Many are wondering what a floating anchor is for. The device is required to slow down a ship that has been wrecked or has lost the ability to sail. This is especially true in cases where an emergency occurs near a waterway, from which it is not recommended to move away.
However, the level of effectiveness of the device has been confirmed on small boats, especially sailing species. For larger vessels, their usefulness is questioned by experts. In addition, no relevant experiments were carried out.
How does a floating anchor work?
The basis of the product is a dense fabric. The floating anchor pictured below is made from canvas.
As a rule, the device has the shape of a cone or a pyramid, the base of which is open. The latter is attached by means of a metal hoop or cross-shaped beams. Four slings are connected to it, with the help of which it is attached to the anchor rope.
To the topthe cone is attached to the pull rope, which pulls the anchor. The device has a buoy used to lower and raise the device. You can also use the buoy to determine where the product is located.
Methods of using floating anchors
The data are taken from the annual RORC 1999. The materials are quite interesting, since in the domestic literature the methods of using floating anchors are outlined and do not give a complete answer about the appropriateness of their use in stormy weather. Soviet specialists casually noted only that they are used for iol.
A thoroughly floating anchor is considered in the work of K. Adlard Coles "Sailing in a Storm". The author notes that the drift created by the device is more effective in reducing drift in windy weather (the size of the yacht must match the size of the device).
The main danger lies in the fact that when yawing, the yacht can turn lag to the wave and capsize. Yawing causes stress on the anchor and rope. When the ship is in reverse, the rudder may break. It becomes clear that when using the device on a modern yacht with a short keel, the vessel must be set with a sail to the stern to maintain direction to the floating anchor. This will ensure the safety of the craft.
Suitable floating anchor for boat, dinghy and backstay. However, the endurance of the mizzen on the backstay has a limit. Therefore, according to Kols, the use of a floating anchor is not always justified. Provided that the holding of the yacht in the wind will be optimal, and the load on the steering wheel is reduced,the yacht will be as if tied to the stern. It will not wobble, which may cause it to flood. The yacht will expose the cockpit to the water.
It should be noted that all the author's conclusions refer to the middle of the last century. Over the years, the modification of yachts has undergone major changes, and cockpits began to drain water themselves. The change in design made it possible to look at the problem of using such anchors in a new way. Today, such a device is advised to have for any yachtsman who goes to the open sea.
Application of floating anchors on rafts
Almost all types of rafts have a floating anchor. It was developed by the UK National Maritime Institute (NMI). The device is large. Its surface is porous. Along with large ballast pockets, it is highly effective against capsizing the raft. Tests carried out in Iceland proved that, despite the storm, the raft stays afloat. The second function of the anchor is to slow down the drift.
Floating anchors on modern yachts
Trial was conducted for RORC at the University of Southampton. It proved that a floating anchor could keep a yacht afloat in high waves. The device helps to reduce the speed of the vessel and keeps it downwind. Model testing revealed that the yacht repeatedly avoided lagging turns and wave caps.
Floating anchor is recommended for both monohull and multihull yacht models. The position of the device from the stern assumes that heavy waves will fall on this part of the vessel. For this reason, allopenings must be sealed. This is given great importance in a special set of rules, which states that yachts must be durable and watertight. In particular, this applies to the hull, cabin and deck, which must withstand the onslaught of water.
Basic requirements
It is required that the hatches and mortgage boards covering the main entrance be attached to the yacht with a strong sling. The roofs of the cockpit lockers also need close attention. They play a huge role in the watertightness of the vessel. If these critically needed parts are lost or damaged, water rushing into the stern will enter and quickly fill the yacht.
The Transport Department has set the size of floating anchors for ship's life rafts and lifeboats. The pipe diameter should be between 10 and 15% of the yacht's LWL. Such a floating anchor can be made by a sailing master.
Tow rope
Recommended cable length is 10 x LOA. In this case, the value corresponds to the period of the wave. A suitable material is a three-strand nylon-based anchor line.
Floating boat drifting
If the vessel cannot swim to the shore, enter the bay or choose a place convenient for mooring, and is also not able to keep in the wind with the rudder, then you should resort to using a floating anchor. The device will reduce drift.
