ANCHORING OUTSIDE THE BOX

We all have our preferred choice of techniques for deploying and setting anchors, and if it works for you, that is the right choice. At the same time, though, it never hurts to be open to new ideas.

We are fortunate to have a choice of many, very good modern anchors that suit most requirements in terms of holding power and budget. I do not think that any anchor is perfect nor suitable for all seabeds, and anchors can be lost, so my recommendation is to carry at least two. In addition, however many you carry, each anchor should be sufficient to serve as the primary. At least for long-distance cruisers, rodes today will tend to be all chain, but as long as the seabed is not abrasive then mixed rode—chain plus nylon— can also be used successfully.

Th e last place we want to anchor is in a crowded anchorage, and we certainly do not want to anchor close to shore or rocks.

So, what should we do when there is not enough room to deploy your rode at a scope of 5:1, or greater, when the anchorage is too small and rocks are close by? Sailors in the Pacific Northwest, Baltic, Mediterranean and even the Caribbean, which all have many anchorages where rocks abound and swinging room is