Need help anchoring!

[Jeff and Julie]

Ok, I really feel very "unknowledgeable" posting this topic but we really need help!
We don't have a C-Dory yet (hopefully next year!) so we will be hoping to anchor an 18ft runabout. We want to drive up to a beachy area, let's say around Quartermaster harbor or so, and leave the boat out in the water and wade into shore. We see people doing it all the time but have never attempted this. How is the boat anchored/tied to stay there?
We don't have an anchor yet so that will be our first order of business. We see that you really need to know the bottom type when choosing an anchor, so how do you find out what kind you need for our area?
Any help or reference material anyone could point us to would be greatly appreciated. I can just see us trying this on our own and having a great time on the beach while our boat is floating out into the sound!

Thanks,
Julie

[Sea Wolf]

Jeff and Julie-

As for help getting ashore and being able to retrieve your boat, try putting "Anchor Buddy" into the Search engine here and look at the discussions. It's an elastic line that allows you to moor your boat with the main anchor and rode and then use the Anchor Buddy line to position the stern near the shore for easy unloading and reboarding. Another choice is a dinghy, but for later, when you have a bigger boat.

As far as what bottom conditions and anchors to use locally, you'll have to ask around where you boat. Why not just see what they're using on the beach? Also try asking others at the launch ramps, marinas, yacht clubs, and dealerships. Ask quite a few to get some real consensus and be sure that the information relates to the size and type of boat you're using, not a 40 footer.

Simply reading through all the topics under "Anchoring" in the Library here is an education on the topic itself, if you can keep from getting bogged down in details that are irrelevant to you at this point. Good Luck! Joe.

[Sea Wolf]

Jeff and Julie-

P.S.: You may also want to consider where else you're going to anchor besides that beach, as many different types of anchor can be used in sand, but if you're going to also later be getting into mud, grass, rocks, or whatever, you would want to choose the type that is a good compromise with your other anchoring needs as well.

When anchoring, you'll have to consider the following factors and how they'll change over the time you're anchored: Wind, Current, Waves, and Tidal Height. Also, you will probably have to "power set" the anchor with the motor to have it hold securely.

Also, be aware that when you chose a C-Dory later, having a swimming platform off the stern can be a real asset in being able to step off the boat into shallow water. If the boat you find doesn't have one, it can be added after you purchase it, and with less difficulty on a boat with a single large motor with or w/o a kicker than with a boat with twins which leaves less room and requires a custom swim step.

Hope this doesn't confuse the issue, just trying to be complete! Joe.

[Jeff and Julie]

Joe,
Thank you so much for your input. I went out and looked at several different applications where the anchor buddy was used and this looks like just the thing we need.
I see a setup where you use the anchor buddy about 30 to 40 feet off shore on your anchor line, and then you use a sand stake that you drive into the beach to hold your bow line. Then, I guess you just pull on the bow line and reel in your boat when you want to leave.
Thanks so much for steering me in the right direction. Now, we just need to pick an anchor for our boat and area. I guess we will be stopping by some of the marine stores for this.

Julie

[Levity]

Jeff & Julie,
Local knowledge is best concerning bottom types and appropriate anchors so I will limit my comments to the anchor buddy concept. A simple stretch cord looped on both ends functions well. Use 30 feet of stretch cord and estimate a 50% elongation rate giving an effective 15 feet of clearance off the beach. The anchor is dropped an appropriate distance off the beach. The anchor is set properly then the anchor line released so it can pay out as the boat is backed to the beach. The boat is brought to shore (stern to) and a line is tied from a stern cleat to a fixed object ashore. Then this stern line is released and payed out while the anchor line is brought in for a total of 40 feet. The stretch cord is attached to the anchor line and the other end of the stretch cord is attached to the bow cleat and then using the stern line the boat is pulled back toward the beach. Tie off the stern line when 20 feet from the beach but continue to pull the boat to shore. Step ashore and the stretch cord will pull the boat back to deeper water when the stern line is released. Adjust cord lengths as conditions warrant.
Mike 'Levity'

[Jeff and Julie]

Thanks Mike. This sounds like what we need to do. We will look at the anchor buddy and other bungee type lines. Hopefully we will come up with what type of anchor we need by asking the local shops. We don't have an anchor locker so hopefully it will be something that doesn't take up a lot of space.

Julie

[robert]

Hi Julie,

We are (figuratively) in the same boat you are. (Looking for a C-Dory:lol: ) We have a 18' Klamath and camp on the beach in Prince William Sound (AK) regularly.

We use a combination of the Anchor Buddy and 75' bungee cord (Lowe's special) and a buoy. We attach the Anchor Buddy to the chain from the Anchor, and then attach the other end of the Buddy to a bouy. We attach the 75' bungee to the float and then feed out around halfway to the beach and cleat the bungee.

We cleat & tie one end of our normal anchor line to the boat and run the other end up on shore. If a tree is available we tie to it, if not we have small river anchor that we bury on the beach. Pull on the anchor line to bring the boat in, and release it for the bungee to pull it back out to water.

