This is actually the best anchoring tutorial I’ve seen so far. Thanks! Also, I just wish one day I could see the sea floor from my 30ft cruiser, apparently western Europe needs cleaner water!!
Good instruction. One thought: if you have put your snubber on and are setting the anchor with tension on the snubber, you won’t feel anything on the chain with your foot if your anchor is dragging. You Have to put your foot on the snubber.
You guys are smashing it! I'm doing my RYA day skipper right now and I'm so glad I just found these amazing videos. Thanks you and keep up the amazing work!
I love the dropping and setting the anchor video but it would be awesome if there was a refresher on how to pull up the anchor safely and effectively as well. would be an excellent video. Love all the knowledge this channel drops!
Hey Justin... That's a great idea! We will add that to the list of videos to make. One of the most common mistakes when retrieving the anchor is to use the windlass to pull the boat forward, instead of motoring over the chain and only recovering when there is no tension on it.
@@NautilusSailing Could you please elaborate? Because I have been doing so ever since I began sailing, is it because it puts too much strain on the windlass?
@@meow1990_2 Exactly! The windlass is designed to pick up the weight of the chain, but not pull the entire weight of the boat forward, so it's critical that you motor forward, picking up chain as there is no tension on the chain.
Sorry but you should only add the freeboard ht once after the calculation of the water depth x ratio. It's simple , if you have 2 identical boats where the only difference is one boat uses a hawspipe that is on the waterline so no additional freeboard to be added. If you add the freeboard you will end up with same boats with considerably different scope in the same a crowed anchorage , at tide change the boats will no longer have the same spacing. This is considerably worse when in shallow water and hi freeboard boats like motorboats. This mistake came when the USCG rewrote their guide lines badly and was miss inteperated buy some guides like boatUS,chapmans etc . Check the RYA yachtmaster recommendations. Cheers Warren
Disclamer - I am not an expert, but I was taught by a very very experienced skipper. My question is - arent you supposed to start reversing slowly as soon as the anchor (based on hand signals) hits the bottom? That way the chain will be laid down in a line. If you drop 5 depths at a single spot, it might get tangled, the anchor will not start digging in untill the end of your reversing, etc... doesn't seem like a good idea to me.
Great point Petar. Yes, you don't really want all the chain piling up on top of the anchor. A little bit of reverse before you drop the anchor or having wind when anchoring will help move the boat away from the anchor as you are letting out. We are not big fans of motoring in reverse while you let it out, as often this can result in a bit jolt and lots of stress on the windlass when you stop releasing chain.
I am constantly thinking about my anchor and don't want drag. I haven't dragged anchor but this is a great video because it has given me a bit more confidence.
Yes, our target is a typical charter boat. The concepts are the same, just different scale. Maybe you don't have a windlass and you're hand over hand pulling the anchor in.
Hey Joe... Yes, if there is significant swell or waves in an anchorage then that should be taken into account. If your depth transducer is set to 0 feet of depth at the bottom of the keel (the most common setting for most sailboats), then you really need to account for that 6-7 feet on a monohull in your calculations.
GREAT VIDEO TUTORIAL! oops didn't mean to all caps but hey, it is deserved. I screengrabs the list and gonna print it and put it in my boat to practice with my friends . thanks !
Great info. Perhaps should mention looking at the tide tables so you don't end up beached 6 hours later. This will affect your chain ratio, too, obviously.
That is a very good point. In certain parts of the world that is a huge concern, we probably failed to mention it because in MX there is about a 1M swing max. Thanks for the feedback.
Great vid for beginning anchoring. One thing, in the northern latitudes you have to also account for tide changes with your rode length. That in itself can add more than 50' of additional rode.
Yes, well spotted! Incorporating tidal variance into the scope calculation is something REALLY important. We realized after creating the video series that we forgot to mention this, as where we filmed the video series (Mexico) the tide change is only around 1-2 feet. We plan to update this!
8 of october I am going out first time as a capitan with my crew/friends. In past years was my dad but this is the first time without him. Thank you for your videos. It help me to colect all my knowledge. We are going to sail in Croatia. Did you heard about it? Paul
Best quality sailing tutorial videos I've seen to date. Lots of good general tips and, of course, you can't cover everything. For example, you didn't mention taking fixes or setting an anchor alarm. Really great job though. There is a LOT of work putting those videos together!
Thanks so much for the feedback! Yes, great call on the fixes and the anchor alarms. It's SOOOO hard to remember to cover everything :) We will definitely add those to version 2!
