Anchoring & Retrivial
Preparing to anchor
Having picked the spot to anchor and determined that you have enough rope, at low speed turn your boat to face the wind (on a low wind day face the current, if any). Put the engine in neutral, then in reverse for long enough to get the boat moving astern.
Lowering
Lower the anchor (do not throw it) to the bottom, and play out rope as the boat moves astern with the wind.
| Sea Condition | Rope Length to Depth |
| Calm | 3:1 |
| Fair | 5:1 |
| Moderate | 7:1 |
Setting
When the full rope is out, secure the rope and give the engine a short burst in reverse to ensure that the anchor has bedded in.
The rope
The critical element of anchoring is to have enough rope out. The absolute minimum is three times the depth of water, and five or seven is better.
Monitoring
Once the anchor has set and bedded in, you should take a few bearings or line up some objects to check that the anchor is not dragging. If you notice that you are drifting off the bearing and you suspect that the anchor is dragging, place your hand on the rope and feel for any signs of the anchor bouncing along the bottom. This should confirm or reject any suspicions you may have. If the anchor is dragging and you have enough room, try paying out more rope. In most cases by decreasing the angle between the anchor and the boat (ie, letting out more rope) will be all that is required to get the anchor to bite.
Securing the anchor line
The very end of the anchor rope should be secured within the vessel to prevent loss of the anchor. If not using the whole rope, the chosen length should be secured to deck hardware. Never anchor the boat from the stern or sides of the boat. Anchoring the boat from the stern could cause the boat to sink quickly.
Retrieving the anchor
When you are ready to raise your anchor simply clip the ring to your anchor line. Motor forward (at about 5 knots) at a 30 degree angle to your anchor line being careful not to run over the line. As you come even with the anchor you should feel the anchor break free - if this does not occur stop and go back to free the anchor. You will continue to motor forward after the anchor breaks free dragging the buoy behind the boat and pulling the line through the ring. The buoyancy of the buoy will float the anchor to the surface. Once the anchor has reached the ring you can turn back toward the buoy and pull in your slack anchor line. The weight of the anchor chain should counterbalance the weight of the anchor to prevent the anchor from spooling back to the bottom.
Snagged
When the rope is vertical, it may be necessary to take a turn of it around the rope anchoring point in the boat and let the engine power break the anchor out of the bottom. If the anchor will not break out, slacken the rope, back off, and approach the anchor from different directions.