Weaving Back & Forth at Anchor

[GMac]

I've clocked over 4kts a couple of times while at anchor. I use rope and chain and like plenty out which certainly doesn't help. I tried locking the rudder in differ places, made no difference really. Tried hanging stuff off the back again without great success. I don't like riding sails and heavily suspect that would only increase my speeds. One evening I got a tad wild so grabbed a bucket and had a play.

Hmmm.... off the bow seemed to work so I played with it a little until I have my current drogue type arrangement. Still wonder a little but no where near as far or at the big speeds.

The problem I have and the main cause of my sailing is the keel. It is a long way forward in comparison to most boats so once I get a little cocked to the wind off I go and at the end of the arc the stern sort of 'flicks' around and automatically aims us at a nice angle to sail all the way back again. We easy out sail most multis at anchor, that's how bad we have/had it.

The drouge does work and works well. Whether it will work for every boat, not having tried I don't know but it could be worth a try if you have run out of other options. Start just with a bucket and that should give you a bit of an idea whether it may or may not. That's how I stumbled across it, that and a nice bottle of red wine

No I'm not going to shift my keel