The trickiest part is guessing at the low-tide line for new beaches. Nobody likes the sound of aluminum grinding on rocks in the middle of the night. Other than that it works great.

Have fun!

Robert

[Adeline]

Hi J+J, Quartermaster harbor is a great anchorage. I overnight there alot. If you check your chart you'll see Dockton on the Southeastern shore. I usually anchor a couple hundred yards north of there. Good holding ground. Dockton has a wonderful park with a marina sized mooring facility, hot showers, and sandy beaches(I think). I started out with a Danforth style anchor and through experience learned they're not reliable. Several times debris( rocks and once a beer can) jammed between the pivoting flukes and the shank. Fortunately, I awoke every time. The ABSENCE of water lapping on the hull resulted in a silence that alerted me I was dragging. Frightening! I have been using an 11# Bruce w/ 15" of chain and 250" of 3/8" three strand nylon rode(New England Ropes) now for 15 years. I sleep well. I highly reccomend the book entitled "the Complete Book of Anchoring and Mooring" by Earl Hinz.

[Jeff and Julie]

Thanks Robert for the info. Is the bouy you use permanently in PWS? If not, are there "portable mooring bouys"?? My biggest fear is the boat drifting away!!
Adeline - Thanks for the info on Quartermaster. Jeff's parents live on Vashon and we really like that area. We are looking at the Delta and Bruce anchors. I have done a little research today after folks on here have steered me in the right direction. That book sounds like a great reference and I think I am going to order it today!
Thanks all for your input! It is so nice to be able to pose a question on here and get answers back so quickly!

Jeff and Julie

[Sea Wolf]

There seem to be several ingenious variations on the Anchor Buddy system and it's deployment, which is all for the good. Which one you choose to use will depend on your boat, the anchoring conditions, and other needs. All have their advantages and specific uses. I'm going to include Dave S's original description of the system as he uses it, as it is a little different than the others and very clearly stated and easy to follow. Thanks, Dave!
-----------------------------------------
Joe, as I've written before........what works best for us is the use of an anchor buddy and having the swim step on the stern of "Sea Shift". When we are at a location where we wish to "beach", I cruise into shore, place the stern of the vessel towards the beach where my crew can step off the swim step onto shore, then while they are holding on to a "tag line" attached to one of the stern cleats, I motor out from shore drop an anchor with an attached anchor buddy to the bow eye or bow cleat. Then the crew pulls the "tag line" ("Sea Shift") to shore, I step onto the swim step and on to shore and then "pay out" the tag line so "Sea Shift" isn't "grinding" with any wave action on the shore. The tag line is tied off to a log, tree, large rock etc. and whenever someone wants to reboard the vessel they can keep the tag line secured on shore and merely pull the vessel back to shore, step onto the swimstep and back on board. At night, we keep the "tag line" attached to shore, board the vessel and "pay ourselves out" and rest off shore at anchor. In the morning, when we wish to bring the vessel back to shore, we pull on the tag line which is still attached to shore and pull ourselves back to shore. The advantages of this method is that the vessel's bow is always facing out towards any incoming wave activity and there is no danger of the vessel grounding should tide go out or low water if on a "dam controlled" lake. If during the day, and there is not much wave activity, you can keep the stern of the vessel "tight" to shore and easily ingress and egress the vessel without having to constantly "work the tag line". This system has worked well for us both in the San Juan Islands and at Lake Roosevelt.
_________________
Dave S.
"Sea Shift"

[robert]

The buoy we use is just a 10" orange one. We drop and set the anchor when we get to our destination. When we leave camp for the day we unclip (we cheat and use a locking carabineer for that part) the bungee from the buoy and leave anchor and buoy in place.

I forgot to mention that I replaced the spring clip on the Anchor Buddy with a shackle. The spring clip probably would have been fine, but it made me a little paranoid.

Robert

[Jeff and Julie]

Thank you very much Joe for posting that info from Dave S. This sounds like just what we want to do!
Robert, I like the idea of using a bouy. That way, we can unclip really easy if people want to go waterskiing. We are going to think about changing out the clip as well because I don't like to take chances!

Julie

[Jeff and Julie]

How do you attach the Anchor Buddy? Is it attached to your boat and then the anchor rode? Or the anchor chain?? Also, since we are newly assembling a chain, rode and anchor setup; what would the recommendation be for connectors? Anyone have good pictures?
The rope/rode we purchased has a thimble on the end.

Thanks!!
Jeff and Julie

[robert]

On ours we shackle the Anchor Buddy right to the chain. We have a lot of chain (20') for a small boat and since we are shore camping we are usually in relatively shallow water. I think the Anchor Buddy will go from 25-50' which is plenty for us. If it lifts some of the chain that is ok too. We pay out the bungee to make up the distance to the beach.

I got a little carried away when I bought the chain. We could probably skip the anchor all together.

[DaveS]