Anchors for Inflatable Boats

[Richard B]

Originally posted by matiboy
lob the bl**dy thing as far as you can...

- yep, done that, was in a busy anchorage in the summer, engine cut out just before I'd got to my preferred spot.... I was a bit too close for comfort to another boat (and I wasn't in my SIB, I was in a hard boat) and the tide was flooding at quite a rate... Anchor saved me a lot of embarrasment.

[DM]

Originally posted by Pepper
Anchor saved me a lot of embarrasment.

They can cause embarrasment too. I was off Aberdovey in a Hunter seahog a few years back having a quiet fish when I spotted a tribe of jetskiers heading towards me at warp speed. They'd all got their heads down and were really going for it. I jumped into the helm seat and forgetting the hook was down, rammed the throttle wide open and the Hog was soon planing out of their way at 35kn. On looking back, there was this 10kg Bruce doing aerobatics 50m behind the boat. Ooops!

[Richard B]

Originally posted by davidmanning
Ooops!

- was that all you said?

[Keith Hart]

David

Did you manage to 'hook' any of the pesky jetskiers?

Keith (it was only a joke) Hart

[Manos]

A small story I can tell you about anchor embarrassments that happened last summer when I was in Lefkas (Ionian Sea) with my family.
We were just anchored across the channel in a small cove between Lefkas and Meganisi. Suddenly a 5.5 mtrs OCEANIC RIB arrived with two couples and a few kids on board.
It was August and the place was more than crowded so they decided to stay in the same spot as us.
The chaps got the kids and the women off the boat on to the beach and they went to anchor the boat a little bit further in. The bimini of the boat was up and there were some lines attached between the boat and the bimini to hold it in place.
The bosun (LOLOL) - after consulting with the Captain, got the anchor out swung it gracefully and through it away only the anchor bounced on one of the lines and landed on one of his feet or tows.
My son 12 and my daughter 3 then were killing them selves laughing as it was something out of a MIKE MOUSE cartoon story.
Possibly it does not sound that funny when describing it but it was hilarious to see.
Pity I didn't have a camera with me.

[DM]

Originally posted by Keith Hart
Did you manage to 'hook' any of the pesky jetskiers?

Axshully Keith, I did. On the way back to the slip, I came across the runt of the jetski litter, wallowing in the swell with a kaput engine. 'Would you like a tow' I asked. 'Yes please, but only if you've stopped towing that bl**dy great anchor behind you'

Cheeky git!

[dgpw]

I tend to use Dan forth with 5 m of chain. I then have depending on conditions 4* the depth of warp with a 4 kilogram chum. This method means that you don't have to store masses of chain in the boat but you still get the nice curve on the line. Weight in a rib slows you down. I would rather use a chum and have a movable controllable weight that Give the same if not more holding power than standard chain.

p.s. If you are using a tripping boy, write no mooring on it because it really pisses me of when I am sat in the pub and sit there watching when someone mores to my tripping boy. They then drag my anchored, boy chum and boat a few hundred yards, realise what the have done and leave. I then have to leave my drink untangle by boat from what ever they have dragged it across and start the exercise again. this has happened at least 3 times and my tripping boy now has an upgraded message from no mooring which is not repeatable on the here.

[Manos]

Originally posted by dgpw
I tend to use Dan forth with 5 m of chain. I then have depending on conditions 4* the depth of warp with a 4 kilogram chum. This method means that you don't have to store masses of chain in the boat but you still get the nice curve on the line.

But I always thought (and also taught) that it is the weight of the chain rather than the anchor it self that holds a boat steady.
I am not trying to be clever here but if what you say can work then I will use it too. However, in the past I found that only if I had an adequate length of chain the boat will hold (and when I say boat I mean a 48 ft sailing yacht, a 38 ft sailing catamaran, a 48 ft Sunseeker and various size RIBs including the last 7mtr Falcon I have). However, on a SIB is different and I understand that since the boat weighs too light and just the weight of the anchor holds the boat steady and there is no need to carry long and heavy chains etc
May be I'm wrong though and I can always use some advise on this matter (I think is very important).

[dgpw]

I could not agree more it is the weight of the chain that holds more than the anchor. On a yacht of more than about 2 tons I would always carry at least 100 m of chain. Plus a fisherman’s, dawn forth and plough / cqr . The reason that chain has a better holding power than rope is that the weight causes it to curve down to the bottom. This means that as the boat snatches on waves / tide / wind the curve takes up and the anchor does not move. With rope the line is much tighter and as it snatches it will jerk the anchor along the bottom. The technique that I am describing is to use a chum (angel) which is a weight that is lowered down the anchor line on a thin piece of cord. This forces the line to curve to the bottom and will act as a dampener on the line.

You will find that this has 2 advantages.
1 It will increase the holding power of the anchor by ensuring that the line runs along the bottom before curving up to the boat.
2 It will reduce the circumference that the boat will swing on it’s anchor which could be an advantage in a crowded anchorage.

I have used this anchoring technique on lots of different boats from 4m ribs through to 50 ft + yachts. The weight issue is especially relevant on race boats as the weight of 200m of chain in the bow of a 30 ft race boat makes a huge difference. If you can cut this down by using a chum it gives another advantage. With a cursing boat there is less need to keep the weight down but a chum combined with chain will increase the holding power again. I have managed to securely anchor large boats 12 ton + on hard sand with 3 knots of tide running using this method.


Anchoring using a chum

Set up the anchor as you normally would 3-4 times the depth for chain and 4-6 times the depth for rope. Then get a heavy weight clip it around the chain / rope so that it can run free easily tie a line to it and lower it down the chain / rope. This will take the curve on the anchor line along the bottom and then up the boat creating a dampen ring effect. I would say that they way that you anchor a boat changes depending on many factors, hear are some
1 Whether the boat is going to be left
2 They type of the bottom
3 The time left (tidal range)
4 The wind strength
5 The tidal strength
6 The shelter available

Please add more if you can think of any!

[Manos]

Very useful info
Thanks!!

[gaelforce]

chums, angels, tripping boys. No wonder sailors have a dodgy reputation.