Anchoring  Posted By: Graham Parker Posted By:Tom Ray  Posted By:Dick Herman  Posted By:Kruse’n, Mac 22  Finally, after three years of sailing my Suncat, I did an overnight anchored in the bay right by Fort Ticonderoga on Lake  Champlain. I was on my own and found it hard to drop the hook from the bow and return to the motor in time to reverse.  So it took me a couple of goes to get my Delta Plow to dig in (the weeds didn't help either). But it got me thinking about a  better alternative and I wondered what more experienced sailors thought and if anyone has tried it? Firstly I don't have  an anchor roller at the front so I stow mine under the berth in the cabin. so next trip I think I'll try having the anchor rode  tied off the rear cleat at say 100 ft. I'll still tie the bitter end to the front mooring cleat and have the rest of the rode sitting  on my from cockpit seat. I'll approach the spot where I want to drop the anchor from the opposite direction - going with the  wind. Then I'll drop the anchor and continue to motor forward until I feel it grab when I'll put it in neutral after giving it a  quick burst of throttle to set it. After double checking that its got a firm hold I can go to the bow and tie off the cleat at  what in this case would be 117ft of rode, return to the cockpit and undo the rode on the rear cleat, kill the motor and let  nature take its course. What are the opinions of the many wiser minds out there? If the boat goes around the wrong way when you transition from stern cleat to bow cleat, you could snag your centerboard,  and the boat will make that swing more easily with the board up, so I would retract it before dropping the anchor.  I consider an anchor part of the boats safety equipment. As I sail alone 90 percent of the time, leaving the cockpit is not  the smartest move, especially in an emergency. I carry two anchors, both in the cockpit lazarets and anchor from the  cockpit. Normally, I clip the bitter end of the anchor rode to an amidship cleat and set the anchor. Once everything is set  and secure, I walk the rode to the bow cleat and secure it. Although I have never had to anchor in an emergency where I  want the bow into the wind, I have practiced it. I always lead the bow dock line back to the cockpit. I use a combination of  carabiners and sheepshank knot with half hitches to tie the bitter end ends of the rode and dock line together and then set  the anchor from the cockpit and let go. The one time I did it worked well. Preventing snags on the centerboard is no problem, just hold the line in your hand and move to the front of the cockpit as  you ease it out, and it is fine. I always set my first anchor from the stern. The bitter end is attached to the bow cleat, and then runs down the starboard  side to a cleat on the stern, then into the anchor "bucket". The rest of the rode is coiled down with the chain on top, then  the anchor is set in upside down and the bucket is stowed in the cockpit corner nearest the cleat. I use a short piece of  copper wire twisted tight to the shroud and formed into a hook to keep the rode up out of the water until used. The copper  wire just straightens out when the rode tightens up The bitter end may have an eye splice, but don't put it on the bow cleat, do a standard once around plus locked figure 8.  That way if you need to release the anchor in an emergency and it is too tight to pull in any slack, you can still uncleat and  release it. I tie a small float to the eye splice so I can abandon an anchor and return to recover it. I haven't ever had to do  that, but I know others who had to cut their anchor rode to get free in an emergency. Always set the anchor hard with the motor. I have gone to bed with a forcast of 10 to 12 K wind for the next day and woke  to 26 gusting 34,MEASURED WITHIN 1 MILE OF ME and was glad the anchors were well set. I always sleep on 2  anchors, partly because I am in tidal waters, and also in case of a passing storm with large wind shifts. A thunderbumper  rolling through can procduce 360 degree wind directions and gusts to 60 knots, without being a really bad storm. Setting  the second anchor is often dificult to do, and simply winching it tight against the first is effective. IF the anchor is dug part  way in, it will finish setting with the wind, but if it is fouled with weeds, it will not, so be sure it is holding before letting  out the proper scope. I do often have an anchor and rode on the bow pulpit like every one else, but that anchor is the least used. It is sometimes  the second anchor for an overnight, and I do not go up there to drop it until I have the primary anchor well set. 22