Singlehanded, sailing out the anchor.

[Jeffrey1950]

It might be fun to discuss methods for sailing out the anchor when singlehanded. It doubtless varies by boat type, rig etc, My boat is a Bermudan sloop, 34’

How do you do it?

[Stu Jackson]

I've done it with my 34 footer.


Slack mainsheet, raise mainsail, allow mainsail to luff. Pull up anchor rode, cat anchor. Hand pull on mainsheeet if necessary to get some forward way anytime in the process. Sail away.



I've done this only in light zephyrs, wouldn't even think about doing it against any real wind. I don't have a windlass.


Looking forward to "real" sailors' answers.

[Jeffrey1950]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

I've done it with my 34 footer.


Slack mainsheet, raise mainsail, allow mainsail to luff. Pull up anchor rode, cat anchor. Hand pull on mainsheeet if necessary to get some forward way anytime in the process. Sail away.



I've done this only in light zephyrs, wouldn't even think about doing it against any real wind. I don't have a windlass.


Looking forward to "real" sailors' answers.

Do you lash the tiller amidships Stu, or perhaps a little to port/starboard depending on your preferred route out of the anchorage?

[Tetepare]

I do what Stu does.

I don't do anything with the wheel. By the time the boat hits .1 kts I'm back at the wheel. Obviously I don't sail off from anchor when on a lee shore in high winds. If the wind is blowing me out of the anchorage, who cares?

Except when I have to huff and run back to start the motor and power the anchor out of our gorgeous, sucking mud.


Tides can change the whole situation, of course.

[contrail]

Well.....the old technique used to be that, after raising the main, you set it up for almost closehauled, without the jib, which is FREE-er than with the jib (very important, because the wind direction doesn't get changed by the jib!). The boat sails off on one tack, until it reaches the end of the rode, which brings the bow around on the other tack. As the boat sails back toward the anchor, you raise as much of the chain as you can, (with or without windlass) until you pass the anchor and start sailing away, again, at which point you snub the anchor rode, which eventually brings the bow back around and toward the anchor. Rinse and repeat, until you sail over the anchor which breaks it free.


Yes, this does work, although I would first do it in winds light enough to be easy, but enough wind that the boat sails. Learn the boat.



I had no problem with doing this with my Leopard 45 cat, all chain rode and windlass, so I would think all you monohullers should maybe have an easier time.....!!! However, my boat was fractionally rigged with a huge mainsail, and sailed easily on that alone. I would think that a more jib driven boat might have a harder time unless that was up. In which case, unless it was self tacking, you would also need a crew to tack the jib. With just the main, singlehanded works.



I now have a PDQ 36, which has a masthead rig and a large jib, but the mast IS far enough forward that she will sail on main alone, although not as easily as the Leopard. I am looking forward to mastering this on the PDQ.

[MicHughV]

I think that " sailing out the anchor " is a bit of a misnomer.

I hoist the main, but leave it loose to flutter in the wind and go forward to pull up the anchor. I do it a bit at a time to build some momentum to move the boat forward.
When the anchor finally breaks free, I hoist it free of the water, but not back on the boat.

Then I run back to the cockpit and will flop the main over to weather to help turn the boat. Once the boat has started to turn, I reset the main to catch the wind.

By the time I have the boat turned around, but still going slow, I will run back to the bow and pull the anchor up on deck.

Lots of caveats here though. I make sure I have space to the left and right and behind me to do my maneuvers. I like to leave anchor dangling just above the water, in case I have to reset it in a hurry.

[boatman61]

This is not how to do it, merely how I do it..
Centre the wheel if you have one, if tiller leave it free..
Start engine and leave in neutral in case of emergency.. raise the main then sheet in mainsheet so the boom is free to swing 10 to 15 degrees either side of centre.
Go forward and as she creeps forwards start hauling in chain, as the bow comes level with the anchor lock the chain on a cleat till she falls off the wind and starts on the other tack then start hauling again as the weight comes off the chain.
Repeat until the last few metres of chain and anchor is still holding and wait till she falls on the favourable track for sailing off, haul in remaining chain till anchor trailing in water to wash debris off, lock of chain and go back to cockpit to trim main and unfurl enough jib to get a steady speed, set tiller/wheel pilot then go forward and haul in anchor and secure.
Return to cockpit and make course/sail changes needed and turn off engine..
Next stop over the horizon..

[JPA Cate]

Sailing off the anchor is a good skill to have. Having a windlass on our boats since 1983, we have not needed to sail out the anchor. However, we have lost our engine at an anchorage (oil line burst, and all the oil went into the bilge). We were able, together, to get the boat to fall off on the only tack where we could continue on to get enough way on to tack again, and again, and get out of the anchorage. The closer in you anchor, and the more hazard and other boats, (we had coral reefs on both sides of us, but no other boats), the more critical is coming off in the right direction.

So, if sailing out the anchor, when you come down to your last couple of tacks, you might want to not pull up chain till you know you can come off on the desired tack. Once you are underway and under control, you can de-power the main and finish catting the anchor. Generally speaking, it needs a lot of room to do it all in.

Singlehanding, the important thing to do is to think it all through, and question your thoughts, too. (Like, how long does it take me to get from the foredeck to sheeting in the main? (how many steps is it?) and then, how long does it take to get enough water flow over the rudder to have steerage?) (what is minimum speed for tacking? how fast do I need to be going to tack at 90 degree --or whatever your boat makes good-- angles?) I'd suggest having a friend with you while you do your first practising, because by doing it, you'll find the glitch points where you have solutions to work out, and having a hand can help.