Great video. That's really helpful. A question though: what about anchorages where boats are all on top of each other (which, as we've just experienced, is pretty much the case everywhere in the summer in the Mediterranean): if you leave as much chain out you will be swinging in a big circle and often there is not enough room. Is it better to reduce the ratio from 5 to 3:1 or can you, once your anchor is well set, take some chain in to reduce the radius of your swing circle (assuming moderate wind and good shelter)? What would be your recommendation?
Amazingly thorough and clear explanation. Thank you! How about smaller boats like 25' and a chain/rope rode? Is 10' chain enough? Should I still have a snubber?
Hey Nathan... Thanks for the feedback! Great question. On smaller boats that have rope instead of chain rode, you'll want to go with a scope of 7:1, to account for the buoyancy of rope. On smaller boats most folks don't use a snubber or a bridle, and just cleat the anchor rope off to a bow cleat. In terms of the amount of chain, on 25 ft boats most have 6-10 feet of chain to help the anchor dig in and to prevent against chafing on the bottom, which seems to work well.
Great video and as others mentioned the best tutorial yet. As a soon to be boat owner and live-aboard retiree your vids are great, I'm assuming your tide high/low are taken into account when determining chain to pay out as well so you have enough to cover for high?
Thanks Nathan! Well spotted on the tides. Yes, we failed to add that to the calculation, as this location where we sail, the tidal variation is insignificant. If you are sailing in an area with large tides, definitely need to factor that in if you enter at low tide! Best of luck on your boat purchase...
@@NautilusSailing Thanks for clarifying and the well wishes. Thanks also for being one of the few youtube channels which reply to viewers questions, learning a lot from you!
all spot on. would be good to see some consideration on real life 'busy' waters. in the med you can find boats anchoring at literally 10 ft from your boat... :)
Yes! We run sailing courses out of Mallorca Spain in the summer and often do flotillas in Europe, so this would be a great idea. We've already been planning to do a med mooring video over there, as you are right, things are much more busy!
Great video, thank you. I’ll be watching your whole series of videos now. Just one question....if the area is tidal (I’m in the uk) can I assume the chain length calculation should be done with the highest tide one is likely to expect in mind?
Glad you are enjoying the videos Warren! Yes, we realized we forgot to address tide in this video and need to update at some point. So yes, that is exactly right as you need to go off the max depth at high tide for your calculation. We've sailed in some places (like Panama) where the tidal range can easily be 17 feet, which makes a big difference :)
Was thinking the same thing. Not exactly sure why this video has remained up with such a major flaw? Strongly suggest someone address this because in other regards this is a very helpful video.
Good idea! Most of the larger boats we sail have all chain, but this would be a great idea to include an anchoring video for boats that have rope as well as chain in their rode. Typically instead of a 5:1 scope, you will want to go 7:1 because of the buoyancy of rope... With rope you can often forego the bridle and cleat off to a bow cleat, although at times this may mean the boat swings more at anchor.
Touching on floating your anchor line for areas that are reefy or that have seegrass would have been good, not only to stop your line from fouling but also to preserve reef and seagrass from being damaged.
Hey Jase... EXCELLENT question! Yes, since some areas can have large tidal fluctuations, you want to use the mean high tide depth for the spot you are in to calculate how much scope/chain to let out.
You are correct, you need to take into account and know when you're anchoring. If you come in at a low tide, and you see a 3-5m tidal range, you need to make those calculations. We are doing a catamaran series now, and have included that factor. Good info.
On a calm day I would assume you would advice to put the boat in reverse to stop the chain piling up on top of itself on the seabed once you have circa 2 x scope out?
Yes, that's it Paul! You'll want a little click into reverse to start laying out the chain. The key is to just have a LITTLE reverse as you don't want the sudden jolt and load on the anchor windlass if you are reversing at speed.
Please forgive me for downloading this video to my hard drive, if you make great videos you can only expect people to want to keep them for offline use.
Well spotted Serge! Once the snubber is on, you may not be able to reach the chain to put your foot on it. Visually you can watch the chain and see if it's vibrating and bouncing, or if it's going taught.
We just acquired a 32' C & C sailboat through an estate and have never sailed. Thanks for the video learning to anchor correctly. One question I have is I did not hear you mention tide changes when setting anchor. Is this accounted for on the cruising charts or how do you assure you will not be 'beached'!? Cheers from Vancouver, Canada!
