Canadian Yachting April 2015 - (Page 38)

FEATURE I See Myself Anchored Off ... By Rob Macleod hat's the dream. I have heard it from person after person - couple after couple. "In x years (fill in your timeframe), we are going to sail off to (fill in your location) on our boat. We are so looking forward to be anchored off ...". You know the story. It may be your story. I know it's mine. Five years ago, my wife and I sailed off to the Bahamas for a year on our 1981 CS36 Traditional. Along the way we anchored in sand, mud, clay, weeds and a few bottoms we still don't know what they were. We talked with fellow cruisers about their anchoring experiences, including choice of ground tackle, selecting a place to anchor and techniques for anchoring in varying conditions. What follows is a summary of those conversations, our experience and the research we have conducted since returning. Although, in this article we are working towards answers to questions about anchoring, I think our greater objective should be to improve our ability to ask better questions, to get better answers, so we can be better prepared when it comes time to 'drop the hook'. The result is we can get a good night's sleep, with confidence our anchor will hold and the crew and the boat are safe. This article on anchoring is divided into three sections: location, equipment and techniques. T consider than a coastal cruiser, sailing from Canadian waters heading to the Caribbean or Mexico via the US. We start our look at anchoring by first describing what an ideal anchorage might be and then work backwards to the choices we have to make as each of the ideal attributes is stripped away and replaced with cruising reality. MY IDEAL ANCHORING SITUATION My ideal anchorage is sheltered from the elements (wind and waves), from passing boat traffic and has sufficient room for my boat to swing at anchor and not come into contact with the shore, the bottom or other boats. It has a quality of bottom that is compatible with the anchors I carry and will allow the anchor to penetrate quickly, bury deep, hold fast and then release when it is time to raise the anchor. My ideal anchorage is in water with sufficient depth to be able to maintain the appropriate scope (ratio of anchor rode to height of the bow chocks above the bot- LOCATION "The essence of successful anchoring is to "stay put" ... while respecting the rights of nearby boaters." [Chapman] Both common belief and scientific study suggest that there is no one anchor that is good in all conditions. As boaters, we have to make choices based on where we intend to anchor and in what conditions. A day sailor wanting to set a lunch hook has fewer factors to 38 Canadi an Yachti ng ApRil 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting April 2015

Contents
Vantage Point
Waterfront
One Particular Harbour: Midland Harbour, Georgian Bay
Club Profile: Britannia Yacht Club
Feature: Inflatable Lifejacket Selection, Wear, Care and Maintenance
Galley Guys: What's New and What's Old
Feature: B.C. Boat Builder Forbes Cooper
Feature: The Ultimate Anchoring Article
Feature: Towing and Salvage
Sail Review: Bavaria Cruiser 37
CPS-ECP Port Hole
Crossing the Line

Canadian Yachting April 2015