Choosing Your Second Anchor (Sailing Without an Engine, Part Two)

[@svpiggybank]

Great job Kevin but cut out the ums I just sailed past Ruth Avery in the bay of Maine ns was this you I was on my way to Yarmouth I wish I could sail like you do m learning

[@jamesbaldwin7676]

Lin and Larry Pardey sailed over 200,000 miles and around the world more than once, in a small boat with no engine.

[@FitOutPost]

Man! So much effort just to demonstrate how to set a second anchor to us - newbies. Kudos to you sailor!

[@Dryer_Safe]

I would have fed the anchor rode under the lifeline. Your way looked wrong until the rode started paying out. Smart. I learn something every day.

[@BitcoinNewsTodayLive]

I love that my sailboat is in your opening video in Baltimore.

[@mrtbrocks5664]

Love those guitar riffs at beginning and end.

[@highseasdrifter7885]

What a wealth of information you convey. Nice to find a channel that doesn't rely on the latest, greatest technology to sail.

[@seanmulligan1339]

Used alot stern anchors in scandinavia , club hauling is an old skill saved many a boat i never thought of a fisherman cheers

[@MyPedorro]

I had to do this Port Townsend, WA, in Puget Sound. Some boats were seriously dragging. I rowed out and got the big anchor and a bunch of rode and started out to try to get the thing off the dinghy and set. Luck was with me. We had no dragging while other boats were crashing into the ferry dock. Keep it up, Brother.

[@howtosailoceans1423]

Good on ya! Yikes, crashing into a ferry dock ... shudder.

[@Gottenhimfella]

@@howtosailoceans1423 and @JeffreyBull: It has happened to me that I've had to quickly get off a lee dock without an engine in conditions where it was too risky to use a dinghy (wind and swells) and what I resorted to was tying a buoy to the lightweight Fortress anchor and a float to the other end of the short chain leader, putting on flippers and a wetsuit top, and swimming it out. I found it surprisingly doable. It was possible to swim rather powerfully on my back into quite nasty seas, even with anchor and rode. Leg muscles are just so much bigger than arm muscles, I guess. I keep flippers in the dinghy when in exposed roadsteads because I have also found that when the conditions get to where I can no longer make headway rowing, I can tow an empty dinghy (using the same technique) for quite a distance and at a decent clip. Peace of mind when the nearest land downwind is thousands of miles away...

[@howtosailoceans1423]

@@Gottenhimfella Yes that works too, but I wouldn't recommend it in a place like Baltimore Harbor ...

[@Forteeseven]

I've learned so much by watching your videos. I have a small outboard but you've given me the confidence not to worry about starting it up when I leave the dock now. I've sailed in and out of my moorage a couple times and it just feels more like real sailing. Thanks for the videos

[@howtosailoceans1423]

Great! Fair winds to you, mate.

[@edl617]

After I learned to dingy sail. There was this day sailer with the cuddle cabin. Row a tender out to the bouy Load up the supplies and sail off into the lower Chesapeake Bay Area for a weekend. Couldn’t do it every weekend since it always takes planning for the wind, tide and weather. But about every two months was fine.

[@chrishill9715]

Love the figure-8 flake of the rode to let it run out w/o fouling - very useful information. Great channel, love your videos, thank you!

[@redbird1824]

I put more careful thought into choosing an anchor at 40 than I did choosing a wife at 20. Now at 63 I believe that fathers should choose the first sailboat for their son. Ha! Ha! Like Forrest Gump might say"'Thats all I have to say about that".Keep the mast pointing up, boys!Sail on sailor!Really good video-got me to thinkin.

[@ladygardener100]

Brilliant, i;ve never seen the flaking of a rope on deck, always thought I;d keep it in dinghy with the anchor. Obviously flaking anchor chain on deck has to be up and down in parallel.

[@neptunesfancy]

The spade is highly regarded..Sv panope testing was very positive .. Thanks for the timely replies.. SV Venceremos, out of San Diego

[@thomasstorrs6345]

So i grew up sailing in new england without an engine, radar nav systems etc. Knowing(memorizing)the tides and obstacles was imperative or else really life threatening. Not to mention fog.

[@dallasdelay3468]

I have a 100# fisherman's.my#2 will be a Bruce/Claw type 44# For a 39' sharpie. Also a gaffer. But with a Yanmar 3gm.

[@oldmatelots2748]

Nice series of videos and well narrated, good job. Only observation on this one is why no specific mention of routing the rode up and over the lifeline (and oar) to the dinghy? Figure 8 flaking of the rode is an excellent idea, but drawing it up and out over the lifeline rather than sideways across the gunwale or through the hawse fairlead is also important to avoid tangles.

[@howtosailoceans1423]

Old Matelots Sometimes I run it under the lifeline, works either way

[@izaacbanks3337]

a fortress anchor perfect for a second anchor very light and very good holding. except they can be pricey

[@howtosailoceans1423]

Yes, I've heard those work better than Danforths, eventhough they are similar.