Hey Grant... Congrats on the new 32 C & C! Those are great boats and we hope you have a lot of fun on her... Well spotted. We realized that we forgot to include tide in the anchoring video, as most of the places we sail with students on our live aboard sailing courses have very little tidal fluctuation. That was an oversight that we hope to fix in the next round of videos! In the meantime, download a tide chart app and use if for your area. You'll want to note the tide when you come in to anchor, and if you come in at low tide, you'll need to add in the depth the tide fluctuates to your calculation of depth, keep height, and freeboard. Fair winds!
U mention that it puts strain on the bolts that hold it down, I always was afraid Id break the mechanics in the windlass, not tear it out of my deck, Isn’t cleats held down by 4 bolts too?
Good point Matt. The strain from the chain on the windlass can't be good for it either! Cleats, when designed and built correctly on sailboats, have large backing plates that are far stronger than the 4 bolts holding your windlass to the deck.
Good question, we should have mentioned that. At night, you have a masthead 360 degree white light, no other navigation lights needed (under 50 meters) During the day, a black ball, usually inflated, must be hoisted forward towards the bow. There are exceptions if your're in a designated anchorage.
What if wind moves the boat into a position opposite from that which you set the anchor at, and pulls from that direction. Does the anchor pull out, or unset?
Good question, it's something we tell our students to monitor and get local knowledge on wind patterns and any nighttime shifts. We suggest using an Anchor watch app to see if you're dragging. Most modern anchors will reset and pivot without breaking loose. Sometimes it's wise to reverse again on your anchor once the wind shifts to ensure you are set well like you would normally on the initial set.
That's a much different situation. With the outboard, it's very similar. Under sail typically you drop your jib, go main alone approach on a close reach downwind from the spot where you want to drop, come up into the wind, let the main sheet go, as you slow and stop, drop anchor! and backwind your main (depending on how strong the wind is) by holding the boom and go backwards, you can steer in this case on a small boat. Pay out your anchor rode until you get to the 3-5:1 depending on your anchoring conditions.
We discovered this part was missing. 😳 It's also very important to do this correctly. Thanks for pointing this out. We are creating a catamaran version and will include raising anchor.
Hey J G Thats a tough question as there are so many variables at play. Weather can change quickly and that can dramatically affect an anchorage. We typically don't leave boats on their own for long unless we know someone in the anchorage is keeping an eye on her.
Well... A proper skipper calibrates his depth meter to the water depth, not the depth under the keel... This should be called out because most boats are calibrated accordingly (and correctly)...
We beg to differ Alan. That's not our experience. Most charter boats and personal boats we have sailed on around the world calibrate their depth transducer to the bottom of the keel, so that when you see 0 you know you are about to run aground, and won't run aground on a monohull at readings of 6 or 7 on the screen.
Just watched this, i have a question, i know very little about sailing, you mention having ability to swing 360 and not hit anything, could you use an anchor at the back also? is that a thing, possible?
Yes! So you can put out a second anchor, usually off the stern of the boat, to reduce the swinging room. The challenge is that if you are in a busy anchorage, you will have to use the same anchoring method as the boats around you, so that you all swing together. If all the boats in the anchorage are on a single anchor, then you would have to do the same or they would swing into you.
Great video for beginners. Small comment.. In low winds the turning point is usually not the anchor, but a different spot on the chain based on the wind strength. And shouldn't the boat be positioned against the wind during the dropping of the anchor? At least that's what we were taught. In Croatia unfortunately over time as more boats are coming over the day to anchor and the wind changes direction, it might create crossing of the anchor chains. Do you have any suggestion how to deal with it? Also in a crowdy Croatian bays it is quite difficult to have the 360 angle just for yourself and you have to estimate other boats turning around. But you never know how much of the chain those people have dropped, so their circle might be different. Any idea how to deal with this? And the last question.. what is your experience with anchoring and tieing the back of the boat to the shore/tree? When there is a steep shore, it seems to be the only option, but with not much experience we are always quite worried about this type.
Hey Katy... Ahhh, we LOVE sailing in Croatia :) Yes, always drop the anchor when you are into the wind, and this will then blow you away from the anchor... You are right, in low winds the weight of the chain usually means that you will not swing around the anchor itself. As long as you have the swing room, this isn't an issue. In Croatia, where anchorages can be very tight with lots of boats, we do often tie a stern line to prevent swing.
There is not a lot of tide in Mexico. It was an oversight in the video where we need to describe to calculate additional scope if you're anchoring at low tide, or increased swing if you anchor on a high tide. Some of our instructors live in places where they see 10-15 foot tides. Makes a big difference.
