| When it's time to go the anchor needs to be raised, | | | | mooring, or it could even be someone else's anchor |
| and this is where the hard work is involved.. unless you | | | | chain. I have even heard of people getting their cable |
| have a motorized anchor winch. | | | | wrapped around their own deep fin keel... |
| The anchor cable needs to be pulled in bit by bit hand | | | | If you have suspicions about what might be lying on |
| over hand until the chain is straight up and down. | | | | the bottom before you drop anchor, it is wise to rig a |
| Sounds simple but if you're pulling it in by hand it is | | | | trip line and anchor buoy (a trip line is attached to the |
| anything but. When the wind catches the boat and it | | | | forward part of the anchor, and when it is pulled it |
| sheers from side to side you may find the chain ripped | | | | capsizes the anchor and thus frees it). Trip lines and |
| out your hand. It's then down to getting a round turn of | | | | buoys are very good in theory, but in crowded places |
| the chain around a cleat or bollard. In all cases wear | | | | they can get fouled by other boats, or even picked up |
| heavy gloves and WATCH YOUR FINGERS. | | | | by someone thinking they are mooring ! Yes I've seen |
| The strain of it can end up putting your back out, and | | | | this happen... |
| perhaps the most sensible way is to sit down on the | | | | Assuming you haven't and the anchor is foul, try and |
| deck and pull it hand over hand. | | | | raise it up enough so that you can see what is fouling |
| If you have a manual anchor winch, pull in by hand until | | | | it. If you can pull the fouling object just above the |
| it becomes too difficult then loop the chain over the | | | | waterline, you will then have a chance to pass a rope |
| winch and start winching. | | | | underneath it and back onboard again. This rope can |
| Even if using an electric winch it is normal to wind in | | | | be used to take the strain, while your anchor is |
| the chain until it is up and down and then stop winching. | | | | lowered and unhooks itself from the obstruction. |
| The boat can be carefully motored towards the | | | | In my experience motoring round at full throttle trying to |
| anchor while this is going on, and it requires good | | | | dislodge the obstruction only makes things worse.... |
| teamwork between the foredeck and the cockpit... | | | | If you can't get the obstruction to the surface or see |
| best done with hand signals to avoid confusion and | | | | what it is one trick is left for you. Tie a large loop of |
| shouting. The danger here is the boat being motored | | | | rope around the anchor chain, and feed the bitter end |
| forwards too fast, and before the foredeck man can | | | | of this rope out to someone in the dinghy. They can |
| cleat off the chain, the boat overshoots the anchor | | | | then motor forwards (in the opposite direction to which |
| and the chain is ripped out his hand. | | | | the boat is lying)... the loop travels down the chain and |
| Anyway assuming you end up with a stationary boat, | | | | gets caught around the flukes of the anchor. Continued |
| the chain straight up-and-down and the anchor not | | | | effort pulling at it from that direction MAY pull it away |
| fouled...... the next stage is the anchor breaks out. The | | | | from the obstruction. |
| foredeck man will see this as the boat will start | | | | In suitable conditions it may be possible to dive down |
| swinging or moving and the chain that was bar taut will | | | | and inspect what is going on. If the anchor is pulled up |
| ease off. Next it is just the stage of recovering the | | | | as tight as it can go the diver can run a rope |
| dangling anchor and chain, stowing everything, and | | | | underneath the obstruction, and the ends of this rope |
| cleaning up the mess. This can be quite considerable if | | | | can be hauled up tight on board. The anchor chain is |
| you are anchored in mud.. stinks too. | | | | then slackened off, and the anchor freed. Quite often |
| Someone needs to be controlling the boat while this is | | | | the diver will have to help untangling the anchor. |
| going on, so single handers are often seen jumping | | | | If all else fails, it may be necessary to cut the chain, tie |
| around like a startled gazelle all over their boats at this | | | | a thin rope and buoy to it, and get a diver to recover it |
| stage. | | | | later. |
| If the anchor is thick with mud and filth sometimes | | | | If you suspect you have fouled an electricity or |
| motoring forward slowly while prodding at it with a | | | | telephone cable, you will need to abandon your gear |
| boat hook will clear it. | | | | and buoy it as above ... careful checking of the charts |
| In normal circumstances this is all there is to it. If you | | | | could have avoided this in the first place. |
| are using two anchors, recover the Leeward or down | | | | In my experience most fouling is caused by rusty old |
| tide one first, paying out more cable on the working | | | | steel hawsers lying on the seabed, I have even |
| anchor if necessary. Then recover the working anchor. | | | | hooked a submerged tree trunk, and once got well and |
| If you have checked your charts carefully before | | | | truly caught up in a three point mooring... which was |
| anchoring you should be clear of cables and pipelines | | | | probably my own fault for anchoring too close. That |
| (and wrecks). Sometimes however your anchor will | | | | one involved unpleasant diving work for me.. |
| foul something that is already laying there on the | | | | If you anchor enough sooner or later you will foul your |
| seabed, it will hook around it, and as you try and raise | | | | anchor, and it's best to have plans in place for dealing |
| your anchor it will be bringing the obstruction with it. It | | | | with it. |
| could be bits of rusty old hawser (watch for sharp | | | | On that cheerful note we'll finish this article. |
| spikes that can rip your hand), it could be part of a | | | | |