Multihull Anchoring Techniques - Ingenious or Ridiculous

[StuM]

Originally Posted by ggray

I'll look tomorrow for a drawing I made of it, but I can describe it here.

Its principle is that of a bowline, so like a bowline , the lines can't have tension using the process so this needs to be done quickly.

You need a short piece of line, maybe 3 feet, that is larger (say, 1 1/2 times the diameter of each of your rodes, or even bigger if you want). I like to use braided line.

Take the two rodes coming from the anchors in one hand, and make a loop of both lines together as in making a bowline.

Then take your short piece on line, and be like the rabbit coming out of the hole, around the tree and back in the hole.

Then you take the other end of the short line, go around the two ends (that you can consider the tap root of the tree, and will become the legs of the bridle) and come back up through the same hole.

Snug it up and you are done.

There are two possibilities - which result in two totally different knots. Assuming a standard right handed bowline with the tree facing upwards and the the taproot facing downwards, do you pass in front of the tap root, back round behind and up through the hole or do you pass behind the taproot, back round in front and then up through the hole?

Incidently, Ashley only has one knot that is even vaguely similar to this (ABOK#1738.

[ggray]

I think you were following what I was meaning, but just to make sure, the "loop" I mentioned I probably should have called the eye, or the rabbit hole; I didn't mean the loop with which you are encircling the piling or whatever.

If our minds are together, I would say go around in front of the taproot and then back up through the hole.

At one time I had thought about seizing two lines together to result in two bridle legs and two legs for the two anchors. This would be tidier, but I didn't think it could well handle the side load if the throat angle is excessively wide.

I'll look in Ashley's for the knot you mention.

[valhalla360]

Our prior Gemini had 2 bow rollers plus a small anchor in the stern.

It was only in specific situations but yes, we've done 2 anchors off the bow, bow & stern and one 3 off the bow.

Usually though it was one off the bow.

Handy thing about 2 bow rollers is we had 2 different anchor types so if one didn't hold, we could quickly try a different style without re-rigging an anchor.

[Gone2long]

Originally Posted by Howaya

If it holds a boat well without obstructing others or causing harm and is fairly easy to retrieve after the unusual conditions have passed, any system has my respect. I created an unconventional anchoring system - with great success - to secure a catamaran during a hurricane. It may have been more than necessary but that question only came up once the storm left the area with the boat completely unscathed.

Wouldn't be in Carmen, would it?

G2L

[Gone2long]

Yeah : ) Gotta say, the place looks darn familiar, and I aint never been to Panama on my yacht : )


Thanks for the post. Pretty much sums up the problem.


G2l

[Howaya]

It was hurricane Isabel on the Chesapeake, back in 2003.

[danielamartindm]

Originally Posted by Howaya

If it holds a boat well without obstructing others or causing harm and is fairly easy to retrieve after the unusual conditions have passed, any system has my respect. I created an unconventional anchoring system - with great success - to secure a catamaran during a hurricane. It may have been more than necessary but that question only came up once the storm left the area with the boat completely unscathed.

Please tell us more. What was your "system?"

[rabbi]

one thing to keep in mind is that other boats nearby need to follow similar practices. Or any windshift will see them crash into each other due to different radius.

We try to use only one bow anchor on decent chain scope whenever possible. Even if that means staying a bit outside the pack to have enough chain out.
We sometimes use a (very small) stern anchor to keep us pointed into swell if there is very little / no wind.

And in some areas you just have to use stern landlines in many bays as there is no room for swinging at anchor, for example the ionian islands. But then there is no wind at all for weeks.