HOW TO MARK YOUR ANCHOR

Anchoring in a pretty bay is one of boating’s greatest joys but it can also be a cause of considerable angst: How much chain should I put out? What’s the seabed like? Will I get stuck? What if I drag? Many of these concerns can be solved by laying the correct amount of cable (called scope) for the depth and conditions.

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There are many possible configurations of anchor rode: all-chain (recommended for boats over 40ft); a mix of chain and rope (usually the boat’s length of chain plus 10 times the amount of rope); or 5m of chain and 20 times the boat length of rope. It doesn’t matter too much what you have as long as you let out enough of it to hold you stationary.