Charles E

I will endeavor to keep within the bounds of NEED TO KNOW rather than NICE TO KNOW and how it relates to cruising catamarans, trimarans, shallow draft craft and fin-keel-spade rudder monohull sailboats and many powerboats. The following is a "work-in-progress" based upon my own authorized testing experiences and a critical view of the written experiences of others, tempered by the actual authorities in the field such as the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) and others.

The Catamaran Advantage, a quick introduction to this chapter and tabular summary of procedure for keeping the "pleasure" in "pleasure boating."

A SHORT COURSE IN ANCHORING PROTOCOL AND A SMART COURSE IN ANCHORAGE EVALUATION

1. PROTOCOL

Protocol is really simple: First come, first served. The late comers are obliged to keep clear of the early birds. That means if you anchor near some novice with too much scope and when the tide shifts he swings into you, YOU are obligated to move.

EVALUATE YOUR ANCHORAGE FOR SAFETY AND SATISFACTION

. Being to windward of the entire fleet allows you the widest safety margin and the least noise.

. When you enter an anchorage, carefully observe the anchored boats. Motorboats, (if any) usually run generators, as do mega-yachts It is not unusual at all to find boats that start their generators around cocktail hour and run them all night long. (I am baffled by the psychology of this, but that is the way it is) If quite ambience and pure air are important to you, stay as far away as possible. On the other hand, if you too are going to run a generator, by all means stay as close to them as practical and give the rest of us a break.

. Next, observe how the boats are anchored. Try not to "mix & match. If all the boats are anchored with two anchors and you are going to anchor with one, or vice versa, note the different swinging circles you will cover. Remember your protocol.

. Different parts of the anchorage will often have different currents. You can generally get a good idea of the strength and direction of these currents, if any, by observing the actions of the anchored boats. Current has far more effect than wind, unless it is an unusually unprotected anchorage. Many times, you will find eddy currents in corners of an anchorage that do not reverse direction when the tide changes. These make good places to anchor because they do not over complicate your life with multiple anchors, etc.

Occasionally, you will read that "different types of boats will swing differently in an anchorage. Power boats will swing differently than sailboats. This is partly true but vastly overstated, just check your grade school physics. The dominant reason different boats swing differently in the same anchorage is almost invariably eddy currents within the anchorage area. Water is 22 times as dense as air. Unless the water is still, and the wind blowing, will there be a difference.

ANCHOR SAILING:

The BASIC Anchoring dilemma;

Just what is Anchor sailing and what are its symptoms and consequences:

1. Symptoms:

● Wandering around the anchor rode like a puppy on a leash, slamming around at the end of the tether (rode) and straining all the gear such as cleats and chocks. Excess scope (usually over 5:1 or 6:1) exacerbates this syndrome.

● Catching the rode on your underwater appendages, see photo below for complete understanding. (rudders, keels, propellers)

● Swinging in a circle the diameter of double the rode length, vastly increasing the possibility (probability?) of tripping your anchor, annoying everyone else in the anchorage. (too much scope exacerbates this problem.)

● The basic problem is diagramed above. Once the sails are down on almost all modern light displacement boats, a LEE HELM is developed and the boat wants to FALL OFF, not point into the wind.

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There are several techniques and procedures that will help alleviate this problem:

1. Multiple anchors

Kellets, Angels, Bouncers, same technique

Proper scope

A SHORT COURSE in anchor pattern differences:

1. The old-fashion CQR simply is a poor choice by almost any standard. Even back in the

1920's when it was introduced, the critique went like this: "Mankind spent thousands of years working on a shape that would move through the ground easily, and these guys turned it into an anchor!" However, at that time in history is was a major advance hat coincided with the end of the era of bow sprits, boomkins and other deck lengthening objects to handle extended rigging, mostly for gaff-rigged vessels. These extensions led to adequate anchor storage areas foe the klutsiest thing ever invented, the old fashion kedge anchor with the stock in the head. Two decades later, the invention of the Danforth, changed anchoring history. The pattern, technically classified as "pivoting fluke-lightweight" is today hands down our most popular anchor ever. However, as we shall see, there are different patterns for different purposes.

