Skip Novak, Ullman Sails Brand Ambassador

Articles on anchoring techniques appear in nautical forums ad nauseam – so I will now add to that list, as I haven’t done one in a while!  This one might save your boat.

Have you ever been in the unenviable situation of dragging an anchor on a lee shore with a failed windless?  You should be able to raise the chain manually with chain hooks or even a rolling hitch with a line using your cockpit winches. But if this is too difficult or too late – now in extremis – the only solution is to let the chain fly.  But how is your chain attached to the boat?  I have seen chain shackled to a padeye in the chain locker!  Not good!

Most of us know that you need to have a rope leader spliced into the end of the chain and the other end secured to the bottom of the chain locker.  This must be multi-plat nylon or polyester – not three-strand traditional rope as that will hockle and jam in the chain pipe.  The key though is for this rope leader to be long enough so that when the chain is let fly and the leader goes taught the chain end is just over the bow.  If you have time and a presence of mind, attach a light line and fender to the chain for ease of recovery.  This is all the better, but if the situation is dire, part company with the anchor as you probably can recover it with a grapnel hook later.

By cutting the rope leader forward of the bow, no damage to the boat or injury to the crew is likely.  If the rope leader is short and you have to cut this under load, the chain can take away the headstay, furling gear or bow pulpit – and maybe worse.  Remember the chain and anchor are cheap pieces of equipment and, if you lose it, a well-equipped vessel should have an equivalent spare anchor and rode.