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anchors
do not hold the seabed by weight. they do so by digging in and holding
the seabed. The shape of the anchor determines how successfully it
will hold your vessel in place.
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safe
anchoring becomes a matter of selecting the right anchor for the type
of seabed then using it correctly to suit the prevailing conditions.
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in
Brisbane Water and Broken Bay the common anchors in use are the
Danforth (spade or sand) and the reef anchor. The CQR or plough anchor
is used mainly by sailing vessels because of its greater holding
power.
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sufficient
length of chain should be secured to the anchor and shackled to the
anchor line securely. The amount of chain should be at least 1½
times the length of your boat. The amount of anchor line normally
paid out is three
times the depth of water however, this will depend on the swinging
room available, the windage offered by your vessel, tidal conditions,
type of bottom and the holding power of the anchor and the weather
conditions. In bad weather use more line.
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the
greater the scope (the ratio of length of anchor line to depth of
water), the greater the holding power of the anchor.
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make
the approach head to wind and when in position lower the anchor to the
bottom. If you throw it over you could end up with a pile of tangled
hardware on the seabed.
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when
sufficient line has been paid out, turn up on the bollard and let the
anchor take the weight of the vessel. You can feel the vibration on
the anchor line when the vessel is laying back on her anchor.
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if
the anchor is dragging pay out more line to increase the scope. You
can check for drag by taking a fix on a couple of shore based objects.
