Well, you missed an important step in releasing the anchor: always, and I mean always, start the engine. If for some reason the engine fails to start and you have raised the anchor, you're now in an uncontrollable craft that's usually heading a direction you don't want to be going in (towards rocks, the shore, or other boats). My friend gave me a book when I bought my boat 26 years ago: "Getting Started in Powerboating" by Bob Armstrong. I learned a lot from it. R, Steve
This is great advice in any situation where you’re releasing the boat…Even if you’re just leaving from a dock in calm water make sure the engine is running first. I cringe when people untie a boat before starting the engine.
@@salizabeth1115 Hi Sarah, what kind of boating are you into? I used to take the kids tubing, butt they grew up. Now it's just the occasional day at the lake enjoying water.
Good video... There are MANY THOUSANDS of Anchors on the bottom of the seas left by boaters who "Cut and Run" because they could not figure out how to release their anchor. I dive and have many of them... some very expensive ones!
Maybe you will come across one of mine. Had one stuck in about 40 feet of water to what must have been an entire tree. When attempting to pull it up, bubbles would rise to the surface in about a 50' diameter around the anchor. The more I pulled, the heavier it got. After about an hour, I pulled as much rope in as I could and cut the line.
@@D2O2 40 feet is doable and not that difficult. If you a boat man you gotta take those parts too.. It's not about the price . It's about abandoning your trash ?
Very good vid on anchoring. I have a couple of points I would like to add. First, a cleat may work to attach during a picnic aboard with light seas, but it is not the ideal point. I always use the bow ring for this task. It is the strongest piece of hardware on the boat. It also lowers the angle to the anchor. This can lower the length of scope or increase holding force. 10 ft. of chain is the minimum. Don't under estimate it's value. And when you haul up that clump of earth troll your danforth on a rear cleat 3 ft. below the surface for a 100ft.
What we do with our 7500lb sailboat is tie a bridle between the two bow cleats. Line comes over the anchor roller, and is tied to one of the cleats. The loose line is then run around the other cleat, back around the anchor line and then tied off on the other cleat so that the strain is distributed across both cleats. Of course, our cleats are probably stout enough to lift the whole boat.
Nice video Wayne. I guess you have a pretty light boat by the length of chain on your anchor. You did not mention the importance of the chain. The chain acts as a weight to hold the anchor line parrallel to the bottom, it is the upwards force that will break an anchor out and cause it to drag. (OK sometimes the mud is such that it will clog the anchor and stop it from holding, BUT) The idea is to have the anchor lying flat on the bottom so it only sees a horizontal force. The chain also acts like a shock absorber. As the boat surges backwards in a current or a wind gust, you do not want a shock load on the anchor itself. The chain acts like a shock absorber by having to rise off the bottom before any load is placed on the anchor itself. Hence the importance of sufficient anchor line. In good weather about 3 times the depth, in difficult conditions , high current or wind with gusts, 5 times the depth or even more if you are worried. The more chain you have out the safer you will be, although chain gets very heavy when you have to pull it up. I have a 30 ft yacht and I carry 4 anchors from light weight to very heavy. In good conditions (for lunch) in a calm bay I might use a light anchor with minimum chain and then rope. For a relaxing sleep overnight in strong winds I use a heavy anchor with 20 meters of chain before the rope starts. That anchor has never dragged on me! I wake up some mornings and the anchor is lying on it's side still with the chain drag marks in the sand telling the story that boat stayed still just on the chain! As I said a good video, I just felt you did not emphasise the importance of having suffficient chain/rope out to ensure a horizontal load on the anchor, minimising any tendancy to "lift" the anchor as the boat pulls back on the line.
I literally bought my first ever boat today. No experience whatsoever but really excited as the prospect of learning...safely. Your videos are brilliant and have given me such invaluable insight. Thank you so much.
Wayne, as a total beginner, just looking into buying a first boat, your videos have been invaluable! They are interesting, the info is both valuable and practical, and you add just enough humor to make them enjoyable as well. I am looking forward to watching all of them! Thanks
Some great tips mate.My tips are having a bow roller on any boat with a section of channel that runs from the tip of the bow to the anchor well.Also I mark a thick line on my anchor rode with permanent marker every 1 meter in black and every 5 meters I mark 2 lines in red permanent marker. Say I want to let 30 meters out I count out 6 red markings, 17 meters? 3 red and 2 black. Very accurate/quick and easy. My boat sits 1 meter off the water from bow to water line so I allow for this when making the first marking. Far to many people don't allow enough line out when anchoring especially in strong currents/waves/wind.Your anchor should never just lay on the surface of the seabed as it can drag . Keep up the great work.
