New Gen Anchor Problem- Sailing off Anchor

[sully75]

Honestly confused...raise the main, sheet it in tight, it will forreach a little, go forward, pull in the chain, pop the anchor, go back, fall off onto your tack? Does this not work for you?

Might work so easily here because the Triton has a big main set forward, but I've never had a big problem getting stuck in irons.

Do this singlehanded all the time, sometimes in pretty unpleasant circumstances, never had a problem.


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[sparrowhawk1]

I'm stunned on how few people sail off their anchor. Option 1 as stated earlier, drop your anchor with a little bit of scope and wait till you turn to the right tack. Option two sail off on the wrong tack, once you get up little speed drop your anchor till it just hits, it will swing your bow around to the right tack. My anchor drug in a very tight Anchorage & my engine wouldn't start. I was almost on the rocks unable to raise anchor on on the right tack.( I was dragging backwards) I saved my boat by doing this and continuing to drop the anchor each time I needed to tack. I did not have time to get my jib up or room to get the speed up to tack normally. PS I always start my engine before raising my anchor for safety and also to power my windlass. if I can sail off I just keep it in neutral

[sully75]

Every time you don't sail off your anchor Lynn and Larry pardey kill a kitten.

[Mike OReilly]

We sail off the anchor whenever it's relatively easy to do. Sometimes if conditions are only fair-to-middlin' we'll have the engine on standby (and once this saved our bacon ). Timing the breakout of the 55# rocna is a challenge sometimes. I like the idea of breaking then quickly dropping again. I'll give that a try .

Like HF, we have a manual windlass, and we also tend to anchor in shallowish waters (under 25') most of the time. I think the manual windlass gives me a good feel for what the anchor is doing, but perhaps electric windlasses feel the same. We have our big main hoisted, and either close-haul it if there's enough wind to fore reach, or if it's light, we just time the breakout so we're on the right tack.

[GeoPowers]

Originally Posted by sully75

Every time you don't sail off your anchor Lynn and Larry pardey kill a kitten.

LOL! 🙀


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[charliehows]

there are so many variables - windspeed, direction, tideflow, position of other boats, condition of anchor hold, etc etc. I find about 80% of the time theres a damn good reason to have the engine running on standby. Because i singlehand most of the time its just a prudent lesson i've learned the hard way. If you dont have an engine, you'll probably be ok but if you have, why not use it? I tend to use the engine now because its a relaxed and fully controlled way of leaving an anchorage. Once im clear of obstacles i put up the jib in heave-to position so i can raise the main and mizzen at my leisure.

[sully75]

Got pissed off reading this so I just sailed into a river I've never been in before in the dark without my engine turned on close hauled through a very narrow passage. And then dropped anchor under sail.

I did turn the motor on to set the anchor although with 90' of chain on a big anchor in 10' of water I can't imagine I'm going anywhere (except to clean up a lot of mud tomorrow).

Anyway, it was magical. Reminded me why I like sailing. This trip from marblehead to Baltimore has been super stressful, always trying to make a lot of time and running long days motoring the whole day. Very fatiguing. I did about 12 miles today and it was awesome. So nice sailing in the dark when you know you are close to getting where you are going.


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[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by charliehows

there are so many variables - windspeed, direction, tideflow, position of other boats, condition of anchor hold, etc etc. I find about 80% of the time theres a damn good reason to have the engine running on standby.<snip>.

+1

How heavy is your boat? How fast will it gain steerage in various wind/tide conditions. On-shore winds? Current towards danger?

The engine is often a safety device. Use it for normal operations.

Good to practice no engine operations ahead of time but sometimes - light winds, heavy current & crowded anchorage - the prudent decision is to not go.

Sailing is often about problem solving. Knowing your boat well and how it reacts is important but only comes with time in various conditions. I don't think most people "practice" stuff as much as they like to think they do.

How about setting an anchor in a place of known tidal currents and variable winds throughout the day. Stick a float on the anchor rode and turn it into a temporary mooring ball and practice throughout an afternoon, Or find a place with a mooring ball that is a bit isolated.

Two of the charter checkouts I have done required sailing onto and off of a mooring ball. I had an argument with one guy becuase my preference is to sail on with jib/genoa only. Done right one can approach from almost any point of sail and use the genoa sheet as a throttle controlling speed precisely. This guy was a mainsail only kind of guy. So I had to demonstrate mainsail.

Then I showed him the genoa way and lo and behold he liked it - go figure... I made sure I showed him that the genoa can be used on a downwind approach, necessary sometimes to either a ball or a dock - Sort of impossible/disastrous with the main.

[muttskie]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

All of my participation with this question has been assuming a crew of two. My plan would be different if I am alone or of the anchor is raised from the cockpit.

Very interesting thread. Apologies if causing thread drift, but comments and strategies for a single hander would be appreciated.

Bill

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Incidentally, another cause of engine unavailability can be fish line, and floating line, of course, then it's the prop that's stopped, with the loss of control, but is an example of another time when having practiced will give you skills to fall back on, rather than panic, which although it may not be a factor for CF members, may be for newbies.

Our unplanned event was when the hose between the engine and water heater, hidden under the galley sole, simply died and spilled out all the coolant! We sailed in, anchored, enjoyed the evening and sailed out the next morning.

Very good thing to know how to do.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by muttskie

Very interesting thread. Apologies if causing thread drift, but comments and strategies for a single hander would be appreciated.

Bill

Bill, same as with another crew member only twice the work.