Good question, sorry for the delay in responding, we were sailing a lot lately. :) On the charts you see pink anchor symbols, or shaded areas showing anchorage areas. Also, your cruising guides will tell you much more info on what is good and what is not in certain conditions. The Sea of Cortez has great guides that tell you about night time winds that come up and some anchorages are exposed to them, only way to know is local knowledge or the guides. Another resource is on Navionics app the active captain has reviews, like Yelp for achorages, marinas, moorings etc. You get the lowdown and real life details, like holding on the bottom, hazards, wakes from waterways etc. Hope that helps.
Good question! She's a BEAUTIFUL boat and sails far better than a Hunter. She's actually a 2012 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 439. We are really big fans of the Jeanneaus, as they have so much space, light, sail beautifully, and have very nice lines...
Very good point. On our Sailing Masterclass course we made sure to include the process for hoisting the anchor. The idea is to have someone on the bow, pointing to the direction of the anchor, slowly motor forward while retrieving the anchor on the windlass. The goal is to pull up the chain as the load comes off. NEVER pull the boat with the windlass. Then as the anchor is free from the bottom, let the helms-person know to keep the boat slow and safely away from other boats and land while you get the last 20' or so up. Then slowly bump the up button until the anchor is in the pocket.
@@NautilusSailing Thanks for the reply! I was really confused 😅 Because I'm like, if the anchor is so wedged that a boat won't move, how you going to get it out again!
This is actually the best anchoring tutorial I’ve seen so far. Thanks! Also, I just wish one day I could see the sea floor from my 30ft cruiser, apparently western Europe needs cleaner water!!
Thanks so much for the feedback Rico! Glad the anchoring tutorial was helpful... Yeah, we love the Med, but hear you on the cleaner water!
Yep I agree, this video was really useful and well presented. Cheers.
@@NautilusSailing The water is pretty clear in Greece.
Now all I need is a boat.
😅
I got one for sale. A GOOD one.
Or you can rent one ;)
@SailingSarah you still selling a boat? You got a link?
Good instruction. One thought: if you have put your snubber on and are setting the anchor with tension on the snubber, you won’t feel anything on the chain with your foot if your anchor is dragging. You Have to put your foot on the snubber.
boom! thank you for that common sense heads up
wow .. an spectacular video !!!.. I leaned more in just 11 minutes with this video that any class had taken !!!
Amazing, thanks for the feedback.
You guys are smashing it! I'm doing my RYA day skipper right now and I'm so glad I just found these amazing videos. Thanks you and keep up the amazing work!
Glad the videos are helpful Aaron! Best of luck on your RYA day skipper :)
At last someone who explains sailing in simple terms. Really refreshing
One of the best (if not the best) anchoring tutorial in CZcams. Good images and text timing!
Thank you!
I love the dropping and setting the anchor video but it would be awesome if there was a refresher on how to pull up the anchor safely and effectively as well. would be an excellent video. Love all the knowledge this channel drops!
Hey Justin... That's a great idea! We will add that to the list of videos to make. One of the most common mistakes when retrieving the anchor is to use the windlass to pull the boat forward, instead of motoring over the chain and only recovering when there is no tension on it.
@@NautilusSailing Could you please elaborate? Because I have been doing so ever since I began sailing, is it because it puts too much strain on the windlass?
@@meow1990_2 Exactly! The windlass is designed to pick up the weight of the chain, but not pull the entire weight of the boat forward, so it's critical that you motor forward, picking up chain as there is no tension on the chain.
Excellent video!! Much appreciated!!! 🙏✊
Glad it was helpful!
Sorry but you should only add the freeboard ht once after the calculation of the water depth x ratio.
It's simple , if you have 2 identical boats where the only difference is one boat uses a hawspipe that is on the waterline so no additional freeboard to be added.
If you add the freeboard you will end up with same boats with considerably different scope in the same a crowed anchorage , at tide change the boats will no longer have the same spacing. This is considerably worse when in shallow water and hi freeboard boats like motorboats.
This mistake came when the USCG rewrote their guide lines badly and was miss inteperated buy some guides like boatUS,chapmans etc . Check the RYA yachtmaster recommendations.
Cheers Warren
Great info!
This is the best anchoring tutorial Ive seen online. Great job!
Excellent video. Simple and straightforward instruction. Thankyou
Glad it was helpful!
Disclamer - I am not an expert, but I was taught by a very very experienced skipper. My question is - arent you supposed to start reversing slowly as soon as the anchor (based on hand signals) hits the bottom? That way the chain will be laid down in a line. If you drop 5 depths at a single spot, it might get tangled, the anchor will not start digging in untill the end of your reversing, etc... doesn't seem like a good idea to me.
