| You've arrived at the anchorage where you're going | | | | scope will be sufficient to stop the drag, whether to |
| to spend the night. The anchor is down and has bitten | | | | deploy a second anchor or whether to leave and go |
| and your boat has settled happily in position. Now is not | | | | somewhere more secure. This is what skippers are |
| the time for a celebratory drink. Now you have to | | | | for. If the decision is to move, my EzineArticle, |
| make sure that it will be safe all night. | | | | Anchoring Made Easy - 4 Factors That Will Keep You |
| The following five points cover the most important | | | | Safe, will give you useful advice on what you need to |
| decisions you will need to make in the next few | | | | look for when setting your anchor. |
| minutes. | | | | 4. Two anchors |
| 1. Transits | | | | If you are in a relatively exposed area it can be |
| You will be lucky to find two 'traditional' transits, | | | | prudent to put out two anchors. Drop the first one as |
| particularly if you are in a remote part of the world. But | | | | you would if you were putting out only one anchor. |
| you certainly would be able to line up a couple of trees | | | | Then drop back and rig the second anchor on the |
| on the starboard side of the boat and two more on | | | | other side of the bow. Motor up until you are parallel |
| the port side. Don't rely on memory to tell you whether | | | | with the first anchor and calculate that when you drop |
| the transits are changing and therefore you are | | | | the second one each chain goes at an angle of |
| dragging the anchor. Take a note of the trees or, | | | | between five and ten degrees to the centre line of the |
| better still, photographs. You want to be certain that | | | | boat. |
| the transits have changed before you decide to move | | | | 5. Anchor watch |
| or put out more chain. | | | | If, despite all these precautions, you have the slightest |
| 2. Danger circle | | | | uncertainty about the degree of safety you should set |
| If you have a GPS on board you can set a danger | | | | an anchor watch. Obviously the number of crew you |
| circle with the boat at the centre of that circle. Choose | | | | have will be critical but ideally you want two people to |
| a distance from the boat to the danger circle that | | | | take a watch together. Otherwise the risk of a single |
| keeps you out of danger. Set the alarm and if it goes | | | | watchkeeper going to sleep is too high. Preferably the |
| off you will know that you have dragged the length of | | | | watch should be as long as an active watch would be |
| that line and will be able to take whatever action you | | | | as most crews are familiar with a boat's |
| decide on. | | | | watchkeeping system and will be attuned to it. |
| 3. More chain or move? | | | | Now, if you feel you could sleep securely you can |
| If, for whatever reason, you find you are dragging the | | | | relax and enjoy your evening. |
| anchor you will have to decide whether to let out more | | | | |