Phillip Gentry
With the summer boating season upon us and lots of people taking to the water, knowing how and where to anchor your boat is a very valuable skill. Without any type of parking brakes, about the only way you’ll have to keep you boat in one place when you’re out on the open water is through the use of an anchor.
There’s more to anchoring a boat than just tossing out the anchor and tying it to the boat. Here’s a few tips on anchoring your boat that will come in handy.
Type of anchors
The type of anchor you use will be determined by the size of your boat, the bottom composition you’ll be anchoring over, and any wind, tide or current you may encounter while anchored.
For most passenger vessels less than 30 feet in length, grapnel, navy, or Herreshoff anchors are useful for anchoring small boats to hard bottoms. A Danforth anchor may the best choice for sand or mud bottoms and less common bottoms may require specialized anchors for best results, such as a claw anchor in gravel.
Anchor line
The rope used for anchoring your boat is commonly referred to as anchor rode. Nylon rope, which comes in a variety of styles, and strengths, is the most common rope. Few Upstate residents will use solely chain to anchor a boat, but a short 5 – 8 foot length of chain attached directly to the anchor assists greatly with helping set the anchor and prevent the nylon rope from chafing on underwater objects as the boat swings on anchor.
A good rule of thumb for sizing the diameter rope you’ll need is to allow 1/8 inch diameter for every 10 feet of boat. (Example a 1/8” rope for boats under 10 feet, ¼ “ for 20 feet, 3/8 “ for 30 feet etc.) When in doubt, going up a size or two in anchor line diameter or anchor weight is a good idea.
Anchoring
Generally speaking, you’ll need a length of rope 7 times the depth of the water you’ll be anchoring in to properly anchor your boat (less if you use chain). It’s best to motor over the area first to check the depth on your chart of sonar them motor upwind or upcurrent to drop anchor.
Let out approximately 1/3 of your anchor rode and allow the boat to straighten up, a slight tug may start to secure the anchor to the bottom. Then let out another third and allow the boat to settle. After letting out all the line, pull on the anchor rode solidly to set the anchor, then tie the line off to a cleat on the bow of the craft. Once secure, the motor can be used to snub the anchor by pulling against the line in reverse.
Additional Tips
Never anchor so close to a stationary object or other boat that the two objects may collide as the vessel swings on the line with changes in current or tide. Periodically check fixed positions on land or by GPS to insure the anchor is not slipping.
Never tie the anchor line directly to the boat in the event you have to undo the mooring in an emergency situation. Wrapping the line around the boat cleat then looping the line back over the cleat in a figure 8 solution will securely hold the craft in place and can be loosened quickly.
When exiting an anchored position, it’s best to motor the craft up current well beyond the anchor point then pull the line toward you (using the power of the boat if necessary) to release the grip of the anchor.
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Phillip Gentry is the host of “Upstate Outdoors,” broadcast from noon to 2 p.m. Saturdays on 106.3 WORD FM. This week’s guest on the show will be catfishing expert Phil King. You can also stream the show live or on podcast at 989word.radio.com
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Photo Caption – Boats do not come equipped with parking brakes, so learning how to anchor is an important skill for boat owners and operators. Photo by Phillip Gentry.