Great point Petar. Yes, you don't really want all the chain piling up on top of the anchor. A little bit of reverse before you drop the anchor or having wind when anchoring will help move the boat away from the anchor as you are letting out. We are not big fans of motoring in reverse while you let it out, as often this can result in a bit jolt and lots of stress on the windlass when you stop releasing chain.
Excellent Video!
Glad you liked it!
I am constantly thinking about my anchor and don't want drag. I haven't dragged anchor but this is a great video because it has given me a bit more confidence.
Excellent! Glad the video was helpful Jonathan. You are doing things right if you haven't dragged yet!
Awesome anchor tutorial.
Good one. Thank you! Sensible instruction.
Solid guidance!
We love your training videos. Please do more videos.It's very useful to our boating community.
So glad you like them! More videos are in the pipeline and hopefully will be released in 2022!
Fantastic resource! I’ll be returning to this when my wife and friends finally charter next year!
Thank you. Very well done.
Glad you liked it!
I'm just starting to learn sailing and it's a great lesson about anchoring. It helped a lot. I gonna see all of your tutorials. Thank you
Welcome aboard!
Very good
Thanks
Brilliant tutorial!
Glad you liked it!
What to test your anchoring metal, try Greenland.
This video was made for a much bigger boat. I'm trying to learn proper procedure for my 26' vessel.
Yes, our target is a typical charter boat. The concepts are the same, just different scale. Maybe you don't have a windlass and you're hand over hand pulling the anchor in.
This was great. Thanks
I DON'T EVER ACCOUNT FOR KEEL BUT i do add a few feet for swells and waves.
Hey Joe... Yes, if there is significant swell or waves in an anchorage then that should be taken into account. If your depth transducer is set to 0 feet of depth at the bottom of the keel (the most common setting for most sailboats), then you really need to account for that 6-7 feet on a monohull in your calculations.
Good video, I'm an ASA sailing instructor and could not have said it better.
Right on
Great video
I don't recall ever having someone say in a video to connect snubber before anchor test .
Great advice thanks.
Glad it helped
GREAT VIDEO TUTORIAL! oops didn't mean to all caps but hey, it is deserved. I screengrabs the list and gonna print it and put it in my boat to practice with my friends . thanks !
So glad it was helpful!
Amazing!
Thanks!
Great info. Perhaps should mention looking at the tide tables so you don't end up beached 6 hours later. This will affect your chain ratio, too, obviously.
That is a very good point. In certain parts of the world that is a huge concern, we probably failed to mention it because in MX there is about a 1M swing max. Thanks for the feedback.
Great vid for beginning anchoring. One thing, in the northern latitudes you have to also account for tide changes with your rode length. That in itself can add more than 50' of additional rode.
Yes, well spotted! Incorporating tidal variance into the scope calculation is something REALLY important. We realized after creating the video series that we forgot to mention this, as where we filmed the video series (Mexico) the tide change is only around 1-2 feet. We plan to update this!
Fantastic video! Super clear.
Thanks, glad you liked it.
Great Video. Super relevant!
Glad it was helpful!
I need to research a snubber some more....thanks!
Yes, it makes a difference. Using a rolling hitch or a soft shackle makes it pretty easy.
Best anchor vid I have seen so far!
Glad that was helpful!
Very informative . Great video. Thank you.
Glad you liked it.
Don't forget you can always send an advanced shore party to find a top spot while you mull over your anchor technique 👍
Most excellent. Can you do a video on how to get an anchor unstuck.
Great idea Mark! We will add that to the list as it does happen quite a bit...
8 of october I am going out first time as a capitan with my crew/friends. In past years was my dad but this is the first time without him. Thank you for your videos. It help me to colect all my knowledge. We are going to sail in Croatia. Did you heard about it? Paul
Fantastic! We hope you guys have a wonderful sail :)
Best quality sailing tutorial videos I've seen to date. Lots of good general tips and, of course, you can't cover everything. For example, you didn't mention taking fixes or setting an anchor alarm. Really great job though. There is a LOT of work putting those videos together!
Thanks so much for the feedback! Yes, great call on the fixes and the anchor alarms. It's SOOOO hard to remember to cover everything :) We will definitely add those to version 2!
Very clear explanation.
Absolutely top notch advice here!
Thanks capi
Good tips for safety and follow up with anchoring. Happy 4th of July!
