I just dragged anchor for the first time in my life. Clueless!

[FSMike]

As far as backing down ---

I rarely back down with the engine unless there's not enough wind to do it for me.

I usually start the anchoring process by lowering the anchor just below the roller and cleating it off, then bringing the amount of rode I anticipate needing up on deck (or trampoline in my case). I'll put the boat into the wind, stick the engines in neutral, go forward and lower the anchor to the bottom when the boat loses forward motion. When she starts making way backwards I start letting out rode, pulling it taut at intervals, initially to get the anchor lined up, then to make sure the chain pays out in a straight line.

I am usually anchoring in shallow water in Florida and the Bahamas, using 50' of chain with the rest of the rode being rope.

When I get all of the chain out past the anchor roller I take a wrap on the cleat and hold the rope up to waist level and brace myself. Since the anchor has already begun to catch with my previous tautening of the rode, when the rode comes tight this time it will be yanked out of my hand by the anchor arresting the rearward motion of the boat. If that doesn't happen it usually means that the wind is light enough for me to maintain a grip. If the wind is really light, then I'll back down with the engine to ensure that the anchor is set properly. Usually though, the wind is enough. If the anchor doesn't set with the wind and/or engine then I try another location.

Works for me. As other posters have alluded to, this procedure began when I was using CQRs, which seemed to have a higher success rate by being allowed to work their way into the bottom gently, rather than being pulled by a wide open diesel, which seemed to make them plow rather than grab. I continued this method when I graduated to Deltas, and still use it with my current Rocna.

The purpose of this epistle is to point out that not backing down with an engine is hardly the same thing as not backing down at all.
It is a sailboat, after all. Use the wind.
Makes me wonder how the Pardeys, amongst others, managed to go around the world multiple times without an engine.
Guess they didn't know how to anchor?

[JPA Cate]

Makes me wonder how the Pardeys, amongst others, managed to go around the world multiple times without an engine.

One time, a long while ago now, we would use the mains'l, wung out and backed, to set the hook when the engine was not working.

Again, a long time ago, with CQR, we found you had to ease it in, very gently, then pull on it with a sustained long pull, slowly increasing the pull. Once set, ours used to hold pretty well, but there were some bottoms it couldn't penetrate, and others it couldn't set, no matter how careful one was. New anchors are better, I think.

Ann

[brownoarsman]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

One time, a long while ago now, we would use the mains'l, wung out and backed, to set the hook when the engine was not working.

Ann

Exactly how I do it and one of the advantages to toodling about in 28 feet

Plus, it feels like less work than lowering the outboard, pulling the starter rope, etc. I will say with a narrow deck on the stern, I no longer swing the mainsail out as far as I once did after a close call almost falling off the boat! I also now take the Bimini down for this maneuver.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Spade Anchor]

Our theory is that with the extra long scope 10:1, the catenary effect may have been to "soft". This would allow too much of the chain to be dragging along the bottom , so when you experience wind or current changes its likely that the chain wrapped around the anchor. Then when you pulled in the 20ft, that dislodged the anchor and since it was fouled it would not reset.

Just a theory. You had a nice run of 25 years lets hope with due diligence you get at least 25 more.

[cards26]

Kiwi Anchor Rider

[Drifty]

Wind and tide will always play havoc with your anchor. The real miracle is when you don't drag. We lived aboard and sailed a 33' steel yawl 10.5 ton (unloaded) for 20 years. We dragged anchor several times. We always backed down on the anchor by engine or sail, but sometimes nothing works. We had 4 big anchors with chain and 1" braid aboard. When the wind was piping, we had two out, one 45 degrees off each side of the bow. We usually had a cqr on one side and a danforth on the other. We never dragged with this combo. We liked to sail in heavy weather so our boat would go. Here's a picture of my sister-in-law when she went day sailing with us. We have anchored in many unusual places in high winds. We've been grounded several times, got our anchor snagged on junk sitting on the bottom once, and have been dismasted twice (once in 35 knot winds, because the mast was dryrotted at the deck when we bot it, and once while tied to a dock in a 135-knot storm in Anacortes, WA when the mast was sliced in 3 pieces by a flying boathouse roof.) Sailing is sailing. You can't avoid everything all the time, but you certainly will learn from your experiences just what your particular boat will do in what kinds of situations! When you change boats, it's a whole different scenario. It's hard to tell someone else what to do with their boat unless you've sailed on it.