Anchor Right

During a run south last fall, I intended to head into Beaufort, North Carolina, for the night, but the boat's owner suggested we anchor in a cove just north of town. That made sense, as the anchorage was closer to the inlet we would leave from the next morning to make our way to Charleston. But an hour later I was regretting our decision. What looked like the mother of all thunderstorms was building to the west and it was preceded by gusts that were already kicking up a chop in our little cove.

The cove wasn't known for its good holding, so I had eased out a few more feet of scope when we first arrived. At that time, there were no other boats around. An hour later, a half dozen other skippers had raced the storm in. I prepared myself for a long night.

The first boat in was an older 35-foot express with a Danforth-type anchor chocked to the foredeck. The anchor looked to be a 20-pounder, and it was backed by two or three feet of vinyl-covered chain. The driver anchored astern of us, which was good since he seemed to be an ideal candidate for Drag City. Why did I think so? It had nothing to do with the type of anchor he had - the fact is, most anchors fall into the Danforth and/or plow category and all work more or less satisfactorily in most of the bottoms we tend to encounter. This guy's anchor was just too light for his boat.

Over the years, I've found that the type of anchor used isn't as important as its weight. It's also important to have plenty of backup chain and more than the recommended scope. I've always preferred to carry both a heavy Danforth-type anchor and a heavy plow-type backed by at least a fathom or two of substantial chain. By heavy, I mean an anchor recommended for a cruiser 10 feet larger than mine.

Here's my take on lightweight anchors: They'll hold as well as their heavyweight brethren once they're down. However, when the conditions are rambunctious, it's not easy to get them set. Due to their lightweight construction, they tend to "wander" to the bottom. They won't bite in as solidly as more traditional anchors. As a result, they take longer to set. However, because they are light and easy to handle, they're ideal in calmer conditions.

The next visitor to our cove proved that point. It was a lobster-boat-inspired New England fast trawler sporting a lightweight, plow-type anchor. The boat blew in as the storm hit and the cove was doing its Maytag impression. That trawler whirled around for 20 minutes while the crew tried to get the hook to hold.

An aft-cabin cruiser that also joined us in the cove had a substantial plow-type anchor on the stem, but again, not more than a foot of chain. He dropped the hook and got a quick set. Not satisfied, the driver disappeared below and came up with a rusty, oversized CQR, complete with attached rode and at least 20 feet of chain. He then stationed a crew member on the bow to feed out rode as he motored off at an angle to drop that second hook. This guy made the right moves. He had that second anchor - with its dedicated rode - stowed where it was easy to reach, and it was prepared correctly with a long line of chain.

Backup chain is a good thing. It can make up for other shortcomings, like an inappropriate anchor or a too-light anchor or even a poor setting technique. The chain attached to the anchor lies along the bottom in line with the pull of the hook and helps it hold. You can't have too much chain.

At the end of a long, sleepless night in that anchorage, all of the boats in our little cove were still afloat the next morning. That is, except for a sailboat that arrived late and dropped a light hook with about a 2:1 scope. He subsequently found himself on the beach. As for my friend with the light anchor on the 35-foot express, he made the decision to let out more rode after initially dragging. In the morning, his stern was 10 feet from a rocky outcropping.

Our crew, on the other hand, spent most of the night fending off another sailboat upwind of us; its crew couldn't get the anchor to bite. We finally just gave up, tied the sailboat alongside and invited everyone aboard. They brought the beer and we supplied the nachos.