Anyone ever Purchase An Anchor Sail

[NiceAft]

I purchased a sail anchor; has anyone ever rigged one on their M? I know what I am going to do, but wonder if anyone else has gone this route?

Ray

Mod's edit: titled "Anchor Sail" -fc

[Night Sailor]

Maybe I'm having a "senior moment" but I don't know what a "sail anchor" is. Is there another name? Can you describe it? Say what it does and how?

[beene]

Is that like a parachute in the water??

Used when you are too deep to anchor to the ground?

Sounds a bit risky to me.

[kmclemore]

Do you perhaps mean an 'Sea Anchor'?

[maddmike]

I'm going to assume here that you are speaking about a 'sea-anchor', in which case, yes I have used one (a 9 ft. para-tech on 600' of 3/8' poly line) on a number of occasions in severe conditions. Not sure how one would work out on an 'M' boat, but here is my experence for reference. With a stock centerboard the 'x' boat sails back and forth across the eye of the wind, and/or in some cases pulls off the bow line about 20 degrees; both cases are less than what one would want (with my larger centerboard this no longer occurs and the boat now stays dead to windward). If you want to know how one would work with your boat, simply tie off on a mooring ball with about 100' of lead and see what your boat does (I suspect it will sail back and forth through the eye of the wind). Once you know how much it 'dances', you can start experimenting with ways to keep the boat into the wind. Trying to rig some type of storm tri-sail as far astern on the boom as possible would be my suggestion as to where to start. The number 1 rule; practice before you really need to use one (try both deploying and getting it back on board, there are a number of books on the subject). Rule #2, never, ever underestimate the power of currents and the strain on you boat, and never ever get yourself in a position where you can tangle lines or tangle yourself up in a deploying line. I once deployed my para-tech to pull myself off a sand bar on the Amazon by tossing it out in the downstream 7 kt. current. The thing dragged the boat about 40 yards across the sand without even slowing down! It was amazing. MM

[Frank C]

I purchased a sail anchor; has anyone ever rigged one on their M? I know what I am going to do, but wonder if anyone else has gone this route?
Ray

I'm pretty sure Ray meant that he purchased an Anchor Sail.
The purpose is to stablize the Mac while she's furiously tugging at her anchor ...
reminds my of my dog playing tug-of-war with a rope.

Until just this past summer I pondered the need of an anchor sail, too. However, I found my solution and it's much quicker and easier than rigging a sail. I've posted my favorite solution previously. Once I locate it in the arhives, I'll edit that quote into here.

... Second observation, regarding sailing on anchor - Anchor Bridle: I had marvelous success when "side anchored" off Alcatraz last fall to watch the Blue Angels (and since also posted this in other threads, apology for redundancy). My 26X moved no more than surrounding keelboats when bridled off the starboard fore-quarter. I did so using a bridle line from the port bow cleat, thru the boweye, then back to the stb winch. The rode was tied to a mid-bridle loop.

I think one could also just add a line chock to each side of the deck, just past the pulpit's aft rail - in other words - add chocks at the ends of a beamwise line drawn across the deck, just behind the pulpit. This line would also (approximately) cross the mast-raising padeye. Seems to me that the anchor line could be "cleated" at the padeye, then led across either chock, your choice of a anchoring on either "hull-tack."

I hope someone else will test my experience, hopefully to confirm. I think it might work, as a test, by simply tying-off the anchor rode at the pulpit's aftmost rail - as in using a slippped hitch around that rail. Good luck! ... I think you'll like it!

Roger's Powersailor hull "sails on anchor" because a bow-attached rode encourages "tacking." The wind creates lift across the Mac's generous freeboard, causing a swing to one side. As the wind "sucks" this hull-lift to its stalling point, the swing ends. But now wind pressure on that aft windward hull surface begins pushing the hull toward the lee side. Since the hull is tethered on a long rope, the hull swings like a pendulum. As it crosses the eye of the wind, the lee bow becomes a lifting surface, and continues the swing in this new direction - until it stalls again. Now, repeat above process, continuously!. The hull likes to sail at ~65 degrees, so she swings in a 130-degree arc ... making me dizzy~!

