In search of Anchoring advise

Trashman

this weekend I chose to anchor in the river to hear a concert and hang out.  Tide was going out and I was bow against the tide, 49ft deep. .  I tried to set a few times with no luck.  I finally had some luck and set. It seems I wasn't letting enough rhode out.  Any tips on knowing how much anchor line is leaving the windlass?   I tried counting seconds(while pressing the windlass toggle switch)  figuring each second was 2ft.  Is there some type of indicator I can attach?   Or any tips you have that may help?  
Up n down 6 times trying to set I was worried about the windlass motor burning up  ...plus I looked like a chooch.   

frenchship

Mark your anchor rode with paint pr something similar that is waterproof every 25 feet or so. Or you can buy a counter that will tell you how many feet is out $$$$ .
A good secure anchoring is 10 to 1  20 feet of water equal 200 feet of rode a  lunch hook
5 to 1  or a bit less. In 49 feet like you said let everything out but you need to watch.Another solution would be to go will all chain wich is probably the best and secure way.
Paul

LaRea

I use these plastic rode markers: 

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--anchor-rode-markers--104372

Anchoring in 49 feet of water is going to be difficult unless you have a lot of chain.

Trashman

Ok.   I do have about 20 ft of chain.  It is not possible to actually see the rope from where I have to control the windlass.  That's why I think marking the rode itself is pointless imo.  @frencship, I was wondering if there was a counter made for this application.  Do you have specific info?

skennelly

@Trashman - I marked my rope this past weekend.  I have also heard people say you can time how long it takes your windlass to let our a certain amount of rope say 20feet.  Say it takes 30 seconds for that to happen.  Once you know that count so in a minute you'd have 40 feet, 2 minutes 80 feet ect....

Trashman

Ok wow. I just located the counter.  No kidding it is pricey!!!

skennelly

@Trashman - I'm thinking you could put some kind of small digital stop watch on the dash to help with the counting.

Trashman

@skennelly, yes counting off may be what I need to get better at for sure.  Also those markers are cheap enough it may be helpful to attach those also.  

randy56

@Trashman, I pulled my rode all the way out at home in the grass, marked off every 50 ft with spray paint. A 4/5 inch stripe. I know you cannot see it from helm, so I normally sit up on the front and have my wife, let rode out and put in reverse. Not easy but it works. You probably needed 200 ft out, in 50 ft of water minimum .

jhofmann

I believe the "book standard" is 7 to 1, meaning you would need 350ft of line to anchor in 50ft of water. This varies of course with the type of bottom, current/winds, and what type of rode you have (chain or rope). Adverse conditions, hard bottom, or all rope, you may want more line rode out.  

frenchship

Those plastic marker won't last long going thru the windlass..

LaRea

Nah, the windlass won't chew them up.  On my 342, the plastic markers outlived the rope, which I replaced after 8 years.  

Sheri

We have always used the little zipties. 1 red=25 2 red =50 1-blue is 75 2- blue is 100 and so on..