How to Anchor a Small Boat

[@timjohns8547]

One thing I've done is paint my line with a small stripe around it every 10 feet, going one stripe=10feet, two stripes=20 feet, and so on, using a different color stripe for 50 feet, then that color stripe with one original stripe color = 60 feet, and on from there. This really helps to know exactly how much line I have out to make sure I have enough or not overkill.

[@guyh.4553]

I've been boating for a long time and have never been able to anchor properly. Very well presented! I'm subscribing right now. Please do a 2nd anchor video as I've always lived in places where it's always breezy 10-20 mph and always seem to get blown off anchor point. I probably need more anchor line. Thanks!

[@TheBorderHookups]

I just want to say thank you for all of the great information! We are about to be new boat owners in Ontario.

[@randywhitcroft1092]

Great video Sean. Always struggled to get a good anchor that would not drag or break loose. Thanks for pointing me to the video as it is very helpful!

[@boatinglessons]

My pleasure, Randy!

[@obscur156]

I watched maybe ten videos of you and appreciate all the good info you give. Thank you,a neighbour in Quebec province !

[@boatinglessons]

Our pleasure and we appreciate the kind words :)

[@mikem1436]

Couple of things for those who are new to boating. It is always better to use a larger anchor. The anchor size charts are normally for mild wind. Also get the appropriate style anchor to match the floor bottom. Always have a chain lead. All chain is great but expensive and heavy. Having a larger anchor and chain lead will reduce the amount of line that has to be put out when in a crowded mooring area. When pulling into a mooring area look at the direction of the way the other boats are pointing. Do not pull the boat 1/2 way between 2 other boats and drop the anchor. Keep in mind that you are going to have to let out the anchor line and the boat will then be much closer to the boat behind your boat. If you plan on dropping 20' feet of anchor line, pull up 20' further before dropping. The boat in front may wonder why you are dropping your anchor closer to them, but that is because they most likely don't know how to anchor. If in shallow water (3'), you can always readjust the anchor placement once you're in the water. Do not wait forever to pull up the anchor if a storm comes rolling thru. In a crowed area there are going to be several boats that will start drifting due to the fact they do not have the right equipment and knowledge to anchor properly. Move your boat away from the potential chaos. Instead of using a minimum scope of 2-1 or 3-1, you want to go to 7-1. Example: in 10' of water and the cleat is 2' above the water (12' total) drop 84' of anchor line. Nothing wrong with dropping more. The anchor shown is not a Danforth anchor. It is cheap Danforth style anchor. Many boat dealers will include and anchor with the purchase of a new boat. Even though they may have profited $20k-40k off the sale of a small boat, they do not splurge and give away a good anchor. Probably the best Danforth style anchor (flute anchor) out there is the Fortress anchor. Have the dealer give you one of those and if there is adequate place in the boat go one size larger. The cost of the anchor shown is about $16 retail. The cost of the smallest Fortress is $160. During heavy winds it is tougher to get an anchor to set, and almost impossible if the anchor is too small to begin with. It can be stressful to be on anchor when 40+ mph wind hit. Being properly anchored does take away some of the stress and allows the boater to be on the lookout for drifting boats.

[@paulkersey2179]

My friend Gator who has been a lifetime boater taught me the "Cleatus" method if your anchor is stuck on the bottom. Just turn the boat 180 deg from where you were, tie the anchor line on the bow cleat and give the throttle a quick reverse, bingo, anchor is loose. Works every time.

[@boatinglessons]

Great tip Paul!

[@Pinterest_2.0]

Thank you for this video. It helps me to get my anchor out alone and without having to use an anchor roller. Greetings from France...

[@hcwbw3]

One sunny day while trolling (fishing) off Miami Beach I saw a small boat put up a smoke signal. I took a look with my binoculars and did not see any activity that related to fire or bailing out water, aka sinking, so I slowly continued trolling my lines as I headed towards them. When I got with in ear's shot the man (there was a man, woman and kid onboard) said his engine died. I noticed he was adrift, so I said why don't you anchor. The answer was "my anchor does not reach bottom", there was 22 feet of water under his vessel. I asked if he had a radio, "no" he said. Then I asked if he wanted me to call, sea tow. He asked how much that would be? So I asked the same question again and he got the message. I notified sea tow of his location and the fact that he was adrift and kept fishing, occasionally glassing over in his direction till I saw sea tow heading for him. The moral of the story is. When you get on a boat, you are handing over your life to the person running the boat. Be very aware of that, because you don't want to hand your life over to a fool.

[@JI7NKJ]

Greetings from the west coast of Scotland, at least they lived to tell the tale, a lot of people think that when they purchase a boat thats it and maybe skimp on the rest ie, life jackets, vhf radio, anchors, plenty of rope etc, you just cannot leave anything to chance out on the water.

[@randyburk142]

Sean You have an amazing demeanor!! You complete me:)!!!!

[@boatinglessons]

Thank you Randy!

[@kylej741]

So, no go on the cinder block?

[@fellowdrivers]

Great job.. very helpful tip to the boaters.

[@garymitchell7800]

Informative. I subscribed today. Thanks.

[@nauticman2707]

While I try to abide by the scope rules, in a busy anchorage you'd swing into everyone if you followed that. 2:1 or 3:1 seems the rule for swim holes and busy spots.

[@boatinglessons]

Agreed in tight spaces and little to no wind

[@jackoff1826]

That's where a rear anchor should be used too

[@tomdrummy4984]

Swing away………and enjoy your day. I like that 👍

[@boatinglessons]

Isn’t that the best Tom? Not a care in the world 🚤

[@mariterbrueggen2140]

Excellent presentation. I learned a lot. We’d benefit from a utube on various anchors and which to use under what circumstances. Thanks 😂

[@craighellberg4366]

Question please: Where the chain connects to the anchor; can I use a carabiner instead of the u-bolt type shown on the chain in this video? Advise from anyone would be appreciated? Thank you for your time.