NOW ... attach the rode to a point 20% aft from the bow. The Mac will remain CONSTANTLY on A SINGLE TACK vs the prevailing breeze. (The aft pulpit rail is a handy test spot, though I don't like anchoring just by a stanchion - certainly not as an SOP.)

Because it's now a less efficient pendulum, also with more aero-drag .... better yet cannot cross the wind ... the anchor-arc is reduced to about 35 degrees. The further aft the rode's attached, the smaller her hunting arc will be ... (to a point). The benefit of an anchor bridle ... it keeps the rode's attach point lower to the water. However, a bridle is not essential to my solution.

I bought a couple of stainless line chocks. Someday I'll mount them somewhere on the fore-quarter rail. I think the best spot would be adjacent to the 26X's deck padeye (just fwd of the fore-hatch), one on each rail. Now an anchor rode can be cleated anywhere on the foredeck, as long as it leads through either of these line chocks.

Oops - as regards one of Eric's following points ... my experience finds that when the 26X is bridled (or anchor-chocked) at the fore-quarter, she holds a single tack about 35 degrees vs. the anchor rode. However, that DOES NOT mean the bow is held 35 degrees off the wind. Rather, the tether effect holds the "rode+anchor" at 35 degrees off the wind and tending to hold bow-on the wind ... hence, bow-on to the prevailing waves. In other words, hull-lift vs. wind pressure on the aft-quarter become semi-equalized ... holding the boat's centerline on the wind.

[eric3a]

..

[NiceAft]

Frank,

Thank You. It appears I am dyslexic It is indeed an anchor sail and not a sail anchor.

For those who would like to see one; here is a web site. www.bannerbaymarine.com

The best way of attaching one is to your back-stay, and as Captain Hook said to Smee, "that's where the canker gnaws!" No back-stay on an M.

I am going to attache it to my main halyard, to the boom, and to the mast.
I am just fishing for other ideas.

Ray

[balloonist]

Ray,
Some additional information types of sea anchors. There are drogues instead of a single sea anchor. The drogues consist of a long string of small sea anchors in series. It is claimed that they are less likely to fail than a single chute an supposedly easier to retrieve. Personally I do not have experience with either. but a couple of times I have wished....
Bill

[Night Sailor]

Ah. Language. How important it can be to understanding.
Anchor sail, or as I've always call it, riding sail. Any sailmaker worth his palm can sew up one for you. According to theory, the farther aft, the better. Seems like one on the mast wold not be adequate. And you don't want one to be loose and flapping in a strong breeze. It's got to be heavy, firm, stiff, very securely mounted of it will drive you nuts.

My favorite is adjusting the anchor rode bridle when anchored, as Frank C suggests. For strong winds or big swells and waves or wakes, do use properly reinforced deck mounted cleats, not the bases of lifeline stanchions.

[parrothead]

For those who would like to see one; here is a web site. www.bannerbaymarine.com

The best way of attaching one is to your back-stay, and as Captain Hook said to Smee, "that's where the canker gnaws!" No back-stay on an M.

Banner Bay was exhibiting at the Philly saiboat show, and also held some "seminar" sessions on how to attach the anchor sail. For boats with no backstay like the , you can hank the standard model to the topping lift instead - or purchase a special model that needs no rear attachment.

As for the anchor bridle approach - what has worked very well for us is feeding the anchor rode through a block [or you could use a snatch block for more $$] ... keep the block near the bitter end of your rode, then after setting the anchor normally: uncleat it momentarily, snap a line onto the block and allow the block to slide down the rode into the water, re-cleat the rode, then lead the new line back to the winch on the side of the boat that you want to have facing slightly upwind. Adjust the size of the bridle triangle to suit your conditions.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

I just throw out a stern anchor and voila...no more swing...at all. I'd say that this takes a lot less time than rigging an anchor sail or a bridle.

