It’s almost mid-August and many of you should already be on holiday or are about to leave. Among those who have decided to spend their summer vacation on a sailing boat, there must certainly be someone who prefers to stay away from everything and everyone and as much close as possible to the sea.

Well, if you identify yourself in the person described above, your ideal night is the one spent at anchor, probably in a bay where there is not even a supermarket (which is quite hard to find during these days, uh?). We are not wasting our words on the importance of having with you the right amount of food to survive for at least two days, as you should probably be aware of it; on the other hand, this article is about the fundamentals to spend a quiet night at the anchor.

How can I choose the right spot to drop the anchor?

Firstly, the bay needs to be sheltered from the present winds as well as those that have been forecasted: listen to the weather bulletin when you arrive at the bay and, check the weather forecasts before going to sleep. Secondly, you must be aware of the seabed: if possible, you should more an additional rope ashore (or more than one) that, in case of heavy ground wind, will let you stay at the exact point where you have decided to spend the night in.

The anchoring maneuvers

The anchoring maneuver is composed of a few moves. After you have found the perfect spot to drop the anchor, bow to the wind. Wait until the sailing boat does not move and drop the anchor until it reaches the seabed. Start backing off, giving the anchor time to penetrate and the chain time to stretch to the length you want. To test the anchorage, engage the reverse gear and give it a good acceleration.  The boat will back off a little and stop. If it does not, you will have to repeat the operation.

Relax and swim!

Now that you have done everything that has been mentioned above, you can finally swim in the sea, go explore the bay or maybe start preparing dinner. There is nothing more beautiful than enjoying a great aperitif surrounded by the water and a marine breathe. Last but not least, when the sun goes down, turn the masthead light on, as the other boats will know where you are located.

That’s all for now, happy holidays, wind, and sea!

Are you already on vacation and you just realized that the rope that did not seem that damaged, needs to be changed? No worries, our online shop will stay open during the whole month of August and remember that we ship in Italy and European countries: test us!