[@meller1965]

Feck all use to me now as I sold it weekend

[@boatinglessons]

Will you buy another one Mel?

[@gonefishin1234]

Thanks for the tips! Good and helpful knowledge.

[@boatinglessons]

Our pleasure!

[@pwelch5944]

Really enjoy your videos ... what is the retractable device in your anchor locker? Is it an anchor roller or bow ladder?

[@PhilbyFavourites]

Can I that you add a description of how to check for transits as your last item

[@ItIsColdHere]

I have that style of anchor for my Boston Whaler Montauk 170. The 8 pound model with 15’ of chain from West Marine. It works well but that 15’ feet of chain is h-e-a-v-y. Ugh. I need to experiment with getting it out and back into the boat without rubbing on the bumper. Any advice?

[@jimmesc]

When I bought my first boat I bought a Danforth anchor, with just a rope, rated more than big enough for my boat. It wouldn't hold. A few years I found out it needed a chain. Now it holds.

[@dynamitedmoney]

Great video thank you!

[@donklaing]

Is anchoring on a river same principle?

[@DefKiller90]

I lost my anchor last night my cousin forget to tie up the rope so it was hard to retrieve the anchor on the current have to let it go

[@boatinglessons]

That’s unfortunate. I see it happen regularly though.

[@barrybebenek8691]

Just love ALL your content. Is there a rule for how much chain to add to the rode? Been watching the used section on the website for a second year now for a bigger boat (maybe make the trip from Toronto one day) and wondering what model Chapparal is that? (Beautiful boat). 🇨🇦

[@donklaing]

What is the metal item you pulled up and tilted out of the anchor box? what is it used for?

[@baylorairbear]

Swim ladder for bow boarding.

[@madmanmechanic8847]

How long should your chain be ?

[@flatheadfletch]

So I catfish in 100’ of water. So I need 4 or 500’ of anchor rope ?

[@cameronkeogh4177]

If it’s calm you could slide by with 250 or 300. Id go for a 25LB river anchor (assuming ur fishing off a sub 25 foot boat) so you don’t have to worry about getting it to bite, and get a few feet of chain. having 300,400, or 500 feet of rope would be a pain in the ass to pull by hand with a fair amount of chain and a hefty anchor tho

[@ItsLRivera]

Hey Sean, I've been watching your videos to learn more about boats and help me decide what I eventually wanna purchase. I do have a PWC, have you considered making video tips on that? Gorgeous boat by the way

[@boatinglessons]

what woykd you want to know about PWCs? always looking for video ideas :)

[@madmanmechanic8847]

HE REPLIED TO YOUR QUESTION AND YOU BLEW HIM OFF! VERY FING RUDE !😡😡😡😡😡😡😡 THIS MAN IS VERY BUSY AND HE TOOK TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO REPLY !

[@jamessisoutham1466]

Yeah

[@dougdavis8986]

With 150' of line out, every boat in the bay has to have 100 yards of clearance from everything?

[@dougdavis8986]

@Joyce-zl4qd all caps? Is this donald orange trump?

[@chubbrock659]

Am I mistaken or were there a lot of fish on your depth finder when you were setting the anchor?

[@boatinglessons]

There were - good secret spot 😏

[@djmini2numpty141]

what happens to an anchor when the tide/wind changes 180 degrees ?

[@boatinglessons]

It could dislodge and set you a drift. That likely depends on the bottom material

[@caseymoto]

I have a small fishing boat with a mushroom anchor.. I tried anchoring it yesterday and the boat kept drifting in the current... now i see a big problem was i only let out enough rope to touch the bottom, definitely not 5:1 ratio... so now I am wondering, will rope work or should i try to put chain on the end ... thank you sir

[@matao87]

You should put a small length of chain on any anchor. Even just a few feet will make a huge difference.

[@caseymoto]

@@matao87 thanks!

[@BruceStott]

A mushroom anchor is not the best choice. It is better suited as a permanent mooring where it is given time to bury in the mud.

[@hildaleskovar6319]

Show me how to recovery a boat winch that broke

[@bherstrom]

How long is your chain??

[@boatinglessons]

We recommend a minimum 10’.

[@thecarolinahoosier3596]

Another great, helpful video! During times when an aft anchor is also “needed”, is a simple mushroom type the one to use? I will be making some longer trips on the ICW and can foresee needing to anchor outside the channel when marinas aren’t nearby.

[@boatinglessons]

Yes, a mushroom or a small collapsible style would work for smaller vessels

[@NO_WAKE]

If you have a generator you plan on using, never use a Stern anchor. You need the wind to push the CO2 away from the boat. Just an fyi...

[@MonicaHolly143]

I use a spike anchor in the beach along with my main anchor in the bow or if u have 16ft boat or smaller a sand bag is also popular to use

[@MediaCallOuts]

Just double tap and watch the Power Poles go down 😂

[@twlyons1]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@boatinglessons]

Nice! Thank you :)

[@juliodanielbaca7419]

I Anker my boat with a home Depot bucket with sement I don't know where my boat is today

[@pageba2010]

100~120ft of rope for a 20ft depth of anchor, Jesus, is your boat a part time tug boat for that much rope? All ya need is 3 to 1 ratio at MAX and call it a day

[@bulistik5039]

Hows bout for us poor folk who don't have a fancy anchor hole? You just toss the sucker overboard and tie it to that there cleat the same way?

[@swedishkev]

What l did not like about this video, you talk about 5 to 1 ratio, but you did not show it. You had 15ft of water , but you never showed us letting out at least 80ft, is that because you would swing into the islands either side??. Hmm. Misleading.