Thanks Gary! Enjoy your holiday weekend too :)
This could easily become my fav sailing channel. Keep it up.
Welcome aboard! Thanks, tell your fellow sailors🙂
Excellent video thank you, extremely informative and beautiful backdrop.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very informative and helpful ;)
Glad it was helpful!
Great overview! You should also mention the depth for calculating scope should be taken from the high tide point when in tidal waters.
Yes, we missed that, in our next series, for catamarans, we do cover that component.
Great video. That's really helpful. A question though: what about anchorages where boats are all on top of each other (which, as we've just experienced, is pretty much the case everywhere in the summer in the Mediterranean): if you leave as much chain out you will be swinging in a big circle and often there is not enough room. Is it better to reduce the ratio from 5 to 3:1 or can you, once your anchor is well set, take some chain in to reduce the radius of your swing circle (assuming moderate wind and good shelter)? What would be your recommendation?
Now that was a good video. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent video
Amazingly thorough and clear explanation. Thank you!
How about smaller boats like 25' and a chain/rope rode? Is 10' chain enough? Should I still have a snubber?
Hey Nathan... Thanks for the feedback! Great question. On smaller boats that have rope instead of chain rode, you'll want to go with a scope of 7:1, to account for the buoyancy of rope. On smaller boats most folks don't use a snubber or a bridle, and just cleat the anchor rope off to a bow cleat. In terms of the amount of chain, on 25 ft boats most have 6-10 feet of chain to help the anchor dig in and to prevent against chafing on the bottom, which seems to work well.
Great video and as others mentioned the best tutorial yet. As a soon to be boat owner and live-aboard retiree your vids are great, I'm assuming your tide high/low are taken into account when determining chain to pay out as well so you have enough to cover for high?
Thanks Nathan! Well spotted on the tides. Yes, we failed to add that to the calculation, as this location where we sail, the tidal variation is insignificant. If you are sailing in an area with large tides, definitely need to factor that in if you enter at low tide! Best of luck on your boat purchase...
@@NautilusSailing Thanks for clarifying and the well wishes. Thanks also for being one of the few youtube channels which reply to viewers questions, learning a lot from you!
This is inspiring. Thank you
You are so welcome!
all spot on. would be good to see some consideration on real life 'busy' waters. in the med you can find boats anchoring at literally 10 ft from your boat... :)
Yes! We run sailing courses out of Mallorca Spain in the summer and often do flotillas in Europe, so this would be a great idea. We've already been planning to do a med mooring video over there, as you are right, things are much more busy!
Excellent basic info
Glad you liked it
Very good video, excellent outcome!
Thank you!!
Glad you enjoyed it George! Fair winds...
Good video
Glad you enjoyed
Great video. Best of seen on youtube for anchoring. Well done.
excellent, thanks
Thank you. Awesome tutorial
But one important thing is missing!!! The wind must com from front of the boat befor you drop the anchor!!
Correct, @3:18 we discuss the wind and we could have made it more clear that we always set with our bow to the wind.
where was this shot? The location was gorgeous.
This was in the Sea of Cortez, Isla San Francisco for most of the footage. Also, El Mezteno on Isla Espirito Santo.
Outstanding tutorial on anchoring. Thank you!
Great video, thank you. I’ll be watching your whole series of videos now. Just one question....if the area is tidal (I’m in the uk) can I assume the chain length calculation should be done with the highest tide one is likely to expect in mind?
Glad you are enjoying the videos Warren! Yes, we realized we forgot to address tide in this video and need to update at some point. So yes, that is exactly right as you need to go off the max depth at high tide for your calculation. We've sailed in some places (like Panama) where the tidal range can easily be 17 feet, which makes a big difference :)
Was thinking the same thing. Not exactly sure why this video has remained up with such a major flaw?
Strongly suggest someone address this because in other regards this is a very helpful video.
I’d like to see a similar video done when shorter chain is used with 150’ of road. How do I tie if the rode as a bridle or snubber isn’t involved.
Good idea! Most of the larger boats we sail have all chain, but this would be a great idea to include an anchoring video for boats that have rope as well as chain in their rode. Typically instead of a 5:1 scope, you will want to go 7:1 because of the buoyancy of rope... With rope you can often forego the bridle and cleat off to a bow cleat, although at times this may mean the boat swings more at anchor.
Really great video! Thank you!
Glad you liked it!
Excellent will help a lot to be more competent
Excellent! Glad it was helpful... Fair Winds!
