How often you dive to see your anchor after anchoring?

[Simi 60]

Never dive on it and never back down on it.
Over 1500 consecutive nights, never dragged and have seen 80+ knots.
150lb Manson supreme, 13mm chain
65 tonne boat
Sleep like the dead every night

[sailorboy1]

I have never got into the water just to dive on my anchor. If I am out swimming from the boat I might go check it.

Question to you dive on the anchor people: what do you do in the water that is cold, no visibly, and the anchor us 20' down???? How do you manage to sleep at night?

[Jim Cate]

We weigh 40 tons. Our prop is 24 inch, 3 blade variable pitch controlled. 115 HP. I can do serious damage using standard backing down procedures.

I'm curious: what do you think you would damage using standard backing down procedures? Another poster echoed that thought, too, and I can but wonder what you both think.

Jim

[Compass790]

We dive on ours most of the time current & vis allowing but we anchor amongst the rocks a lot & with a chain rope combo rode you have to be careful not to get the rope cut.

Plus it's not an effort as we dive most days.
Of course it would be better to have all chain & we really should, but....
One time we anchored in amongst some moored boats without diving on anchor in a sandy bay & left it there overnight with 50 knt gusts predicted & went to stay with friends for the night.
Next day found nylon just above the chain swivel was cut 1/2 through as if by a knife. We were far enough away from the other boats that I doubt it was a mooring that did it.
I did wonder if somebody was sending us a message as the cut was dead straight, didn't look natural,but maybe that's paranoia.

[Mirage35]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I sometimes wonder if I'm too anal about anchoring. I too have observed many boats come roaring into an anchorage. Stop. Drop everything in a pile, and never do anything to set and dig in.

Most of the time they are fine, so it leaves me wondering if I'm overdoing it much of the time. It usually takes me at least 1/2 hr or more before we're fully settled and the beers can come out. These others are sippin' their cool ones way before me .

Last time I saw someone do that (a month ago, Thousand Islands National Park) was a couple of 45-footers that rafted on one anchor, used inadequate scope, and then left for a dinghy ride. When the wind came up everyone else in the anchorage got together and saved their boats from the rocks for them.

Like you, I don't dive my anchor (too damned cold), but I sure test it before trusting it.

[Knotical]

Originally Posted by Wallaby

With cat 1-2 up I have a 60ft snubber back to the genoa winch.

Wallaby, do you bring the snubber straight to the Genoa winch or via bow cleats?

[Wallaby]

Originally Posted by Knotical

Wallaby, do you bring the snubber straight to the Genoa winch or via bow cleats?

It goes from the winch down the deck, with chaffing as needed, over the side ( with chaffing) and into the water. Chaffing extends 12ft from the deck into the water,up to a Mantus Chain Hook. The snubber is 3-strand nylon--8-Plait has less stretch


The winch is a Lewmar 66

[mjscottinnc]

Zero dives. 3 boats over the years, zero drags when properly set. Don’t over think it.

[Knotical]

Originally Posted by Wallaby

It goes from the winch down the deck, with chaffing as needed, over the side ( with chaffing) and into the water. Chaffing extends 12ft from the deck into the water,up to a Mantus Chain Hook. The snubber is 3-strand nylon--8-Plait has less stretch


The winch is a Lewmar 66

Thank you. Does it change the motion of the boat at anchor given attachment points further aft than the usual bow cleats? I am just curious as I have never seen it before, albeit my sailing career is only a few years old.

[smj]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I hope this wasn't a response to my post Allied. Anyone who says a CQR doesn't work is not living in reality. They just don't work as well as the newer anchors. Doesn't mean they don't, or can't, work just fine.

They're certainly not valuless. I sold my "Genuine CQR" (45#) for $300 after I upgraded. But I would never suggest anyone buy a new CQR these days ... not when there are better options for similar prices.

I paid less for our new Mantus 45 than you got for your older CQR!
Yes we dive the anchor if the water is clear and warm enough, that’s what brought me to dislike the CQR.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by smj

I paid less for our new Mantus 45 than you got for your older CQR!
Yes we dive the anchor if the water is clear and warm enough, that’s what brought me to dislike the CQR.

Yeah... I got a good deal on that sale [emoji1]. The fellow really wanted a Genuine CQR. Of course, this was over a decade ago now. I really doubt I'd get the same price today.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by AnglaisInHull

Last time I saw someone do that (a month ago, Thousand Islands National Park) was a couple of 45-footers that rafted on one anchor, used inadequate scope, and then left for a dinghy ride. When the wind came up everyone else in the anchorage got together and saved their boats from the rocks for them.



Like you, I don't dive my anchor (too damned cold), but I sure test it before trusting it.

Funny... The Thousand Islands is the place I noticed this the most. And yes, it does seem to be more common with powerboaters. Why?

[Wallaby]

Originally Posted by Knotical

Thank you. Does it change the motion of the boat at anchor given attachment points further aft than the usual bow cleats? I am just curious as I have never seen it before, albeit my sailing career is only a few years old.

Where I am currently located, in an offshore hurricane the winds come from the east, strengthen to the north, and die in the west. The longest fetch is north. There is very little space to anchor east/west. I put out two anchors from the bow (Fortress and Rocna) and the Delta from the stern--to keep the boat from turning during the tide change.



The long snubber is used during hurricanes. I'm as worried by wave surge as wind, so elasticity is important. A long nylon snubber has great shock absorbing qualities.Doing it this way, maximizes the chain length (And weight) and the shock-absorbing snubber.

[Knotical]

Originally Posted by Wallaby

Where I am currently located, in an offshore hurricane the winds come from the east, strengthen to the north, and die in the west. The longest fetch is north. There is very little space to anchor east/west. I put out two anchors from the bow (Fortress and Rocna) and the Delta from the stern--to keep the boat from turning during the tide change.



The long snubber is used during hurricanes. I'm as worried by wave surge as wind, so elasticity is important. A long nylon snubber has great shock absorbing qualities.Doing it this way, maximizes the chain length (And weight) and the shock-absorbing snubber.

Thanks again mate.

[b_rodwell]

My answer is - whenever the water is clear.

On one occasion in six years of cruising diving down changed things. My anchor was hooked over a small rock in the middle of a large area of sand. It was not dug into the sand. This was despite my almost baroque anchoring technique. The anchor could have dragged if the wind changed.

The remedy was pretty simple. I dove down and rearranged it.

Also I sleep better after having dived.

Cheers

Brian