Emergency Sailing Off Your Anchor Drills
Emergency Sail off Anchor Drills
Situations, situations! Ok, so let’s say you are anchored, and here comes an out-of-control barge about to clean out the anchorage. However, you anchored in an emergency – your engine stopped – so now you are without an engine and must sail off the anchor. Here are the steps, and it’s a good idea to practice it sometime when you aren’t actually in distress to see how the steps go on your boat.
First Step
First, assess wind direction. Hopefully you are pointed into the wind, and can easily raise your main sail.
Next, Check for Danger
Check downwind, down current, check everywhere everything for danger – other boats, bridge, rocks…
Assess Conditions
Make sure wind is stronger than current, or you won’t be able to sail yourself out of trouble.
Raise Then Control the Main
Raise main.
Have someone ready to, by hand, pull in and release main to softy sail you toward your anchor.
Communicate Bow to Helm
Continue to bring in your anchor, let the helms person know when it is off the bottom.
Weigh Anchor, Begin Sailing
Quickly steer in the direction you planned – the one that gives you enough room to build up speed and control.
Control Speed, Add Jib
Quickly steer in the direction you planned – the one that gives you enough room to build up speed and control.
Deploy your jib.
Sail on!
Emergency Sail off the Anchor Checklist
- Assign someone to announce situation on VHF and keep watch
- Have sound producing device ready for emergency signals
- Raise main
- Gently, slowly sail forward, luffing as needed so you don’t overshoot your anchor
- Retrieve anchor
- Alert helmsperson that anchor is weighed
- Sail toward safety
- Raise jib
- Continue sailing
I Don’t Go Anywhere Without:
- North American Rescue CAT tourniquets.
- PierShare to rent your dock out or rent a dock.
- BoatUS for your boat towing insurance! Code: “HEWAF88”
- Thank you Bill for being the Best Sailing Partner EVER!