Touching on floating your anchor line for areas that are reefy or that have seegrass would have been good, not only to stop your line from fouling but also to preserve reef and seagrass from being damaged.
Great idea Jake! Always tough to get everything in these episodes, but that would be invaluable to add for version 2. Thanks...
@@NautilusSailing cheers from Australia! This video was great, can't wait for №2
What if the depth reading were to show what it is at a lower tide. Should you be overriding and calculating the length based on high tide depth?
Hey Jase... EXCELLENT question! Yes, since some areas can have large tidal fluctuations, you want to use the mean high tide depth for the spot you are in to calculate how much scope/chain to let out.
Thanks for the reply and for making these great videos!
Using chart mean depth, figure 7:1 ratio and so, @ 6' tide rise you'll still be 5:1. (Assuming most boat's freeboard is between 2.5' and 5'.)
What about taking in account of tides? Some places have 5m tide heights.
You are correct, you need to take into account and know when you're anchoring. If you come in at a low tide, and you see a 3-5m tidal range, you need to make those calculations. We are doing a catamaran series now, and have included that factor. Good info.
On a calm day I would assume you would advice to put the boat in reverse to stop the chain piling up on top of itself on the seabed once you have circa 2 x scope out?
Yes, that's it Paul! You'll want a little click into reverse to start laying out the chain. The key is to just have a LITTLE reverse as you don't want the sudden jolt and load on the anchor windlass if you are reversing at speed.
Please forgive me for downloading this video to my hard drive, if you make great videos you can only expect people to want to keep them for offline use.
If you put the snubber on before reversing, do you still feel the anchor drag if you place your foot on the chain?
Well spotted Serge! Once the snubber is on, you may not be able to reach the chain to put your foot on it. Visually you can watch the chain and see if it's vibrating and bouncing, or if it's going taught.
We just acquired a 32' C & C sailboat through an estate and have never sailed. Thanks for the video learning to anchor correctly. One question I have is I did not hear you mention tide changes when setting anchor. Is this accounted for on the cruising charts or how do you assure you will not be 'beached'!? Cheers from Vancouver, Canada!
Hey Grant... Congrats on the new 32 C & C! Those are great boats and we hope you have a lot of fun on her... Well spotted. We realized that we forgot to include tide in the anchoring video, as most of the places we sail with students on our live aboard sailing courses have very little tidal fluctuation. That was an oversight that we hope to fix in the next round of videos! In the meantime, download a tide chart app and use if for your area. You'll want to note the tide when you come in to anchor, and if you come in at low tide, you'll need to add in the depth the tide fluctuates to your calculation of depth, keep height, and freeboard. Fair winds!
These videos are really good! you have another sub!
Thanks! Glad you are enjoying them :)
Clear and koncise information with great retoric. Thanks
U mention that it puts strain on the bolts that hold it down, I always was afraid Id break the mechanics in the windlass, not tear it out of my deck, Isn’t cleats held down by 4 bolts too?
Good point Matt. The strain from the chain on the windlass can't be good for it either! Cleats, when designed and built correctly on sailboats, have large backing plates that are far stronger than the 4 bolts holding your windlass to the deck.
which lights or shapes do you display at anchor ?
Good question, we should have mentioned that. At night, you have a masthead 360 degree white light, no other navigation lights needed (under 50 meters) During the day, a black ball, usually inflated, must be hoisted forward towards the bow. There are exceptions if your're in a designated anchorage.
What if wind moves the boat into a position opposite from that which you set the anchor at, and pulls from that direction. Does the anchor pull out, or unset?
Good question, it's something we tell our students to monitor and get local knowledge on wind patterns and any nighttime shifts. We suggest using an Anchor watch app to see if you're dragging. Most modern anchors will reset and pivot without breaking loose. Sometimes it's wise to reverse again on your anchor once the wind shifts to ensure you are set well like you would normally on the initial set.
@@NautilusSailing Thank you.
No what about smaller sailboats with small outboards or no motor?
That's a much different situation. With the outboard, it's very similar.
Under sail typically you drop your jib, go main alone approach on a close reach downwind from the spot where you want to drop, come up into the wind, let the main sheet go, as you slow and stop, drop anchor! and backwind your main (depending on how strong the wind is) by holding the boom and go backwards, you can steer in this case on a small boat. Pay out your anchor rode until you get to the 3-5:1 depending on your anchoring conditions.
Land HO she’s solid captain, to the shore for rum punch.
How to get the anchor back into the boat?🧐
We discovered this part was missing. 😳 It's also very important to do this correctly. Thanks for pointing this out. We are creating a catamaran version and will include raising anchor.
