If you buy through our links, Amazon pays us a small commission at no extra cost to you. That’s how we keep the site running. How we choose.
Contents
Knowing how to anchor properly is the difference between a quiet afternoon in a cove and a sleepless night watching to see if you're dragging. The maneuver is simple, but it follows a logical sequence and has a couple of checks you can't skip: pick the spot, work out your scope, lower the anchor with the boat stopped, pay out rode as you back down and, above all, set the anchor with the engine before you shut it off.
If you're still working out what gear to carry, start with our guides on what size anchor you need and anchor chain.
Quick answer: approach slowly, bow into the wind, stop the boat over your chosen spot, lower the anchor to the bottom, back down slowly while paying out 5:1 scope (7:1 with rope), snub the rode so the anchor digs in, then back down with more power to confirm it holds. Finally, add a snubber and take bearings.
Before you anchor: the spot and the forecast
A good anchorage starts before the anchor goes over the side. An excellent anchor in a bad spot drags, while a modest anchor in well-sheltered firm sand will hold whatever comes. Run through these points before entering the cove:
- Wind forecast for the next several hours, not just the current wind. If a shift is expected that would leave the anchorage exposed, find another or have an exit plan. Always check the official marine forecast.
- Bottom type: your chart and depth sounder tell you whether it's sand, mud, rock or weed. Sand and firm mud are the best holding ground. Seagrass beds hold poorly and are protected in many places.
- Depth: 10 to 30 ft is the comfortable range for most recreational boats. In deeper water you need a lot of chain.
- Swinging room: the boat will swing around the anchor. Work out a circle with a radius equal to the rode paid out plus your boat length, and make sure there are no other boats, shoals or buoys inside it.
- Local rules: marked swimming areas, marine reserves, mooring fields and channels are places where you can't anchor.
A good chartplotter with a depth sounder makes this easier: you see the real depth and can set an anchor alarm that warns you if the boat leaves the expected circle.
How much rode to pay out: the scope rule
An anchor works best when the pull on it is almost horizontal. If the rode pulls upward, the anchor tends to break out. That's why the length of rode is calculated as a multiple of depth: the scope ratio.
The depth to use is the water depth plus the height of the bow roller above the water, plus any tide rise expected during your stay.
| Depth (water + bow height) | All chain, calm weather (3:1) | All chain, fresh breeze (5:1) | Chain + rope (7:1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ft | 30 ft | 50 ft | 70 ft |
| 15 ft | 45 ft | 75 ft | 105 ft |
| 20 ft | 60 ft | 100 ft | 140 ft |
| 30 ft | 90 ft | 150 ft | 210 ft |
| 40 ft | 120 ft | 200 ft | 280 ft |
To know how much rode you've let out, mark the chain every 25 or 30 ft with colored cable ties or paint, or fit a chain counter.
How to anchor step by step
1. Get your gear ready before you arrive
While still underway, free the anchor from its seat or check that it drops freely over the bow roller, remove the safety pin or windlass lock, and make sure the chain isn't tangled in the locker. Have the snubber at hand. Decide who's at the helm and who's on the bow, and agree on hand signals: with wind and engine noise, voices don't carry.
2. Approach slowly, bow into the wind
Enter the cove at minimum steerage speed and make a pass to read the depth sounder and see where everyone else is. Watch how the other boats lie: they all point toward where the wind or current is coming from. Choose a spot with enough room and approach bow into the wind (or into the current, if it's stronger).
3. Stop the boat and lower the anchor
When the bow is over your chosen spot, put the engine in neutral and wait for the boat to stop or begin to drift back. At that moment, lower the anchor under control until it touches bottom. Don't throw it from a distance or drop it with the boat moving forward: the chain would pile on top of the anchor and can foul it.
4. Pay out rode as you back down
With the anchor on the bottom, back down very slowly (or let the wind push the boat) while paying out chain. The aim is to lay it out in a straight line, not pile it up. When about half is out, snub the rode for a moment so the anchor starts to dig in, then continue to your calculated length.
5. Set the anchor with the engine
With all the rode out and cleated, back down with low power and gradually increase to about half throttle. The chain should come tight and stay tight, without jerking or vibrating. If you feel skips, the anchor is dragging: bring it up and repeat the maneuver, maybe in a different spot or with more scope.
6. Add the snubber and take the load off the windlass
Never leave the load on the windlass. Attach an anchor snubber to the chain (a length of nylon line with a hook or eye), pay out a few more feet so the line takes the load, and secure it to a bow cleat. Besides protecting the windlass, the nylon absorbs shock loads and stops the boat from creaking. To choose one, see our selection of snubbers and mooring springs.
