My Boat Works

A mooring is a semi-permanent or permanent anchor of many types, from a five pound mushroom anchor to multi-ton Bruce anchors, securing oil rigs. Focusing on ocean small craft use, this is a description of what they are and how to use, set and maintain them and most importantly, when not to use them.

Jerr, Any suggestions on how to keep our Hunter 31 from drifting when we are at anchor? Thanks, John

Safe dinghy anchoring is a little known subject and lost dinghies are the norm. Here is a solid basis for understanding the forces and necessary equipment and some of my favorite creative dinghy anchoring methods.

Here is how to use your anchor to haul your boat off a shoal and careen it. I also bring up a few other ideas, good and bad, for discussion.

Here are proven techniques for anchoring in rough weather I have used successfully, the special challenges rough weather anchoring brings and the pros and cons of the larger decisions.

Here are stories of anchoring well and poorly, with discussion of what worked and failed. I hope they’re both entertaining and instructive.

If you can’t retrieve your anchor, here are some ways you can coax it up anyway. More importantly, I’ll also show you how to avoid getting your anchor stuck or lost almost all the time.

Here’s how to do anchor well with other boats in an anchorage and happily for all.

Once anchored, here’s how to tell if you’re dug-in safely or if you’re slowly dragging. If the weather’s rough, it’s a great comfort to be able to check your position and know you’re safe or that you need to re-anchor before you are in trouble.

Here are techniques I use to stabilize boats at anchor, as well as a framework for understanding why and how boats rock and roll at anchor. Yawing and sailing at anchor are dealt with in the Rough Weather Anchoring article.

Here are methods I’ve used for years that work great for finding that sweet patch of calm water to keep your boat steady and quietly at anchor – Often when boats around are rocking and swinging wildly.

How to quickly and literally get a lay of the land under water, in your anchorage.

This article gives an introduction into what anchoring technique to use where:

In this article, I’ll show you how to set an anchor, then how to set the basic configurations of anchors and why you’ll use one anchoring technique or another.

There really is no need for shouting and there’s a pride in communicating well and anchoring well with this communication – Try it!

Here is how you can safely, effectively and as easily as possible handle line and chain while anchoring.

How to safely and easily move, organize and handle your anchors and rodes on deck.

Scams and deceptions involved with selling anchors exposed and disproved

A common-sense, forthright, professional discussion of the primary four  legitimate ocean anchor types, with framework of understanding their purpose, benefits, problems.

Most marine industry sales people often don’t recommend the right size and types of anchoring equipment because it’s hard to sell to uneducated boaters.

Anchor chain transfers the boat’s pull to strictly horizontal force that allows the anchor to dig in. Line needs to be long and strong enough to pull from a low enough angle to not dislodge the anchor and not break under huge loads. Anchor rode is not the toy retailers try to sell.  Here is how anchor rode works.

How to set an anchor, what to feel when setting and why anchors, chain and line work the way they do; why anchor rode has to be so long and how to calculate it.

In a real blow, only commercial fishermen and highly experienced, well-equipped sailors stay put.  Why do so many – Perhaps 90% – Not know how to anchor safely?

In this series of brief articles, I’ll show you how anchors work, why it’s important to make good choices, how to select them and what nonsense to avoid.