How do I anchor my boat securely so it stays in place?

To anchor securely, choose sheltered water with good holding ground, pay out enough chain or rope, and set the anchor by gradually increasing reverse thrust. Before settling down, check that the boat holds position under load, transfer the strain to a suitable cleat or snubber, and leave room for changes in wind and tide.

Check shelter and seabed

Check the forecast, charted depths and seabed first. Even excellent equipment cannot make an exposed anchorage or poor holding ground dependable. Sand, mud and clay usually provide good holding; weed, smooth rock and very hard ground are less predictable.

Choose shelter from the wind expected throughout your stay, with a clear route back into open water. Avoid any position where dragging could quickly put you ashore.

Before dropping anchor, motor around the intended swinging area and check the depth. Allow for your draught, waves and the lowest expected water level. Wind can change water levels even where astronomical tides are small: a fall of 30 cm can remove a modest clearance beneath the keel.

Check that your anchor suits the seabed and your boat's displacement and windage. An anchor heavier than the manufacturer's minimum recommendation can provide extra reserve, provided the bow roller, windlass and securing arrangements can handle it. Inspect the shackle, chain, rope splices and bitter-end attachment before relying on them.

Calculate the rode length

Scope is the length of rode divided by the vertical distance from the bow roller to the seabed. Rode is the complete chain or chain-and-rope connection to the anchor. Include the bow roller's height above the water and the highest tide expected during your stay.

• All-chain rode: start at about 5:1 in settled conditions, increasing towards 7:1 or more as conditions demand and space permits.
• Mixed rope and chain: use around 7:1 as a practical starting point, with adequate chain next to the anchor.
• Example: in 4 m of water with the bow roller 1 m above the surface, 5:1 requires 25 m of rode. A further 1 m rise in tide increases that requirement to 30 m.

Mark the rode so you know how much you have paid out. Allow a conservative swinging radius equal to the deployed rode length plus the boat's length. Check clearance from shallows, moorings and neighbouring boats. Boats with different underwater shapes and rodes may swing differently.

Lower and set the anchor

Keep hands, feet and loose clothing clear of the chain, bow roller and windlass while operating them.