Anchoring on the beach: A new(?) technique

[Salish_Explorer]

Hello, just wanted to share a technique that I used the other day with significant success (more on that in a minute), which I think solves two dilemmas often faced by Dory people: swing and shore accessibility.

I inadvertently tested this out in a ~20mph onshore winds overnight and it worked really well. Video link here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/g9UrvCcsSsTzJnid6

Caveat: This technique is new to me, and I don't see it mentioned prominently on the forums, I'm sure others* have used something like it. There's nothing truly "new" under the sun!

Basically the technique is this: Set an anchor offshore before beaching, then use it to haul your vessel back offshore after, but trailing a bow line, so that you end up in a zero-swing double moor.

I've attached a basic diagram, and will drop the steps in a comment.

The difference between this and a standard shore tie is the ground tackle, and the fact that you are able to bring your boat back off the beach.

Sailors or those with more anchoring experience will recognize this as a modified Bahamian Moor.




*I believe that Marco Flamingo has used a similar technique except with an elasticized section of rode, which 'springs' his boat back off the shore.

[Salish_Explorer]

The specifics:

(1) The anchor is readied on a bight - the rode is passed through a shackle (or ideally a swivel) on the anchor, then both ends are made fast.

(2) Approaching the beaching site, just outside the intertidal zone, the anchor is laid off the stern of the vessel. Scope is paid out on both legs of the bight so that the rode trails astern (clear of the prop) as you continue ashore; The anchor is set by briefly halting the scope and powering-on, before continuing.

(3) At the beach, One end of the bight is taken ashore; the other is made fast to a bow cleat. A second rode is also made fast to the bow, and coil taken ashore.

(4) When ready, push the boat off and haul in the working end of the anchor bight. This hauls the boat back offshore. When the boat is hauled to proper scope (3:1 etc), make the anchor rode fast, then haul in the second rode until the boat is 'suspended' between the two points. Make the second anchor rode fast and crack a beer.

Obviously there are two 'issues': first, you need a lot of rope - two full length rodes, at least. This is because, when going ashore you will need to set your scope plus the distance to the shore, times two! On steep shores this is no problem, but in a flat bottom bay may be tricky. Second, you gave to carefully track your rode payout/haul-in, since you will have to verify your scope from shore.

I think this is best suited to 16 and 19-foot CD's, because they can use smaller rode, and thus comfortably carry more. Personally I am planning to set up a dedicated 300' spool of 3/8 on the stem rail specifically for this.

[rogerbum]

I've seen a similar thing done with a stretchy rode to the anchor.

[colbysmith]

I'm not sure this provides any advantage to anchoring off the bow and stern tying to shore. Except maybe in regards to current or wind direction hitting the boat abeam... Colby

[ssobol]

The other issue I see is the boat getting hung up in the lines if the current or wind change direction.

[Foggy]

My understanding of this 'Bahamian moor-like" off beach overnight anchor system
while you try to sleep swating gnats, the boat moves around as the wind, current
and the tide changes. This causes the anchor rodes to twist, chafe, and/or snag
on anything protruding under the hull (keel, props [like yours is in the water], etc)
in anything much past near perfect weather conditions.

I would not attempt off beach anchoring without first double checking weather
and tide information. I would not secure the boat stern to the seas.

For overnight beach anchoring, I prefer to
1. Secure a single bow anchor (or two bow anchors on a "Y" bridle), either attached
to their individual chain/rode of choice, then a flexible "Anchor Buddy" * (West
Marine),
2. back the boat stern to the beach raising the engine(s) en route and stretching
the bow Anchor Buddy to a depth I can hop off the boat
3. tie a prepared stern anchor line to a stern cleat, toss ashore or near shore, set
the stern anchor maintaining tension on all anchor rodes, hop off the boat
4. off load items for the night
5. release/retie the now heavy tensioned stern anchor line to place the boat to an
appropriate slack tide depth**

To re-board the next day, haul in the tensioned stern line, on load items/anchor
as required, lower and start engine(s), retrieve bow Anchor Buddy, rodes and anchor(s).

Remember what you forgot on the beach before too long underway.

Aye.
* 4,000 lb working load, can be doubled
A 22' C-Dory hull is about 3,000 lbs per specs
** This may take some adjusting to have some tension on the entire bow/stern rides

[ssobol]

[Foggy]

A Bahamian mooring has the 2 anchors set at about angle of say 180 degrees,
the widest angle possible, which is commonly used.

A bridled "Y" would have the anchors set at a more acute angle, not approaching
180 degrees. A "Y" bridle 2 anchor set up (less angle) is not a "T" 2 anchor set up.

And, with a single anchor set up, the anchor pivots, sometimes significantly, in
response to a vessels movements around it.

