Setting a second anchor

by Des Ryan on 12 Jun 2009 There are many arguments against setting a second anchor: the possibility of tangling, and the added time needed to get them both in if you need to make a quick getaway are two that most quickly come to mind.

However, setting a second anchor is just one in the basket of tricks that will give you the flexibility that you need when cruising, particularly in unfamiliar waters.

If your boat starts to sail at anchor and is snubbing at each end, there are a couple of things that can be done before thinking of setting a second anchor. First you can use an 'Anchor Buddy' or 'Sentinel' – a heavy weight that will change the angle of the anchor chain in the water and stop the boat from sailing in an extreme way. The boat is duped into thinking it is on a very short scope, and behaves accordingly. The second is to use a snubber, a very long one if necessary, to make the jolt at the end of the arc less severe. These two solutions can be used together.

If the lee shore is close and the bottom that you have anchored in is unknown – particularly in rocky or coral areas – you may be worried about the shifting of a rock or the breaking of a piece of coral which would have you on the rocks very quickly. In this case, the second anchor may be the ideal solution.

Whatever the case, if you decide that a second anchor is what you need, then here's what to do. You'll want to position the second anchor so that it holds the boat in a secure position in relation to the swell and the wind, yet keeps the boat clear of any other boats that could be near.

When deciding where to position the second anchor, you should give consideration to the weather forecast or the local conditions and take into account any anticipated change in the wind direction – particularly if you are setting the anchor near to nightfall and no anchor watch is anticipated. Even with an anchor watch, resetting the second anchor in the dark is not much fun, particularly if sea and wind conditions are undesirable.

First always check the connections between the rode and the anchor for integrity. The connections are usually the weak point – not the anchor itself, or the rode, be it line or chain.

Method No. 1.
The easiest way to set the second anchor is with the dinghy. Secure the bitter end of the rode on the boat, and then put THE REST of the rode in the dinghy with the anchor. Pay out the line from the dinghy. Do NOT try to pay out the rode from the boat as the dinghy motors away.

Go forward with the dinghy at about 30 degrees to port or starboard of the main anchor, making sure you go much further away from the boat than the position where you want the anchor to set, so that you give the anchor a good angle of set against the seabed.

Once you have thrown the anchor overboard in your chosen spot, return to the boat and haul in the rode until the boat is nicely caught between the two anchors.

Method No. 2:
If for some reason, you cannot or do not want to use the dinghy, then use the yacht engine to power the boat forward to port or starboard of the main anchor, until you are in a similar position to that described in Method 1. above. Let the anchor go, then reverse carefully until both anchors are set and the boat is sitting nicely between them. In this manoeuvre, you must be careful that you do not foul the prop with your main anchor rode, and this is why Method No. 1 is the preferred method.

Method No. 3:
If your yacht has no engine, or it is unusable, then you can follow the above procedures in Method 2, using sail power instead of the engine. Simply set the main and sail to port or starboard of the main anchor, letting out a lot of rode for the main anchor before you do it. Here you will not have the possibility of fouling the propeller, so it is quite an effective and safe method of setting the second anchor. Once the second anchor is in the water, allow the sail to luff, paying out the rode all the time, gradually falling back until both anchors are set nicely.

There's nothing like a good night's sleep when at anchor, and sometimes setting the second anchor can give the necessary insurance.

Reader's Letter:
Sender: Jess Gregory

Message:
Rather than wrestling a heavy sentinel to the foredeck and running it down the anchor line, then pulling it up later, you have the option of raising a riding sail which can be done from the comfort of the cockpit, and which can be stowed before leaving. This will control sailing at anchor.

Our customers automatically raise their riding sails when anchoring. They leave the pennants on the sails and it takes about two minutes.

Jess Gregory
http://www.bannerbaymarine.com/!Banner_Bay_Marine