Most Sailors Can't Anchor Properly!

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I’ve never put a trip line with float out, but see little difference between swinging into one over the lobster pot floats.

You anchor in the midst of anchor pots? That seems unwise to me. Don’t you risk fouling your undercarriage? Is this normal down your way? Never heard of people doing this up here.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I’ve never put a trip line with float out, but see little difference between swinging into one over the lobster pot floats.

The difference is that pulling up a float attached to a lobster pot is motivation and cause for a lobster dinner, whereas pulling up someone's anchor provides no reward.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

You anchor in the midst of anchor pots? That seems unwise to me. Don’t you risk fouling your undercarriage? Is this normal down your way? Never heard of people doing this up here.

“Down your way” that’s funny! There is nowhere less than 3’ depth here in Maine where I currently am without a lobster pot!

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

“Down your way” that’s funny! There is nowhere less than 3’ depth here in Maine where I currently am without a lobster pot!

So, I guess the answer is “yes”? You do anchor in the midst of the pots… How do you avoid snagging them with your undercarriage, and even your anchor and rode?

I’m not trying to be an @ss. I really don’t understand how you anchor in the midst of what you describe without getting all afoul. Cruisers ‘up my way’ avoid doing what you describe, for the reasons I describe. But I understand Maine’s waters are known to be thick with pots. Maybe I don’t have to avoid them???

[a64pilot]

There are places where avoiding pots just isn’t possible, it’s like trying to avoid mosquitoes in a Georgia swap.
I have never had a problem with them, and wished I had a quarter for every time I have been motoring at night and seen a pot float appear right behind my boat, lit by the stern light.
It depends greatly on your boat, mine is very unlikely to wrap a line, others seem to be like line magnets

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

There are places where avoiding pots just isn’t possible, it’s like trying to avoid mosquitoes in a Georgia swap.
I have never had a problem with them, and wished I had a quarter for every time I have been motoring at night and seen a pot float appear right behind my boat, lit by the stern light.
It depends greatly on your boat, mine is very unlikely to wrap a line, others seem to be like line magnets

Yes, my full keeler with encapsulated prop is also pretty hard to foul. But I still wouldn’t anchor in the midst of them. But if I understand Don correctly, he’s saying he does, and has no problem. So maybe I’m being overly cautious (not the first time ).

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

You anchor in the midst of anchor pots? That seems unwise to me. Don’t you risk fouling your undercarriage? Is this normal down your way? Never heard of people doing this up here.

They’re millions of them everywhere in Maine, the pots really can’t be avoided. The number of pots is truly mind boggling. It’s more like the lobster men are farming the lobsters rather than catching them, I think they catch the same critters every day just waiting for them to become large enough to become “keepers.”

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

So, I guess the answer is “yes”? You do anchor in the midst of the pots… How do you avoid snagging them with your undercarriage, and even your anchor and rode?

I’m not trying to be an @ss. I really don’t understand how you anchor in the midst of what you describe without getting all afoul. Cruisers ‘up my way’ avoid doing what you describe, for the reasons I describe. But I understand Maine’s waters are known to be thick with pots. Maybe I don’t have to avoid them???

Picked one up yesterday with my anchor, which was a first. I’ve caught a few on my keel over the years sailing, mostly happens in light wind. Caught one once with my dinghy painter that was hanging down and looped on one.

You do the best you can and the odds are really in your favor to not catch them. But I swear they drop the pots in places where they are darning you to catch (like right in the middle of the narro channel)

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Yes, my full keeler with encapsulated prop is also pretty hard to foul. But I still wouldn’t anchor in the midst of them. But if I understand Don correctly, he’s saying he does, and has no problem. So maybe I’m being overly cautious (not the first time ).

I don’t anchor right in the middle of them. But there’s not any way to anchor with enough rode to not swing into them in all directions if the wind shifts. Hell the lobster guys drop them in the middle of mooring fields.

[Mike OReilly]

Thanks guys. I really haven't experienced anything like what you have to deal with. We have crab and lobster traps, but they have a defined seasons, and aren't nearly as ubiquitous.

Another reason to cruise up here [emoji6].

[Pelagic]

You should also consider putting out an anchor buoy and pickup line whenever there are conditions (storm forecast with ships anchored upwind) or any scenario where you may need to quickly release and abandon anchor to save boat.

I always do that during a typhoon situation as I know local ferries and tankers will drag all over the place.

[a64pilot]

How do you go about quickly releasing an anchor?
Only way I could is to run out all of the chain, but I’ve been considering attaching it inside of the Boat to keep it from being inadvertently being run out, which would of course make it so I couldn’t release the anchor in a timely manner.

[CarinaPDX]

Put an eye bolt inside the anchor locker, tie a strong line to it and to the chain such that the last few links are still on the gypsy when the line is taught. In emergency just cut the line.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

Put an eye bolt inside the anchor locker, tie a strong line to it and to the chain such that the last few links are still on the gypsy when the line is taught. In emergency just cut the line.

This is my setup as well. Luckily, I've never had to test the system ... yet.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

How do you go about quickly releasing an anchor?
Only way I could is to run out all of the chain, but I’ve been considering attaching it inside of the Boat to keep it from being inadvertently being run out, which would of course make it so I couldn’t release the anchor in a timely manner.

As others have said. A line that you can untie/cut between the bitter end of the chain and a strongpoint. Should be standard on every all chain rode.