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)

More Related Content

What's hot

Viewers also liked

Similar to ground tackle (anchoring and mooring)

Recently uploaded

ground tackle (anchoring and mooring)