how to set the hook, no engine?

[farm sail]

are there any tips or tricks to getting your anchor set properly when you don't have an engine and the winds are light in/on a 30 foot sailboat

[UNCIVILIZED]

Assuming that you have a rode that's at least partially stretchy (nylon). You can drop the hook in the appropriate spot, while sailing downwind @ say 3-4kts. And assuming you have a decent anchor, plus have cleated off the proper amount of scope... In theory, physics should do the work for you. Assuming you've got a strong cleat, & deck, plus a good backing plate.

There's also, perhaps the wiser option of this method. Where a trained hand/set of hands, who knows how to brake the boat with the rode, while @ the same time, feeling through the rode, that the hook's well set.
Which really isn't appreciably different from how you do it with an engine, other than that you're using a different (easier to tune & shut off) power source.

Plus, I reckon that this would work with a mostly chain rode too. You'd just need to use a secure chain hook, or shackle, on a long snubber. One far longer than you'd have on the chain to absorb, say, the shocks of normal overnight type duties.

Part-B of this equation, would entail rowing out your kedging hook further than normal astern, or taking a long line to land. And then either way, taking said line/rode, to an aft winch, & winding it up tight, so as to Really dig in your forward hook.
And then go & pick up your lil' stern hook/shore line.

[farm sail]

that would work assuming you have enough wind to make three or four knotsand you have to have the anchor line running off the stern or as soon as it starts to hook it pulls your boat off course and you set the hook in the wrong direction.

your plan b was the only other option I could come up with but when you skull into a ddead calm anchorage 11 o'clock at night the last thing I'm thinking about doing is launching a dink to row out a second anchor.

you're probably is not a better solution but I can keep looking and dreaming

[zeehag]

btdt with my 41 ft ketch. more than once.
anchor as usual with engine, but let breezes carry ye back. if you have doubts, use dinghy to reverse.
if you dont pile the rode on top of your danforth or delta, you should be fine. the breezes will set you as they pick up.
if you are skeptical, set using the dinghy.
btw, i use all chain rode, no rope.

[Kenomac]

We always set our anchor using the engine except when stopping for lunch, but I find the suggestions by many that they set theirs using full throttle to be overkill. Dropping the hook and letting the wind do the rest should be fine if you dive and take a look to make sure all is well.

Many times, I've found our anchor to be well set just using the wind and current to do the job. Powering back, didn't actually change the set in any way other than making us feel more confident, but when the wind changes, the motor set anchor will be back to setting itself using just the wind. Rarely does the wind continue from one direction. The anchor and the anchor setter, need to be confident with just the wind doing the job.

[boatman61]

+A1 Keno..
Laying the anchor in light winds.. for me laying out the chain as straight as possible is my prime concern..
Once I drop my hook I feed out 10meters + depth.. let the boats momentum take up the slack and start to pull.. then its another 10metres and repeat till I have the 'Happy' amount..
This is where being able to handball the chain is handy.. the free running windlass is too fast..
Once that 30 odd metres of chain is laid out more or less straight she'll bed herself in nicely over time..

[snort]

Just back the sails and sail backwards till the anchor digs in.

[farm sail]

Originally Posted by snort

Just back the sails and sail backwards till the anchor digs in.

That might work if you had enough wind, though my boat does not go dead down wind with backed sails, at least i cant make it do that yet.

[ryon]

Originally Posted by farm sail

That might work if you had enough wind, though my boat does not go dead down wind with backed sails, at least i cant make it do that yet.

Have you tried rigging a mizzen topsail? :-)

[svinvictus2]

Originally Posted by farm sail

are there any tips or tricks to getting your anchor set properly when you don't have an engine and the winds are light in/on a 30 foot sailboat

Always anchor into the wind. Once you've dropped the hook using a minimum of four to one back wind the main sail and let the wind do the work.

[Smourt]

The question is do you know where all the other hooks are before dropping the pick? To me that is the trickiest part of dropping anchor under sail. I always, where possible anchor under sail, when running downwind, I furl the genoa, drop the anchor, let it run, with chain already snubbed I turn up into the wind, then with the main still up let the boat lie beam on to wind, till I feel her dig in, then drop the main... essentially back winding the main in the process.

what you dont want to do is put a lot of stress on your windlass.

[zengirl]

Originally Posted by zeehag

btdt with my 41 ft ketch. more than once.
anchor as usual with engine, but let breezes carry ye back. if you have doubts, use dinghy to reverse.
if you dont pile the rode on top of your danforth or delta, you should be fine. the breezes will set you as they pick up.
if you are skeptical, set using the dinghy.
btw, i use all chain rode, no rope.

zeehag and kenomac, he has no engine

[TrentePieds]

I agree with Smourt in general

Farm Sail specified LIGHT airs, so...

...procedure depends rather on how you're rigged. In a toy knock-about sloop with minimal equipment, like the "renta-boats" that once were my lot, say a Catalina 27, I like to take a turn 'round the anchorage under full sail for maximum maneuverability to get a grip on where other hooks might be, then, having selected the spot for mine, I drop the main and run before over that spot under headsl only, drop the hook in that spot and pay out adequate rode, then surge it by hand on any adequate cleat aft till I'm dead in the water, then belay the rode and bring in the heads'l.

That's it. Now it's tidy up time: If I know that the boat will lie head-to-wind without ranging, I'll slip the rode from the cleat aft and let her swing around with the rode made fast to the bit or the cleat forward. Check the set, take soundings where I am (lead line served for years), verify the scope, furl and stow.

If she won't lie quiet head-to-wind, I'm just as happy leaving her stern-to-wind.

Either way, it's time to take take bearings, and tell off the anchor watch(es)

This procedure works just fine when you are single-handing. Confusion only sets in if you've a buncha lubbers aboard and you've failed to teach them :-)

As always, BEFORE you enter the anchorage you MUST be absolutely confident that if you can't find a spot among the other boats you WILL be able to beat out of the anchorage again. If you can't be confident of that, you go elsewhere!

Also, by the way, when you select her spot to lie, ALWAYS make sure that you'll have enuff room to let her drift to leeward while coming to a beam reach and gathering enuff way so you can tack 'er under full control.

TrentePieds

[Ernest Skublics]

It is amazing how lame we have become and how many problems we have developed with all our engines and gizmos. When I was young, most boats, including large ones, had no engine. We sailed in and out of crowded harbours, anchored, and generally did all those things using the physics of good old nature, some common sense and experienced boat-handling. As some of the respondents suggested, running up into the wind and letting the boat stop precisely where you have calculated you wanted to stop, you then drop the anchor and let the wind blow you down until it is set. If the ground is right -- not rock or gravel, you'll be set exactly where you want to be.

[Lokiyawl]

Originally Posted by farm sail

are there any tips or tricks to getting your anchor set properly when you don't have an engine and the winds are light in/on a 30 foot sailboat

Pay out the amount of rode that you want based on the depth etc. and secure. Sail over the spot you want the anchor and then on a course opposite of the expected wind/current combo so that the anchor will be set in the correct direction after you stop. As the last of the line is feeding off the foredeck, turn slightly towards the side you have the rode running off the bow so that when the rode tightens it won't scrape the bottom. 3-4 knots of boat speed is probably overkill unless you have a storm coming, in which case faster is ok. There seems to be a good bit of energy at 2-3 I have found for normal conditions. You can also sail the anchor out, but that is a different story. Engines are certainly nice but we have continued to cruise after losing one and also used to sail an engineless 35' sailboat. It takes patience but it is nice when the constant nagging in the back of your mind "should I start the engine, the speed has dropped to X" goes away and you can just enjoy the moment. James