Anchors Away! How to Drop Anchor in Your Boat

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

For the fancy yacht owner, dropping anchor can be an incredibly easy thing – some anchors will operate at the push of a button. For the rest of us in speed boats, pontoon boats, or fishing boats, dropping anchor is a little bit more work to say the least. So if you’re taking out a boat for the first time and decided you need to drop anchor, how do you make sure you do it without embarrassing yourself or doing some damage to the boat? Here is a quick guide to dropping anchor.

First, choose your spot. You’ll want to go somewhere where you have an idea of the water’s depth: this will help you know how far the anchor needs to go. It’s one thing to drop your anchor in shallows, it’s another to drop it deep. You can also choose a spot based on where the fishing is. You don’t necessarily need to know the water depth, but if you have a good idea, it helps.

Once you’ve prepared your boat and have slowed down, it’s time to get your anchor ready. Most anchors will be tied to ropes; make sure both ends are secure. The rope should be adequately attached to both your boat and your anchor. You’ll also want to check the rope itself: is it knotted? Is it attached to anything that might go overboard if the rope dragged it over? Make sure the rope is clear of these things before you drop anchor.

Next, hold the rope over the anchor over the side of the boat and begin gently sliding it into the water. Once you have a bunch of rope cleared, you’ll be able to let it slide faster. Don’t simply throw it over. Don’t let the rope slide over your hands – you don’t want to get rope burn.

Once you’ve dropped the anchor and you feel it hit the bottom, it’s up to you to decide how much give it gets. You can tie the rope around a safe notch in your boat – many boats have a place on the side where you can do this. Or you can throw the rest of the rope overboard and let the current take you a bit further.

Photo Credits: FourthFloor