Actually, the two major problems are obvious from this diagram, the direction of pull is out of line with the needs of the resultant force. The second problem is that a major amount of the weight is in the large flat shank resisting being pulled under the surface. Note, the DELTA upgrade (Same manufacturer, Simpson Lawrence) has eliminated the hinge problem, properly aligned the direction of force with pull, turned the shank so it will bury when pulled, added considerably to the palm area, rebalanced the weight with a ballasted tip section and actually got twice the holding power for the weight in addition to the self-launching feature. The CQR always depended on an overweight all-chain rode to work at all, the DELTA recommends a minimum of six (6) feet of chain lead. (this does not preclude all-chain rodes but does alter the launching technique)

Essential Nomenclature and type characteristics:

THIS THREAD UNDER CONSTRUCTION, Check back regularly, full book will eventually be published.

One immediate concern I have is the practice of putting the launching and retrieval of the anchoring system of a catamaran through the upper portion of the underdeck (bottom portion of the bridgedeck) this has all negative attributes and the only positive attribute might be construed as a marketing ploy to inform novice buyers that the "icky" anchor and disgusting dirty chain is off the foredeck so you can lie on a towel with being annoyed by it. It must be noted that this system has been tried and unequivocally failed in the past and to see it resurrected now is heartbreaking. The annotated diagrams below tell the complete story.

FP Anchor locker Note: 1, very poor connector, already rusting. This connector is NOT RECOMMENDED. It has several deficiencies and the main reason it is used in this application is because a proper harp shackle would damage the rubber seals.2, Bridle, to be attached to chain after proper scope out. 3, Safety line for bridle or small tackle to take up slack in chain. 4, Tails of lines from mast into “spaghetti” box

· Constant strain required against windlass to keep anchor in position when stowed as in photo. When bulkhead flexes from pounding, shock is transferred to windlass and grossly inadequate connector. Leverage from the twisting and moving anchor must eventually damage the bulkhead and/or fittings. Waves smashing against anchor and/or natural vessel motion will play havoc with FRP lay-up which always has a certain amount of flexure. When an anchor is properly fitted in a bow roller, gravity holds it in place and there is little possibility of damaging feedback to other equipment such as the windlass, chain, chain stop, cleats, etc.

· Obviously, just by its location in the most vulnerable place, sea water will enter compartment under bad conditions. If the drains are plugged with misc. gear, locker can fill with water.

● Chain will drag on the boat bottom during both setting and retrieving in blustery conditions when the boat falls-off the wind, damaging bottom paint, gel-coat and possibly the underdeck itself if the boat lurches fully forward. See above diagram on anchor sailing)

· In order to adjust scope you must HAUL BACK the anchor to a point from which you can unclip the bridle, certainly not a good idea in an emergency.

· Clear and present danger working with dangerous machinery in a confined space below decks under stressful conditions.

· Potential for tails of lines to become entangled with anchoring gear.

● How on earth would you ever get the anchor up in an gear failure emergency? Normally, you would hook an auxiliary line over a snatch-block or a jib halyard and haul it in over the the bow roller.

● How would you clear a common snag? Plastic bag? Shopping Cart? Tree limb? Someone else's anchor rode?

● How do you wash your anchor chain as it is being cranked up? Do you store all the slimy mud in the locker? Normally done over the bow, in this case through the trampoline? Not at all?

FP Anchor through the bridgedeck.

● 5, Heavy anchor poised through the structure can only cause damage and create handling hazard since the anchor is both set and RETRIEVED between the hulls UNDER the trampoline, thus inaccessible for normal cleaning or observation..

● 6, The underside view of the absolutely necessary part of the anchor system, the BRIDLE, which must be clipped to the chain from INSIDE the anchor well (see above) If the bridle is not used, the vessel will lie on the windlass (definitely a no-no) and drag under the hulls as the the boat falls off. This is a real problem. I have surveyed several boat severely damaged because the operators did not use the bridle when at anchor, or allowed the boat to wander excessively whilst the anchor was being hauled.

● An aside, but note the humps, or chines, that are added to increase interior room. This unquestionably creates A-symmetry of the hulls and fosters the build up of waves between the hulls. In addition the depression of the escape hatch will also create turbulence and noise during sailing..

Anchors belong on the bow on cruising boats sold to the rank and file of people who buy them to actually go cruising. The main anchor is the MOST IMPORTANT SAFETY ITEM on any cruising vessel. That anchor must be easily and safely available for use by the weakest and least committed member of the crew! The above, in my opinion, is an unmitigated safety and security hazard. It has been tried previously by other manufacturers, considered a failure and discontinued. Why it has been resurrected baffles me.

