The Book of the Sailboat: How to rig, sail and handle small boats

by A. Hyatt Verrill

Every boat, no matter how small, should always have an anchor on board with enough anchor line to allow you to anchor in fairly deep water—usually from fifty to one hundred feet of line according to the size of the boat and the depth of the waters where you sail. If the boat is small and a long anchor line is in the way the anchor may be attached to a comparatively short line and another line may be coiled and tied neatly and stored away where it can readily be reached if needed.

There are many kinds of anchors, but the commonest form is the ordinary two-fluke pattern with a sliding “stock.” When not in use the cross-piece, or stock, is folded along the shank and thus occupies little space and when it is to be used the stock is held in position at right angles to the shank by a metal key. It is a good plan to seize the stock in position with a bit of line as well as by means of the key for the latter often works loose and allows the anchor to drag. There are also several good designs of folding anchors and for very small boats grapnels may be used if desired.

There is no use in carrying an anchor unless it is large enough to hold the boat in a reasonable wind and sea and for small boats the anchors should weigh at least two pounds for every foot of the boat’s water line length. Every boat over twenty-five feet in length should have at least two anchors, and one of these should be at least one-and-one-half times as heavy as the other. In addition to these real anchors there should be a sea-anchor or drogue in the boat if you ever expect to sail in any but the smoothest waters and lightest winds.

Anchors

1—Common anchor. 2—Grapnel. 3—Drogue or sea-anchor. 4—Keg mooring buoy. 5—Iron mooring buoy. 6—Spar mooring buoy. 7—Mushroom anchor.

A drogue or sea-anchor consists of an iron ring or a strong wooden hoop from one to two feet in diameter which is often hinged or jointed so it may be folded up, and to this a conical canvas bag is sewn. If the drogue is to be used on a fairly large boat it should be strengthened by ropes, as shown in the illustration, and in any case the ring or hoop should be provided with a four-rope “bridle” as illustrated (A). To the small end a light line (B) should be fastened to “trip” the drogue when you wish to draw it in, and a cork float (C) is attached at the end of a line three or four feet in length (D) to prevent the sea-anchor from sinking or “diving.” Some people prefer a drogue with the lower or smaller end left open, but the form shown will serve for all-around purposes as well as any.

The drogue is used when “riding-out” a gale or “lying-to” in a storm or heavy sea and its purpose is to hold the boat’s bow to the wind and waves and also to prevent the boat from drifting too rapidly to leeward. It should be attached to a stout line twenty-five to forty feet in length and passed over the bows and if there is no sea-anchor at hand a bucket, a couple of oars lashed crosswise, thwarts, spare sails, cushions, or, in fact, anything which will float and will offer a considerable resistance to the water, may be used in place of a drogue.

Not only will a drogue hold a boat’s head on to wind and sea but it will also form a “smooth” for the boat and will often prevent the waves from breaking over the bow.

When riding to a drogue a close-reefed sail, or the upper part of the sail may be set to keep the boat steady if necessary, but most boats will ride very well to a drogue without any sail whatever.