Skating at anchor
Date: June 11, 2000
From: Wayne Turk Janwayne@aol.com
Paul, please ask all the Endeavour 40 owners particularly if they have a problem with the boat skating at anchor. It is at its worst with only one anchor out & as the wind gets stronger the boat sails up the anchor on one tack & then falls off 30 or 40 degrees in the other direction. This puts a tremendous strain on the anchor. Please advise if anyone can help with this problem.
Date: June 12, 2000
From: Paul Uhl endvr32@endeavourowners.com
Wayne,
I've sent out your 'skating' question to E38 owners and larger, as the size issue may come into play. However, an easy solution would to fabricate a small riding sail that could attach to the backstay. A pair of schackles could attach it to the backstay, with a pendent on the bottom (tack), halyard attachment on the top (head), and a line (clew) lead forward to a solid attachement such as a cabin top winch.
Date: June 14, 2000
From: Tom Powers TomPowers@sunnuclear.com
Wayne,
My E40 does the same thing. It requires quite a bit of wind before it starts, but it will do it. If you find a solution, please let me know.
Date: June 15, 2000
From: Jerry Bernath bernathj@pocketmail.com
Sorry to relate that your problem is also one on my E42 (BiBi) and the reason is the high freeboard & keel design that creates the problem of sailing around the anchor rode. It will also happen on a mouring.
The only success I have had in solving the problem is a large riding sail. The Sailrite product is too small so you will need a custom one made. The design is right.
Another solution that worked some of the time is if you are using chain rode, run two snubbers, one from each forward chock. If the current is weak and you do not need to swing, I also put a small danforth off the stearn which did work. As for the strain, I worry more about the chaffing and use firehose to protect my rode & snubbers. Thats about all I can share with you.
Date: June 15, 2000
From: Sam Woolsey SamWoolsey@aol.com
Wayne,
Solveig is on the Mississippi River and I experience the same problem. The skating problem becomes especially tricky when the wind is opposite the current.
Folks with long experiece on the river, suggest a small mushroom anchor attached to the rode near the boat to keep the rode from wrapping around the keel and rudder.
I really don't have an answer other than to put out a bow and stern anchor. As I gain more experience, I'll be glad to share it. I would appreciate hearing the responses you receive.
Date: June 16, 2000
From: William Lowenberg lastdance@pocketmail.com
Endeavour forum
I've had good sucess by..... set the ground tackle and snubber as usual, then deploy 100 feet of chain in a pile. This resistance reduces "wandering" substantially.
Date: August 27, 2000
From: Tom Gilbert TGil95746@aol.com
On the subject on swinging on the anchor, I have a solution that works for me. As the wind pipes up, I take nylon line and make a bridle from the anchor rode to a point along the toe rail, aft of center ship. This forces the boat to point off and settle down. I use a bowline on a snap shackle for most times, as it's quick and effective. Adjusting the rode to get the right angle isn't too much work, and the results have been great.
Date: September 4, 2000
From: Wolfgang Harms Wolfgang@pioneer-research.com
Thanks to some good tips about "Cutter rig" (see that subject) I am now installing a second forstay for a stay sail. However, I want to use the same stay also for a storm sail. I mounted the foot of the stay on the fore deck about a foot inside, with a heavy steel plate as backing plate, and using the eye at the mast just above the spreaders, about 35 feet up.
Does anybody have any specs or experiences with storm sails for the E 43 ketch? I want to join the Carib1500 in November, 1500 miles of open ocean and would like to be well prepared. Thank you
Date: July 8, 2001
From: Wayne Turk Janwayne@aol.com
Gentlemen,
Since all of you were nice enough to share your knowledge on the above subject with me earlier this year, I was compelled to pass along what I had come up with for your info.
Our E-40 "Sea Ya" is a terrible skater & I believe the reason for our anchor to drag in Georgetown, Bahamas last year. Anyway, after listening to all of you & trying the riding sail (to no avail), I did a takeoff on William Lowenberg's idea of deploying an extra 100 foot of chain after snubbing to slow down the bow from skating back & forth. I took about 20' of chain & flaked it back & forth tying the center through the links with a small parachute cord to keep it in tact. I then attached another line around the center & deployed it over the bow roller as a drag, tying it off after it was firmly on the bottom. The result was unbelievable! Skating was reduced from 40 degrees to either side of the wind to 10-15 degrees. I am in the process of coming up with a weight that will store easy yet have enough weight to create the drag needed to work.
By the way, Paul, if you could place this in the forum under skating at anchor it may save someone else the pain of trying to stop this problem.
Date: July 9, 2001
From: Jerry Bernath bernathj@pocketmail.com
Wayne, Jerry on BiBi here. I was in G'town for both the cruising & family regatta. Sorry I missed you.
The riding sail did work for me. I made and used a V shaped one that was in Cruising World several years back. I gave the copy of the article to a guy on a new 46 Hunter also in G'town that had the same problem. He had Mack Sails in Stuart, Fl make one for $175. It worked well for him as well. You may want to consider this option.
Where are you located? I am in Wilmington, NC but leaving for the Chesapeake around July 25th. Likely to be in Annapolis around Aug 10th or so. If we could connect, I would show you the sail and we could even try it on your boat.
Date: July 11, 2001
From: Clint Spooner SCS@nixonvan.com
By the way, although I have recently sold my E40, we solved the skating at anchor problem by tying a line between a point on the anchor line about 10' off the bow and a stern cleat. The line is tensioned so that the anchor line and this stern line form a bridle which keeps the boat from skating through the wind onto the other tack. There is still a little of the skating from about 30 degrees off the wind to about 20 degrees off the wind, but the strain on the anchor is much reduced.
Date: July 11, 2001
From: Carol & Bruce McMahon lbm@amherst.com
This seems like an excellent idea. Cu Mara (E33) does a fair amount of "skating" or "dancing" around at anchor. I will definitely try this and get back to you.
Date: July 25, 2001
From: Rick & Donna Cass bacchus42@earthlink.net
Hi, y'all. Just back from a week on Block Island. We kept the boat on a mooring for three days, then went to an anchorage to try the new anchor, chain and windlass. Last time the boat was afloat over a year ago, it skated at anchor and on a mooring in any wind at all, and wanted to go broadside to the wind. This was not good. We had a bridle made of 3/4 in. nylon three strand with two eyes leading through the hawse holes to the cleats, and with a Tylaska snap shackle fitting on the business end. This takes 18,000 lb. working load, and can be attached to a mooring, a chain hook, or a rode snubber, depending on the situation. Result. No more skating at anchor, and the anchor held beautifully in 20-28 kn. winds, and with changes of direction of more than 180 over the 5 days. We used a Delta 35# with 60 feet of G-4 hi-test, and 5/8 rode. I doubt that the delta moved more than 3 feet upon a reversal of wind. We are very happy with this set-up for the mainanchor. Still working on the aft (stream) anchor and a lunch hook. Fair winds
