ATTENTION!

This site has oodles of information about boating and the San Juans, it helps to use the search box BELOW to find what interests you.
Search - "things to do" or try "places to go"
search - Sucia Island
search - Friday Harbor
search - hiking or bicycling
try - kayak - try CAMPING - try Anchoring

++++ ============================= All Posts Below

Current Posts Below

9/30/2019

Five Easy Steps To Anchor Any Boat


     Anchoring your boat is easy but if you don't follow basic rules, 
your pride and joy will float away.

      Take a look below at # 1, when you lower your anchor it will  just be sitting there on the bottom, and that's not good enough for anything but the calmest most temporary of visits. To be secure, the anchor must be set by pulling it (blue arrow) sideways,  # 2 with a  little tugging by your boat, the points will dig in creating a strong temporary home for your boat, # 3 & 4.


Five easy steps to Anchor any boat, setting the hook


       There can be an endless discussion about anchor types and anchoring techniques but for now, lets just help first timers get hooked.  Notice in the drawing below, the anchor line (rode) is laying on the bottom.  When this vessel pulls on the rode it will dig the points in and stay put.  If the rode were shorter, say almost straight up, any pulling would lift the anchor right out and you would be set free to drag somewhere bad. (rocks, or into another boat) So it is obvious that the longer the rode is, the better your anchor will set and stay set.
  
anchoring in the San Juans, easy picture how to set the hook
Drawing courtesy of West Marine
Okay, you have the basics, lets talk through what you do to anchor that monster.