First anchoring

D Rush · Post by **D Rush** » Jul 26th, '08, 19:01

This morning around 9am my sister and I went out for a sail on JAZ'D.
There was no wind, so we drifted over to Peddocks Island (Dutchmens Cove, inside the R6 buoy) and anchored at low tide. We dropped the hook in 18 ft of water, I scoped (sp?) about 36 ft of rode. The hook set well. This was my first anchoring with JAZ'D
We anchored for about an hour. A breeze came up so We raised the anchor around 10:30. My Danforth anchor was covered in dark mud. My question:
What's the procedure for cleaning the anchor?
Hang it off the anchor roller and scrub with a long handle deck brush?

FYI: yes I probably should have more chain and let out more rode.

Tim Mertinooke · Post by **Tim Mertinooke** » Jul 26th, '08, 19:19

I simply splash my anchor up and out of the water over and over until the mud comes off. Works like a charm.

tartansailor · Post by **tartansailor** » Jul 26th, '08, 19:47

Denis,
FWIW
From sad experience we have learned that a 12# Danforth high tensile with 30' of chain and 100' of rode will NOT! hold my CD-25
in 14' of a muddy river bottom with a 3 knot current.

3 point anchoring, 100' of chain each, with 22# Deltas will hold my boat in a 45 knot blow in the same river bottom.

Dick

Maine Sail · Post by **Maine Sail** » Jul 26th, '08, 20:44

D Rush wrote: We dropped the hook in 18 ft of water, I scoped (sp?) about 36 ft of rode. The hook set well. This was my first anchoring with JAZ'D

Denis,

A 2:1 scope, or less, depending on whether you added the bow height, is dangerous for anything other than lunch and I've seen it become dangerous at lunch even with the owners on board.

Scope is max potential water depth + the height of the bow chock from the water.

For a 7:1 scope in 10 feet of water with a three foot bow height you'd need 10+3=13' of depth X 7 or 10+3=13 X 7 = 91

You were in 18' with 36 feet of scope when for a 7:1 you needed a minimum of 126 feet. But if you forgot to add bow height of three feet or so you really needed 147 feet for a 7:1.

An absolute minimum scope should be 4:1 but only after you have properly set the anchor. 5:1 is much more common in crowded anchorages and 7:1 is the generally accepted and preferred scope when winds are in excess of 12-15 knots..

As for cleaning simply drag it three feet bellow the surface of the water as you leave the anchorage then haul it up when it's washed off..

This was a 7:1 at high tide and now, at a lower tide, probably 8:1. If your rode does not have a long angle to it that's not good for holding..

D Rush · Post by **D Rush** » Jul 26th, '08, 21:48

I agree that a 4:1 scope was probably needed as we were only having lunch & a cold beverage and 100 ft offshore, in no current and no swells, open anchorage. I thought the details might get me in trouble. ('

')
Thanks for your reminder that even a lunch stop needs the proper scope and your concern.

Paul McCary · Post by **Paul McCary** » Jul 26th, '08, 22:18

As an owner of a boat that's new to us, I can appreciate the need to celebrate these "Firsts." You set the anchor, chilled out for a bit and got back underway. On Impromptu, that calls for another celebration! Nice going, Denis!

D Rush · Post by **D Rush** » Jul 27th, '08, 16:23

Thanks Paul

Neil Gordon · Post by **Neil Gordon** » Jul 27th, '08, 17:01

When calculating scope, don't forget to factor in the tidal change over the time you'll be at anchor. If you anchor in 10 feet of water at Peddock's Island at low tide, you'll have around 20 feet six hours later. That can cut your ratio quite a bit.

Carl Thunberg · Post by **Carl Thunberg** » Jul 28th, '08, 07:05

Hi Denis,

Like Tim said, jig it up and down and that will clean off the majority of the mud. Of course the best way is with a deck hose, but you probably don't have one with a CD25. Those of us with a bow sprit can motor for a time with the anchor submerged at a safe depth so it doesn't bang against the hull. That doesn't work so well on a CD25. If the mud still won't come off, send a kid up there with a scrub brush and a bucket. Make sure you give them the appropriate command. "Avast, ye swabbies! Swab that deck 'til your knuckes bleed! I want that anchor to shine! Arrgggh!"

Seriously though, it's a job they can do and it's a good lesson that some things on a boat just need to be done. It's important for them to participate as active crew and this is one place they can contribute.

Dick Barthel · Post by **Dick Barthel** » Jul 28th, '08, 17:25

Paul McCary wrote:As an owner of a boat that's new to us, I can appreciate the need to celebrate these "Firsts." You set the anchor, chilled out for a bit and got back underway. On Impromptu, that calls for another celebration! Nice going, Denis!

Paul,

I knew Impromtu's former owners from Noank Village Boatyard where she was kept. Nice boat - they took her everywhere.

Welcome to the family.

Dick

D Rush · Post by **D Rush** » Jul 29th, '08, 06:53

I've been practicing my "sailing / command talk". I'm using "avast", "swabbie", "matey" and "ARRGGH" quite a bit at home and at the hospital where I work. It's not quite having the effect I expected.
My Boston accent maybe adding to the confusion. I'll try an eye patch or a bushy beard.

After pulling the anchor I let the anchor and chain hang in the water from the "anchor roller" as we got under way. The mud did not come off and I got nervous that the anchor and chain would hit the hull of JAZ'D. The anchor roller on JAZ'D does not extend out from the port bow much.
I also "washer machined" (splashed the anchor up and down) the anchor and chain. The mud was still there.

I'll stick with the brush and scrub method along with Carl's suggested language.

P.S. - I read up on proper anchoring methodology last night.

Tim Mertinooke · Post by **Tim Mertinooke** » Jul 29th, '08, 08:29

Don't feel bad, I had a similar dunking failure this summer after spending a wonderful night in the Basin up in Maine. Maine mud I find is the most tenatious of them all.

Neil Gordon · Post by **Neil Gordon** » Jul 29th, '08, 10:17

D Rush wrote:I'm using "avast", "swabbie", "matey" and "ARRGGH" quite a bit at home and at the hospital where I work. It's not quite having the effect I expected...

After pulling the anchor I let the anchor and chain hang in the water from the "anchor roller" as we got under way. The mud did not come off ...

First of all, ARRGGH is nearly impossible to manage with a true Boston accent. You can't be a pirate and be from Boston at the same time.

As for cleaning off the mud, trust that one of the reasons the holding is so good is because the bottom is tenacious. You could just leave it there and sail home... most of it will fall off of its own accord.

Tim Mertinooke · Post by **Tim Mertinooke** » Jul 29th, '08, 10:48

Neil Gordon wrote: You could just leave it there and sail home... most of it will fall off of its own accord.

When I was in high school cruising in Casco Bay with my folks, we anchored in Cocktail Cove, Jewel Island and snaggeed an old mooring chain. We hefted it up to the deck and untangled our anchor the next morning. Before dropping the chain and heading off, I noticed there was another anchor about six feet down caught on the same chain. After about an hour of diving with a menagerie of tools we had a new pimary anchor, a 25lb CQR.

Sometimes the holding ground is too good

The Cape Dory Board

First anchoring

First anchoring

Anchoring a CD-25

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Congratulations

That's what kids are for.

Re: Congratulations