Equipment Outfitters

When you anchor in a narrow channel or in a crowded anchorage where the wind or current is likely to change, use two anchors as shown. The combination will reduce the swinging diameter of your boat and keep you from being pushed ashore when the wind or current changes direction. Be sure that the swinging diameter of your boat does not interfere with other anchored boats or with passage through the channel.

Make your approach into the wind or current, lower your anchor until it reaches bottom and then either drift or power backwards to set it firmly.

Continue letting out your anchor line as you prepare your second anchor. When you have backed down to the end of your first anchor line, or to the point where you want your second anchor, let it overboard.

Once the second anchor hits bottom, move back to mid-point between the two. If you have enough crew, you can station one person on the bow to pull in the forward anchor line, another on the stern to let out the second anchor line. You can put the engine in forward to move back to the center.

With fewer people, you may want to pull the boat by hand back to the mid-point to prevent having the anchor line get caught in the propeller.

Once you are at the mid-point, secure both lines at the bow so they don’t chafe each other.

To depart, simply reverse the procedure. Let out the upwind or up-current anchor line and drift back over the stern anchor. Once you have the stern anchor up, you can power up to the bow anchor as someone pulls in the slack, and pick it up as well.

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