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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Anyone control their anchor from the cockpit?

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djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/22/2006 : 16:15:31

Hi All, I just joined the Great Lakes Singlehanded Sailors and will compete in my first race on Sept 9th. I can do almost everything but was thinking that it would be good to be able to drop the anchor from the cockpit just in case. Cheers.

Dennis
No Boat
S.E. Michigan

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 08/22/2006 : 16:56:06

Hi, I've singlehanded about 2000 miles and anchored repeatedly single handed. You can always throw out a stern anchor, just tie off to the winch. However, here is what I do.

(1) Get jib down and stowed (or rolled up). If very windy get main down otherwise let it fly. Get motor running, under autopilot of course. Sheet main in tight.

(2) Go forward, open locker (I bunjee cord it open), get anchor and rode ready well before you are in the anchorage.

(3) Motor around the anchorage. Pick your spot. Motor dead downwind over the spot at about 2 to 2.5 knots. Put your motor in neutral. Disengage the autopilot leaving the tiller centered and locked in place.

(4) Move to the bow and deploy the anchor. It will run sternwards under the boat. Feed chain and line to 2 to 3 times water depth. I use lots of chain (40 to 50 feet followed by 200 feet of line).

(5) Cleat off anchor. You'll feel it bite. The boat will stop and turn head to wind. Ease more line out to the scope you want. Now you can back down under power if desired.

This method even works with help on board. It is much better than dropping the anchor and backing down. I learned this from a book by Hal Roth.

Edited by - JimB517 on 08/22/2006 16:59:08

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 08/22/2006 : 17:07:22

Getting the anchor up single handed is often more difficult. I make breakfast and coffee and sometime in there I will shorten scope until I sitting at about 2 to 1 scope - for me usually sitting on all 40 feet of chain in 20 feet of water.

Get motor started, get main up, finish coffee. Wakes and other waves will help break the anchor loose.

Pull the chain all the way up until its vertical. If it is still stuck, swing the boat around and back up under power the reverse direction of the way you laid it down. That will usually break it loose.

Now the problem for a single hander is you are drifting with 40 feet of chain and a big anchor dangling. If a neighbor boat is too close by you just maneuver under power until you have room to drift.

Go to the bow and get the mess back in the locker. I'll often leave the anchor in the water just 1 foot down while I start motoring out under autopilot to get it cleaned off.

I wish there was a single handers society here. I did 500 miles last summer, 3 weeks. Had the kids for one week, though.

Edited by - on

RichardG
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2006 : 00:19:22

I'm not sure how you can 'drop' a bow hook from cockpit. However, around here anchoring space is often tight, so two anchors, bow and stern, is common. I try to motor slowly forward into the wind, then hit neutral and walk to the bow. Upon coasting to a stop, I drop the bow hook, then walk the rode back to the cockpit with it looped around my arm (one end going over the roller, the other going to neatly coiled rode in the anchor locker) while the wind begins to push the boat back. While in the cockpit, I can progressively let out the rode going to the anchor while enticing the rode from the bow locker. Having to back up using the motor in no wind or cross wind makes it trickier, but doable. After setting the bow hook (using the engine and the rode cleated to a coaming cleat), I continue backing down further, letting more rode off the bow, until it's appropriate to drop the stern hook (I have lots of rode on the bow). Then I drop the stern hook, whose rode is also pre-coiled neatly to ensure tangle-free deployement, and start pulling on the bow rode while letting out the stern rode. When the scope is right both bow and stern, I set the stern anchor and cleat it off, then walk forward, cleat off the bow rode and coil the excess back into its locker.

I'm not sure if this is the right way to do it, but it seems to work.

Jim saw me use this method a few years back at Little Harbor. Perhaps what I attempt to make a methodical and deliberate procedure appears more chaotic to the observer next door.

Lots of folks use their dinghy to drop the stern hook after setting the bow hook, but I prefer to stay on the boat while singlehanded until everything is secure.

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2006 : 08:39:55

Hi All, I was thinking of some kind of anchor support that might stick out front to support the anchor while letting the weight hang a little and then running this line aft to the cockpit like you would the furler line. As you can see from the picture of my boat, I just don't have that much room to quickly move forward of the cockpit. Now that I see the picture, you can't really tell but the dodger is almost as wide as the boat and my gut forces me "shimmy" if you will, around it. This is ok in calm waters but it is a real trick when things are rockin. CHeers.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2006 : 09:51:06

Dennis--what's with that stern rail? I've never seen one like it, especially on a Catalina. I also can't see whether you have an anchor roller--that's the key to what Richard is describing. The roller keeps the rode at the bow, and you can raise or lower and cleat off from wherever. Sorta like...

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 08/24/2006 10:03:07

sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2006 : 10:04:56

I like JimB's by the numbers and experiences to anchor and I try to do the same. Being prepared allows for the exercise to be successful and having the anchors ready with the bitter ends secure and line ready to let out. My forward anchor is stored in the locker with the line laid in with the chain on top, I don't think I could leave the anchor on the roller as it would require the pin to be removed before using so I leave it in the bow locker. The larger stern anchor is hung vertically on a secured piece of plywood with wood runners and the chain and 200' x 1/2" line laid in a bucket with the bitter end tied off in the locker. I had to used both in a summer blow of over 50 mph on our mountain lake and our gang still talks about it. One of the skippers was observed trying to unlock his anchor from the bow and attach the line, he had enough searoom to be successful.

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2006 : 10:27:33

Welcome back RichardG !!!! Its been a long time. By the way, did you read my story about competing in the Crew of Two around Catalina this year?

Edited by - JimB517 on 08/24/2006 10:32:11

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2006 : 10:31:16

If you can't get up to the bow, coasting downwind at 2 knots, deploy your anchor off the stern. Keep the chain and rode in a white plastic bucket. Tie off to a winch. After the boat stops and the anchor digs in, drop a bunch of slack line in the water, take the line to the bow and she'll turn around bow to wind.

I prefer getting the bow anchor down and taking the stern anchor out in my kayak.

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2006 : 12:33:11

Thanks all for your advice. I will be getting a chance to use it this weekend. About the stern rail, it is a screwed up peice of crap that came with the boat. I will get close ups of some of the torch scorched bends just to make it fit. None of the deck fitting sit flat on the deck, they are all canted up in one direction or another. Cheers.

Edited by - on

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.