[Sloop John B]

Yeah, I work it like Dimitri.

Just toss a mushroom off the side. Gets a little windy and that mushroom drags through the sand and don't be looking out the ports or back hatch or you might vomit. Think I'll take an extra little danforth along next time.

Chip describes a successful sail anchor available at Sailrite. Rigged up on the back stay and stanchion, like a backward storm jib. Idea is to keep the little sucker from gybing.

I've studied Frank's method and if I can figure out how to secure the rode to the bridle, I may try that.

Before locking down a chock, I'd like to know exactly where to mount it, and maybe that varies boat to boat.

[Frank C]

... I've studied Frank's method and if I can figure out how to secure the rode to the bridle, I may try that.

Once again ... the easiest way to learn about side-anchoring is to run a quick prototype "Lunch test." Just tie-off your anchor rode to the aft pulpit stanchion. Here's the "Lunch Hook Test Mode", no chocks, no bridle, no investment, no hassles:

1. Anchor normally & cleat the rode at the bow;
2. Now pull another ten feet of excess, leftover rode from the anchor locker;
3. Lead surplus rode outside the pulpit;
4. And back to the last stanchion where pulpit ends;
5. (this is adjacent to the "deck seam" between anchor hatch and fore-hatch);
6. So now you have a "5-foot loop" of anchor rode at the stanchion
   (leading back to the bow cleat, also to the remaining pile of rode);
7. Tie that "loop" of rode onto the stanchion base;
8. Release your original cleat, so the bow now rides forward & rode bears onto the stanchion.
9. Leave some slack from the stanchion & re-cleat the lazy rode as a backup to the stanchion.
10. You'll be amazed that just this little change dramatically reduces swinging.

OR, try the "Lunch Hook Bridle Test:"

1. Anchor normally & cleat the rode at the bow;
2. Insert a half-hitch loop into the lazy rode, after the cleat;
3. Tie a 15-foot dockline into this little loop of rode
   (use bowline knots in both places if you know how - easy to release);
4. Lead the dockline outside the stanchions & shrouds, secure to either winch;
5. RE-cleat the lazy rode (on the idle cleat) about six feet behind the new loop & dockline;
6. Uncleat the original cleat so the anchor now pulls the triangle of lines (off-side cleat + the winch);
7. Lengthen or shorten the dockline at the winch to alter the bridle triangle;
8. Testing an infinite number of bridle points to learn the hull's bridled behavior.

[Chip Hindes]

Reprint from a previous post:

I anchored out all seven nights we were in Bimini [ed June '05]. With nightly storms, winds ranged from 5-10 one night, 15-20 steady several nights, I personally measured gusts to 28 one night; that same night an adjacent boat with a weather station clocked a single gust of 65 mph. seems llike it might have been a mistake, but he insisted it was real.

Single Bulwagga 17 lb 15' 1/4" chain, 3/8" rode, 8-9:1 scope, rudders and centerboard both up.

I used the anchor riding sail I made from the Sailrite kit last year.
I discovered the key while watching the sail the first night. I had it sheeted to the mainsheet bail, which on my boat is midboom to clear the bimini, with the base of the mainsheet tackle attached to the port stanchion. I discovered in this location the anchor riding sail was jibing, emphasizing the sailing and getting about 40 degres swing; less than without but IMO not acceptable.

I moved the anchor riding sheet to the end of the boom. It stopped jibing and resulted in a truly dramatic reduction in sailing.

In winds 10 mph and under, max sailing at anchor is almost unnoticeable; no more than 10 degrees. The largest swing I measured was 25 degrees, in 20mph steady winds. I was a little too busy to measure it in higher winds, but my impression was that it was no worse.

Here's a picture of the setup, snapped from the dinghy landing.