Imagine this, you have just spent a few hours cruising around on your boat with your friends and you find this awesome spot that you would like to go swimming. How are you going to keep your boat from floating away while you are enjoying yourself in the water? An anchor. We will discuss the proper way to drop anchor to keep you, your friends, and your boat safe.
The very first thing to remember when dropping an anchor should be done before you even leave the dock. You need to made sure that you have the appropriate anchor onboard. The type of anchor has little to do with the type of boat and more to do with the condition of the water. If you are going to be in a part of the water with mud and sand, then a pivoting fluke anchor is what you would want. If you are going to be in rocks weeds or even sand the plow anchor would be your best bet.
The next step in preparing to anchor is attaching the anchor to the boat. You will want to have three to six feet of galvanized steel chain attached directly to the anchor (This stands up better to the abrasion of sand, rock or mud then a fully nylon rode.) Then you will want to attach the nylon rope for the remainder of the length that you will need. Not sure how much rode you will need? You will need 5-8 times the depth of the water in length. 5 times for day anchoring, 8 times for night anchoring.
Finally we can get out and find that perfect spot to drop anchor. A couple of things to keep in mind while picking your perfect spot, make sure that you are not going to be in the way of any traffic. You will also want to find a spot that offers protection from the wind and currents.
Once you find your spot try to get an accurate depth of the water so that you can prepare the length of your rode. Secure the anchor line to the bow of the ship where you would like it to stop. Now, turn your boat so that the bow is facing into the wind or current and pop the engine into neutral. Once the boat has stopped moving, slowly drop your anchor. When your anchor hits the bottom idly reverse with your engine to help and set the anchor.
Now that you have anchored your ship, make sure to take a look at your surrounding. Keep track of the landmarks that you see to ensure that your boat is not drifting. As you can see, anchoring is a simple task as long as you follow these guidelines. Tell us, where are you going to go drop anchor?
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