How long would you feel comfortable leaving the boat anchored?
Hey J G Thats a tough question as there are so many variables at play. Weather can change quickly and that can dramatically affect an anchorage. We typically don't leave boats on their own for long unless we know someone in the anchorage is keeping an eye on her.
Well... A proper skipper calibrates his depth meter to the water depth, not the depth under the keel... This should be called out because most boats are calibrated accordingly (and correctly)...
We beg to differ Alan. That's not our experience. Most charter boats and personal boats we have sailed on around the world calibrate their depth transducer to the bottom of the keel, so that when you see 0 you know you are about to run aground, and won't run aground on a monohull at readings of 6 or 7 on the screen.
Just watched this, i have a question, i know very little about sailing, you mention having ability to swing 360 and not hit anything, could you use an anchor at the back also? is that a thing, possible?
Yes! So you can put out a second anchor, usually off the stern of the boat, to reduce the swinging room. The challenge is that if you are in a busy anchorage, you will have to use the same anchoring method as the boats around you, so that you all swing together. If all the boats in the anchorage are on a single anchor, then you would have to do the same or they would swing into you.
@@NautilusSailing ah interesting, thank you, really appreciate the answer
Great video for beginners. Small comment.. In low winds the turning point is usually not the anchor, but a different spot on the chain based on the wind strength. And shouldn't the boat be positioned against the wind during the dropping of the anchor? At least that's what we were taught. In Croatia unfortunately over time as more boats are coming over the day to anchor and the wind changes direction, it might create crossing of the anchor chains. Do you have any suggestion how to deal with it? Also in a crowdy Croatian bays it is quite difficult to have the 360 angle just for yourself and you have to estimate other boats turning around. But you never know how much of the chain those people have dropped, so their circle might be different. Any idea how to deal with this? And the last question.. what is your experience with anchoring and tieing the back of the boat to the shore/tree? When there is a steep shore, it seems to be the only option, but with not much experience we are always quite worried about this type.
Hey Katy... Ahhh, we LOVE sailing in Croatia :) Yes, always drop the anchor when you are into the wind, and this will then blow you away from the anchor... You are right, in low winds the weight of the chain usually means that you will not swing around the anchor itself. As long as you have the swing room, this isn't an issue. In Croatia, where anchorages can be very tight with lots of boats, we do often tie a stern line to prevent swing.
We simply ask neighbor boats how much chain they have out.
No tidal where you are??
There is not a lot of tide in Mexico. It was an oversight in the video where we need to describe to calculate additional scope if you're anchoring at low tide, or increased swing if you anchor on a high tide. Some of our instructors live in places where they see 10-15 foot tides. Makes a big difference.
More to the point: WHERE can you anchor, and HOW do you know?
Good question, sorry for the delay in responding, we were sailing a lot lately. :)
On the charts you see pink anchor symbols, or shaded areas showing anchorage areas. Also, your cruising guides will tell you much more info on what is good and what is not in certain conditions. The Sea of Cortez has great guides that tell you about night time winds that come up and some anchorages are exposed to them, only way to know is local knowledge or the guides. Another resource is on Navionics app the active captain has reviews, like Yelp for achorages, marinas, moorings etc. You get the lowdown and real life details, like holding on the bottom, hazards, wakes from waterways etc. Hope that helps.
A
Is that a Hunter?
Good question! She's a BEAUTIFUL boat and sails far better than a Hunter. She's actually a 2012 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 439. We are really big fans of the Jeanneaus, as they have so much space, light, sail beautifully, and have very nice lines...
@@NautilusSailing thanks I'm looking for a budget live aboard.
Um... So how do you leave? 🤔
Very good point. On our Sailing Masterclass course we made sure to include the process for hoisting the anchor.
The idea is to have someone on the bow, pointing to the direction of the anchor, slowly motor forward while retrieving the anchor on the windlass. The goal is to pull up the chain as the load comes off. NEVER pull the boat with the windlass. Then as the anchor is free from the bottom, let the helms-person know to keep the boat slow and safely away from other boats and land while you get the last 20' or so up. Then slowly bump the up button until the anchor is in the pocket.
@@NautilusSailing Thanks for the reply! I was really confused 😅 Because I'm like, if the anchor is so wedged that a boat won't move, how you going to get it out again!
I can't help wondering how the South American Indians made it across/around the Pacific in their dug-outs without internet tutelege.
Well done and extremely helpful!!
Thanks and so glad that was helpful! Fair winds :)