Reducing Anchor Swinging

[Mitre cut]

You want to use an old sailing ship technique called Anchor under foot.

First anchor normally. Then, drop a second, ridiculously small, anchor vertically off the bow. On my 36 tonne boat, I used a 5 pound dinghy anchor. Toss another 5-10 feet of rode in the water and belay the second rode and relax.

As the boat starts to sail off on one tack, the small anchor is enough to trip things up and cause the boat to tack. Your boat won't stop sailing, but the swing will be reduced to nearly nothing.

I have done this with a 55ft cat that tacked a lot at anchor and it works really well. Definitely worth a try,

 

[carcrash]

Get rid of your furling jib.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

The solution for multihulls is a bridle. In the case of a multi, each arm should be = beam, therefore bridle =2xbeam. 

IIRC, the Pardeys found bridling a monohull to be useful as well. “Use a rolling hitch on your anchor rode and run it back to your winch, either one, and essentially move your boat off center so it stays on one "tack".

Courtesy of Lin & Larry Pardey”

 

[CapnK]

...bridling a monohull....

+1. Works great.

WRT stern anchoring, anchor from bow and confirm good set. Now, think of point on rode where snubbed at bow as point A. One LOA + couple feet further along the rode think of as point B, one more LOA is point C. Take B back to stern, leading it outboard of stanchions and shrouds, cleat off. Back up to bow, release A, and secure rode at C. Boat is now anchored stern-to, yet you can easily/quickly release rode at stern to swing bow-to-wind for storms or up-anchoring.

I also always keep a smaller anchor rigged and ready to launch at stern, for lunch hooks or a quick stop. If swinging, drop that at far point of swing and you can snub up on it to stop swinging.

 

[jack_sparrow]

^^^^Good technique for a rope rode, PIA with chain.

 

[Guest]

Tie a bucket over the transom

 

[Arcas]

Kellet.

 

[Veeger]

The solution for multihulls is a bridle.

Interestingly,  I found that leading the rode to the inboard side of one hull actually worked even better than a bridle.  The asymmetry seemed to help the boat find a more stable heading.  My current cat lays pretty rock solid on a)more chain and b) due to the house and mast being further aft than the previous boat, relatively speaking.

 

[jack_sparrow]

Kellet.

They really only address one aspect in the equation being dampening the normal "springing forward' after the rode gets to full stretch, though this occurs less with a full chain rode. I have come to the conclusion each boat is different and what works on one doesn't do so on another. A riding sail probably addresses a wider number but not all.

 

[DDW]

I set the mizzen and sheet it to centerline. Swinging cut to zero. Probably an expensive solution for a Santana 27 though. 

 

[Ishmael]

I set the mizzen and sheet it to centerline. Swinging cut to zero. Probably an expensive solution for a Santana 27 though. 

That would be cheap.

 

[blurocketsmate]

Get rid of your furling jib.

Worth a try. Lots of windage.

Riding sail is worth a try on many boats, and easy/cheap enough to acquire. I just didn't think it would work on ours.

 

[DDW]

That would be cheap.

True. I anchored right next to Ranger at Martha's Vinyard. She didn't swing at anchor at all.  

 

[Mogle]

When swinging on anchor or on the mooring buoy I drop the drogue at the stern. I keep the drogue 5-10 meters behind the boat. I keep the drogue on port or starboard side depended on the wind, tide or waves. The movement of the boat slows right down. In tidal water, I shorten the line just when the tide is about to turn.

For safety, I sometimes fit a small mooring ball to the drogue so the passing boats can see it. It works every time, never had a problem. The drogue is part of my heavy weather equipment. Never used it for other than testing and stop the boat swinging. The drag it generates is impressive. It is possible but difficult to pull it in by hand. It slows the movement of the vessel right down. Both sideways and up and down in larger sea and waves. My anchor has never dragged when I have used the drogue. 

 

[El Borracho]

When swinging on anchor or on the mooring buoy I drop the drogue at the stern. I keep the drogue 5-10 meters behind the boat. I keep the drogue on port or starboard side depended on the wind, tide or waves. The movement of the boat slows right down. In tidal water, I shorten the line just when the tide is about to turn.

For safety, I sometimes fit a small mooring ball to the drogue so the passing boats can see it. It works every time, never had a problem. The drogue is part of my heavy weather equipment. Never used it for other than testing and stop the boat swinging. The drag it generates is impressive. It is possible but difficult to pull it in by hand. It slows the movement of the vessel right down. Both sideways and up and down in larger sea and waves. My anchor has never dragged when I have used the drogue. 

I have considered a drogue...but figured it would end up around my rudder when the wind went calm...at night...when the anchor watch guy is sleeping...

 

[Mogle]

I got an Australian drogue called SeaBrake. Very well made.

We have never had it around our rudder or prop. It is recommended to add a meter of chain or so as weight. It will then sink and not get into your rudder. Lack of wind has never been an issue. You are more likely to get it around the rudder when the tide turns. Anchor watch? In good weather (less than force 6) I sleep like a drunk sailor. Over force 6, I normally sleep in the watch bed ready for action within a few minutes. Never had an issue in ten years of sailing. 42" feet.

At times I need to adjust the length of the line. The longer the line gets is more stable it gets. The drogue then sinks and get a better grip. In strong tide (over 3 knots) the drogue gets to the surface. With practice you find the best length.