Using a Stern Anchor in a Rolling Anchorage (Bonus Episode) | Sailboat Tip

[@shaneriehl223]

The way I pull the stern anchor on our boat (also like your new fortress anchor) is to put the dingy under the stern anchor line, and as I stand in the dingy and pull myself out along the stern anchor road, the floatation of the dingy starts to pull the anchor more and more vertically. Once you’re over the top of the anchor, pull directly up, and especially if there’s a bit of swell, hold it tight and let the dinghy’s floatation do the work. As you rise up a swell, the dingy pulls the anchor out of the bottom, and once it’s free you pull the anchor into the dingy and pull yourself back in to the boat with the stern anchor rhode, stacking it in the dingy as you go (alternatively, someone on the boat can pull you in and stack the rhode into the big boat). Hope this helps as an alternative method.

[@TheFosterJourney]

That's a good approach, and we used it too!

[@larryrichards9418]

Good idea about the float. Not only can you retrieve the anchor that way, it also lets other boats know you have an anchor out there.

[@TheFosterJourney]

Yeah, in a busier anchorage I like this method!

[@michaelzotzky4378]

I suspect your original, lost anchor was not stainless steel (4:29), but was galvanized steel. Stainless steel anchor would be very expensive. I also carry an aluminum Fortress, broken down, as a spare anchor. It's very good for that purpose. We've never set a second anchor. In a busier anchorage - where most people just use one anchor - you won't swing in unison with the other boats. And if for some reason you start to drag in the middle of the night, it becomes a real nightmare trying to get both up. Also, I have seen very occasional use of a float on the anchor. One time was in the cove there at Chub Cay. Luckily the owner was onboard when a group of kids on a dinghy mistook it for a crab or lobster trap float, and started trying to pull it up to see what was on the other side. All that said, we are in a cat. We generally can anchor very shallow to get away from the swell. OTOH, mooring ball with wind and opposing current is a frustrating experience for us, as we tend to sail circles around the ball, banging on it, and occasionally having it drag under a hull. Have found pulling the pennant onboard to restrict the ball travel works to alleviate.

[@TheFosterJourney]

Yeah the original was an old galvanized Danforth. We just replaced with the aluminum Guardian. Lighter, less rust, less space....those are good anchors! I'm watching a buddy's trimaran while they're gone, and it's getting the same problems on the mooring ball. I have to unravel and dislodge the ball, so I think I understand what you mean. ⛵👍

[@michaelzotzky4378]

@@TheFosterJourney Just bring the pennant up right over the bow roller, and take out the slack to the mooring ball.

[@mostlyguesses8385]

Thanks for good video

[@TheFosterJourney]

Thanks for always watching and commenting!

[@mostlyguesses8385]

@@TheFosterJourney ... It is amazing even bigger boats bounce and roll, my 5500 lb Ericson 25, yours, what is the weight limit this stops, ha, 100,000 lb? . . I gotta think Catamarans are great at antiroll and less bounce, they sadly take up 2x the marina space so that's enough higher monthly cost most prefer monohull, ha. I have a sea anchor I wanna try, to let me throw and then drift nonbouncily for hour without manning steering, Galv bay got bouncy bay b4 y'day... or can a HEAVY ROUND 100 pound WEIGHT, or series of 50lbs separated by 20 ft of chain, on seabottom at end of rode serve the same dragging on bottom keeping nose to wind, hmmmm, there must be a name for this device, I bet it eventually snags old pipe or coral in abrupt jolt so hmmm not workable darn?

[@shanehickman9204]

Good tips. Haven't had an opportunity to try that yet, but I would have done it the same way plus the float.

[@TheFosterJourney]

Thx..yeah, I'll use the float next time!

[@kevinc7866]

Have you thought about getting an anchor sail? This is on my list to limit the swinging.

[@TheFosterJourney]

We've seen quite a few out here, they work well.

[@aquious953]

Release it with a float marker, bring up the main anchor, go back and tie off the stern anchor to the boat, drive back over it to release it.

[@TheFosterJourney]

yep, that would have worked...but we had a reef just 50 feet behind us, so it might have been tight

[@bobtuly2079]

Using the Y technique is much easier, simply attach a line from a stern winch all the way forward to your anchor chain and then pull in on the winch until the boat is head into the waves.

[@TheFosterJourney]

Yes, we learned that method out in Crooked Islands and it works so much better, and easier.

[@Misteribel]

I'm sure you'll use a little anchor retrieval line (small buoy with a line little longer than length of depth of water attached to rear of anchor). Especially useful in deep anchorages.

[@TheFosterJourney]

Sometimes, but mostly not. It gets in the way of other boaters.

[@rickkwitkoski1976]

I've seen some people use a couple boxes, one on each side, kinda like sea anchors. They have louvered bottoms that open when going down and close when coming up. Don't know what they are called but they seem to dampen rolling.

[@TheFosterJourney]

I saw some trawlers with outriggers for this type of setup to minimize rolling.

[@wonderboy6511]

Check out Marc Hughston’s book on anchoring. He has a technique for bow and stern that requires no dink and no diving. Brilliant!

[@jeromehebert3184]

Hard lesson to learn but know that you will never do that again.

[@TheFosterJourney]

Good thing was, it's not an expensive lesson and we've upgraded to rust-free chain!

[@gregoryh4601]

Matt how to remove the Anchor from the Bottom pull it the Opposite Direction you Set then when it is Lose pull straight up. ItNext Time practice on Shore in the Sand. We use these Anchors all the Time on Lake Erie Matt and Family Peace Be With You All

[@TheFosterJourney]

It didn't work here. It dug in so deep, not even the chain would pull out!