Look at it this way. In order to anchor with this boat, you need to open the hatch, and lower the anchor with the pressure operated switch seen in back of the windlass. Hopefully, it is a self-launching anchor that does not need physical starting assistance from the operator. All in all, a really dangerous place to have your hands pushing or wiggling a heavy anchor from a difficult position. Visibility of which direction the anchor is paying out is close to nil from that position standing over the windlass on trying to observe trough the trampoline Obviously, the chain needs to be marked so you have control of how much to let out. Once the depth is achieved, the windlass is stopped and the bridle hooked on. Then more chain must be let out until the bridle is taking the full load and there is enough catenary in the chain to form a loop large enough so that it will not allow the chain to become taut when the bridle stretches. Without enough catenary, serious damage can be done to the system when the chain comes up short. The entire shock-absorbing purpose of the catenary is to protect the system. Since the catenary is essentially under the trampoline, judging it is difficult, especially for less experienced boaters.

Now let us reverse this process, you need to weigh anchor. First, you must retrieve enough of the chain to unclip and stow the bridle, (or unclip it to let out more scope). In either case, the chain is under the trampoline and as the boat falls off it normally turns one way or the other putting the chain under the hulls (see diagram) Just by looking at the diagram you can ascertain you have virtually no visibility of what is happening, thus making it even more difficult to communicate instructions to the helm.

Think about it for a minute. On a properly lead anchor from the bow, you could conceivably finesse an anchor up single handed because you can see which way the rode is leading and turn accordingly, using your engines in conjunction with the windlass to raise the anchor without straining the windlass or the fittings, stopping momentarily at the appropriate time when the rode goes taught straight up and allow the boat momentum to break it loose.

You cannot do this if you cannot see the chain. Not only that, if you try to break the anchor out with the boat momentum as any properly designed boat would do, you put enormous stress on the bulkhead from which the anchor is launched. If you have a stubborn well set anchor you could really do a lot of damage to the boat trying to unset it by the standard methods. Frankly, I not sure what you could do without doing damage.

Then there is the domestic problem. Chain gets notoriously filthy. It gets packed with gooey mush and whatever other evil stuff is resident on the bottom of most harbors. Most people stand on the bow with either a hose, or brush, or both and clean as the chain is retrieved. I leave it to you to figure out some way to clean your chain when you are pulling it up in the middle of the boat under the trampoline. Do you really want filthy, icky chain inside your boat?

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Anchoring is both art and science.

It is my belief that the proportions are 75/25. In other words, it is 75% art and 25% science.

Two Schools of Anchoring.

There are two essential schools of thought on anchoring, first is the “Weight is Great” school and next is the “High-Tech school.” Each has its advantages and disadvantages. There are combinations of the two, of course. First, lets discuss the easy part, the 25% science.

World Cruisers

A world cruiser needs different ground tackle because he is a world cruiser. A cruiser requires the

proper ground tackle and appropriate skill depending upon where and when he is going to anchor.

If you need the proper tackle to anchor in the Northeastern United States, it doesn’t matter if you

are five miles from home or just arrived from Africa, the requirements are the same.

Modern light displacement boats and multihulls

Modern light displacement boats and multihulls have the most to gain from modern high-tech

anchoring. Keeping weight out of the bows is a more important item in those boats than the heavy

displacement, low freeboard types in which many depend upon the heavy chain as part of their

ballast. (Sometimes I feel that sailor’s have developed a “chain” chromosome)

Choice of anchor rode

In the days BCG (before Coast Guard) chain was pretty much the universal anchor rode

technology. The reasons are listed below.

Chain

Chain was part of the ships ballast and could be off loaded into the long boats to lighten ship

and thus raise a grounded vessel. Few yachts ship their chain into the bilge on a routine basis

(although maybe they should) so the chain stored in the forepeak of a light displacement vessel

really hurts its performance and curtails its safety margin.

Chain was a valuable trade item and used as barter, especially in nations without iron technology.

Chain was shot out of cannons to tear the masts sails and rigging off pirate and other ships.

Chain was often used to blockade harbor entrances.

A blacksmith and forge was an essential item on every seagoing vessel. Not only for chain, but

the other black iron parts, guns, gun mounts ad infinitum.

Chain is amenable to hauling by windlass. Deck level capstans with multiple spokes so several

men could turn it at the same time were common items.

Chain was easier to use than the twisted hemp rope available in that era.

The hemp rope of that era was not as reliable or as strong as chain and was susceptible to sea

critters attack and fresh-water rot.