7. Take bearings and set the alarm
Pick two fixed marks ashore that form a wide angle (a house and a rock, for example) and memorize their relative position. Set the anchor alarm on your chartplotter or a phone app with a radius a little greater than the rode paid out plus your boat length. Check your bearings every so often, especially if the wind picks up.
How to anchor by bottom type
| Bottom | Holding quality | Best-performing anchor | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firm sand | Excellent | Most; Danforth and new generation stand out | Normal scope, quick set |
| Mud | Good if firm | Danforth, plow, new generation | Let the anchor sink in before backing down |
| Gravel and shell | Fair | Bruce, Delta, new generation | More scope and a careful hold test |
| Rock | Poor and unpredictable | Bruce or folding grapnel | Use a trip line: the anchor can get stuck |
| Weed and seagrass | Poor (and often protected) | None is reliable | Look for a sandy patch; avoid the meadow |
To understand why each design behaves differently, our guide on what size anchor you need compares Delta, Bruce, Danforth, CQR, folding and new-generation anchors.
Anchoring with two anchors or a stern anchor
In narrow or crowded coves, a stern anchor limits swinging and keeps the bow into the swell. You anchor from the bow with a little more scope than needed, drop the stern anchor (usually a light Danforth with chain and rope), and then take in some of the bow rode to tension both lines. If the wind shifts abeam, the boat can't align and both anchors take much more load: it isn't a setup to leave unattended.
In the Mediterranean it's also common to run a shore line from the stern, tied to a rock or tree, to lie perpendicular to the coast. You'll need a long floating line and a dinghy.
How to weigh anchor properly
- Start the engine and remove the snubber.
- Motor very slowly toward the anchor while taking in chain: the engine moves the boat, the windlass only takes up slack.
- When the chain is up and down (vertical), stop: often the boat's own weight breaks the anchor out. If it won't come, motor a little further past it to pull in the opposite direction.
- If the anchor is stuck in rock, use the trip line to pull from the crown. Without one, try circling the anchor with short scope.
- Before stowing it on the roller, rinse it off if it comes up with mud and secure it with its pin so it can't come loose underway.
A good anchor windlass makes this easier on boats over about 25 ft, but it doesn't replace technique: hauling the boat up to the anchor with the windlass is the main cause of motor and clutch failures.
Common anchoring mistakes
- Dropping the anchor with the boat moving forward: the chain falls on top and fouls the flukes.
- Paying out too little rode "because it's shallow": at 2:1 any gust breaks the anchor out.
- Not backing down to test the hold. An anchor resting on the bottom isn't an anchor that's set.
- Leaving the load on the windlass instead of on a snubber and cleat.
- Anchoring too close to another boat without allowing for the fact that it may have more or less scope and swing differently.
- Anchoring on seagrass: the anchor holds poorly, and you tear up a plant that takes decades to recover.
Watch out: don't sleep at anchor without an anchor alarm and bearings. Anchors tend to drag in the early hours, when the wind shifts, and it's better to be woken by an alarm than by the sound of another hull.
Safety and anchor lights
Before every trip, check shackles, chain and the chain-to-rope splice as part of your pre-departure checklist, and practice the basic boating knots for securing lines and trip lines.
At anchor, you're still responsible for your boat: at night you must show an all-round white anchor light and, strictly speaking, by day a black ball, under the international collision regulations (COLREGs). Small boats may be exempt in certain conditions; check the rules that apply where you boat. All the gear is in anchoring and mooring.
Recommended gear for this guide
Frequently asked questions
How much scope do I need when anchoring?
The usual guidance is 3:1 to 5:1 scope if the whole rode is chain, and 5:1 to 7:1 if you combine chain and rope. Measure depth from the bow roller and add the expected tide. In strong wind or overnight, go to 5:1 or more.
How do I know if my anchor has set?
After paying out the rode, back down with low power and gradually increase to about half throttle. The chain should come tight without jumping or vibrating, and your bearings ashore shouldn't shift. If the boat keeps going astern, the anchor is dragging and you need to repeat the maneuver.
What is an anchor snubber and do I need one?
It's a length of nylon line with a hook or eye that attaches to the chain and is cleated to the boat. It takes the load off the windlass, absorbs shocks and reduces noise. It's highly recommended for any extended stay at anchor.
Can I anchor anywhere?
No. Anchoring is prohibited in places like marked swimming areas, marine reserves, mooring fields and navigation channels. Seagrass is protected in many areas. Always check local rules before anchoring.
What lights do I show at anchor at night?
An all-round white light visible in every direction and, by day, a black ball. Small boats may be exempt in certain conditions, but check your local rules and make sure your navigation lights include an anchor light.