Choose a sheltered spot with a sand or mud bottom, motor slowly into the wind and stop, lower the anchor and let out chain as the boat drifts back, then go gently astern to dig it in. Check with a transit ashore that you are holding.
Anchoring well starts with choosing the right place.
Choosing a spot:
- Sheltered from the wind and waves, both now and from the direction the forecast says the wind will come from later.
- A bottom of sand or mud, which an anchor digs into well. Rock and weed hold badly.
- Check the chart for depth, the type of bottom, and anything you must not anchor on, such as submarine cables.
- Room to swing all the way round, clear of other boats and of shallow water at low tide.
Step by step:
- Motor slowly into your chosen spot, heading into the wind or the tide, whichever is stronger (the way any anchored boats are lying), and stop the boat.
- Lower the anchor to the bottom, and let out chain as the boat drifts back. Don't drop it all in a heap on top of the anchor.
- When about three times the depth is out, hold the chain on the windlass or a cleat, never in your hands, and let the boat's weight pull the anchor in.
- Let out the rest of the scope, then go gently astern under engine to set the anchor firmly.
- Check you are holding: pick two objects ashore that line up, a transit, and watch that they stay lined up. Many plotters also have an anchor alarm.
- Show an all-round white anchor light at night, and a black ball in the rigging by day.
Check the transit again over the next half hour, and whenever the wind or tide changes. If the anchor drags, the transit opens and the boat moves steadily downwind instead of swinging. Start the engine, lift the anchor, and try again with more scope or in a better spot.
To leave, motor gently up towards the anchor while the crew bring in the chain, directing the helmsman with hand signals. When the chain is straight up and down, the anchor usually breaks out. Use the engine to move the boat up to the anchor, so the windlass is only lifting the chain and not hauling the whole boat.
Keep a close eye on the weather when anchored overnight. A wind shift can turn a sheltered bay into a lee shore.
More in the book: Chapter 9, Anchoring and moorings