Marking the rode is a great idea! Especially helpful when having an assistant because we can easily tell them to let it out "4 marks". Thanks for the tips and for watching and commenting!!
Wayne, great video, thank you so much! I'm certainly another "learn stuff as I go"-guy, and I wanted to add a piece of personal experience related to the "IN AN EMERGENCY" section. I've been in a situation where cutting the line was the only option, so I did. Now, in hindsight, I thought: I had a buoy available on-board, I should have cut the anchor line, attach the end to the buoy, let the line go and the buoy would make my anchor line available without having it attached to the boat. Like this, you get out of a potentially stressful "emergency" situation without losing the anchor. Take some time, think it through, you may pull and play with the anchor, without having it attached to the boat which can be a constraint (in my case it was). If the conditions are not optimal to get the anchor out, you may come back the next day.
The idea is to drop the anchor until it touches bottom, then reverse as you allow the chain or rope to feed out. The chain or rope then needs to be secured to the boat as the engine remains in reverse to set the anchor. You should allow more rope out then you would with chain. Lay it out in reverse, don't drop a pile then reverse! The ratio of depth to rope or chain depends on whether you use just rope or just chain, the size and weight of your anchor relative to your boat size, snd the weather conditions. The ratio of depth / rode should be at least 1/3 or more, often as much as 1/7. Its not rocket science, its called common sense!
As a newbie 20 plus years ago communication problem happened and we forgot to "weigh anchor" before leaving. I wondered what was going on with the motor in the beginning until the anchor line snapped. Figured out the mistake and lost an anchor.. Stay safe out there folks and get some more good training. Boating is actually a dangerous thing as well as fun but when things go wrong on the water they can go Really Wrong Fast!
If the anchor is impossibly stuck pull rope up short, add a mooring buoy. retrieve another day as a courtesy and it doubles as a mooring for other boats needing anchorage. Snorkel gear is important on larger boats. Its necessary for my 25 ft sail boat. Or any boat over 16 ft or longer.
When anchoring up for Halibut fishing in deep water we like to attach a" scotsman" or "large plastic floating ball" so in emergency we can untie the boat from the ball and anchor setup and retrieve anchor later. Use the ball and boatspeed to refloat the anchor! CHEERS from Westcoast Canada!
Wayne...I am new at this having just purchased a 12' Hull for fishing mostly...you explain things professionally and yet in the simplest of ways too. I continue to watch your videos.
Best anchor video I've watched so far. I've been boating for 40 years and didn't know the first thing about the basics of anchoring. Have a mushroom claw type I've used with my ski boat and constantly have to "reset" it. Getting ready to take delivery of a tritoon boat and will definitely get a Danforth style.
@@steveinla8963 just purchased a 26 pound box anchor over the Memorial Day weekend after listening to many seasoned pontoon boat owners. Seems to be the best choice for the freshwater lakes in my area.
@@keithwilliams2766 Hi Kieth, box anchors hold very well. They also release easily too. I saw another boater use one once and it worked well for him. So, I cobbled one together one afternoon just before I left for a 4th of July trip. (I was in a hurry so I didn't make hinges to allow it to fold up.) That anchor held very well too in a cobblestone bottom and rough water. I hope yours works out well for you. Let us know how it works for you. Good Luck! Cheers! Steve
@@harbourdogNL you do your boating with the same crowd, go to the same places, do the same routine, you'll learn nothing new. I have zero saltwater experience which takes boating to a whole new level, for which I have much respect. There's a lot we assume we know until we really don't know. But rest easy. I know a lot more about anchoring now than I did six months ago.
All very helpful and I also have Spray painted a thin black line every 10 feet and just subtracted the distance from the tip of the bow to the top of the water so I know exactly how much line I’m dropping down. Then I stop dropping the line exactly 10 feet before I reach the bottom while simultaneously putting my boat in reverse while simultaneously releasing additional line. This assures that I don’t have any line falling over the anchor and also helps to keep my anchor straight, especially if the current underneath is moving in the opposite or sideways direction.
I was at lake Norman one time anchored out and could not get my anchor loose from the bottom, must have been hooked on a stump or something, I wound up having to cut my line. It was a 20 lb navy anchor. Those are by no means cheap. Had to buy another one. LoL
You did well! Once I told my friend “ throw in the anchor” he didn’t have it tied to boat! 20 feet of Snake River ice water. He wanted to dive for it but I said no
In welding school I made a danforth anchor for a graded project. It took 10 years before I could afford a boat to try it on. It is a mighty anchor for it's weight.
