The ABC’s of Anchoring
Opinions may vary, but the basic rules of anchoring hold firm

If you ever want to start a lively conversation among a group of sailors, bring up the subject of anchors and anchoring. It seems as if everyone has an opinion on the subject and is willing to share it, usually in a state of agitation if there is any disagreement. For as long as there have been boats, there have been ways to anchor them safely in remote and often beautiful locations.

These days the equipment is well advanced from the carved sticks lashed with sinew to heavy objects, but that does not stop each of us from having a favorite anchor and favorite anchoring technique. Let’s start with a look at some of the most common anchors.

There are dozens of patented anchors that come in various shapes and sizes, but most sailors rely on two basic types: the plow anchor, which has flukes shaped like a plow and relies on its weight for the initial set, and lighter anchors with flat flukes that rely on a pivoting design and the pull of the boat to set them. Both types have their merits. Offshore cruisers who have holed up in all types of weather generally swear by the Lewmar CQR and the Bruce, both proven plow anchors that will hold tight during unseemly weather. Inshore sailors and those looking for convenience and an anchor that is much easier to handle will swear by their Danforth or Fortress. Both these anchors have flat flukes made of high-tensile steel with pointed ends that quickly pierce the ocean floor and set deep as soon as a load comes on the shank. They are much lighter than the plow anchors but have one drawback, especially for offshore sailors; they do not easily self-tend when raised.

The CQR, Bruce and another increasingly popular anchor, the Delta, all lend themselves to being raised with a windlass and secured on a bow roller with minimal attention. In fact, one of the reasons the Delta has gained popularity is that it’s the only anchor that can be launched unattended. Its angled shank allows it to drop effortlessly over the bow roller as soon as tension on the anchor rode is released.

All anchors are difficult to manage and while different people have opinions on which is the best, I can point out that certain anchors lend themselves better to different types of sailing. A world cruiser, not concerned about weight and windage, but instead looking for convenience and reliability, will prefer an anchor that stows easily on the bow of the boat. A sailor who does not anchor as often will prefer to get the weight off the bow and will not have a problem dragging one of the lightweight anchors aft and stowing it below. Before leaving the subject of anchor types there is one anchor that many people, myself included, would never leave port without it, and that’s the old-fashioned kedge anchor or Fisherman, also known as the Yachtsman or Herreshoff. This anchor looks more like a typical anchor with curved, pointed flukes attached to a solid shank. It’s cumbersome and heavy, relying largely on its weight to set, but once down it grabs where most other anchors skip and as such is often used as a storm anchor. An old cruiser I once met referred to his Fisherman as the only insurance policy he would ever rely on.

How much scope?
I have always been amazed by the seemingly blasé manner in which many people treat anchoring. They may always ensure that the handbrake is set and the wheels turned in toward the curb when parking their $15,000 Civic on a hill, but without much concern jump into their dinghy and row away from their $500,000 yacht before checking that the boat is securely anchored. Rarely do you hear of chains or anchor rode breaking, or the anchors themselves failing, but there are many stories of anchored boats coming to grief. It all has to do with operator error. An anchor is only as good as how well it’s used and the first line of defense is the anchor rode; the type and amount of scope let out when anchoring.

The goal of all anchoring is to increase the horizontal pull exerted on an anchor, in other words to keep the rode as close to parallel with the ocean floor as possible. Most anchors drag because there is not sufficient rode let out, causing the angle between the anchor and the boat to exert an upward pull on the anchor, which dislodges it. The amount of rode, or scope, you let out each time you anchor depends on a number of things: the depth of water, the amount of wind, the kind of rode, how protected the anchorage is, and what kind of holding you have in the anchorage. Just to clarify, scope is the ratio between the amount of rode you let out and the depth of the water. In light winds and secure holding you may be able to get away with a scope as low as 4-to-1, meaning that in 10 feet of water you let out approximately 40 feet of rode, especially if your anchoring tackle is oversize and the holding good. If you are expecting some breeze, a scope of 7-to-1 or greater may be necessary.

When calculating water depth make certain to take into account the depth of the water where the anchor was dropped, not where the boat sits, add in the extra depth to the high tide mark, and don’t forget to include the distance between the surface of the water and bow roller. There is an old adage among sailors that goes, “When in doubt, let more out,” meaning that you have a better chance of getting a secure hold if you have more scope. While this is without a doubt good advice, be a little careful. If you already have a 7-to-1 scope and the anchor is still dragging, you may have other problems like a rocky bottom or a small boulder lodged between your fluke and shank that’s preventing the anchor from working properly. If you are still dragging at 7-to-1 it’s a good idea to raise the anchor, check the gear and perhaps find some other place to drop the hook.

