The RS Venture

Specification

Rigging

Anchor for the RS Venture

Anchor options

The range of anchors on the market presents a confusing array of options. There are three basic types;

  • The grapple anchor -  usually having 4 hooks with the big advantage that it folds up relatively neatly and can be stored in a slim bag or bucket. It is also probably one of the cheapest anchor options. The holding power of a grapple anchor is relatively poor but can be effective for light dinghies. If subject to a side pull this anchor may lose its grip.
  • The 'Bruce' or claw anchor. This  type of anchor is widely used and holds well in soft ground and is reasonably priced. It is a fixed anchor and cannot be folded for storage. A size suitable for a dinghy will fit into  a bucket for storage. As with the grapple this anchor may also lose grip if subjected to a side pull.
  • The Plough or Delta anchor that when located will bury itself more deeply in soft ground as the horizontal pull increases. Some Delta anchors have a weighted tip and are self righting, ie when subject to a horizontal pull will turn over to allow its weighted tip to burrow into the ground. Two variations on the delta anchor is the Plastimo Kobra anchor that may be folded slightly to ease its storage and the Rocna roll-bar anchor that has a circular bar welded between the anchor wings that work well to encourage this anchor to hold first time around and, in the event of being pulled free it will often re-attach. An excellent anchor but at a price. Both the Plastimo and the Roll-bar anchors have a weighted steel tip and work well at holding in sand and mud etc and will usually re-attach if pulled free by a change in wind or tide. Another similar and highly rated anchor is the Manson Supreme, possibly overkill for a boat like the Venture.

In use the Plastimo Kobra 4Kg folding anchor is fairly convenient. It is stored on my RS Venture in a heavy duty canvas toolbag together with the chain and warp. The toolbag is tied to the mast step just in case of a  capsize and sits alongside the bowsprit pole under the deck. When dropping the anchor care needs to be taken  to avoid the chain scuffing the finish on the boat but as the anchor is dangled over the side the anchor drops open from its folded position and locks open. I have tested the self righting of this anchor by dropping it on its side into shallow water and then giving it a steady pull. Almost immediatey it turned to bury its tip into the sand/mud and gripped well. Surprisingly the tip was only partially into the sand before its holding power required great strength to move it any further.

The weight of an anchor is a key factor to its holding power. Manufacturers frequently quote a weight of 2Kg as being suitable for boats of less than 6m in length however this is a minimum recommendation and a larger dinghy such as the RS Venture is better held by a 4Kg anchor.. The other main factor affecting the holding power of an anchor is the anchor rode.

Anchor Rode

This consists of a length of chain and warp (rope) coupled together. The whole purpose of the chain is to present a low horizontal pull on the anchor shaft. A heavy length of chain will act to keep the pull horizontal even in rough conditions - if it is long enough. Use a 6mm galvanised chain for the RS Venture. The length will depend on the depth of water in which the anchor is expected to be used. There are many 'rules of thumb' giving guidance on the ratio of chain to warp. For light boats such as the RS Venture the length of chain should be equivalent to the greatest depth in which the anchor might be used with a rope 5 times that length. Note also that whilst 'rules of thumb' often use boat length as a factor the actual loading of the boat should be taken into account, A fully laden boat will require more holding than a lightly loaded boat.  For my RS Venture to be used in relatively shallow waters I have used a 4.3 metre length of 6mm chain and 20m length of 8 braid rope.

Anchor Rode fastenings

Attach the chain to the anchor using a combination of 'D' type shackle and swivel. The swivel removes any twist that may be in the chain from holding the anchor to one side preventing the point from penetrating the ground. The rope warp may be attached to the chain either directly or using a 'D' type shackle. This will suffice for most purposes however the coupling between the rope and chain may be subjected to considerable wear / friction when the boat is left on the mooring.  It is for this reason that I have used an 8 braid rope that has been spliced into the chain for a distance of around 30cms. Splicing the rope into the chain removes the need for knots and scope for very localized wear.

Delta anchors are often made with an additional hole at the rear of the shaft, close to the wings of the anchor. Attaching a shackle and 4mm rope, matching the length of the Rode,  to this point will enable the anchor to be pulled out backwards if it becomes stuck in rocks or buried too deep for easy release. This may prevent the loss of an entire anchor and chain. Note that when the anchor is in use this rope should be left slack at all times.

Anchoring Techniques

Much will depend on the circumstances but the inboard end of the anchor warp should always be securely attached to the mast at deck level.  The standard model of the Venture is not fitted with Fairleads or for that matter any rubbing strip. Arguably every boat intending to use an anchor should at least have a bow Fairlead. For persons doing much in the way of cruising it is useful to fit twin fairleads at both bow and stern. These serve when at anchor and when under tow. The stern fairleads are useful when tying up alongside a jetty or when other boats are moored to the Venture.
Fairleads on the bow are very useful to secure the warp as it goes over the side. Using fairleads will keep the bow towards the anchor point and prevent scratching the finish of the RS Venture deck and gunwhales. Rear fairleads also permit the use of fore and aft tie ups and if necessary enable another boat to be tied to the rear of the RS Venture. When using an anchor the ropes should be attached to the RS Venture mast.

When stopping for lunch at a beach simply dropping the anchor on the beach is all that is required but be mindful of an incoming tide in case on return you find the RS Venture is still well anchored but apparently in the middle of the sea. It may be necessary to extend the warp to the full to make sure that the boat can be hauled in when the tide comes in, or at intervals move the anchoring point up the beach ahead of the incoming tide. As a corollary to this beware of an outgoing tide leaving the RS Venture high and dry. An RS Venture is a relatively heavy dinghy at the best of times and with cruising gear and an engine it will be very difficult to move if it is accidentally beached by a receding tide. A technique for solving this problem is to use the dinghy fenders as rollers to move the boat into the water. It is in these circumstances that having the optional extra of stainless steel bilge keel protective strips is an advantage.

To anchor in deeper water it is first necessary to assess whether the anchor rode is suitable for the depth of water. The rode needs to be approx 6 times the water depth or more. Fasten the warp to the mast also checking that the warp and anchor are forward of the shrouds and clear of the jib sheets (lead the end of the warp outside of the shrouds, forward and under the jib sheets before tying to the mast and lowering the anchor over the side). Make a judgement on both wind and tide or water flow and sail upwind or uptide beyond the intended anchoring position. Be generous because as soon as the boat stops it will begin to drift back with wind or tide before the anchor bites. Lower the anchor, checking that if a folding anchor is being used it has locked in the open position and lower the anchor, feeding the warp into the front fairlead. If possible, take a transit sighting on two fixed points and allow the boat to drop back under the influence of wind and / or tide until the boat comes to rest indicating that the anchor has a good purchase on the bottom. Recheck the transit sighting to ensure the anchor is not dragging.