I don't own a boat or will ever, but like to learn new stuff. You explained it very well. Its shame that352k views and only 9.4k likes. People don't appreciate other people's hard work specially when you get in free.
an additional tip for single handing an anchor you can just pull up faster and that will give you the forward momentum to help free the anchor so you don't have to head back to the weal and throttle if you even have them on your vessel.
This anchor works logically and is easy to put and lift, especially with the addition of a stopper at the bottom so that the chain doesn't come back up, thank you
I threw the anchor out. The line was running through my lead hand. The line picked up a loose fishing lure that had TREBBLE hooks. Those hooks set into the line and the inti my palm with the 15 pound anchor swinging in about 15 feet of water....@#$&×@.... I had to pull the anchor up. Cut the hook to get it out of the line. The sent the abchor PROPERLY and then get my buddy to RIP the remaining tremble hook out of my palm. Lessons learned? 1) No more loose lures. All lures are stored properly at all times. 2) All barbs are clamped down before they are brought on to my boat... For 20 years.... I've been barbless. I've lost some fish. I've caught thousands. I've had about 7-10 fish hood mishaps since. When you fish 6-10 times a month for 20 years with friends.... Slinging lures with tremble hooks.... It IS going to happen. But barbless comes RIGHT OUT. And I'm not counting the hundreds of...caught in the net, a hat, a line, clothes, fish rags, deep in the fish mouth, carpet.. Barbless is the BEST. Nice clip. I didn't learn anything I didn't already know. But I watched it hoping to learn something new. It is a GREAT learning tool for the inexperienced.
Boating my entire life on SWFL. Sea Claw Anchor is 100% the best no hassle anchor EVER invented. I literally have never thought about anchoring because they always work.
NEVER in small craft such as KAYaK /conue DROP the ANCHOR . It is from leverage as most such craft the tie off is on top of boat ends If your line is to short you can capsize from the jolt at lines end. If that didnt suddenly happen next the anchor will start to swing like moving Plumb Bob. Your conue will give a slight quote quiver with a sound. I term it Death Quiver most dangerous with water currents when anchor line is at the end of its swing on a down stream side.One wrong move at that moment can over turn your conue . A likely location is where a creek emtys into river, with a unsuspecting creek fisherman using 24 ft of clothing line ,plenty most of the time but not there especially in high water conditions. This is a benign danger as most fishing small streams do so in fair conditions. All my years I never seen this danger mentioned in boating tips and often wondered how many met their end in such manner .
Great video. Just one observation which may or may not be something that is ok to do. When you mention cutting an anchor rope the concern that I feel is that it could pose a risk to other boats vis a vi fouling a passing boat's prop!! Of course that is assuming the whole line doesn't sink. I've heard of a tip that if it must be cut to attach a small fender/bouy to the end of the line to serve as a location for the anchor so a harbourmaster would know where its at. Or if you have a friend who likes to dive you have it located LOL. Just an observation. Love the content.
Every anchor, even a river anchor for a kayak, should have at least 3-5 feet of rode (chain). The rode acts as extra weight and a shock absorber. The bigger the boat, the heavier and longer the chain. Plus, use a bridal from cleat to cleat if you don’t have a centered cleat, or clip to the trailer eye because some cleats aren’t very strong.
Very helpful video. I've always used mushroom style anchors on small fishing boats and kayaks...purchased a pontoon boat last summer and over time I've been able to mostly figure out how to use a danforth/fluke style anchor but I learned a couple of nice tips on your video that helps paint a more complete mental picture for me. Well done and I am now subscribed to your channel!
I had that danforth fluke anchor and dragged during a strong gust in a 24ft sailboat . When retrieving it anchor snagged on a thick and heavy unmarked underwater cable. Me and a buddy were able to muscle up the anchor and cable to surface from boat but could not get the anchor out because it was under a lot of tension. So we used a boat hook and that worked to free the anchor but was very dangerous and risky to fingers because of all the tension. Then we needed to retrieve the boat hook and not could just drop it because it was holding that cable barely also under extreme tension like a spring. I managed to get the boat hook up just enough for buddy to grab the cable with hand release the boat hook and release cable. We then realized that was very stupid and risky thing to do because cable could have pulled buddy overboard, crushed his fingers, broke his arm etc. also what if it was live with electricity. BTW the book hook got damaged enough that it was not salvageable and needed to throw it out. Moral of anchor sharing story is sometimes you need to part way with equipment or cut the anchor and not worth injury to yourself, your crew or damage to boat or even underwater infrastructure.