Chain absolutely devastates the bottom. It destroys any and every thing, living or dead.

Examining modern three strand Nylon rope we find the following characteristics:

Nylon (three-strand recommended)

High quality three strand Nylon anchor rode is two to three times as strong as equivalent sized chain.

High quality three strand Nylon anchor rode is one quarter or less, the price of chain.

High quality three strand Nylon anchor rode is a small fraction of the weight of chain.

High quality three strand Nylon anchor rode is amazingly chafe resistant and practically

indestructible underwater from chafe. Of course, it is vulnerable to propellers

High quality three strand Nylon anchor rode does not rust and stain decks and equipment.

High quality three strand Nylon anchor rode is an exceptionally good shock absorber.

High quality three strand Nylon anchor rode is easier to handle when the windlass fails or you

need extraordinary lengths for occasional deep anchorages.

High quality three strand Nylon anchor rode is more likely to come up clean whereas chain can

get extraordinarily filthy in the same anchorage.

High quality three strand Nylon anchor rode is a cinch to properly splice.

To chafe or not to chafe, that is the question?

For those worried about chafe, let me put forth a few thoughts, observations and ideas. First, there is little or no chafe happening underwater because of the lubricating and cooling effect of the water. Abrasion yes, chafe no. For those who always sail in the coral rock zones of the world, you must have noticed by now that these limestone rocks are soft rocks! Unlike the igneous granite and basalt found in other areas, these rocks, when pitted against high quality three-strand Nylon anchor rode lose the battle. That is correct, try it some time. Hold a piece of rock underwater with your feet and saw a piece of nylon across it. You will be amazed to see that the rock will gradually get a groove in it and the nylon suffer little or no damage.

Chafe occurs at deck chocks and others fittings.

The best way to avoid chafe is to replace solid

chocks with roller chocks and/or relocate cleats so

you get a fair lead for lines without the use of

chocks. Trying to jury rig chafing gear is really

poor business as stretchy lines manage to move the

material no matter how well you try to secure it. It

is almost comical to look at the various attempts at

chafe protection hanging from lines after a blow.

You can eliminate almost all tendency to chafe by eliminating skene chocks, square chocks, hawse leads or any other rope lead item any distance from the cleat. These items can be

replaced with either better placed cleats or roller chocks or roller hawse holes. Some hawse

holes have permanent cleats built in.

The hardware store vinyl tubing may be virtually indestructible, but it is really not all that good as a chafe guard because the expanding and contracting nylon rode will often generate enough heat against the vinyl to damage itself. Melting rode loses strength fast. Better to get rid of the chock leads and not have to worry about chafe guard. The better chafe guards are leather and old fire hose.

Anchors

Ah yes, now we are down to the religion of anchors. Being an iconoclast on the subject, I might say that a good attitude toward anchor patterns is the old standby of prize fighters and stock brokers: “Bet on the champ until he loses.” That way, you can get the benefit of engineering and field testing. Then there are differences in anchor types and intent. The standard tests you see done over and over almost to boredom pretty much define the parameters under which the available anchors operate. What none of the anchor tests show is the performance of the anchors under field conditions and the handiness of the anchor to the cruiser user. I might respectfully suggest that the constant infusion of new anchors into an already crowded field, which are then hailed as the

latest and greatest only to fall to obscurity is the result of a syndrome called “searching for the Holy Grail of anchors.”

Miracles and other hopes

The miracle anchor being sought will answer all the ills of the present system. It will never drag, no matter how poorly it is handled by the inept, it will hold fervently no matter what the scope set, it will always reset without fail no matter what the tidal or wind conditions and lastly, it will easily break out when it is called back on deck. Perhaps someday that miracle will occur. Maybe someone will figure out how to inject a swivel top Helix type mooring into the ground from our boats. Until that day comes, for us mere mortals in the hear and now, we better stick to what we have learned to love or hate.

Test results

It is interesting, in all these tests, some anchors win, some lose under similar conditions depending on who is doing the testing. It is also interesting to note that most of the anchor tests take place in laboratory conditions rather than life conditions. Because of these “trying to please all” conditions, both Fortress and Simpson Lawrence engaged me to do a real-life test procedure on

their anchors.

Mom and Pop in the real world

The results of my three-year odyssey of testing anchors by Mom & Pop as they sojourn through various adventures is well documented in several articles in popular magazines. Suffice it to say that reliable old world Simpson Lawrence, gave birth to an updated CQR that fixed all the niggling little problems and produced what I believe to be the best all around plow type anchor,

the DELTA. Of course, in religious fervor, zealots will hotly denounce my choice. Nevertheless, if you check the bows of the overwhelming majority of newer boats you will find a DELTA ensconced on the bow. There is a reason for that choice.

