Anchors, Anchoring, and

Anchorages

May 17, 2014

Michael Delaney

Fairwind Yacht Club

Anchor Types/Brands• Bulwagga

• Claw

• CQR• Danforth

• Delta

• Fortress

• Hydrobubble• Manson

• Oceane

• Rocna

• SACRA

• Spade• WASI

• XYZ

Anchors

WASISpadeSACRA

Ocean

MansonHydrobubble

Bulwagga Claw Fortress

Most Common Found at PYM

DELTA BRUCE

DANFORTHROCNA?

Anchoring Techniques

• Common Techniques for Local Islands– Single Bow Anchor

• Easier

• Requires Room to Swing

– Bow and Stern Anchor• Will Hold Boat in Position

• Better for Small, Crowded Anchorages

– It is Best if All Boats Use the Same Technique in an Anchorage

• All Single Bow

• All Bow/Stern

Anchoring Hardware

• All Chain Hardware is Strongest but Heavy

• Combination Chain and Rode Most

Common

– For Sailboats

– Chain > Boat Length

– Rode Length Sufficient for Anchoring Depth

– Length Markers

Single Bow Anchor

• Scope > 7:1 for Secure Overnight

• Allow Room to Swing

• For 30 ft Depth: 210 ft Rode/Chain

• If Wind and Swell are at Angles

may have Rough Night

•Boat may be at angle to the

swells

Bow Stern Anchoring

• Boat Held in Position

• Good in Crowded Anchorages

• Hold Boat Relative to Swell• Scope > 7:1 for Secure Overnight

Other Anchoring Techniques

Dual Bow Anchor

Bahamian Mooring

Anchoring Techniques

• Know the Bottom– Charts and References

• Avoid Kelp and Rock Formations

• Make Sure the Anchor is Set– Reverse Pull Test

– Visual Location Triangulation

• Make Sure Anchor Stays Set– Review if Wind Shear Occurs

– Set Anchor Watch As Necessary

Anchoring Techniques

• So… What Can Go Wrong?

• Santa Cruz Island is Famous for Strong Down Canyon Winds at Night– Most Anchorages are at the Base of

Canyons

– For Single Bow Anchor• A 90 or 180 deg Wind Shift May Cause Anchor

to Drag or Reset

– For Bow Stern Anchor• Stern Anchor May Drag with Heavy Load

Anchoring Techniques

• So… What Can Go Wrong?

• Setting Stern Anchor Can Be Tricky– Avoid Fowling Prop if Backing Down

– Use Dinghy or Kayak if Close to Shore

• Eel Grass Can Be Difficult to Penetrate– Potential to Drag

• What if Anchor Will Not Release– Try 90 or 180 deg Pull

– If All Else Fails Cut Rode and Tie Off with Buoy; Retrieve Later

Anchor Testing References

Bill Springer’s Boat Blog

Practical Sailor Anchor Shear Tests

Practical Sailor Anchor Shear Tests

Practical Sailor Anchor Shear Tests Results

Peter Smith Independent Review

Peter Smith Independent Review

Peter Smith Independent Review

Peter Smith Independent Review

Peter Smith Independent Review

My Two Cents

• Used Danforth Anchors for Many Years– Catalina 30, Various Other Boats

• Some Bad Experiences with Setting CQR– Catalina 400

• Observed Danforth, Bruce, and CQR Drag Mainly Under Shear Conditions

• Switched Most Fairwind Boats to Delta– Sets and Holds in Eel Grass

Anchorages

• Selection of an Anchorage– Location

– Shelter from Wind

– Shelter from Swell

– Capacity

– Landing Shore

– Roads or Hiking

– Snorkeling

– Kayaking

Anchorage References

• Brian Fagan’s Cruising Guide

• Capt. Dan’s Sail Channel

Islandswww.sailchannelislands.com

• National Park Servicewww.nps.gov

• The Nature Conservancywww.nature.org

Obtain Appropriate Charts

Santa Cruise Island: East End

SCORPION

Prisoners Harbor

Pelican Bay

SMUGGLERS

YELLOW BANKS

Santa Cruz IslandSmugger’s Cove and Yellow Banks

Smugglers

Wreck

Yellow Banks

Single Bow Anchor at Smugglers

Smuggler’s Harbor Beach

Santa Cruise IslandScorpion and Little Scorpion

Scorpion

LittleScorpion

NPS

Santa Cruise IslandPrisoners and Pelican

Pelican Bay

Prisoner’s Harbor

Santa Cruise IslandPrisoners Harbor

Best Shelter in WesterlyBut Most Eel Grass

Easy to Land on Beach orTie Up to Side of Pier

Bow Stern Anchor at Prisoners

Santa Cruise Island: Pelican Bay

Pelican Bay

Little PelicanLanding

Santa Cruz Island: Mid Section

Willows

Coches Prietos

Alberts

Pelican

Fry’s

Platt’s

Santa Cruz Island: Fry’s

Fry’s Anchorage

Grotto

Santa Cruz IslandCoches Prietos and Alberts Cove

CochesPrietos

AlbertsCove

Santa Cruz Island: Willows

Willows Anchorage

Summary

• Select a Good Anchor

• Maintain Rode and Chain in Good

Condition

• Pick Your Anchorage with Care

• Set Your Anchor Firmly

• Do Not Let Your Guard Down

• Most of All, Have Fun