Stern Anchor Techniques?

[Kenomac]

Can anyone offer some advice on stern anchoring techniques? Lately, we've needed to deploy the stern anchor on a few occasions in addition to the bow anchor, to avoid the carnival ride like rockin' & rollin' all night when the boat turns into the wind but ends up sideways to the waves in a relatively unsheltered anchorage.... which doesn't make for a pleasant night. My wife hates it... it doesn't bother me that much, which is weird, because I'm the one more likely to get seasick.

Our Oyster doesn't have a centered stern cleat, just the two mooring cleats to each side of the stern, so when the stern anchor is deployed from either, it can easily end up down around the prop or rudder during a wind shift with quite a bit of tension. We know how to deploy the anchor by letting out extra chain with the windlass, dropping the anchor, then pulling some of the chain back in, but I'm looking for methods to secure the anchor to the stern which will avoid possible damage caused by the tensioned rode getting under the boat. I've also tried using an improvised harness to center the rode on the stern, resulting in limited success.

Has anything worked for you?

Another issue: Ultra anchor recommends a 12kg stern anchor for our 25 ton sailboat... Does that seem a little small? I need to get something easier to handle than our Fortress 55, which is way overkill. Pam thinks we should get the Ultra 16kg.

[btrayfors]

In 50 years of sailing/cruising all round the world I've found practically NO NEED for a stern anchor. Early on, with my 10-ton ketch, I experimented. Almost always found it was a big pain and presented more problems than it solved.

I even used to carry one on the stern in a special mount.

Only real use I believe in now is perhaps a kedge to pull you astern off a mudbank....same way you came in.

Otherwise, no need.

If your main problem is lying across the wave pattern, try putting a bridle on the bow anchor and tie it off to one side of the boat so it lies closer to the wave action. Or, better, see if you can find another anchoring spot!

Bill

[atoll]

it sounds like you are not setting both anchors, so a bit of drag is allowing enough slack when the wind drops.

i ran day charters out of ville france for a season,where the wind was generally off the land during the day,but a constant swell came from the sea side,that would result in a lot of rolling when the wind dropped at night,laying to one anchor.

the mo,as it was quite deep(17m) was to drop the kedge first off the stern on 400 ft of line,till it came to the end and stopped the boat ,setting the kedge firmly with the boat facing out to sea,then drop the main anchor and pull back 150-200ft or so,setting the main anchor,then take up any slack on the stern till both anchors were firmly set,never had a problem unless something dragged,and a breeze through the boat from astern.

[Reefmagnet]

Having a stern anchor is like having an EPIRB. Better to have one and not need it then not have one and need it! Nothing brings more relief than deploying the stern anchor in those anchorages that tortuously cycle between tranquil calm and carnival ride.

Get lot's of rode out on the stern anchor using the dinghy to drop the anchor. I have the same setup as yours on my smaller boat with a windvane cluttered stern and haven't had a problem. I drop the stern anchor and use the bow anchor anchor windlass to "set the tension" for want of a better description. Put the anchor to windward if need be to better square the boat up to the swell. I also attach a trip line and bouy to the stern anchor to let others know it's there and to make retrieval (using the dinghy) easier.

As for the anchor size, at a ballpark guess you probably only need half the size or so of your bow anchor as the stern anchor restrains considerably less load in most situations.

[rebel heart]

I've used a small Delta with decent results. Places where in daytime there's enough wind to keep you bow into the swells, but at night with no wind you end up ahull. Makes for a crappy night.

I'll pay out a lot of forward scope, drop the stern, then shrink up forward scope. Gives me (just ballpark here) 2:1 stern and 4:1 forward. I don't need the stern to hold that well, just enough for light nights.

[JPA Cate]

It seems to me that it depends on the conditions obtaining where you anchor. We try to not have to deploy a stern anchor to make the boat lie bow or stern into the waves. Where the breeze is consistent, you can take a line, rolling hitch it to the anchor chain, led outside everything through a block to your primary or secondary cockpit winch. Let out more chain, so your hitch is submerged. Then crank the bow around till the boat quits rolling, it doesn't have to get all the way to head to wind, just enough so you quit rolling. This is fairly easy to un-do in order to leave.

Places where the wind drops out at night, if you don't want to set the stern hook, you may awaken early and want to leave early. This is okay, too, you can take a nap if you need one later on. There's one anchorage we sometimes stop in that always has an easterly swell. If the breeze stays, you face SE, and all's well. But we've left at 3 in the morning because it dropped out and I couldn't sleep. And then have to sail slowly or motor, 'cause the breeze won't come up for a while. That happens to be a pretty nice motion, actually. But it takes teaching yourself about it, how to use it to help you rest.

Then there are places where currents put you beam-on to the swell. I don't have an anchoring solution for that one.

The stern anchor works well to keep the bow into the swell with light wind, but with a strong cross wind, the bow'll try to go head to wind and you'll start to roll again. If you're in an open roadstead, we would get the stern anchor ready to deploy, with all it's (mostly rope) rode, so it'll run freely (the bitter end being secured in the chain locker.) Then we'd drop it and go forward a distance to accommodate what we'd determined would be the length of bow chain we wanted to end up with, drop the main anchor and set it, with the crew (me) tailing on the stern line to keep it from fouling. After the bow anchor is set, then take up all you can on the stern line, using the winch, and stow the greater part of the tail of the line in the locker. As I say, it's a more cumbersome process than just dropping one hook, but will keep the bows into it. Then, to leave, we play out chain forward till we're over the stern anchor, and pull it up, and stow it. Then up anchor normally. [Jim takes down the anchor ball when he arrives on the foredeck].

