Carver 46 VOYAGER, Owner'S Manual

Page: 131 / 180

S
ECTION
6 O
PERATING AND
M
ANEUVERING
4627 10/02
Approach your selected anchor site from downwind. Come to a dead stop
over the spot where you want to drop anchor. Have a crew member lower
the anchor. When the anchor hits bottom, reverse engines and slowly move
the boat backwards to pay out more anchor line as the crew member keeps
a slight tension on the line. When the proper length is out, the crew mem-
ber can snub the line by winding it around the bow cleat. This should cause
the anchor flukes to dig in and hold effectively.
Check for anchor drag. Immediately after anchoring, observe shoreline
landmarks. After thirty minutes, observe the landmarks again. If the points
of reference have changed, reset your anchor.
When weighing (pulling in) your anchor, pull the line in until it is vertical.
When the line is taut, a hard tug will pull the anchor’s shank up. If the
anchor is stuck, wrap some of the line around a bow cleat and keep tension
on the line. The boat’s momentum may free the anchor. If there is a swell,
wind the line around a bow cleat when the bow drops into a wave trough. As
the bow lifts, it may free the anchor. If neither of these methods works, pay
out a few feet of line, secure it around the bow cleat, and maneuver around
the anchor. Keep the line tight until you find the angle that pulls the an-
chor loose.
An electric windlass simplifies the above procedures. Follow the above
procedures and use the windlass control at the helm to drop anchor. To
relieve strain on the windlass, hooks called devil’s claws engage the chain
when the anchor is down.
A T
IP
F
ROM
C
ARVER
!
To avoid potentially damaging stress on the windlass, always tie off the anchor
rope to the anchoring cleat.
If you intend to stay at anchor overnight or if you anchor your boat close to
another structure, consider dropping another anchor from the stern. This
prevents your boat from swinging around if the wind or current shifts.
You may also need to anchor in a strong wind. If you drop your spare an-
chor, make sure the two anchors are laid out at an angle. If both anchors
are set in-line and one of them drags, it may cut a trough for the other
anchor to follow.
6.4.1 Stern Anchors
In some anchorages, boats use bow and stern anchors at the same time. To
get these anchors down, drop the bow anchor first, then pay out extra
anchor line (15-18 times the depth). Drop the stern anchor and adjust the
length of line payed out on both anchors as necessary.