Useful Tips for Beginners on How to Safely Use an Anchor

When anchoring a boat, you should always leave adequate space for your boat to make a full circle around its anchoring without obstructing other boats’ paths. The gripping and shock-absorbing properties of the cables of the rod extending toward the sea floor improve as you release more scope. But, in reality, it’s usually not practical to release as much scope as you’d like because other boats, a poor holding area, or geographical factors like the coastline or shallow water can confine you and your boat. 

HOW TO ANCHOR PRECISELY?

Select a location free of boats and underwater barriers

Choose an anchoring location that’s free from any obstructions and there shouldn’t be any other boats nearby. You should ensure that there are no ropes, wrecks, or other impediments on the bottom that can tangle your line. It’s better to identify the water’s depth and determine how much anchor line you’ll need to release. 

According to conventional guidelines, there should be five to seven times as much line as there is between the water’s surface and the anchor winch. At the spot on the line where you would like the anchor to rest, lock it to the stern clip. Go into the zone as your boat is now facing the wind. Turn off your engine and stop your boat in front of the anchoring location.

Gently lower the anchor

Drop the anchor carefully into the water from the anchor winch with the boat still and your life jacket on. Avoid tossing it over the side as this usually clogs the line and can cause turbulence in the water. Your boat should start to drift back with the wind or flow as you drop the anchor, enabling the anchor to slide away as it reaches the water. This movement backward is significant to anchor precisely

So, if your boat isn’t floating backward on its own, you should switch to reverse and go back gently while releasing the anchor into the water. This extends the rope from the anchor winch and makes sure the anchor is in the right direction.

Maintain tension on the anchor rope

As you stretch out the anchor, maintain pressure on it to keep the boat’s bow pointing at the anchor. By doing this, you could be confident that your anchor, cable, and the line will remain straight and won’t twist.

Installing the anchor

Once you ensure that the anchor rope has the right tension, you should fasten the cable in the proper swing zone. Allow the anchor to sink and stop the boat, but be careful when you do this. After that, maintain a safe distance and loop the cable around an anchor winch once or twice. Once the anchor is down, keep track of any sites that might serve as points of reference for the boat. 

Weighing anchor

Once you set the anchor, lifting it up or “weighing anchor” will be simple. But be cautious and always wear a life jacket when anchoring. The interaction of anchor draw, tide, and load can occasionally flood a tiny boat. So you should pull the anchor as straight as you can while taking care to prevent it from striking the boat’s side. As you pull the anchor, clean it of dirt and debris and store it away.

WRAPPING UP

There are anchors available for each and every bottom type and application, for fixed moorings, sandy areas, mud, dense grasses, and stones. When selecting the anchor that’s ideal for your boat, consider the type and size of your boat, the usual depth of the sea, the severity of the wind, and the size of the anchor chain. And most significantly, consider the boating area’s bottom features to anchor precisely and avoid any anchoring mistakes.