[@MUSARD29]

HI. Nice boat. On my new boat i have almost the same rig. 😉 Hello from France 👋

[@howtosailoceans1423]

Hell back from America, and fair winds

[@Misteribel]

In cases where I needed to take out my all chain main anchor by dinghy (in a Greek harbor), I just loaded the needed length of chain into the dinghy, which gives you control over the rode from the dinghy while boating away. I guess with rope rode that isn't as needed. But what I even more curious about is that your fisherman anchor always holds! SV Panope and some other channels dinghy get it to bite in sand, mud or grass. Are you mostly in rocky bottoms?

[@howtosailoceans1423]

I've had great luck with Fisherman type anchors despite what the anchor experts say. That said, I've since switched to a 44lb Spade as my main, and now I rarely ever have to run out a second anchor.

[@neptunesfancy]

Thank you! Very clever and informative videos. Glad to find you. Would appreciate your thoughts on new generation anchors, ie spade, rockna, etc...

[@howtosailoceans1423]

Thanks for tuning in. Last September I swapped out my Delta for a Spade anchor. Apart from some problems I had ordering the thing, so far the Spade anchor is living up to its billing. We'll see how it does on the Chesapeake this summer--this is where my previous anchor (the Delta) failed me on several occasions. My sense is that these modern scoop type anchors are a considerable improvement over everything that has come before.

[@nchristi26]

Thank you for the response about your sail inventory. When you have a moment could you tell us your anchor inventory. From the video & post I see a fisherman 35 lbs , a new Spade , & a third "storm" anchor. Curious what the "storm" is & its weight , & the Spades weight. How much chain do you carry. I Remember Don Street Jr in his books was also a fan of the fisherman type anchors ; a 50 lb his main & a 150 lb fisherman type on 90 ft 1/2" chain as his storm anchor. His yawl: 20 tons, LOA 45', LWL 35' .

[@howtosailoceans1423]

The storm anchor is a 50 lb Luke, which is a fisherman type. I'm still a fan of the fisherman as a second anchor. So far I am mightily impressed with the 44lb Spade anchor, best anchor I've ever owned. With the Spade I use 60 feet of 5/16" chain and then have 150 feet of nylon spliced onto that.

[@liasxtube]

Lucky I found your channel. I just purchased a 26` Bristol , my 5th and last sailboat. I really began to understand the efficacy of sculling about 17 years ago when I watched Lin Pardey scull their enginless boat around an anchorage . Larry relaxed near the bow , lin stopped the boat exactly where it needed to be. I also fell in Love with lin!! please direct me to a website where I can get info on the lenghth of the oar, and other neccessary dimensions for oarlocks etc. Really enjoying your site. Carleton

[@howtosailoceans1423]

Hi Carleton, thanks for watching. I built my own sculling oar from three 1" thick boards of Douglas fir laminated with West epoxy. The oar is 14' feet in length, and the blade is about 6" wide. For info on how to build an oar try the Woodenboat website. The oarlock came with the boat, have no idea where the previous owner found it.

[@donaldl.blandjr.6442]

Carleton Scully hi Carl, Look to shaw&tenney for a 14' sculling oar.I have a 26' Herreshoff ,

[@lemonaid665]

"uhhhhmm" no just kidding. Great video, you got a sub from me

[@paulmorris7603]

That was great. Thanks. I'll be checking my spare anchor and rode tomorrow and thinking again about what I've got and how I can use it. To change the subject, I notice that you're not using an inflatable. I'd be interested in your thinking on the merits of your dinghy vs inflatables. Either here or in a future vid.

[@howtosailoceans1423]

I do have an inflatable (Avon Redstart) as a back up. The hard dinghies row much better, and have much more volume for their size since you don't have air tanks. They also look nicer. That said, there are some real advantages to the RIB type dinks with an outboard large enough to get them up on a plane.

[@paulmorris7603]

Thanks for that. I guess an inflatable can be deflated. Which would be an advantage on my 30 footer, taking up less space.

[@Hoganoutdoors]

Another excellent video. I lost a second anchor off of Cedros Island - and it's rode - because I failed to tie off the bitter end before rowing it out. Expensive lesson, but luckily I had 4 anchors and rodes with me on that trip. My only real criticism of this video is that it didn't look like you put a half hitch on your final turn on the cleat to secure the anchor rode. You did take 4 turns around the cleat however , so that's good in the absence of a locking hitch. Also, it didn't appear that you'd marked the rode for scope calculation. I'm sure you know the importance of scope, and maybe you are able to figure it out visually, but inexperienced people watching this video need to know to put out at least 5:1 on anything other than a carefully watched lunch hook - especially if they anchor upwind from me! I've seen a lot of boats drag, even in moderate conditions because of a poor set, and too small anchors, too little scope, or sometimes, all of the above. You may have covered it already, but setting and retrieving an anchor under sail is almost a lost art, and engine or not, the best way to get a really good set is under sail. Backing down with an engine wont generate the force a boat moving at 3 knots will...if the anchor stops your boat at that speed, you are probably not gonna drag - but again, it's an art. Keep up the good work - your narration and camera work are great, as are the topics you cover.

