Article on anchoring
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Wandering Sagebrush
Free Range Human
Great article. Thanks Bob!
That is a good article. Thanks for the link Bob, good find.
As to "washing the chain or anchor" I have learned that backing away from the anchor when it is just about to surface, works well. A couple of "bumps" on the throttles in reverse will put some good prop wash out and you take the anchor right through that. Just be sure you have clear backing space.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
As to "washing the chain or anchor" I have learned that backing away from the anchor when it is just about to surface, works well. A couple of "bumps" on the throttles in reverse will put some good prop wash out and you take the anchor right through that. Just be sure you have clear backing space.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
Yes backing away from the anchor/chain is helpful--depends on the bottom, anchor, how much chain, and the boat. Niegel had a 39 foot sailboat and now has a 32 foot Grand Banks--The C Dory is much more maneuverable and has more prop wash quickly--plus I believe that Niegel has mostly chain currently.
There are places where there is some very sticky, stinky mud, and chain for many feet from the anchor may be contaminated--and it may take a scrub brush or high pressure water jet to clean.
There are places where there is some very sticky, stinky mud, and chain for many feet from the anchor may be contaminated--and it may take a scrub brush or high pressure water jet to clean.
How many of you who routinely anchor out, do so without a windlass?
I did it for a week when we chartered a Camano 31 in the PNW. It had a 20 lb anchor with 20' of 1/4 chain and the rest nylon. It wasn't too bad as there was enough room to stand behind the bow and pull the rode up at a 45 deg angle over the roller. Straight up would be tougher.
Does the C-Dory 22 have enough room at the bow to do that?
David
I did it for a week when we chartered a Camano 31 in the PNW. It had a 20 lb anchor with 20' of 1/4 chain and the rest nylon. It wasn't too bad as there was enough room to stand behind the bow and pull the rode up at a 45 deg angle over the roller. Straight up would be tougher.
Does the C-Dory 22 have enough room at the bow to do that?
David
On my 22, we don't have a windlass and anchor regularly. We are on the East coast and Great Lakes, so the depths are pretty shallow. Anchoring in 20 foot depths is pretty deep for us.
We have a 11 or 15# (can't remember which) plow anchor, about 20' of chain, and 3/8 nylon rode.
It is no problem to stand on the bow and pull the anchor up. We leave the rode on the deck for awhile after retrieval to let it dry before feeding the rode back into the locker.
IMO, a windlass is not something that is worth the trouble to install and maintain on our boat.
Also, there is the use it or lose it aspect. Having to go to the front of the boat and haul up the anchor helps maintain the physical ability to move around the boat.
We have a 11 or 15# (can't remember which) plow anchor, about 20' of chain, and 3/8 nylon rode.
It is no problem to stand on the bow and pull the anchor up. We leave the rode on the deck for awhile after retrieval to let it dry before feeding the rode back into the locker.
IMO, a windlass is not something that is worth the trouble to install and maintain on our boat.
Also, there is the use it or lose it aspect. Having to go to the front of the boat and haul up the anchor helps maintain the physical ability to move around the boat.
If you are single handing, a windlass is pretty useful. Makes the process some different, and I have anchored 100+ times with rarely going forward. I have had to a couple of times, and that walk along the side deck is always chancy. (And no, I don't climb out through the forward hatch -- don't ask :roll:
The Windlass works great, and the chain (72 feet) is marked frequently. I usually anchor where the high tide will put the depth at 15 - 20 feet, and run out all the chain. Typical tides are 10+ feet so I will start at about 5 foot depth at a low tide. No dragging with the Rocna, and only 1 time with the Delta, but that was all it took to get me to change to the spade from the plow.
The 2 thinkgs on the boat that I thought I would use least, I use the most (except for the electronics) are the Auto Pilot and the Windlass.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
The Windlass works great, and the chain (72 feet) is marked frequently. I usually anchor where the high tide will put the depth at 15 - 20 feet, and run out all the chain. Typical tides are 10+ feet so I will start at about 5 foot depth at a low tide. No dragging with the Rocna, and only 1 time with the Delta, but that was all it took to get me to change to the spade from the plow.
The 2 thinkgs on the boat that I thought I would use least, I use the most (except for the electronics) are the Auto Pilot and the Windlass.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
colbysmith
Active member
My previous 26' Searay Sundancer did not have a windless. My 22' C-Dory does. Call me spoiled, but the windlass is probably one of the best things on the boat, next to the enclosed cabin! 
(Oh yes, and sometimes I still have to go forward when the rode comes off the sprocket. Typically when dropping the anchor. But I need to go up there anyway to tie the rode off to a cleat if I'm spending the night...) Currently I have 20 or 25 ft of chain, and 400' of 8 plait rode. Rarely will I put it all out, except a few times a year to wet or clean it. Colby
(Oh yes, and sometimes I still have to go forward when the rode comes off the sprocket. Typically when dropping the anchor. But I need to go up there anyway to tie the rode off to a cleat if I'm spending the night...) Currently I have 20 or 25 ft of chain, and 400' of 8 plait rode. Rarely will I put it all out, except a few times a year to wet or clean it. ColbyLook forward. I had boats for many years (about 35) with no windlass—and paid for it later in life with back issues.
