anchoring just got easier
212rowboat
Member Posts: 2,593 ✭✭✭✭✭
my boat may as well be a taxi.. that's it's purpose... taxi'ing us out to the shoal (it's a dang shoal not a sandbar!!!)...
anchoring with folks who somehow have managed to crew along for years and still not grasp the procedure is trying, to say the least.
My method most often for this type of anchoring, and because it's on a shoal that varies between major traffic or just some traffic, is to drop the fore anchor (it has 10' chain; 8# danforth) to one side of center line and allow the line to feed from the locker as i turn toward the side it was dropped at full rudder... i'll reel off at least 50 yards of rode as the stern comes around to the beach... then, i kill the engine and lift the drive... this allows me to walk right off the swim platform into the water, usually waist deep or so, and set the stern anchor on the beach...
once that is done, i'll walk quickly back to the boat and tie off the stern anchor on the cleat opposite of the current... then, keep right on walking to the bow and pull it in until the anchor is well set and the stern line is taught. done... easy... except: i've always had to prepare the line idling into the area... such a PITA, and, it's something to stumble over on the deck which i don't like.
the 212 has a little gangway locker that really doesn't have good use... until now... 15 years into this thing i finally got around to doing this... it's a simple through hull through the glass and plastic locker sleeve/container... it's now a rope locker... now all i have to do is select which anchor i'm going to use (they all have a carabener already connected, and if I need a chain, there is a 10' chain ready to go to), snap it on, and walk off the tailgate of that thing...
super handy... has made a lot less confusion about anchoring with the, uh, crew and passengers.. i simply tell them to stay put until i tell 'em they can move.
when pulling out and usually because there are folks all around, all i have to do is pull the stern anchor and pull toward the forward/bow anchor until the boat is clear of adjacent boats... let it drift in the current until it is started and then move toward the anchor until it comes free- stow it and go. this usually gives the crew (if you want to call them that) time to get their stuff stowed or where they want it.
right now i'm looking for either an inflatable raft or a foam pontoon type thing to use as a mule for all the stuff that goes to the beach... i could SO see tying that thing to the sunpad securely, and simply untying it and pulling it in to the beach... no more multiple trips or having to get stuff from 'here and there'... cooler, chairs, toys, tent, ect... all about expediency.
when i anchor like this (when just stopping for a few minutes, or, when there is little traffic) this little modification comes in even handier... simply toss the rear anchor on approach (clear of props to one side and pretty decent 'toss') and bow into the beach... same thing- just pull back toward stern anchor after releasing bow anchor... makes it SO much easier... i SO should have done this long ago.
anchoring with folks who somehow have managed to crew along for years and still not grasp the procedure is trying, to say the least.
My method most often for this type of anchoring, and because it's on a shoal that varies between major traffic or just some traffic, is to drop the fore anchor (it has 10' chain; 8# danforth) to one side of center line and allow the line to feed from the locker as i turn toward the side it was dropped at full rudder... i'll reel off at least 50 yards of rode as the stern comes around to the beach... then, i kill the engine and lift the drive... this allows me to walk right off the swim platform into the water, usually waist deep or so, and set the stern anchor on the beach...
once that is done, i'll walk quickly back to the boat and tie off the stern anchor on the cleat opposite of the current... then, keep right on walking to the bow and pull it in until the anchor is well set and the stern line is taught. done... easy... except: i've always had to prepare the line idling into the area... such a PITA, and, it's something to stumble over on the deck which i don't like.
the 212 has a little gangway locker that really doesn't have good use... until now... 15 years into this thing i finally got around to doing this... it's a simple through hull through the glass and plastic locker sleeve/container... it's now a rope locker... now all i have to do is select which anchor i'm going to use (they all have a carabener already connected, and if I need a chain, there is a 10' chain ready to go to), snap it on, and walk off the tailgate of that thing...
super handy... has made a lot less confusion about anchoring with the, uh, crew and passengers.. i simply tell them to stay put until i tell 'em they can move.
when pulling out and usually because there are folks all around, all i have to do is pull the stern anchor and pull toward the forward/bow anchor until the boat is clear of adjacent boats... let it drift in the current until it is started and then move toward the anchor until it comes free- stow it and go. this usually gives the crew (if you want to call them that) time to get their stuff stowed or where they want it.
right now i'm looking for either an inflatable raft or a foam pontoon type thing to use as a mule for all the stuff that goes to the beach... i could SO see tying that thing to the sunpad securely, and simply untying it and pulling it in to the beach... no more multiple trips or having to get stuff from 'here and there'... cooler, chairs, toys, tent, ect... all about expediency.
when i anchor like this (when just stopping for a few minutes, or, when there is little traffic) this little modification comes in even handier... simply toss the rear anchor on approach (clear of props to one side and pretty decent 'toss') and bow into the beach... same thing- just pull back toward stern anchor after releasing bow anchor... makes it SO much easier... i SO should have done this long ago.
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