Anticipating Anchoring Story and Photos by Jeff Merrill

power voyaging

Anticipating anchoring Story and photos by Jeff Merrill

he freedom to explore which goes into great detail Let’s presume that the Tremote cruising grounds on a number of theoretical windlass (horizontal or verti- and to anchor out overnight aspects and practical applica- cal) and anchor (so many or for days at a time is one tions for a variety of situa- variations) have already been of the great attractions of tions. Over time voyagers selected and installed on the trawler lifestyle. Under- generally develop techniques your trawler and are appro- standing how your ground for setting their anchor, priately sized to provide breaking it loose and you with sufficient holding securely stowing the strength. With this article ground tackle while I’d like to share some com- underway — practice, mon sense techniques you fine-tune and keep can adapt to your trawler learning. that will improve your com- There are many fort level and to help you factors involved in “dial-in” your anchoring selecting a safe place routine. Be sure that the to drop the hook — connection between your wind, tide, currents, anchor and chain (swivel other boats, etc. You with Loctite or shackles with seizing wire on the pins) is secure so it can’t disconnect.

Above, an tackle connects your Securing the anchor anchor bridle floating palace to the It is vitally important that setup evenly sea floor and being your anchor, when raised distributes the properly prepared will and stowed on its roller, load. Right, an give you more con- is secure in place and not anchor keeper fidence to visit new free to wobble around. made from locations and pro- Most trawler owners snug StarBoard vide greater peace of mind need to let out enough rode the anchor up with a chain keeps the when you drift off to sleep, to have the proper scope stopper or a snubber that is anchor firmly knowing that you will not ratio for the water depth and attached to the anchor shank in place. drift away from where you to allow for a swing circle. and then made fast to a pad- dropped the hook. The key is to be prepared eye or cleat on the foredeck. The best book I have read for an unexpected, urgent This takes the load off the on anchoring is by Earl R. situation that requires you windlass and prevents the Hinz, “The Complete Book to break away at an inoppor- anchor from launching pre- of Anchoring and Mooring,” tune time. maturely, but your anchor

16 OCEAN NAVIGATOR MAY/JUNE 2014 www.oceannavigator.com can usually still shift from side to it won’t go overboard when it is side. Most rollers are channeled in removed. the center to help guide the chain, Chain stoppers typically have but this notch in the roller is rare- a metal flap that locks down to ly honed to seat the anchor shank. pin a link of chain; this keeps You can have your roller modified the anchor taut on the roller and and widen the groove to create also allows you to relax the chain a better fit, but another simple between the windlass and the solution is to fabricate a “keeper” stopper. It is a wise practice to Marking your chain at various lengths lets that will straddle the shank top only load up the windlass when you know how much you’ve deployed. and hold your anchor firmly in in use. Shock load — whether the Above is a plate in the pilothouse that place. I’ve seen several trawler anchor is up on the roller or set reminds crewmembers of the code. owners make such a keeper with in the mud — can damage your that at the beginning of every sea- StarBoard (a high density polyeth- windlass so you need to be able to son they lower their anchor to the ylene) that fits over the top and is isolate the pressure and only use dock (carefully) and then slowly then pinned or wedged into place, your windlass for up and down pay out all of the rode to clear out it is also a good idea to attach a operations. the chain locker (over time these small leash to the keeper so that I like to suggest to my clients chambers cake with foul smelling

www.oceannavigator.com MAY/JUNE 2014 OCEAN NAVIGATOR 17 power voyaging

mud, salt, silt and sand build up). can wash out the chain locker and ucts (paint, zip ties, tape, inserts Doing this will also remind you then re-flake the chain so that it and shrink rubber). I prefer Rus- that you should have a length of is untangled, evenly distributed toleum paint (it will typically last line tied by a bowline knot to the and will not ball up. Most chain for two seasons before needing to last link (the bitter end) of chain lockers have a lot of “air” above be reapplied). and connecting to a padeye in the chain once it has been settled Same with color-coding your chain locker bulkhead. This in place. When you are going on systems — lots of choices, red/ is a “cutaway” line that needs to a long trip this is a great place white/blue like the U.S. flag or be long enough to let the chain to stow your hull fenders so that red/yellow/green like a traffic come out forward of the windlass they keep the chain pressed low light, pick one that is easy for you on deck. There may be a rare and minimize it from bounc- to remember and then summarize occasion where you need to dump ing around and getting knotted it and display the color/length (abandon) your anchor if you are (if you have never had to undo scheme in your pilothouse for too close to harm and your anchor a balled-up chain, it is a slinky quick reference. is stuck or your windlass has lost and slippery process that will take Personally, I like to use the power — trying to unshackle color red at the (100s) the bitter end down in the chain hundREDs intervals. locker during an adrenaline rush So to mark 200 feet I’d is not very easy. Having a buoy paint (use a degreaser to and 100 feet of polypropylene remove rust, salt and dirt (floating) line that you can tie off on those links for better paint adhesion) 18 inches of red at 198 feet, leave an 18-inch gap and then paint another 18 inches of red at 201 Left, a properly installed bow feet (it doesn’t have to be precise, eye can be used to lower your it’s a reference) so that when I’m scope when anchoring. Above, looking at the chain going over a chain stopper takes the load the roller, I can see two distinct of the anchor and allows you to bands of red to indicate 200 feet. slack the chain on the windlass If you paint 18 inches of bright to avoid shock loads that can orange on the chain that shows damage it. on the roller when your anchor reaches the surface you also have to the bitter end before cutting much longer than you would an easily recognized alert that you loose will make your later retrieval expect!). are almost all the way up. Some of the anchor easier (remember to Rinse off the chain on the dock trawler owners use cable ties (leave log the coordinates with your GPS and then stretch it out in 25-foot the tails on) in addition to paint so or man-overboard button on your or 50-foot lengths to mark the that they have a reference that they plotter). various intervals with paint in can see better in low light. 18-inch-long color-coded seg- Even distribution ments. There are a number of Setting up a bridle With the chain on the dock you choices for chain marking prod- When you find a place to anchor

18 OCEAN NAVIGATOR MAY/JUNE 2014 www.oceannavigator.com for an extended stay and have set more evenly distributing the load Good luck and aweigh you go! n the hook firmly, you should then and keeping the bow centered set up a bridle. The key is to take into the wind. Jeff Merrill, CPYB, is the president of the load off your windlass, but One last tip, a good “bow tow jeffmerrillyachtsales.com and a veteran still be ready to bring the chain up eye” mounted about 12 inches yacht broker who provides individual at a moment’s notice. Some trawl- above the waterline and properly attention and worldwide professional er owners will buy a chain hook or backed and reinforced in the stem representation to buyers and sellers claw that snags a link of chain and will allow you to rig a line that of premium brand, oceangoing is attached to a bow cleat (through can be used to lower your scope trawlers. Merrill is active in the a hawsehole) via a length of line. for anchoring (and you should cruising community as a public speaker Others buy or fabricate a bridle measure the height from the and writer and enjoys spending time (like a horse rein) that connects waterline to your anchor roller at sea with clients. Merrill is constantly two pieces of line (one cleated off and record this fact to help deter- looking for new ideas to improve to port the other to starboard) to mine scope) or deploying a sea and simplify the trawler lifestyle. If the chain via a hook or claw. The anchor in rough seas, more long you have a suggestion or want to get bridles are a bit more work to range trawlers are installing these in touch please e-mail Merrill at: set up, but have the advantage of for added versatility. [email protected].