Ground Rules
If you anchor often enough a time will occur when your yacht is brought up abruptly against the hold of your chain and anchor. Initially it might be a gentle bump, but as the wind increases it can become quite aggressive and frightening. It’s not only wind that causes this snatch loading. As the wind increases so does the wave action, espe cially in ocean anchorages with a bit of fetch. You only need a gust coinciding with a peak wave and swell, and you have a classic anchordragging situation.
Historically, the easiest solution was to deploy more chain, move to a more sheltered location—if you could find one—or rig a riding sail, which reduces veering.
Yet another option is to equip your boat in
