Anchors away…splash

Anchors away…splash

Anchors have fascinated me.  As a little kid, any drawings I made with boats in them always had an anchor.  My dad would tell a story about the first boat I could remember the family having. I would not get on the boat if it did not have an anchor.  He told me there was a magic invisible anchor that would only materialize when it was needed. I never saw that magic anchor.

There are all sorts of anchors, but the one I like best is a yachtsman’s anchor. It is the one that was on the old sailing ships and what most people would draw if you ask them to draw an anchor. I have one like that for the schooner we have. It just fits the boat. What I use to anchor the boat is a Danforth style anchor that plows in to the bottom. For the most part, one that plows in to the bottom holds better and is much lighter in weight. They are often easier to get off the bottom when you leave.

You should pick the anchor you use for the type of bottom that you want to hook to.  You also need a LONG anchor line. When you drop an anchor you want to let out enough line to equal 7 times the water depth…more line is better than less line. A 6 foot chain attached to the anchor to which you attach your anchor line to is also recommended. The chain helps the anchor dig in. 

I like to tie a small float on a heavy cord, the cord being just longer than the depth of the water that you are anchoring in, to the anchor. It marks the spot where the anchor dug in and lets you get an idea what the swing radius the boat would have. It can give you an idea if the anchor is not holding and if you are adrift.  It can help get the anchor up when leaving by pulling it out backwards.  Only a lightweight line is required as there is no resistance.

We have a number of anchors. They are of all types and sizes. Big ones for the big boat, small ones for dinghy and kayaks, ones that fold up, hook type, mushroom type and a few things that can be used as an anchor like my old dumbbells. The dumbbells work quite well. 8-)

I like to have two anchors on my boat. The primary anchor should be proper size for the boat, and a second as a backup just in case you cannot get your main anchor off the bottom.  The second can be uses to stabilize you position and give extra holding power. 

You can often get old anchors free or cheap. If you dive, you can salvage them. Some of the new anchors are high dollar items and there is a large selection you can pick from. You can use an expensive anchor or a concrete block on a rope, but you should have an anchor of some kind when you go out on the water and need to be on the hook. Get the drift of what I am saying?  

 These are a few of the smaller anchors...Wife says I do not need any more. I keep telling her that you could always use another anchor or more navigation stuff.