So, what is the angle to be "watched" for best holding off the bow with 2 anchors
on a bridle?

Aye.

[thataway]

I have used a variation of this technique for many years for dinghies. I have a dedicated anchor chain/rope rode, and set this well out off the beach. At the end of this is a block with the "endless" shore line going to it. I usually tie the bow to the one end, and the other end to a stern cleat. This is especially good in high tidal ranges, so you can tie the boat well off the beach, and still get it back as the tide goes in or out. Length of each component depends on the anchoring depth.

I do not consider this as a Bahamian Mooring. The Bahamian Moor is two anchors at 180* and best utilized where the current or wind shifts regularly, and the boat is riding bow into wind or current most of the time. (except at high and low slack water). Having a swivel at the interphase of the two anchors, especially if the anchors have all chain rode. If not, as Foggy notes, you will have a lot of untangling to do.

The Danforth has been used in a 3 anchor system for storms--each anchor being set 120* from the other. This was first described in the 1930's (and could be even older than that.). If doing thisI would want to oversize each of the anchors. The boat is going to be pulling sideways and I tend to pull the anchor out..

I normally carry at least 3 "Bow or primary" anchors. More recently a spade, or shovel type (Ronca, Manson supreme, Mantis), a Danforth/ Fortress type, and a fisherman/Northill pattern type. On long distance cruising boats there would be way oversized. (Need good windless to handle these heavier anchors)
If I wanted to reduce swinging, I would position the anchors from 20* to 30* apart.

[Salish_Explorer]

quote="colbysmith"]I'm not sure this provides any advantage to anchoring off the bow and stern tying to shore. Except maybe in regards to current or wind direction hitting the boat abeam... Colby[/quote]

Well, the first big advantage is that in the situation you describe, you have to dingy ashore, whereas here you can beach, then haul the boat back offshore. If you're not carrying a dinghy, stern ties and all other anchor methods are off limits... unless you like to swim!

A second advantage is the one you note - it allows the boat to pivot to weather. I think this is a pretty big advantage, given how much water a boat anchored stern-to-weather can take over the stern (I read somewhere here that a dory was at one point sunk in this situation).

[Salish_Explorer]

[Foggy]

Acknowledgements:

Some confusion as the post is about off-beach anchoring; boat stern secured on
shore tied off or anchored ashore in the shallows with bow anchor in deep water.

Bahamian moor language is not applicable to this situation as pointed out.
'Modified Bahamian mooring' and 'Bahamian mooring-like' may be an invention of
the poster as is the term 'picklefork' applied to a "Y" anchor bridle (the picklefork
term not found in modest Google search regarding same).

Again, below, this wild swinging, collision, and high load backing on anchors does
not really apply to intended mild weather off-beach anchoring, the intended
subject matter.

[Salish_Explorer]

[thataway]

I agree with Foggy. A point that Salish_Explorer is missing is that Danforth anchors or any anchors are designed for a load pulling straight back in line with the shank of the anchor. If you side load--which his "technique" does, it side loads the anchor and will guarantee it will pull loose and drag or worse with significant load. A C Dory 16 or dinghy is not a significant load. 20 knots of breeze is just a good sailing breeze for some of us--not storm conditions. 50 to 60 knots of breeze, is significant.

I have more experience than I like anchoring in storm conditions; up to 90 knots of breeze on several occasions. (fortunately those two were in calm seas.). I have dove on the anchor rode and anchors in 90 knots of wind, to watch the dynamics. I have also had to deal with anchoring in winds up to 120 knots--fortunately not my boat--during a hurricane. This had to do with random anchors on a 60'
Schooner, anchored in our bayou, which was dragging all over the place and causing damage. During the eye of the storm, we boarded the boat, got power on and secured it to pilings where it was secure and not damaging any other boats.

Salish_Explorer mentions a sail boat, but no explanation of the size draft etc. Also if the outboard is fully up and out of the water, then the ropes of this type of moor will slide right under the boat. If the outboard is down, there is a fin keel, or spade rudder, then big trouble as the rode fouls these appendages.

Just because you tie a line to the stern, does not mean that there is any load on the stern, the boat can still ride to the bow. All of this depends on how one configures the lines.

On my inflatables which I have moored this way, the bow attachment is a line eye spliced with a thimble and a shackle hiding this to the metal bow eye. All of this is to avoid chafe. How is chafe handled on your 16' C Dory?

You equate the C Dory 19 to the 16, it is more relevant to the 22, in that the 19 is basically a 22 with 3 feet of length removed. The pilot house windage, and profile is similar.


Anyway--your technique is not unique, but one does need to be sure his boat is safe.

Thanks for the thought provoking thread.

[Salish_Explorer]