[@howtosailoceans1423]

Thanks William. I always do the scope calculation by eye, but you are correct in pointing out that less experienced people should actually tabulate it out based on the water depth, at least until they get the hang of it. As far as main anchors go, well, I still haven't figured it out myself. Just swapped out my Delta for a Spade anchor, the former having pulled out and dragged on me a few times too many ... I do plan to do a vid on setting an anchor under sail, as well as weighing anchor under sail so that you sail away on the desired tack.

[@Hoganoutdoors]

I had very good luck with a Rockna primary down in Mexico - It was 1 size larger than recommended on an all chain rode. Any modern scoop design should perform better than a Delta, though Deltas are certainly better than CQR's, and I have a Delta on my current boat. The kedge I lost was Fortress Aluminum Danforth type. Excellent kedge because it was very light, but you need at least 4 feet of chain, and they are easily fouled. Once set properly they hold astonishingly well - it was difficult to retrieve the little bastard even with the boat directly over it. If it does trip however, it is unlikely to reset, so they are not good primary anchors in my opinion. Keep up the good work Kevin. Basic seamanship like this is essential. Far too many people worry about how seaworthy their boat is, when in reality, good seamanship and judgement are the most important things that will keep you out of trouble. It requires knowledge, practice and experience to gain, but I'd rather sail across an ocean in Catalina 27 with someone like you than across Santa Monica bay aboard a Hans Christian 36 with an idiot skipper ;-)

[@howtosailoceans1423]

Thanks William. Yes, I also started off with a CQR as a main, which worked well at times, but I also plowed many furrows with it ...

[@howtosailoceans1423]

Thanks William. Yes, I also started off with a CQR as a main, which worked well at times, but I also plowed many furrows with it ...

[@Sailspirit99]

Half hitches can jam. Old salts I know and have sailed with...My father, his father (merchant navy), my best friend's father (Australian navy), liveaboard of 30+ years (ex-Navy diver) NEVER use half hitches on cleats. Use 2 x figure 8s then 2xturns, cinching the last turn, will hold anything and be quickly removed in any circumstance. No jamming.

[@bradleyjackson7315]

Where can I find an anchor like that one! I love it!

[@howtosailoceans1423]

I think I bought the Fisherman from Defender marine. They are good anchors, if a bit awkward.

[@bradleyjackson7315]

@@howtosailoceans1423 I appreciate everything you have documented and shared. Thanks for the info on the anchor as well! ALOHA from Maui, Bradley Jackson

[@cartmanrlsusall]

The trick is using the new teck that works and using good old-school seamanship, when deploying it..

[@howtosailoceans1423]

Yes. I started off being a traditionalist, but realized that it was kind of dumb--many old things really didn't work well, that's why they have been replaced. On the other hand, the latest and greatest is often driven by profits, vanity, etc., not actual utility, so we have to sift through it all and find out what really works.

[@tonyrusso9397]

That kedge anchor is considerable, is it hard to find a place to stow?

[@howtosailoceans1423]

Fisherman type anchors typically collapse flat when you remove the cross piece. With the Luke anchors you can remove the flukes as well, so they stow very compactly.

[@williamnelson5995]

question, why did you run the rode over the lifeline and not under it? It seems like it could potentially squash down the lifeline

[@howtosailoceans1423]

Oh either way will work, probably under is best, admittedly, since you need to run it under to cleat it.

[@drewwaterbury9393]

Why wouldn't you secure the anchor line to the cleat before paying it out? With my luck, that anchor line would somehow end up in the water before I tied it off.

[@howtosailoceans1423]

I secured the bitter end to a lifeline stanchion before running the anchor out ...

[@rodneyharrelson7677]

where do you store all 3 anchors?

[@howtosailoceans1423]

In the cockpit lockers.

[@neptunesfancy]

What are using for a hard dinghy?

[@howtosailoceans1423]

A Nutshell Pram--great little boats

[@ajax1137]

Without an engine, I realize that you backwind your sails to set your anchor, but this really doesn't cause the anchor to dig in deeply, in my opinion. Do you offset this by using a larger anchor than might be considered normal for your size and displacement? Or has this not been a problem for you?

[@howtosailoceans1423]

You can do a flying anchor set, which is the drop the anchor while sailing downwind. This will dig the anchor in for sure. In breezy conditions I just drop anchor and watch my position relative to objects on shore. I always have oversized my anchors. Since I've gone to the 44lb Spade anchor I have only dragged once, and that was due to insufficient scope.

[@paulputnam2305]

💪⚓️👍

[@kriiigern777]

Aaaaaaaaaaaahm

[@tip00former1]

Not the perfect cleat hitch but that was not the subject, I am just nitpicking as the vid was in a big part about safety. Another great vid nonetheless.

[@ВикторЯзыков-п1ч]

Совершенно бездарно! Наш опыт 150 000 миль три кругосветки в одиночку, в том числе 90 000 без двигателя и авторулевого с двумя якорями - самодельный Данфорт 5.5 кг и 5 кг алюминиевый Фортрес плюс девять метров цепи.