Either with a windlass or without—use the boat to break the anchor out. Cleat the line down tight when right over the anchor, mover slowly foreword and backward., until the anchor breaks out.
Then you can “hand it in”. As you age, you will find it harder—Hardee is correct about single handing also. All of our boats now have a windlass. On our large cruising boat we had two windlasses, and high geared manual winches in the cockpit.
Either with a windlass or without—use the boat to break the anchor out. Cleat the line down tight when right over the anchor, mover slowly foreword and backward., until the anchor breaks out.
Then you can “hand it in”. As you age, you will find it harder—Hardee is correct about single handing also. All of our boats now have a windlass. On our large cruising boat we had two windlasses, and high geared manual winches in the cockpit.
Good information in Bob’s link.
We made 5 extended cruises to SE Alaska in our 22 CD without a windlass & I swore, I didn’t need & therefore would never have one. But like Bob, as I aged back problems & knowing if singled handed in some cases they are just about mandatory, changed my mind. Now with two more SE Alaska trips with a windless, I’m thinking just like Harvey, it & the auto pilot are the best return on money for additions to the boat. Originally, I thought a auto pilot a waste of Money too for a small 22 foot C-Dory boat.
We made 5 extended cruises to SE Alaska in our 22 CD without a windlass & I swore, I didn’t need & therefore would never have one. But like Bob, as I aged back problems & knowing if singled handed in some cases they are just about mandatory, changed my mind. Now with two more SE Alaska trips with a windless, I’m thinking just like Harvey, it & the auto pilot are the best return on money for additions to the boat. Originally, I thought a auto pilot a waste of Money too for a small 22 foot C-Dory boat.
As pointed out, the need to go forward anyway and cleat or uncleat the anchor seems to negate a lot of the utility of having a windlass IMO.
The only thing it seems to save you is the actual hauling up of the rode (paying out is easy), you still have to manage to get to the bow, and once the anchor breaks loose, the hauling in part is not very strenuous (again, IMO).
If the anchor is stuck, I either take advantage of the wave action (take up the slack when in a trough) or just bounce up and down on the bow with a tight rode. With a little patience, it works every time to get the anchor free.
The ability to feel the "action" of the rode as you set or retrieve the anchor by hand is another advantage to doing it manually vs. via a windlass (IMO).
The only thing it seems to save you is the actual hauling up of the rode (paying out is easy), you still have to manage to get to the bow, and once the anchor breaks loose, the hauling in part is not very strenuous (again, IMO).
If the anchor is stuck, I either take advantage of the wave action (take up the slack when in a trough) or just bounce up and down on the bow with a tight rode. With a little patience, it works every time to get the anchor free.
The ability to feel the "action" of the rode as you set or retrieve the anchor by hand is another advantage to doing it manually vs. via a windlass (IMO).
ssobol, I don’t disagree with any of your points & think many that have boats like our 22 foot C-Dorys are like you & don’t need a windless, on the other hand for those who cruise in the PNW waters & especially SE Alaska North & anchor very much time at all alone, the windless comes close to a necessity, especially if their anchor assembly is similar to mine. Being as, I also believe with anchors, bigger is better, I have a 25 lb anchor & 50 foot of chain of which, the combination weighs 62 pounds. I can handle that even when at times anchoring in over 50 feet of water with a 24 foot tide & having to bring it back up a couple times to get it set. It’s not the braking lose of a set anchor that is the problem, as most, I believe do as you do or use the boat to break it free. What really makes for difficulties are when the anchor has collected a big clump of mud, some kelp & a big star fish is clinging to the anchor shank or chain. Now we’re talking well over a hundred pounds & the likely hood of physical problems occurring pretty high. I managed to get it done over the years with many hundreds of anchor pulls, at times in rough conditions or at night before adding the windless, but with very sore hands & back problems that way reduced the enjoyment of the boating experience.
Jay
Jay
ssobol, I agree with Jay whole hardheartedly.
Earlier I forgot one experience. Consider this.
Were it not for the windlass I would still be stuck in a little bay just south of Mound Island in the Broughtons. I had anchored in the early evening in a small bay about 150 feet long and 100 feet wide. It was mid tine and coming up and the depth was about 8 feet with another 4 to get to the top tide. I always leave a small Garmin plotter on for anchor alarm and tracking my anchor spot and boat shift around the anchor. I always do anchor checks at high, low and half tide. Everything was fine and was happy to see that my travel circle was smaller than the 40 feet I expected. I thought it was probably do to my good choice of a very protected spot.
