Anchoring your Jeanneau

Alan Lucas says knowing your anchor effectively is as important as any other part of boat-handling.

A dragging anchor in good-holding ground is no stranger to those who unquestioningly obey the mantra of 3:1 scope (cable length to depth of water). This ratio can be okay in deep water where weight of cable produces a heavy catenary, but such things are less evident in the shallower depths favoured by recreational sailors (Diagram 1).

When dropping anchor there is no such thing as ‘standard scope’, it being dependent on type of ground, prevailing winds, weather forecasts and available swinging room. If an anchorage is crowded and you must use it, lay out as much cable as possible related to space available and, if necessary, compliment its holding power with a weight run down the cable to improve its catenary. The weight can be a commercial unit or a second anchor lowered on rope and attached to the main cable by an oversize shackle tied off just above the low tide level (Diagram 2).

In a commodious anchorage, economising on scope makes no sense whatsoever. The cable belongs in the water rather than in its locker as useless, unwanted ballast. A minimum scope of 5:1 – or even 10:1 if circumstances so dictate, should be the rough rule. To facilitate this, mark your chain every few metres with coloured cable ties.

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