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by Jeffrey1950

It might be fun to discuss methods for sailing out the anchor when singlehanded. It doubtless varies by boat type, rig etc, My boat is a Bermudan sloop, 34’



How do you do it?

Never done it, but should be easier than anchoring under sail, and make sure the anchor is set. I'll be a true sailor someday....

Watch How to Sail Oceans on Youtube, Kevin is a solo circunavigator, never had an engine.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

Never done it, but should be easier than anchoring under sail, and make sure the anchor is set. I'll be a true sailor someday....

Watch How to Sail Oceans on Youtube, Kevin is a circunavigator, never had an engine.

Actually I find anchoring under sail easier. You just drop the sails and lower the anchor. If space is tight, then you tack up through the anchorage, then lower main but leave a tiny bit of jib enough to turn the stern into the wind and aim for your spot. Then roll away the piece of jib, lock tiller, prep anchor and drop when you reach the chosen spot, “sailing” over the anchor. When enough rode is out, cleat it to set the anchor, which will also turn the boat around.

For sailing off the anchor, we only do that with plenty room and easily sail angle to exit. Hoist mizzen and sheet in tight, hoist main and let swing freely, hoist anchor. The boat will start going backwards by the time you’re back in the cockpit: let go mizzen sheet and turn wheel until pointing good for hauling in the main sheet, then mizzen sheet, then unfurl jib

[thomm225]

I pretty much always sail off anchor and sail in when anchoring.

Usually I raise the main, leave the sheet way loose, then pull the anchor. (if I could raise the rudder I would. Old beach cat trick)

If it's really windy I may sail back to a more sheltered area to set everything up before I go out.

By out I mean out from protection and in many cases this is out from behind the cement ships.

Winds can be above 20 knots and waves 3' higher than what was behind the ships

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Jeffrey1950

Do you lash the tiller amidships Stu, or perhaps a little to port/starboard depending on your preferred route out of the anchorage?

No brake, set midships so when I pull up the rode the boat goes mostly straight. Since the boat isn't really moving, it doesn't matter until you're ready to leave. Like turning the wheel on your car in your garage, it ain't goin' anywhere.

[Don C L]

Well I do it both ways occasionally. I'd say it depends on the boat and the and the anchorage and the direction of the wind... I too hand pull the boat up to the anchor (calm weather < 10 knots or so)(my boat's smaller at 29') with the main up and sheet loose and I pull till the rode is as vertical as possible and wait till the boat is pointed the right way then get the anchor up off the bottom (hopefully it is not buried too deeply) and up but not all the way, like McHugh says, until I have sailed clear of anchorage and/or neighbors, then lash the tiller so she's settled and then go up and finish the anchor. (I am often in small anchorages.) Then I am ready to hoist the jib, then trim the main for heading out on a reach or close-hauled. If I am going to run out of the anchorage I have used the jib for that since I can hoist it from the cockpit. In that case, if there is no one downwind of me, it is easy to weigh the anchor, secure it, letting the boat drift until I am back in the cockpit to hoist the jib. BUT, this way means I am probably planning on running without the main, which I do like to do on occasion where I am to just poke along the coastline. Raising the main once I am out in the wind and waves can be a bit of a pain when singlehanding, and I have the halyard run back so I can do it from the cockpit. Those who must go to the mast have a more difficult endeavor IMO. (There's probably a whole thread to be made on how to raise your main when out in the weather when singlehanding.)
To me, the part to watch out for in all this is the running back and forth to the bow and cockpit. It is easy to slip, trip, stub a toe or hit your head on a free swinging boom (at least that's me on my boat)
So like Ann says, it is definitely wise to plan it all out, each step, in your mind before starting.

[contrail]

I find anchoring under sail to be easier than weighing the anchor. I furl the jib, and work upwind, tacking as necessary, until I am almost at my target spot. At that point I sheet the main in hard, so that it keeps the bow head to wind or stalls, if the bow falls off (remember, this is on a fractional rigged cat, so you CAN stall the main). I turn into the wind and go forward and drop the anchor. With the main in tight, she gradually drifts back and when I am sure all is well, I drop the mainsail, quickly.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by contrail

I find anchoring under sail to be easier than weighing the anchor. I furl the jib, and work upwind, tacking as necessary, until I am almost at my target spot. At that point I sheet the main in hard, so that it keeps the bow head to wind or stalls, if the bow falls off (remember, this is on a fractional rigged cat, so you CAN stall the main). I turn into the wind and go forward and drop the anchor. With the main in tight, she gradually drifts back and when I am sure all is well, I drop the mainsail, quickly.

This works on a mono as well..
I sail through the anchorage to size things up and pick the spot that I judge to have the space I need then circle back round furling my jib as I go.
I approach beam reaching at 90 degrees to where I want my hook to be and when the time is right I turn into the wind and let the weight of the boat carry me the rest of the way.
As I approach the spot, by this time maybe doing 1kt or less I release the mainsheet and go forward to drop the hook.. at about 10metres I hold as the boat falls off till the chain has straightened then let out another 10metres before holding again, this gets the anchor digging in as the weight of the boat comes on and head swings to wind. then its another 10metres, lock off and take bearings.
Light a smoke and watch how things go while keeping one foot on the chain by the roller..
95 times out of 100 this is good enough, I then fit the snubber, secure the foredeck then go and drop the main.