Another technique that might work, if you have two bow anchors, is to set them in a "V" shape, then on the flood lie mainly to one, and on the ebb, to the other. It is possible to wind up the rodes this way, but the places we've tried it, we always seem to lie stern into where the current will be when slack water's over, and haven't got a tangle yet. Touch wood. We've used the "V" to position the boat for an anticipated wind direction change when we also wanted to avoid some rocks, those anchors were set about 90 deg. to each other, with the boat being the base of the "V". That was quite successful and also was successful against a softish bottom in which we dragged with only one anchor.

I hope this is all clear. I'm no tech writer.

Ann

[Delfin]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Can anyone offer some advice on stern anchoring techniques? Lately, we've needed to deploy the stern anchor on a few occasions in addition to the bow anchor, to avoid the carnival ride like rockin' & rollin' all night when the boat turns into the wind but ends up sideways to the waves in a relatively unsheltered anchorage.... which doesn't make for a pleasant night. My wife hates it... it doesn't bother me that much, which is weird, because I'm the one more likely to get seasick.

Our Oyster doesn't have a centered stern cleat, just the two mooring cleats to each side of the stern, so when the stern anchor is deployed from either, it can easily end up down around the prop or rudder during a wind shift with quite a bit of tension. We know how to deploy the anchor by letting out extra chain with the windlass, dropping the anchor, then pulling some of the chain back in, but I'm looking for methods to secure the anchor to the stern which will avoid possible damage caused by the tensioned rode getting under the boat. I've also tried using an improvised harness to center the rode on the stern, resulting in limited success.

Has anything worked for you?

Another issue: Ultra anchor recommends a 12kg stern anchor for our 25 ton sailboat... Does that seem a little small? I need to get something easier to handle than our Fortress 55, which is way overkill. Pam thinks we should get the Ultra 16kg.

To handle the situation you describe in the first paragraph, it seems like a stormsail hanked onto the back stay to weathercock the boat might work better. The problems with a tensioned stern line are pretty hard to avoid.....

The only use I really know of for a stern hook is when taking a line ashore to stern tie and there isn't anything good to tie to. Under that circumstance the hook is placed on the beach, usually jammed into a rock so a small one works fine. I was given a 15kg Tern I intend to use for that purpose, and it certainly looks robust enough to handle the job. So no, I don't think the 12 kg is too small for you given how it is to be used.

I know another use for a stern hook some people talk about is to toss over when you're headed for the rocks without power, but by the time I dragged it out of the locker I'd be cooked anyway.

[belizesailor]

A bridle for the stern anchor rigged to your stern cleats is one way. Rig it using two separate lines from each stern cleat -- this makes it easy to adjust in either direction so you can get the bow into the swell.

[s/v Jedi]

The best technique for a stern anchor is to haul it in and never deploy it again. Use a bridle on the bow anchor like Ann described above!

[barnakiel]

Method a)

Drop the stern as you approach the rock. Stop the boat just shy of the rock. Send the Admiral to the rock, with a line. Back the boat some. To help the Admiral back onboard, pull on the shore line some.

Method b)

Drop the bower, dig it in. Play out all fore rode, drop the stern, take in the bow rode, position the boat in-between. Adjust the rodes.

My fave way: drop the bower. Then place the stern from the dink.

I think there must be countless ways, depending on where you are and what you want to achieve.

b.

[CarinaPDX]

I gotta go with the don't use two anchors faction. I have had nothing but problems when I have deployed two anchors (bow/stern, not vee'd off the bow). I would try the bridle approach if I were desperate, but mostly I put up with the rolling or find a different anchorage. There are just too many ways to get into trouble with bow/stern anchors.

The main use for a stern anchor is for bow-in Med mooring, for which a Danforth (or copy) is perfect. And that is one of the few times I would use a Danforth, because of its failings. I have seen boats in Scandinavia use a stern hook and go bow into the rocks; I have also seen them bouncing off the rocks when the wind came up - I was safely anchored alone in the middle of the bay. Sometimes it is best not to get too fancy...

Greg

[noelex 77]

Sometimes using a snubber from a stern cleat can be used to angle the boat better or a ridding sail can help on a Ketch, but in some anchorages the swell can be a right angles to the wind and a stern anchor is essential if you are bothered by the roll.


I think the lightweight Fortress anchor (or cheaper Gardian) is by far the best anchor for this application.
It is light enough to be swum out supported on a small fender when the need arises.

I am not sure what to suggest about the absence of a suitable stern cleat. Can a bridle be arranged from the sheet winches?
Is there a location where you could mount a suitable cleat?

A strong centrally mounted stern cleat is a valuable addition.

[Kenomac]

The next time I find myself in the uncomfortable situation of being in a rocky anchorage, I'm going to try out Ann's idea of using the rolling hitch with a bridle. It seems like it will work brilliantly! Thanks Ann.

Ken

[Krogensailor]

I too have used Ann' approach. It was very easy to set up, and with the adjust-ability of it I could set the boat as needed. I also allways had a stern anchor at the ready. Used it as a lunch hook on the ICW and one time as a brake. As we approached a bridge, I was cutting the timing a little close and just as I got to the point of no return the engine died, with the current going to the bridge. Chucked the anchor and it set. In 8' of water it was easy for it to set with short scope. My wife came up from below and ask why we were anchoring here and I said, "lunchtime."

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

It seems like it will work brilliantly!

Ken

It works well when there is a moderate wind, especially when the angle of swell is not very dissimilar to the angle of the wind. It does not work in light, or no wind. Fortunately in the latter case is when the stern anchor works best.

The big problem with a stern anchor is that it can create conflict with other boats in the anchorage.