Fortress, on the other hand, took Robert Ogg’s original Danforth concept and upgraded it with modern materials and clever

assembly delivering a truly fine anchor that does what it is supposed to do and, in my opinion, is the best secondary anchor you can have on your boat for a host of reasons. I emphasize secondary. I shudder when I see a Fortress in the bow position as a primary anchor because a primary anchor should cover the widest range of bottom conditions and should be

able to unequivocally reach the bottom where it was dropped not matter what. Fortress may just plane or skid if dropped

from a moving boat in an emergency. A DELTA or it’s ancestor CQR will reach bottom no matter what

With this in mind, let us reason together about some of the popular anchors and the brash new breed that would like to usurp their place in the pantheon of successful marine yacht anchors and which ones best suit our needs in this new high tech era.

Best photo yet of actual dragging in sand

Taken off Club Med Nassau

1. CQR versus DELTA

In my opinion, the CQR should be completely retired to museum status. Even at its debut, in 1938, it was greeted with sardonic contempt saying: “mankind worked for millennium to find an implement that would move through the ground with ease, and these guys turned it into an anchor!” If you have been around the cruising circuit as long as I have, you will have heard several times that: “there is no CQR smaller than 35 lbs.” That translates to the fact the small ones have no holding power at all. It is also known that all-chain or a minimum of a boat length of chain (big, heavy chain) is required to make the anchor work. That is true, but the reason escapes most people. The reason is you are anchored on the chain, the anchor itself is just a foot note.

The case against the CQR:

1.1. Most of the weight is in the shank. There is no stock to flip it over to a burying attitude. It lays flat on the bottom and slides along the surface when pulled. The large flat shank area prevents the anchor from burying.

1.2. The hinge. (Would you put a hinge in a fishhook?) The point faces about 45 degrees from the direction of pull.

Theoretically, it will turn the anchor right-side up, but in the real world it never does. There simply not enough fluke area

nor proper palm angles to do that job. Over the years I have noted a MODIFIED CQR that have the hinge welded and the

palms extended

.

1.3. The CQR has most of its weight is in the shank , thus the rest of anchor just drags along flickering at the hinge until it hooks into the bottom by chance. There is no stock and the palm area is much to small to turn the anchor over. In all the years I have been diving on anchor I have never seen a CQR actually turned straight up in the advertised burying position. Critical angle of pull is a more recent advent in both anchoring and fish-hooks. As you see in the most high tech hooks, (both anchor and fish) the point of the hook is bent slightly inward so the it is a straight line with the direction of pull. (see diagram) It is obvious just by the nature of the hinged CQR that having that type of alignment is not possible in the real world.

The DELTA has its weight in the tip thus concentrating the digging force. It has more fluke area, better fluke angle and a thin shank that will penetrate to bottom. It also has rather large palms that act to turn the the anchor point down. DELTA is a definite high tech winner. A 22 lb DELTA has the same rated holding power as the CQR 45.

2. The old Admiralty needs a minimum weight of fifty (50) pounds to have any effect at all. With its stock-in-head, it is the klutziest thing ever developed by mankind. Low tech, old hat, it is good for special purposes. Really good for all out

storm anchor in bad bottom conditions. Some models can be disassembled for easy storage in the bilge. Minimum 100 lbs.

3. Northill. Great, but has a lazy fluke as does the admiralty. Mostly used in folding version by sea planes. Also seen on lots of commercial fishing boats that only day anchor in deeper water. A stainless steel folding model made for use in seaplanes is a popular addition to many boats.

4. Bruce. Very expensive, heavy, blunt front difficult to penetrate hard packed sand; not as effective in the wide range of the DELTA so why bother? Originally designed to anchor oil rigs in the North Sea. Therefore, easy break-out and instant setting as required in a yacht, were never a high design priority.

5. Danforth and imitators. Most popular anchor of all. Generically, a "pivoting fluke light weight." Works well in original set direction only. Do not expect it to reset on direction change.Poor in grass or tough bottoms; but then skill and tactics

say: DO NOT ANCHOR over grass beds, especially in places like the Keys and Bahamas.

