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.All chain anchoring....Trailer boats, power
or sail .How it is
attached .Anchoring techniques
.How catenary affects anchor holding..Have a look at the video
.Sailboat owners
How Anchor Buddy anchor weights
work
"The Anchor Buddy
anchor weights are the most useful marine
product for boating safety to come on the
market since I started boating" Des
Townson, Townson Yacht Designer, New
Zealand
Try this!
Hold your fishing rod
and reel by the tip end. This usually
light piece of equipment is now quite
heavy to lift up. It is simply a matter
of leverage.
On the recommended
anchoring scope of 5:1, it takes a
horizontal force of 147lb to lift a 30lb
(13.6kg) weight off the seabed and 98lb
to lift a 20lb (8kg) weight.
More effective
than letting out more rope or chain when
it blows.
It is a concentrated 20
or 30lb weight (depending
on the model) and the forces on the boat
have to overcome and lift it, before
exerting any pressure on the anchor.
Plus, it reduces the
swinging circle by holding
the chain into the mud or sand bottom and
creates incredible drag resistance.
The secret is
to have it off the seabed at all stages
of the tide.
Then it acts as a
spring to absorb shock and dampen all
sudden actions on the vessel and ground
tackle at anchor. These actions lift the
chain and the shank of the anchor and are
the main reasons an anchor drags.
Read what the Royal Navy says about why anchors
drag
It increases
the catenary and keeps the angle
of pull on the anchor horizontal,
which helps the anchor dig in.
This almost DOUBLES the holding
power of the anchor and reduces
the working load on the anchor by
50%
It acts as a
spring, reducing the boat’s
overall motion while anchored,
especially the fore-aft see-saw
motion sometimes felt in surge.
Life on board is much more
comfortable
It reduces the
swing of the vessel considerably.
This is especially beneficial in
crowded bays and for high winded
vessels. (Ben Hines, the owner of
a 75 ton, 50ft, steel Cape Horn
trawler says 'it reduces the
swing by about 50%')
It stops
snubbing each side of the swing
in wind gusts, when the bow lifts
to the sea and the chain is
pulled taut with a jerk. This
adds to your cruising comfort
It keeps your
rope or chain warp almost
vertical and out of the way of
other boats moving about in the
bay, especially at night.
The
alternatives when it is blowing hard and the anchor's
holding power is in question...
You can get in the
dinghy and set two
anchors and hope the wind does not change
direction
or attach and lower your dive belt, a home-made
lead weight, bucket of rocks or a heap of
chain in a sack...
the principle is exactly the same. These methods all keep maximum chain on the seabed.
But
- do you
really want to be in the dinghy
or on the bow using spanners and
shackles when it is blowing a
gale and the boat is pitching and
rolling?
- should you
really risk using your second
anchor in case of further
difficulties?
These purpose designed
weights can be simply twisted
on or off in less than a minute-
no tools are required. Speed is really
important if you have to move the boat in
a hurry.
 I
had heard of the Anchor
Buddy anchor weight and had heard it was quite good. 'Quite
good' is a total understatement. It is totally amazing
in all conditions and at all times; light winds or
heavy weather and so easy to put on and off after you
understand how to do it. The
advantages it gave to our comfort on board and the
reduction in our swing circle were so good that we
would use it all the time whether we needed it or not
and we would never leave the boat without setting the
Anchor Buddy
Keith
Eade, designer and owner/builder for 25 years of Keith
Eade Boats, Steadecraft Ltd and Chico Yachts, plus
sailor of over 130,000 sea miles.
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