Another tip for releasing the anchor from the bottom is: - once you get the anchor line vertical, then tighten the line and tie it to your bow cleat (careful not to get your fingers squished), - then the up and down motion of the boat on the waves will release the anchor for you. It should be clear when this has happened as you can then easily pull up the anchor. This works because it is setting of the anchor wrong on purpose, so that it will release. I'm normally out on the ocean, so there's almost always waves for me.
@@WayneTheBoatGuy rather than go straight for the proper tie off, I'll usually just wrap the rope around the cleat 2 or 3 times before tieing off to reduce the chances of losing a finger.
They also have clip ring out that is attached to a bouy and you clip ring around anchor line then just drive towards anchor location and bouy runs down anchor line lifting anchor off bottom. You then pull anchor line and anchor onto boat. A very simple option to pulling anchor
When anchoring for a longer period of time, I guess it is recommended to use an anchor ball and / or anchor light. This way other vessels see you mooring
It would be nice if there was a service like sea tow that you could call to get a stuck anchor pulled. For that matter if you could give coordinates and tie a big orange float to it... I don't know. I hate trash in the water.
Cheers man, i have grown up sailing and this was really informative, I live in Norway with pretty rough wind and I’ll try to make a vid like yours some day with my experience. Thanks and much love from Norge
Phenomenal video. Brilliant. I am glad you noted that different anchors work better for different materials on the bottom. Such an important thing. Also, you can generally look up the size of your boat and what weight of anchor would be good for it. They also provide information on how relatively well your anchor will hold at given wind speeds.
tfs! Also be sure to know the proper way to tie the line off to the cleat. I've seen some sketchy ties offs lol p.s. My husband is rethinking replacing the 12 ft aluminum boat and wanted to know if you ever think of selling yours, he might be interested. We're on Stoney Creek. :)
Great video Wayne. I can't believe i never carried a knife in my on board utility bag. I do now after seeing this video. You are the man. Many thanks! 😊
The key thing for having a good anchor set is to have enough chain as part of your anchor rode. We have a 7500lb sailboat, and gunkhole our way around the waters of the Salish Sea. We have our danforth anchor, followed by 50 feet of chain, followed by 200' of nylon rode. Anchoring is pretty simple, drop the anchor and chain to the bottom, back down on it, then let out enough scope, and tie it off. With just a 20lb anchor and the 50 feet of chain, the anchoring system will fully resist our 10HP engine in reverse. We sleep very well at night relying on this. We rarely go beyond a 4:1 scope.
Very informative. Lots of good information. Just want to point out that the first anchor that you had with a looped shaft is actually a fluked river anchor. Here's why. The looped shaft doesn't have the strength to deal with hard-core yawning (swinging back and forth on the rode) or coming about due to tide change. Rivers will push so that you don't yaw and don't come about. Just wanted you to know that. Keep up the good work. Un Googan the googans.
I think some conscientious boaters try to come back and retrieve their anchors - but I think most are just left littering the floor of creeks, rivers etc. I have a video about all of the anchors some local crabbers have pulled up.
Around 1980, the US Navy tested a Danfort anchor of only 10 kg, + 30 m of chain with a maneuvering ship for oceanic ships in ports. After digging in, they could not move, upon inspection, the anchor went a meter into the sand, two meters into the silt. only a rope with a buoy at the joint of the anchor is needed for extraction and the anchor does not remain.
Struggled with a Danforth for 20 years... finally decided to invest in a Rocna and holy crap what a difference... we instantly get a rock solid set every time now. I'd recommend for anyone looking to buy a boat to just count the $200-600 cost of a Rocna as a mandatory expense for owning a boat and get one.
What would be the avg max mph current that would be acceptable to anchor? I often drift in shallow areas about 1.75-2.25 mph. Could I safely anchor there...or would that current pull most boats? And I'm referring to fishing spots, so I am always present. Not like an overnighter.
Hi Wayne. You should not 'throw' your anchor. It should be 'dropped'. Keep a sharp knife handy. Go one size bigger than you need. Use plenty of chain. Wreck anchors have their place(bendable tines). Use 1/2 inch anchor line, it's easier on your hands. An 'anchor ball' and a 'drift-anchor' are also a good idea. Consider a 'pelican clip' for quick release and exact return in an emergency or for a big fish.🎣 like salmon 🎣. Use a 'trip line' in grabby bottom. and catch them up 🎣🐟
Great video however the the anchor line is the "rode" the anchor chain is just that "anchor chain". By the way that chain you used the length is ok for a 16' boat or under. Double that chain length for a boat up to 26' . And it's always a good idea to have two anchors on your boat! Best Regards, Jay
I don't know squat about boats, and owning one doesn't interest me. But having a curious mind, I have wondered about how various anchors work. I enjoyed learning something new from your video. Thanks.
