12 Anchoring Problems Solved

Yachting Monthly's experts share the problems they have most often faced when anchoring, and how they troubleshoot their way out

- James Stevens, Brian Black, Ken Endean And Pete Goss

The basics of anchoring are one of the first things that cruisers learn. Indeed, most of us are happiest on the hook in a quiet bay somewhere, escaping the hustle and bustle (and fees) of a night in a marina.

No matter how many hours we have spent at sea, a peaceful night’s sleep at anchor is reliant on the knowledge that we are safe and secure. As with almost all aspects of sailing, knowing how to anchor is all well and good, but there are no hard and fast rules that work for all situations. We've all experienced problems at anchor, be that struggling to find a decent holding on a less than ideal seabed, or trying to limit swinging on a busy anchorage.

Often a secure anchorage is the result of applying years of experience and knowledge to ensure you stay safe and secure no matter what situation you find yourself in. With this in mind, we picked the brains of some of YM’s experienced contributors to find out what they have learned from a few of the trickier situations they have found themselves in.

1 HOW TO ENSURE YOU HAVE SUITABLE KIT

Brian Black

Selecting the right tackle and equipment for your own cruising is largely subjective. What is key, however, is ensuring it is always in a good state of repair.

See what the chart says about the seabed. Is it suitable for your anchor?

Mud is good for most anchor types, but those with a large surface area will be more reliable. Silt will be suitable for most anchor types. Clay can be hard to set in but once set, holding is good for most anchors. An anchor with a sharp tip will set more readily here. Sand provides variable holding, which depends on sand hardness, but an anchor with a large surface area is preferable. Typically, beds made up of gravel and rock are weak and unsuitable for anchoring.