Anchoring basics*

A classic yawl enjoying a peaceful anchorage on Oyster Bay.

Sometimes you just want to get away from it all; that’s when a mooring in a crowded anchorage just won’t do. Or what if you arrive somewhere and there are no more guest moorings available? Freedom is being able to drop your hook anywhere you need to without worrying about it letting loose at the worst of moments. We sail every weekend, and occasionally we’re blessed with more time. We’ve logged about 1500 miles per year cruising Long Island Sound in each of the past few years. We anchor often while we’re away, enjoying the privacy of our chosen locations at least as much as the camaraderie of mooring fields and docks. In all that anchoring, we’ve learned a trick or two we’d like to share.

Much of Long Island Sound, where we sail most often, consists of one of three types of bottoms: mud, sand, or rock, with mud being quite predominant. The cruising guides and harbor charts show you where the best anchorages are and what the bottom composition is likely to be, so there’s not much guesswork. Usually the anchorages are in the prevailing lee of an island or shore. Depending on the conditions on a given day, different choices may provide the best holding ground in a particular harbor or reasonable access to shore side activities. You’ll have to weigh your options against your plans.

The best anchorage for any particular night depends on the weather conditions predicted. Listen to NOAA weather radio on your VHF first, then choose your spot for maximum protection from the wind and the waves to keep your family snug and comfortable all night long. If a scorcher is predicted, you’ll want to pick a spot where you’ll be able to scoop in some breezy relief.

We’ve found that a Fortress (fluke or Danforth-type) anchor provides adequate holding in most locations on the Sound, and this has become our 'primary'. As secondary anchors, we have a heavy Delta (plow-type), which holds better in sand or hard mud, and a heavy fisherman (yachtsman) type anchor for hard bottoms. Each of our anchors has 20 feet of heavy chain and about 300 feet of rope rode.*

Our favorite anchors for our boat and bottom:
Fortress (left) and Delta (right)

Here’s a method that seems to work best for us when setting the anchor.*

1. Choose a location that will be best suited for predicted overnight conditions (e.g., in the lee of a high shore). Prepare your anchor and rode on deck, and add a trip line ( a line equal to maximum expected depth attached to the shank of the anchor with a buoy to the surface) if you choose for ease of retrieval especially in problem anchorages.
2. Check the tide to see where it is now, and how it is likely to affect the depth relative to your draft as well as to the amount of scope you will need.
3. Drive in a circle around the perimeter of what you expect your swing to be to make sure there aren’t any obstructions, boats that could swing close, or variables in depth that weren’t charted. Your boat will swing, sometimes in a 360° circle.
4. Point into the wind and head for the center of your circle.
5. Stop the boat, and let the anchor drop slowly to the bottom.
6. When the anchor reaches the bottom, start reversing slowly (or let the boat drift backwards) and slowly let out some more rode. This achieves two results: the anchor is cleanly on the bottom in the correct orientation, and the rode is cleanly stretched out from it. Now tug on the line repeatedly to set the anchor (you should feel it catch securely).
7. Let out the some more rode and secure it on a sturdy cleat.
8. Reverse your boat slowly to make sure the anchor is securely buried. Applying too much power will simply pull the anchor out. This is best done with one person at the bow and one at the helm of the boat. While the helmsman reverses, the other person carefully places a hand on the rode that is stretching away from the boat. If the boat drags, the vibration is easily felt. At the same time the helmsperson should take a sight on a near and distant point to see if the boat is moving. If it drags, pull up the anchor and start again in slightly different spot or with a different anchor. (Remember a different anchor may work better on a given bottom).
9. Now you can let out the remaining rode. Use adequate scope. We use at least a 5:1 ratio (scope) rode:depth, as we have a rope rode with only 20 feet of heavy chain.
10. Unless you have an all chain rode, attach a chafe guard where the line passed through the chock. With an all chain rode, add a snubber with a chafe guard.
11. In light air, or if you are at a location with changing currents, it is advisable to weigh down your rode. This will help prevent wrapping it around your keel if you have a modern fin-keeled sailboat. We use a 4-pound lead weight, which we tie to the rode about 15-20 feet from the bow of the boat. If we then drift over the anchor, our rode is usually safely lying on the bottom.
12. If you have an anchor alarm on your GPS, set it so it will keep watch for you overnight. You’ll sleep much better! Just always remember electronics are not foolproof. It always pays to stay vigilant. It is always a good idea to go topsides during the night to check things out; the weather may have changed, or someone else’s anchor may be dragging. But even if nothing has changed, you will also see how beautiful it is out there at night!