When I started weighing the anchor, I pulled in about 30 feet, and then the windlass started to work, noticeably lugging. I backed off, and reran but again, at the same spot on the chain, I got the lugging. I pulled and as I did the bow sucked down a few inches. I stopped, and went up to have a look. There was a piece of angle iron, 2x3" sticking about a foot up out of the water and off at an angle. I tried backing away, the bow sucked another inch or two, but I saw some more metal sticking up. It was something like an antenna base, about 6 foot square on one end, with the 2x3 angle iron forming the legs and running up 6-8 feet to a smaller square about 5 foot on each side. The corner legs stuck out a few feet from that square piece. My chain was wrapped around some of that top structure, (thus the smaller circle on the plotter track.) This chunk of metal was encrusted with muscles and sea weed stuff. There is no way I could have hoisted it up to where it was or lift it to where I needed it (about another 2 feet) so I could cleat it off on a line and then lower the chain to get slack and unwrap it. Fortunately the other end of the metal "junk" must have been still on the bottom because I was able to get untangled, and not drift onto the shore rock. It took about 20 minutes to get unwrapped, and cut the line that I was using to support the metal trap and get free. I would have had to cut my chain at half it's length, or unhitch it and loose 72 feet, plus the almost new 13# Rocna.
My windlass can lift 500 pounds. Not me. Glad I had it.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
Earlier I forgot one experience. Consider this.
Were it not for the windlass I would still be stuck in a little bay just south of Mound Island in the Broughtons. I had anchored in the early evening in a small bay about 150 feet long and 100 feet wide. It was mid tine and coming up and the depth was about 8 feet with another 4 to get to the top tide. I always leave a small Garmin plotter on for anchor alarm and tracking my anchor spot and boat shift around the anchor. I always do anchor checks at high, low and half tide. Everything was fine and was happy to see that my travel circle was smaller than the 40 feet I expected. I thought it was probably do to my good choice of a very protected spot.
When I started weighing the anchor, I pulled in about 30 feet, and then the windlass started to work, noticeably lugging. I backed off, and reran but again, at the same spot on the chain, I got the lugging. I pulled and as I did the bow sucked down a few inches. I stopped, and went up to have a look. There was a piece of angle iron, 2x3" sticking about a foot up out of the water and off at an angle. I tried backing away, the bow sucked another inch or two, but I saw some more metal sticking up. It was something like an antenna base, about 6 foot square on one end, with the 2x3 angle iron forming the legs and running up 6-8 feet to a smaller square about 5 foot on each side. The corner legs stuck out a few feet from that square piece. My chain was wrapped around some of that top structure, (thus the smaller circle on the plotter track.) This chunk of metal was encrusted with muscles and sea weed stuff. There is no way I could have hoisted it up to where it was or lift it to where I needed it (about another 2 feet) so I could cleat it off on a line and then lower the chain to get slack and unwrap it. Fortunately the other end of the metal "junk" must have been still on the bottom because I was able to get untangled, and not drift onto the shore rock. It took about 20 minutes to get unwrapped, and cut the line that I was using to support the metal trap and get free. I would have had to cut my chain at half it's length, or unhitch it and loose 72 feet, plus the almost new 13# Rocna.
My windlass can lift 500 pounds. Not me. Glad I had it.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
DrewbirdII
New member
Harvey, good point for the windless, so sad someone left that junk in the bay to begin with! We spent 2 months in Alaska and BC anchoring out most nights without a windless and had no issues, but often thought about how nice one would be for temporary stops such as lunch etc. Now I use a quick day hook over the side with light 3/8 rode and short chain stored in a sack. Saves me from climbing up the deck and getting wet!
Hi Drewbird, Good to see/hear you here. I saw your boat in Alert Bay not long after that experience. Wandered the dock but missed you. I have carried a Fortress with extra chain and rode, but have not used it for a lunch hook (yet). I used to do that with my sailboat, but ..... that was lake stuff mostly, no tide flow, current or much breeze.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
One other point--at least on our boat, usually the anchor is self launching, and we don't use a secondary tie when under way--just the chain on the gypsy--we do have to go forward to cleat the line, and put the snubbers on. But this often can be done thru the fore hatch or after the bot is stable and at rest. Now consider bringing the line up--either you pile it on the deck, in a crate, or stuff it down the deck pipe--as the line is hoisted. I have done this many hundreds probably thousands of times before we started using a windlass, in boats up to 45 feet in length. I was younger and much stronger. We don't all get physically stronger with age.
On a boat as small as the C Dory you can feel if the anchor is setting by the feel in the boat--but I agree, I have "set" the anchor by hand many times..and there is much to be said for the tactile sensation.
Most of the time we anchor in calm areas--not in areas of swell--if in areas of swells/waves, we tend to move...But again, different folks have different uses--and for many no windlass is fine...
On a boat as small as the C Dory you can feel if the anchor is setting by the feel in the boat--but I agree, I have "set" the anchor by hand many times..and there is much to be said for the tactile sensation.
Most of the time we anchor in calm areas--not in areas of swell--if in areas of swells/waves, we tend to move...But again, different folks have different uses--and for many no windlass is fine...