The list of also ran:

Barnacle, Wishbone, Fluke, Max, Hans C, Box, Bulwagga, FOB, Bugel, Claw, Digger, others. . . Some of these actually hold well but have other disadvantages for average use.

Scope and dragging

Why do people some times drag anchor in perfectly benign conditions? Check this scenario.Vessel “A” is anchored properly with an acceptably sized pivoting fluke, lightweight anchor (commonly called “Danforth” type) in 10 feet of water with a five foot tidal range. Because he is using rope, conventional wisdom has convinced him he needs 7:1 scope. Going by the figures, 10

feet of water plus five feet of tide plus four feet for freeboard gives him 19 feet multiplied by 7 he needs a total rode of 133 feet. He pays out 140' of rode, sets his anchor properly and all seems well, but is it? At midnight, the tide is low slack. Now his scope is 12:1. By one AM the current is running in the opposite direction and his ten-thousand pound + boat is beginning to pick up momentum. By the time his boat reaches the end of its leash it has traveled approximately 280' and is now at whatever the speed of the water is flowing, which is more than enough to generate sufficient kinetic energy to easily upset the anchor. If the anchor is upset encased in a ball of mud, or all bottom conditions are not just perfect, we have a “mysterious” case of dragging. Obviously, this case is not so mysterious. It is a case of too much scope and inappropriate technique. While different anchor tackle may change the ratio of times dragging to times not dragging, it still misses the point.

For instance: Suppose vessel “A” was using a big heavy plow and an all-chain rode instead of his pivoting fluke lightweight and rope rode. Chances are that if conditions were light, the plow and chain may not upset and drag simply because of the weight involved. However, my experience shows that when the going gets rough such as a sudden thunder storm, the “weight is great” contingent suffers almost as badly as the “modern high-tech” group often because the sudden loads generated when they come

up short with no shock absorbing rode, jerks the anchor out of the ground if they are using a CQR, the anchor is not set anyway.

Experience also shows that in high wind conditions, the Danforth will hold better longer than the CQR simply because it digs deeper and actually sets, sometimes burying the entire anchor until only the chain is visible sticking out of the bottom, whereas the CQR simply lays on the bottom with one ear sticking up and never really digs in as shown in advertising media.

In my study of underwater anchor behavior, neither group actually resets under those conditions. Both just stay set, and facing their original direction. Unless a person has too much scope or plain old bad luck, they usually never realize how close to dragging they came. The concept that anchors migrate around or “reset” on the tide in many cases is not really accurate. Recent studies

by Practical Sailor prove that point yet again. There is a tried and proven way to avoid this problem. It is useable with old world, weight is great technology or you can treat yourself to the low-cost light-weight world of high-tech. Since this book is about modern light displacement boats, let us explore the world of high tech anchoring. We agree with the old salts, “if it is heavy enough it will work,” we simply want a better more practical way to achieve the same goal. That goal being getting a good night sleep presuming we will awake in the same location we anchored in.

Now that we have reviewed the pseudo-scientific 25% of anchoring, let us begin the far more

relevant 75% that is art, or skill as the case may be.

What?

The essential difference between the way our modern light displacement vessels and the old heavy displacement, low freeboard, full keel boats lay to an anchor is lee helm. As soon as sails are dropped most modern boats have a tendency to fall off away from the wind. The reason is the high bows and high freeboard move the center of effort (CE) forward of the center of lateral resistance (CLR ). High aspect fin-keel spade rudder boats, which represent the vast majority of monohulls circa 2009 are the most likely to have this problem as do many cruising catamarans. For those of you with cruising experience I am sure you can recall seeing annoying boats in an anchorage that just keep anchor-sailing all the time. Boats that lurch back and forth from one tack to another are worse than annoying, they represent a potential danger to themselves, to you and to all the others in the anchorage.

Tether is the magic word

The single easiest way to avoid this entire problem is to anchor with two anchors in what is commonly called a “Bahamian Moor.” With a Bahamian moor, anchors are never asked to reset on the tide. Nor can your vessel develop enough momentum to upset an anchor because your boat is “tethered” in its original location. Next time you watch a program where they handle animals, note the way they tether them between two people on opposite sides. That way the animal cannot move in any direction. The Bahamian moor does the same thing for your boat.

Why?

Why do we use multiple anchors? Reduce swing, eliminate anchor sailing, eliminate the need for the anchor to “migrate” around and reset at a current or wind shift and expect it to reset, safety, increase odds of secure anchoring, increase scope for poor holding without the negative side effects of anchor-sailing caused by too much scope.