You can increase the horizontal pull on the anchor in a number of ways, the most obvious being adding a length of chain between the anchor and the nylon rode. The weight of the chain increases the sag of the rode so that at least initially the rode is almost parallel with the ocean floor, and the chain itself acts as excellent chafe protection against sharp rocks. Many offshore cruisers use only chain for rode and while this is very effective it’s also heavy and cumbersome. In areas like the South Pacific and Indian Ocean where there is a lot of coral it’s almost imperative that you anchor with an all-chain rode. When anchoring with chain it’s a good idea to attach a nylon strop with a rubber snubber to the rode to act as a shock absorber. Some sailors use just a short strop, but any seasoned sailor who has had to let out scope in a blustery squall will insist on a long strop so that both rode and strop can be eased out at the same time.

If you are not keen on carrying too much chain there is a simple way to induce sag in the anchor rode and that is to slide a weight down the rode once the anchor is set. This weight, properly called a sentinel, can be of any heavy material. Once, in a pinch, I used a canvas bucket filled with spare anchor chain as a sentinel, but you would be wise to buy a bronze sentinel cast with an eye that can be used to attach it to the rode and a retrieval line. As you slide the sentinel down the rode its weight induces sag, which in turn increases the horizontal pull on the anchor encouraging it to dig deeper.

Before leaving the subject of anchor rode there are a few points to note. Discuss anchor weight, chain sizes and rope diameters with the experts at your local chandlery, taking into account the size, displacement and windage of your boat as well as your cruising plans. If you are going for an extended cruise go heavy on all ground tackle and add a windlass if you are not keen on hand-hauling the anchor each morning. End-for-end both chain and rope rode often and check for chafe and rust, especially on any swivels, which are usually the weak link in any chain. If the weight of chain is a concern you can get high-test chain that is much stronger than regular chain. The added strength allows you to go down in chain size to save weight. Mark all rode at intervals that can be understood in daylight, when it’s dark and when there is a panic.

Two for one
A few years ago I circumnavigated Newfoundland, where my anchoring skills were put to the test. Because of the geography of the area we were forced to anchor in many different ways, but never had a problem. Our rule of thumb as cautious cruisers was to always set two anchors, and my advice to anyone who wants to rest well at night is to do the same.
On that particular boat, a large Swan, we used a CQR as the principal anchor and set a Danforth as backup, giving us the benefit of both types of anchors. Our reason for setting two anchors was more than ensuring that we didn’t drag. By splaying them out at a 45-degree angle the boat was not able to move around as much as it would on a single anchor, something that works well in a crowded or small anchorage. It was also more comfortable on board.

How and where the anchors were placed was based on the weather forecast. If the wind direction was to remain steady we simply chose a nice spot, set the CQR, made sure that it was holding by lining up two transits on land and watching to be sure that they stayed in line, and then prepared the Danforth. You can set the second anchor by motoring forward to a point where the anchors would be at a 45-degree angle, but we chose to set the second anchor with the dinghy. If you choose to motor forward be sure to take in the slack in the rode so that it does not snag on anything or get under the boat. By setting the second anchor with the dinghy we were able to place it precisely where we wanted it to go. A useful tip to remember is to place the anchor and rode in the dinghy and feed it out from the dinghy rather than try and pull the rode directly from the boat. Fifty feet of wet rope creates a lot of drag.

If the forecast was for the wind to shift during the night we would usually set the second anchor where it would benefit us once the wind changed direction. So if the wind was to shift right, we set the Danforth to starboard and placed it precisely where it would give us the maximum holding power once the new breeze filled in. The same logic applied if the forecast was for the wind to shift in the other direction. Wind shifts are usually accompanied by an increase in strength as a front arrives, so we preferred to have the benefit of both anchors and a better angle once there was more wind.

If you are anchoring in a tight or crowded anchorage, or someplace where there is a lot of current, you may want to set a stern anchor. This way the boat is held in line no matter what the wind direction. You can set the main anchor, drop way back on it to set the stern anchor, and then pull up on the bow so that you sit midway between the two anchors. Again, we preferred to set the stern anchor with the dinghy.

In Tierra del Fuego, where I have sailed many times, we always sprung the boat with four lines: the two bow anchors going out at an 45-degree angle, and the two stern lines, permanently mounted on the pushpit, tied to trees or rocks ashore. Because the water is very deep in the fjords we were often able to get right up close to the land, so tying off to trees was never a problem. If you find yourself cruising in Scandinavia you will use a simplified version of this. Again, because of the deep water, most sailors set a bow anchor and raft stern-to with an aft line tied to a tree or rock and a gangplank lowered to step ashore.

It’s always a good rule of thumb to copy the techniques used by locals. If they are tying to trees, you should tie to trees. If they are using all-chain anchor rode, you would be wise to do the same. There is an art to anchoring safely and you can stack the odds in your favor by taking advice from other sailors and copying what they do.