At great depths, the device makes it possible to put the vesselagainst the wave. At the same time, the anchor is located on the bow of the vessel, it is filled in the water. Then a rope is pulled, which slows down the movement of the boat, turning it with its bow into the wind.
The length of the rope must be at least five boat lengths. The cable is released in a weakened state. It must be no shorter than the anchor line.
To weaken the impact of waves on the ship and prevent flooding, special oils are used. Animal oils are the most effective. Spreading over the water surface, they create a film that prevents the formation of ridges and dampens the energy of the waves.
Mineral oils have lower functionality. It is not recommended to use them on small boats.
How to use the oil?
Oil periodically pours from the windward side. A mop soaked in it is hung from the same edge.
There is another way, more economical. Holes are made in a canvas bag or a metal can, into which crumbled cork, rags or hemp are placed. Oil is poured inside. Then the container is closed, the bag is tied, attached to the anchor line and etched.
Also, a line is threaded through the floating anchor so that both ends are on the ship. Then a bag or a can is attached to the line. They must be moved to the anchor at a distance of several meters from it. An empty bag or can is pulled onto the ship and refilled with oil. For a line on a floating anchor, it is recommended to stock up on a block. The sack or can is suspended from the anchor line as a float at such a height that they canreach the wave. Oil, flowing out of a jar or bag, covers the water surface with a film.
Making a floating anchor for PVC boats with your own hands. Process Features
A floating anchor for a PVC boat should have a size of 2.5 to 4 m. It all depends on the size of the vessel. The slings regulate the speed of the boat.
The basis of the homemade design is the dome. The material can be thick polyethylene, synthetic material. The service life of the product depends on this.
It is important that in the center of such a parachute there should be a hole with a diameter of 10-15 cm. Water will enter through it. It is adjustable with a cord. The diameter of the dome, depending on the size of the boat, is 120-150 cm.
Loops are sewn along the length of the circle, through which a rope is threaded to tighten the anchor. There are structures that are mounted on slats. On the top of them is a bottle. The bottom of the anchor should be heavier.
The longer the rope, through which the anchor is attached to the boat, the more effective the device will be. For example, with a line length of 1.5 m, the length of the rope should be 10 m.
Second production method
As a rule, this is a rectangular floating anchor. The open opening of the device in this case may have a quadrangular, triangular or any other shape. You can make a floating anchor for a boat with your hands from an oar pole.
He should begreat thickness. To it is lashed a canvas in the form of a triangle. A weight is attached to the bottom corner of the fabric.
Often, on PVC boats, a vane-type anchor or a device with a truncated cone is used. Such a device is made of canvas. The diameter of the base is approximately 40 cm, the length of the device is 120 cm, the diameter at the top of the cone in the cut is 3 cm. It ends with a loop for attaching drekts.
Third way
A do-it-yourself floating anchor for a PVC boat can be made by another method. This design involves the use of a wire ring with a diameter of 6-8 mm. A Soviet-made hula hoop made of durable high-quality aluminum is ideal for the device. It is optimal in shape and size. The size of such a device will allow a small PVC boat to stay afloat in a current jet and ensure its optimal speed while fishing.
If there is no hula hoop, then the ring is made of wire. Then the hoop is covered with a thin tarpaulin, but polyethylene can also be used. The fabric is stretched so that there is no sagging. The circle is divided into three equal parts, to which meter ropes are tied. Their ends are connected. A 5-liter plastic bottle is tied to the top, and a weight is attached to the bottom. So the anchor in the water will take a vertical position and will be able to keep the current stream.
If fishing is carried out in windy weather, then the bottle fromplastic is replaced with a half-liter container. In this case, the floating anchor does not go into the water column much, and the waves do not pose a danger. The system does not inflate like a sail and keeps the boat stable in the desired current stream.
It is advised to lower the device from the boat by no more than 5 m. Further it is not advised, since the device can turn the anchor with its mass, and the meaning of the device will be lost.
It is recommended to have such a simple device with you if you are fishing in reservoirs. The diameter of the ring is selected depending on the size of the PVC boat.
It should be noted that if there is no aluminum hoop, then you can resort to using branches with leaves. The branches are cut down and tightly tied. A small weight is attached to them. The bottle is not tied, as the branches have excellent buoyancy. Such a device is inferior in functionality to an anchor based on a hoop, but copes with its task.
