When it comes to scope, there's no two ways about it: more is almost always better. More scope means less vertical strain on the boat anchor thereby decreasing the chances of unsetting the boat anchor.We generally recommend a scope ratio of 5:1 minimum, but ideally 7:1 or even more (especially if anchoring overnight), i.e. let out 7 feet of rode for every 1 foot of water depth you're anchoring in, so if you are anchoring in 10 feet of water, you'll let out 70 feet of rode. Unfortunately, in small or crowded anchorages there's often not enough room to allow for a lot of scope. What can you do?
When facing this dilemma, the aim is to increase horizontal rode tension. This is a basically a fancy way of saying you want the anchor rode to sit as horizontal as possible in the water.
There are a couple of ways to do this. The most common way is to add 20 feet or so of chain to nylon rope. It has been shown that by adding just 20 feet of chain to 180 feet of nylon rode you can increase horizontal strain nearly 250%. This is the result of the extra weight pulling the anchor rode to the sea bottom. By using 200 feet of chain you can increase horizontal tension nearly 800% from all nylon rope. However, it's debatable whether the tension gains achieved in an all chain setup offset its disadvantages, most importantly the strain on one's arms! Without a doubt though, at least 20 feet of chain should be added to all rode setups.
The other popular option in increasing horizontal strains is to add a kellet. A kellet is a weight added somewhere along the anchor rode. Adding the kellet as close to the chain-rope connection as possible results in the largest tension gains but many prefer to place it about half way along the rode to ease the shock loads. It has been shown that by adding a 20 lbs kellet half way up (or down) a 200 foot rode setup one would achieve 300% horizontal tension gains over an all rope setup.
Some boaters consider cleaning and detailing to be a daunting and back-breaking task. Fortunately for them, it doesn't have to be! While keeping a clean craft is definitely an important aspect of basic boat maintenance, it's not necessary to spend hours on end to accomplish this goal. Sufficient cleaning supplies and regular upkeep go a long way to keep your boat looking and performing great without costing you a fortune.
Hand hauling your anchor is fine if you have a small boat with a small anchor for fishing or lunch stops, but once your anchor and tackle starts getting up in weight, hand hauling is a real pain – literally – you can hurt your back! If your boat did not come with a windlass installed, you can install one yourself if you are comfortable making modifications to your boat such as drilling holes and doing some basic wiring.
Choosing the right boat can a daunting task. With so many options it can be difficult to find the exact boat type that meets your individual needs. Whether you are a first-time boat buyer or an experienced seafarer, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of various boat types will help narrow your search next time you're in the market for a new boat.
Part of the fun of boating is spotting a beautiful beach, or interesting little cove, and pulling in to enjoy lunch or a swim in idyllic surroundings. If you’re lucky, there will be a dock to tie to, but most often it’ll just be the bare shore. In this article we’ll discuss proper techniques for anchoring your boat at the shore.
It's that time of the year again! The time of the year when instead of bundling up for a holiday lighted boat parade or curling up by the fire, you're stuck fretting over what to buy that special someone. We have assembled a holiday gift guide to find the perfect gift idea for your boating enthusiast!
We share our waterways with a community of boaters. Knowing proper etiquette on the water is important, not only to foster orderly behavior, but for safety, and overall enjoyment of everyone involved. In this guide we’ll focus on anchoring etiquette, or how to do what is expected of you at an anchorage. We’ll also touch on some associated legalities and environmental concerns.
When the weather starts to cool, many boaters take this as a sign to dock their boat and begin the long wait for warmer months to come back around. While you probably can't expect to do much tubing or waterskiing, there are still plenty of great activities you can enjoy on or around the water to make the most of these winter months.
The advantage of using a Bahamian Moor over other two-anchor techniques such as Bow and Stern, is that the Bahamian Moor allows your boat to swing around a central point. This means that not only are you able to anchor in narrow channels or bays, you can also moor in a tidal cut between islands where there are strong changing winds and tidal reversals.
In today's modern world, there are a plethora of apps available to help us navigate our everyday lives. In recent years the boating world has benefited greatly from a variety of helpful apps that can help take your boating experience to the next level. Boaters today can download apps to help them log their trips, download nautical charts, reserve a slip, and even learn to tie essential boating knots. We have reviewed many of the apps on the market today and are sharing our 10 best boating apps.
There is a wide variety of anchorages out there, each with its own challenges. It is therefore important, as a boater, to be armed with a wide variety of anchoring techniques to suit all occasions. This article will focus on one such technique: anchoring bow and stern. We’ll look at when to use this option and how to deploy it successfully.
