"Sailing" at Anchor

[Joe Kern]

Going on 6 months for the new boat and still very happy with her.  Every sail is a new learning experience.  Getting ready for a cruise to the Abacos in early June so trying to learn as much as I can before then.

I anchored for an afternoon on Sunday in about 15-20 knots on the Intercoastal and again noticed how much the boat seems to "sail" back and forth at anchor.  No current, just wind in about 10 feet of water.  About a 7:1 scope.
Nothing I ever noticed on my Catalina 270 also with a wing keel.  Chapman's says this is common with wing keel boats. 
Any suggestions out there for minimizing this when using a single anchor?  I typically lock the helm, all sails are in (excpt a very small triangle of the roller furling main).  More disconcerting than really a problem
Joe

[ken003]

I have noticed the same thing with my boat.  I anchored a lot last summer and the "sailing at anchor" was much more than other boats I have been on.  Is there some kind of anchor sail for split stay boats?  Those floppy things you hang off the sides look too unwieldy.

Ken

[Jim Price]

Try this site for information on an anchjor sail.  I remeber in the past that folks have stated you can rig one of these even with split backstay.

http://secure.sailrite.com/items.asp?CartId={EA46EFA8-E9FE-4FC8-EVERESTADBC-F0F85DCE9A28}&Tp=&iTpStatus=1&Cc=SAILANCHOR

This lists two differnt sizes and info about each.  Not too expensive if you are handy.  If this link does not work, just go to sairite and search on "Anchor sailing kit"

[Stu Jackson]

Simplest thing to do is to rig a bridle to your anchor rode and lead it aft to a winch, you choose the side.  This idea comes from Lin & Larry Pardey.  Tie a rolling hitch with a suitable line onto your anchor line at the bow.  Let out some more scope to put the rolling hitch in the water.  Run that line back to a winch and crank away until you settle down.  Eliminates the need to rig a riding sail.  Works.

[Jim Price]

Stu, you should get an oscar for this one.   

Great idea that makes a lot of sense when you think about it.  And much easier to deploy and retreive than messing with another sail.  This is the first of I have heard of rigging this way.   

[Joe Kern]

I think I understand the concept, but I am wondering whether the line ends up rubbing the side of the boat?  From searching some prior threads it seems that anything you can do to make the anchor line more of a mooring line helps with the sailing at anchor and also avoids the whole keel wrap issue.  Using a sentinel/kellet seems pretty easy as well.

I guess a few new tricks to try.

[Stu Jackson]

Jim -- No Oscar, I didn't think of this, Lin & Larry did.  That's why they write the books, make that $, and get to sail around the world! 

Joe:  Unless you're anchored in one spot for ages, there's no real issue of rubbing of the bridle line.  Yes, it will rub against the gunwale, not the side of the boat.  It leads higher off the winch, and must be properly led under the lifelines and between the appropriate stanchions, but since it moves a bit as the boat will swing, but a lot less than without it, it doesn't keep chafing at only one point.  I've seen no problem with it.  You could figure out where you like it the best and just install a rubstrake on the gunwale, but I don't see the need for it.

[Ron Hill]

Joe : You may have hit upon the solution. 
We used sail at anchor all the time, but after wrapping the wing once with the anchor rode I started using a sentinel.  Now that I think about it we've not "sailed" for many many years. 
When I started to use a sentinel I also went to 35 ft of chain and usually only 15/20 ft of nylon rode.  Maybe it's that combination that's kept the boat from "fish tailing"?   Interesting!!   

[jpaulroberts]

Stu, the idea sounds great, but doesn't this put the boat at an angle to the wind and therefor an angle to the seas? It seems this will cause a lot more drag on the anchor and perhaps a lot of wave-slap in the v-birth. Jerry

[Bill Jenks]

We use a riding sail while at anchor. It works very well. We bought it from Sailrite. We have a spllit backstay. We rig it using one side of the split backstay, hoist it with the main halyard and tie it to the deck to a stern cleat. We sheet it to one of the mainsheet blocks on the deck at the base of the mast. Everything is pulled very tight. The boat sits very quitly parallel to the wind. It is not difficult to rig but there is the cost of the sail.

[Stu Jackson]

Jerry

You only need to set the bow off a few degrees.  If you're anchored where being "right on" to the "waves" is so important, you may consider that is not a good anchorage.