It is difficult to estimate how many cruising boats we have helped rescue from anchoring related problems over the past 35 years and further, how many needed rescue of which others helped and we were unaware. Based on our experience, these rescues fall into two major categories. First, are rodes wrapped around appendages like rudders, keels and propellers. Second, grounding

caused by not understanding the distance they would cover across the bottom on tide change when swinging to a single anchor. (this does not include simply misjudging the tide)

How?

How multiple anchors relate to rode and scope:

Too much scope is worse than too little, especially in a modern, multihull or other light displacement boat. As scope increases beyond the essential 5:1, anchor-sailing increases exponentially. In many areas of extreme tidal variation, your scope changes radically depending upon state of tide. For instance, if you anchor in the Ogeechee River in Georgia, the tide range is thirteen feet. If you pick a spot with six feet at MLW, it will be 19 feet at MHW. Anchoring for high tide, you would

need 95 feet of rode for 5:1 scope. At low tide, your scope would be 16:1 which is clearly unacceptable for a host of reasons including swinging radius with a good possibility of going aground, anchor-sailing dragging your rode through the mud and the possibility of snagging your anchor with your own rode or wrapping your rode around underwater appendages. A Bahamian

moor moderates those possibilities.

In the accompanying diagrams, you see the result of being tethered in one spot. The bow of the boat simply pivots around a point thus scribing a circle only slightly wider than the length of the boat and never being able to generate momentum by being swept by current or wind.

The Bahamian Moor

The mainstay of cruising anchoring (two anchors opposed 1800)

Use any time you need to anchor without excessive swing.

Use anytime you anchor in swift, changing currents.

Use every time you anchor in questionable holding ground.

Use in conditions where you need excessive scope due to poor holding, large tide range, erratic

currents or wind against the tide situations.

A boat anchored to a single anchor from the bow, swings in a circle of which the radius is the

length of the rode plus the length of the boat.

A Bahamian moored boat swings in a circle approximately the length of the boat.

Excessive scope on a single anchor allows anchor-sailing, dragging without re-setting and

major annoyance to your anchored neighbors and danger for all.

The most often used system in tight places like the United States southeast coast, the Bahama

Islands, and other waters noted for swift changing tidal currents.

The possibility of chafe, abrasion and damage to the benthic resources are dramatically reduced

because rodes remain more or less in a straight configuration and are not constantly being dragged

across the bottom in big bights the way a farm tractor breaks up the clods with a chain.

Tricks of the trade

Procedure for launching a second anchor

1. Launching from a dinghy.

Many users find the most effective way to create a Bahamian moor is to carry the downstream

anchor out in a dinghy. This is where ultra light weight high-tech is at its best. An aluminum

Fortress with a nylon rode is infinitely easier to carry out either by dinghy, by wading or by

floating it out on a fender than some heavy weight anchor with a full compliment of chain. This is

especially useful in areas of large tidal range where you will need above average scope. It gives

you the option of easily laying out the anchor exactly where you want it.

2. The drop-back method.

Set your first anchor up-current. Then allow your boat to drift back the appropriate distance,

usually the same 5:1 as your upstream anchor. Carefully lower the anchor and being exceptionally

careful not to snag the rode move yourself back to your original position equally between the two

anchors. Set the downstream anchor either with your engine or an appropriate winch.

3. Walking the anchor to the stern of the boat, method.

As with many catamarans, you will be anchoring in very shallow water, usually this is the

preferred location. Assuming a 40 foot boat anchored in five feet of water, forty feet would be

sufficient scope. Thus you can easily carry your lightweight anchor back to the stern being careful

to be outside the shrouds and pulpits, lower it carefully and set it with a winch up forward.

The downside to any multiple anchoring system.

1. The obvious first objection is handling two anchors or more anchors. If you are using

lightweights with nylon rodes the difficulties are somewhat ameliorated.

2. The most pressing nuisance is twisting of the rodes when anchored in the same place through

several tide changes. Sometimes this can be eliminated by locking the helm over enough to

determine the direction of the swing. Next step is to turn the helm in the opposite direction for the

following tide change. Occasionally I observe people actually motoring their boats in circles to

untwist the rodes.

Usually it is possible to just work the twisted rode off the one still holding because the

downstream rode will be or can be made slack and the one still holding will be taught. It is not

unusual to retrieve the downstream anchor by dinghy.

