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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Single Handed Anchoring

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Wahoo
1st Mate

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USA
34 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/16/2002 : 19:13:48

I'm rather recent (about 6 months)C-25 skipper who generally sails single handed (emphasis on "sails" since I have not yet tried "dropping the hook" on my own).
While I have some limited experience in deckhanding an anchor on other (particularly power) boats, I am rather clueless on how to attack this singlehanded on the Cat. The Annapolis Book of Seamanship, et al. describe the procedure well but assume at least a crew of two (one on the foredeck and one at the helm).
I would appreciate any hints and tricks of the trade from the old and/or experienced hands here. Also, for what its worth, I do not have a bow roller. Is this essential?

Ron Reinsel C-25 Hoo's Here #3992

Edited by - on

Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 05/16/2002 : 19:38:33

Firstly let me welcome you to the board. Droping the hook when your alone is no big deal. If you are ready for the conditions your sailing in its very easy. If your just droping the hook for lunch in a quiet bay I usualy use a small anchor and spare rhode that I keep in a five gallon bucket stowed in the port locker. I flake the line into the bucket so it wont tangle on the way out. Being sure of course not to let the bitter end get away if not secure. Come to a stop or at least slow. Drop the hook over the side and pay out the amount of line needed. Tie of to a cleat, back down and set the hook. When droping the hook from the rear be sure to keep the line away from the motor and extra precaution keep the motor in neautral if not needed.
To drop the main hook for an overnight prepare ahead of time by bringing the anchor back to the cockpit along with the needed amount of line. If your bitter end is secured in the anchor locker then route the line outside your life lines along the side of the boat. Aproach your chosen spot. Slip the anchor over the side and pay out line. Snub the line off using a winch or cleat and back down to set the hook. One your set and ready to steighten up uncleat the line and walk it forward to the bow and cleat it there. There are several other fancy ways of droping the hook from the bow while your in the cockpit but I dont think they are needed on a C-25.
You may find the C-25 will dance at anchor or bouy. This can be stoped with a ridding sail. A small triangular sail made for anchoring. Aft lower corner has a shackle or clip and gets connected to the aft stay. Fwd lower corner attaches to the boom and upper corner to the main outhaul. Fly this sail like a rudder or stern kite to keep the bow into the wind. You can also use a bridal on the bow. One line from each port and sbd cleat leading to a single snackle and then to a bouy.

Doug&Ruth
Wind Lass
Tacoma Wa.

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 05/17/2002 : 09:57:20

Ron - I don't believe you will find may C25 skippers admitting they routinely anchor while under sail. Fighting the anchor locker hatch, small deck area, jib/jenny, along with the meriad other things one needs to be concerned with while anchoring, is too much to deal with. Like anyting to do with sailing, forethought in relation to the conditions are important. Once you have a vision of what you want to do and hw you think you can do it, it becomes easy(ier). I always use my motor, keeping it idled until the anchor is set.

Al Eckhart
Gallivant #5801
Houghton, MI

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n/a
deleted

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29 Posts

Response Posted - 05/17/2002 : 10:16:40

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
And on the flip side... You can also learn to sail off your anchor without motor or crew - It's a very nice trick and not hard to do either. The independence is very satisfing too. You can find a good description in sailing books, but essentially you just tack back and forth with a tightly sheeted main sail - haulling up the slack rode the half of the time you're sailing in the direction of the anchor, and belaying it the other half.

Andy P.
#5708
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

Andy P.
#5708

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Bill Holcomb
Admiral

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USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 05/17/2002 : 10:17:51

Hi Ron,

Anchoring single handed isn't a big deal. But, as others have said, a little prior planning is helpful.

If the weather is calm and there's no current to contend with, I'll pretty much set the hook as if I were two people - working first at the bow deploying the anchor, then in the cockpit backing the boat, then back to the bow to cleat off the anchor line, then backing down again to set the anchor.

If it's breezy or there's current, I'll set the hook pretty much like Doug describes - all from the cockpit.

One thing that has really helped was adding an anchor roller on the bow of the boat. There is a picture of this setup in the tech tips section -
http://c25c250.best.vwh.net/restricted/tt023.html

Since that photo was taken, I have replaced the pin that keeps the rode from "hopping" off the roller with a 2" boom bale. The bale allows for the eyesplice and shackle where the chain and anchor line connect to pass over the roller smoothly.

Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 05/17/2002 : 10:38:33

Ron,
As usual I'll come at this from the hardware point of view. I'm not sure if hull #3992 has the stemhead fitting that has the strap that comes down onto the hull. If not, and you're thinking about adding a bow roller, you should consider the unit that incorporates the new stemhead fitting and bow roller as one unit (available from Catalina Direct.) The old style stemhead that doesn't attach to the hull is viewed to be somewhat of a weak point on the earlier model C-25s.

Steve Madsen
#2428
OJ (Ode to Joy)

Edited by - OJ on 05/17/2002 10:40:19

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Terry Annis
1st Mate

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USA
35 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2002 : 10:32:22

Anchor rollers at the bow are really worth the trouble, lay the line
thru the roller and bring anchor and free end back to the cockpit from there you can drop the anchor and secure the free end to a cleat or winch. Here's the watch outs, drop on the side the boat is drifting away from, and make sure you are stopped or slowing backing
down, If the anchor rode swing forward and catches the keel you got a whole new bucket of worms. Terry "LEMATIKE"

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