ground tackle (anchoring and mooring)

Ground Tackle –
Anchoring and
Mooring
Quartermaster Requirement 8

10/11/13 Quartermaster 8 - Ground Tackle (Anchoring & Mooring)2
Quartermaster Requirement 8
 Teach the Ordinary and Able requirements No. 8, Ground Tackle, to a crew.
 Know the methods of bringing a boat to anchor or mooring with special
emphasis on wind and current with respect to the vessel's course and
speed.
 Take charge of the craft used by your ship and give all commands to the
crew for anchoring and weighing anchor in several different wind and current
situations.
 Take charge of the craft used by your ship and give all commands to the
crew for picking up a mooring buoy and properly mooring the vessel in
several wind and current situations.
 Note: Depending on the type of craft used by your ship, this requirement
may be met either under sail or power.
 Reference:
 "Ground Tackle" on page 145.

Anchor Rode
 The rode is the line and/or chain which
goes to an anchor. It is often
composed of both chain and rope.
 The chain is attached to the anchor
and it helps the anchor to lie flat on the
bottom. This has three benefits:
 The chain lies flat on the bottom
and increases the horizontal pull
on the anchor. This will increase
the anchor's purchase.
 The chain will not chafe as it lies
on and is pulled across the bottom.
 The chain acts as a shock
absorber as the boat intermittently
pulls on the rode, lifting the chain
off the bottom.

Purchase
 Be sure that the anchor has a
good purchase on the water's
bottom or it will drag and the boat
will drift.
 Check the purchase by observing
the tension on the rode and any
change in position of the boat as
the boat is placed in reverse.
 While at anchor, intermittently
check the tension on the rode as
the boat's bow raises and lowers
with the waves.
 Also take several compass fixes
and/or GPS positions to aid in
determining if the boat is drifting
and pulling the anchor.

Scope
 As a general guide, let out at least seven times the
rode as the depth of the water plus the boat's
freeboard (distance from the water surface to the
deck)
 This ratio is called the anchoring scope.
 Dragging anchor is often caused by not letting
out enough rode.
 Scope may be decreased to 5:1 if an all chain rode
is used.
 Scope may be increased in high wind or wave
conditions.
 Check the depth of the water where you anchor in
relationship to the tide.
 For example, if you anchor with a 7:1 scope at
low tide in six feet of water and a six foot tide
comes in, your scope will be reduced to 3.5:1
 Or you may inadvertently become grounded.
 Sailor's Tip: Place fathom or foot markers on the
rode to help judge how much line has been let out.

Swing
 If a single anchor is placed,
your boat will swing around the
anchor as the direction of wind
changes.
 This is especially true on
the coast where one
encounters land and sea
breezes.
 The water must be deep
enough for anchorage along
the entire arch of this swing.
 If less swing is desired, set
two anchors at 180 degrees
from each other.

Crowded Anchorage
 Boats anchored next to each other
with a different swing radius are at
risk to drift into each other if the
current or wind changes.
 Look at the other boats and
note the type and the angle of
their rodes to the water.
 This will help you judge the
amount of rode let out and give
an idea of the swing radius of
the other boats.
 If a boat has an all chain rode,
it may have a 5:1 or less scope
and have a smaller swinging
radius than a boat with a
combination chain and rope
line.

Desired Anchorage
 Always anchor in a similar fashion as
the boat next to you or the two boats
may drift into each other.
 For example: If your boat is fixed
in place with two anchors and the
other boat has a single anchor, the
other boat may be blown into your
boat.
 A good anchorage has the following
characteristics:
 Protected from wind and waves &
swells.
 Enough depth at low tide along the
full swing of the rode.
 Enough space along the full swing
of the rode.
 Good bottom which will hold an
anchor.

Trip Line
 One may place a second line (trip
line) to the head of the anchor.
 There is usually a metal loop to
allow for the placement.
 Bring the line up to the surface
and attach to a flotation device.
 Using this line the anchor can
be pulled out by its head and
will be easy to remove.
 The length of the trip line is
equal to the water depth at
high tide plus 5 to 10 feet.

Anchor Commands
 Aweigh Anchor
To raise an anchor off the bottom
 Drop Anchor
To lower an anchor gently to the
bottom
 Take In Slack
The deckhands are to pull in the
slack and snub it around a cleat.
 Take A Strain
The deckhands are to pull on the
line named, snubbing it around the
cleat but allowing a little slippage.
 Ease Off
The line is allowed to slip more
freely.
 Hold
This means to check the line
temporarily.
 Secure Lines
Tie the lines down permanently
 Back Anchor
Carry out a smaller anchor ahead
of the one by which the vessels
rides to take off some of the strain.

Using Two Anchors
 Using two anchors is a difficult
maneuver.
 Reduces the swing radius of
the sailboat.
 Increases holding power in
heavy weather.
 The tension on the anchor rodes is
important when setting the
second anchor
 Too much tension may cause
the first anchor to break loose
 Too little tension on the rode
may cause it to go astern and
foul your prop.

Setting Two Anchors
 Drop anchor.

Setting Two Anchors
 Drop anchor.
 Use intermittent reverse thrust.

Setting Two Anchors
 Drop anchor.
 Turn the boat and use forward
thrust.
 KEEP THE RODE AWAY
FROM THE PROP.

Setting Two Anchors
 Drop anchor.
thrust.
FROM THE PROP.
 Drop the second anchor.

Setting Two Anchors
 Drop anchor.
thrust.
FROM THE PROP.
 Use reverse thrust to position
the boat between the two
anchors.

Setting Two Anchors
 Drop anchor.
thrust.
FROM THE PROP.
 Use reverse thrust to position the
boat between the two anchors.
 The final angle between the two
anchor rodes should be between
30° and 60°.

Mediterranean Mooring
 Commonly found in Europe, South and
Central America.
 Maximizes the number of boats
which can be docked to a pier.
 Each boat is docked with its stern to
the pier with a rode and anchor going
forward, away from the pier.
 Boats are then docked next to
each other.
 During the maneuver the anchor is
set and the boat is backed into
position.
 Prop-walk can create difficulty
staying on course.
 Be careful not to put too much tension
on the rode when backing up or the
anchor may break loose

 Use intermittent forward thrust
to maneuver to where you will
drop anchor.

drop anchor.
 Drop anchor.

drop anchor.
 Drop anchor.
 Use intermittent reverse thrust
to slowly approach the pier.

drop anchor.
 Drop anchor.
 Use intermittent reverse thrust
to slowly approach the pier.
 Attach stern lines.

Mooring to a Buoy
 Using a permanent mooring is best
when a boat is mostly at its homeport
or when the boat is to be left
unattended for long periods of time.
 A helix anchor or a mushroom
anchor is used for mooring buoys
 Concrete blocks can be used but that
should be many times heavier
(around 2000 pounds) because they
do not dig into the seabed and only
their weight provides holding power.
 Galvanized chain on the mooring
should be about 1.5 times the depth.
 The upper end of the chain is
supported at the surface by a spherical
or comical mooring buoy.
 Buoys are made of metal, wooden
spars or Styrofoam
 All strain should be transmitted
through this buoy using a chain or
rod.

Mooring to a Buoy
 At the top of the mooring buoy is a
line called a pendant made of
manila or nylon and the same
strength as the chain.
 It should be about 2.5 times the
height of the bow above the
water.
 An eye in the end of the pendant
is run through the bow check at
angles
 The pendant should be covered
with some type of protection to
protect it from chafing.
 The pickup buoy should have a
ring or handle on top to aid in
picking it up.

ground tackle (anchoring and mooring)

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