Augmenting your Bahamian Moor

The Kellet. (Also called Angel, Sentinel or Bouncer)

The objective:

Increase effective scope.

Decrease anchor sailing.

Help prevent rode wrap

around underwater parts.

Dramatically increase

overall holding power.

Creating a kellet

A kellet is simply a weight that is placed along the anchor rode. It effect is to pull the rode down

towards the bottom thus creating additional catenary's in the rode which effectively deceases the

scope angle thus increasing the power of anchor. Two side benefits are keeping the rode down

away from powerboat props and helping

moderate anchor sailing. Think of this the

way you do about the angle created by

your spreaders in your shrouds.

A kellet can be as lavish as the

professionally built Rode Rider, a

remarkable bronze and lead affair with a

built in roller or it can be as simple as a

cement block tied to your rode with scrap

line. In either case, the effect is the same.

Keep in mind limestone rock and cement

lose about a third of their weight in

Simple kellet attachments.

The chain or the ring can be used on multiple rodes either rope, chain or a combination and the snatch block on single rope rodes

water. (Some people believe they can hook two anchors to the same rode. In effect, they have put

a permanently spaced kellet on the rode because it is impossible to set both anchors and what

most often happens is the inner anchor cannot set and simply acts as a kellet)

Most people make their own kellet. In my case, I use a canvas bucket filled with dive weights

or old CQR anchor parts or whatever is handy that is heavy. The bucket is clipped to the rode

with an ordinary snatch block and lowered to the appropriate depth with an ordinary piece of line,

or you can use a dockline. To make a permanent kellet, many people use a plastic bucket filled

with old heavy stuff, lead wheel weights being preferred, cemented in place with a piece of chain

through the center to attach the snatch block. A short length of 2" PVC pipe with appropriate end

caps and a chain running through center, filled with old tire weights makes a snazzy kellet. Kellet

weights usually begin at approximately the same weight as the main anchor, or in the case of a

Fortress, about double. The kellet must be heavy enough to keep the rode down.

Using a kellet is simplicity itself. Set your

anchor. On the rode, fasten your snatchblock

with attached kellet and retrieval line.

Lower kellet to preferred position. If you are

using the kellet around multiple rodes, use a

short piece of chain or better, one of those

nifty stainless steel rings sold for the purpose

of retrieving stuck anchors in place of the

snatch block. Anything that will encircle all

the rodes and slide down without much fuss

will work.

Setting the kellet, knowing how deep to set

it. Back in the scientific range, having the

kellet in the center of the rode’s catenary will

provide the maximum force. However, from

the user standpoint that may not give you the

best performance for the situation. I have usually found that the depth of the water in which you

are anchored is a better starting point. Experiment for the best location for your own boat in the

conditions in which you are anchoring.

For those looking for a way of moderating anchor sailing but using a single anchor, this may be

your answer. You sure can try it with simple jury-rig stuff before committing to anything more

elaborate.

Of moorings temporary or permanent

A Bahamian moor is simply put, a two anchor mooring. For those traveling in hurricane country,

often greater protection is required. In that case, the star mooring is often the answer. A star

mooring is constructed just like a two-anchor mooring except it has three or more anchors. In a

three anchor star, the anchors are set 120 degrees apart and joined at the center. Rodes can be

shackled or tied. A kellet in the center really creates an almost unbeatable mooring. Many

jurisdictions use moorings constructed this way as permanent moorings. The best anchors for that

type of mooring are Danforth or its imitators.

Hopetown, Abaco, Bahamas

Corinne and I survived hurricane Erin hurricane with no damage on a mooring I constructed out

of my three basic anchors, a DELTA 22 and two Fortress FX 11. Rodes are all nylon with six ft.

of 3/8 chain on the DELTA, per Simpson Lawrence instructions and six feet of 1/4" chain on the

Fortress per their instructions.

The essential concept is that you MUST be protected for a wind from ANY direction. Hurricanes and other cyclonic storms way, and probably will, hit you with winds from different directions as they pass over or close by your anchored position. With the above arrangement, you are always on two anchors all the time. This keeps you properly tethered into the wind and spreads the load. It also provides a safety factor by having multiple rodes in the water with anchors properly set. Creating a "Star" mooring as pictured above is a verified and tested practice by such agencies as SNAME.
BEWARE! There are others who believe you can shortcut this system by attaching two (2) anchors to a single rode. Aside from the difficultly of setting and retrieving, it simply does not work! Any grade school math kid can construct a simple vector diagram to prove that to you.