Thanks for the great information. My first experiences with boats was with my grandfather who loved to fish for sunfish and crappies in a lake in Minnesota. My tackle was a clothespin wrapped with line and a bobber. (To go out in the boat with him we had to put the worms on our hook.) I was responsible for sitting at the bow and dropping the anchor. His anchor was a coffee can filled with cement and a big, rusty eye bolt sticking out the top. Of course it never got stuck on the bottom of of lake, and now I know why.
I made 4 river anchors for my boat for river fishing. I bought 8 pieces of 12 inch long rebar took 4 empty paint cans and 1 bag of concrete, 4 loop bolts about 8 inches long with a nut and large washer. I took my 9mm pistol and shot once on opposite sides which put 4 holes into the paint cans. I put the large washer on the loop end bolts and screwed the nut on about half an inch of threads out of the bottom of the nut. I drove 2 pieces of rebar through the bullet holes and placed washer and nut near the rebar and filled the bucket with concrete and let dry. For about 20 dollars and an hour of labor I had 4 good anchors for the river. My intended use is just 1 at time, but if it gets tangled too badly in tree roots I can cut it loose and I'm only loosing about 5 bucks. Regular anchors new start at 20 bucks each. It totally depends on what body of water I'm in. In lakes with sand, gravel and mud I'll use my fancy store bought anchor. In the river around a lot of underwater trees, roots and other snags I drop my homemade anchor. When I was 10 years old we had a quad hook anchor and it got hung up. And dad had me strip down to my underwear and go fetch the anchor which I got it but dang that water was cold. It didn't take me long to make some new anchors that we could cut off. Dad did odd jobs for people on the side after his factory day job and we removed and replaced some very old windows for an elderly lady. The old windows had metal weights on each side to hold the windows open. I took 2 of those weights put the eyes for rope facing the same way and dad welded them together. Not the best in the world but it worked and we never did get it tangled so bad we couldn't just pull straight up to get it loose.
Very informative video Wayne. I've mostly had troubles of getting my danforth to stick / hold. Now I feel a bit more confident that I can do this, even alone. Thanks a lot my friend. Steve
My anchor got stock with a big stick and I couldn’t lift it up. I should it just cut the rope but I didn’t instead I use another person to help me and I ended up scratching my boat…! Things happen be safe in the water ..!
That hand is making me nervous. Try to keep your hands clear of moving or under-load ropes and knots unless it's needed. Your fingers are worth keeping.
At least tie off the bitter end of your anchor line before tossing out the anchor….. I’ve watch a fella toss an anchor and it just kept taking line… all of it 😂
Hi Wayne, another great informative video. I just experienced this yesterday for the first time being out on my own. I anchored a 24 foot center console boat and then when it was time to pull the anchor up I did as much as I could but ultimately couldn't release it. So, instead of going forward as you suggest I just reversed the engine and pulled out the anchor. Is this acceptable or should I have gone forward?
I have a Bayliner with a V birth so having a dedicated bow anchor is imposable. I place a carabiner in the bow eye, then run my anchor line through it from the stern to the bow, The Bitter end of my anchor line is tied to the stern. (because this is where we usually anchor from.) I then prepare a 25 foot line with a float on it and a carabiner. Once I lower the anchor I clip on the 25 foot roap to the anchor line this helps me retriever the anchor. With this line I can pull on it until I get the anchor line and then pull in the anchor in. This float also shows me what side of the boat the anchor is on when positioning the boat for anchor retravel. This is how I do it when I'm alone or with someone. I live in Michigan on the Saint Clair river the border between Michigan and Canada. And we Walleye fish at night using a system called Whipping That requires anchoring facing into the 3+ mpg current so anchoring can get to be an art. Oh by the way I'm 20lb Danforth with 8ft of chain. I hope this makes sense.
I would recommend marking depth on anchor line. It's pretty much the simplest and lowest tech way to measure depth when anchoring or doing something else depth related.
COULD you imagine someone sitting in a lounge chair on the beach watching this man trying to anchor himself to the beach ? honey, grab me another beer and check out the weather channel, he MIGHT know something we don't
