hold that for a couple minutes.

Better safe than sorry, right?

[zstine]

Boy, I would not want to anchor near some of the people on this thread who don't set it at all..
Two big reasons you should always set the anchor.
1st) the road/chain can catch on the fluke or other part of the anchor and foul it so it will not set. If you don't back down and set it, how would you know it's fouled?

2nd) If the bottom is foul or has poor holding, how will you know if you don't try to set and fail?

Always back down and set your anchor with the engine to ensure it will hold. Tides may make your boat swing around 180deg, but your anchor will re-set if it was set. If it was not set in the first place, who knows, you may drag onto the rocks... or into me!

[AiniA]

Originally Posted by zstine

Boy, I would not want to anchor near some of the people on this thread who don't set it at all..
Two big reasons you should always set the anchor.
1st) the road/chain can catch on the fluke or other part of the anchor and foul it so it will not set. If you don't back down and set it, how would you know it's fouled?

2nd) If the bottom is foul or has poor holding, how will you know if you don't try to set and fail?

Always back down and set your anchor with the engine to ensure it will hold. Tides may make your boat swing around 180deg, but your anchor will re-set if it was set. If it was not set in the first place, who knows, you may drag onto the rocks... or into me!

I think the second point is an important one. We anchored in Pago Pago harbour a few years after a tsunami had swept across a low area of land and carried all sorts of crap into the water. It took us about six tries to find bottom. On other attempts we brought up large piece of cloth and even a lawn chair.

We are in the middle group with regard to setting. We let the anchor down with the boat moving very slowly in reverse. After we have let out the amount of chain we want we reverse hard enough for the anchor to really set well, i.e. the chain feels rigid. Didn't mention that we have a Manson Supreme. Terrific results with it after 30+ years using CQR, Bruce, and Danforth.

[Barra]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I kind of enjoy watching the boats coming into anchor and making a big show of backing down.

It can be quite the scene for all the locals at the anchorage that have simply let go their anchor on approach and let the wind and tide do the rest.

Some of us give a couple hard yanks after setting to insure our old CQR's etc that came with our boats are set for peace of mind while knowing the really setting was happening with the letting go on approach and cleating off

I guess it depends on knowing your anchorage and experience.

What a strange attitude!

Now you have a cruising boat you wont always get to be the local sneering at the skipper that doesnt know the quality of holding in a new to him/ her anchorage.

The point of backing down is in large part to determine the holding on the bottom, not to make a "show". Plenty of anchorages have patches of poor holding that look good from the bow but when tested are not. You can either test it backing down or you can test it at 1am in a sudden blow.

If you dont have local knowledge how will you know your not anchoring in the spot with poor holding unless you test it????