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One joy of a yacht is being able to find sand or mud, drop the anchor and catch your breath.
There are many types of anchor for different seabeds. Common ones are shaped like hooks with flat tips. Once lying horizontally, a little pull digs them into the bottom and creates holding power. A seven-kilo anchor holds a three-tonne yacht. Pulling up the warp straightens the ‘hook’, letting you lift it off the bottom by hand. That’s why enough rope matters: you want the pull reasonably horizontal. Usually three to ten times the depth. Better still, make some or all of the rode chain: its weight keeps it down.
My anchor, four metres of chain and thirty metres of rope live in a locker. The anchor is larger than the lid, so it only comes out at an angle, awkwardly and with a risk of scratches. I wanted a rail-mounted holder to avoid that, but they cost €150–250. Recently, though, I saw an advert from Finland’s Nawa: they’d begun making holders for €50.
A couple of weeks later, the parcel arrived. Despite the simple kit, I couldn’t work out what to do with the spare pieces. I called the manufacturer for a PDF manual — final photo. To bring the retaining halves together, I wrapped a mooring line round the fitting and pulled it tight against the rail. A snug connection. With no crossbar available, I also tied it to the upper rail with a short cord.
The anchor now sits firmly without wobbling. Much easier. Next dream: a steel tube for four to six metres of chain, also rail-mounted, so I won’t have to fetch it from the locker each time. But those prices hurt.
#maintenance
There are many types of anchor for different seabeds. Common ones are shaped like hooks with flat tips. Once lying horizontally, a little pull digs them into the bottom and creates holding power. A seven-kilo anchor holds a three-tonne yacht. Pulling up the warp straightens the ‘hook’, letting you lift it off the bottom by hand. That’s why enough rope matters: you want the pull reasonably horizontal. Usually three to ten times the depth. Better still, make some or all of the rode chain: its weight keeps it down.
My anchor, four metres of chain and thirty metres of rope live in a locker. The anchor is larger than the lid, so it only comes out at an angle, awkwardly and with a risk of scratches. I wanted a rail-mounted holder to avoid that, but they cost €150–250. Recently, though, I saw an advert from Finland’s Nawa: they’d begun making holders for €50.
A couple of weeks later, the parcel arrived. Despite the simple kit, I couldn’t work out what to do with the spare pieces. I called the manufacturer for a PDF manual — final photo. To bring the retaining halves together, I wrapped a mooring line round the fitting and pulled it tight against the rail. A snug connection. With no crossbar available, I also tied it to the upper rail with a short cord.
The anchor now sits firmly without wobbling. Much easier. Next dream: a steel tube for four to six metres of chain, also rail-mounted, so I won’t have to fetch it from the locker each time. But those prices hurt.
#maintenance
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