Have you finally realized your longtime dream of acquiring a boat? You will, of course, be incredibly excited about exploring the open waters and perhaps seeing the world. The time you spend at anchor is also, however, a key part of your boating experience. There’s nothing quite like a well-earned night’s rest in a beautiful spot on the water.
How do you choose where to anchor? No, we don’t mean “which marina”, but rather an anchorage point where you can lower your hook and spend a relaxing night and feel like you’re really in the middle of nowhere, away from everyone and everything except your boat, nature, and the friends or family who came on the trip. Now that’s real freedom!
If you are new to boating, there’s no question about it — deciding where to anchor can be intimidating, even if you are now well-versed in anchoring and have practiced your technique. The bad news? Nothing can change that. The good news?
Armed with some tips, the experience of choosing a solid and safe anchoring spot will be slightly easier, because you will know exactly what to do.
Here’s what to look for before you take the plunge and drop that hook!
Contents
What to Look for in an Anchorage Point
As you decide where to anchor your boat, you will have a lot of different factors to take into account — and if you get it wrong, the consequences can be dire. It is essential to choose the best possible anchoring spot, then! Any anchorage you choose should meet the following criteria:
- Choose a spot with the right depth. That generally means a depth of 10 to 20 feet, which will in turn require you to have an anchor rode (chain) of, at minimum, 100 feet. In most cases, 200 feet will serve you better.
- Take tides into account as you determine the depth.
- The conditions need to be favorable on the seabed as well. When you look for a good spot to anchor your boat, you will want to choose a mud or sand bottom. Remember that an abundance of weed and rocks can cause problems.
- As you choose a good place to anchor, make sure that you give yourself and your boat protection from winds. Check a marine weather forecast to find out what kinds of conditions are predicted, but never rely on the weather forecast completely. Keep swell height and direction in mind, as well as geographical features such as hills that affect the way in which wind impacts you.
- You will want to choose a safe but isolated anchorage spot, away from areas that are subject to heavy traffic.
- Be aware of the presence of any underwater cables — failure to do so can potentially endanger you as well as other people and wildlife, cause an environmental catastrophe, or at least lead to a lot of financial damage.
- Be aware of nearby amenities. Whether you are determined to avoid other people like the plague, because you want a relaxing time, or you’re hoping to go to a restaurant or visit a bar, it’s always important to know what kinds of facilities are offered in the vicinity of a potential anchor spot.
Now, there are a lot of tools to help you decide where to anchor — and while all of them can be very valuable, none offer all the information you’re after on their own. For that reason, it’s always recommended to gather data from a wide variety of sources, and only lower you’re hook if everything checks out. If you are using all of these tools, you have a recipe for success on your hands!
Consult a Chart to Decide Where to Anchor
As you choose where to anchor, consulting a chart of the area is always a solid first step. You have a lot of options — using a paper, physical, chart (make sure it’s as up-to-date as possible!), or an electronic chart, or using an electronic chart plotter with a GPS.
Using a chart will give you a lot of information:
- A chart will give you the locations of pipelines and undersea cables, which may also be covered with rocks.
- A chart will indicate where wrecks are situated.
- Areas with kelp and reefs will be marked as well.
- Designated anchorages may be marked on your chart.
- Spots where you may not anchor can also be indicated.
Once you have taken a good look at your chart and pinpointed some possible anchor locations, make sure that you steer well clear of problem areas once you do decide a spot is perfect — wind conditions can change rather quickly, and you don’t want your boat to stray into unsuitable waters.
You can check your charts before you go anywhere near the area you’re interested in setting the anchor, but keep in mind that the conditions on the ground (sorry — in the water) may turn out to be much less desirable than you had hoped. For that reason, it is always a good idea to pick two or three potential spots to give you more wiggle room.
Turn to Up-to-Date Boating Apps, Cruising Sites, and Boating Forums for Good Anchor Spots
Boating apps are opening up a whole new world to keen sailors — so make use of them! Apps like Navily and Deckee are making it almost as easy to decide where to anchor your boat as it would be to pick an AirBnB, complete with reviews, useful info and tips, and even pictures.
You can also explore some of the many cruising websites, which offer useful advice as well as insider knowledge about good anchor spots. Have you got questions? Do you want to interact with real people? Joining online boating forums or Facebook groups is another great option if you’re looking for good places to anchor, as people who have set their anchor at a particular spot before can answer your questions and give you up-to-date information about nearby amenities.
You can, just to be clear, opt to skip this step entirely if you’re old school or adventurous — but if you love all the other ways in which the internet has been your life more convenient, boating apps, cruising websites, and boating forums or groups can only enrich your boating experience.
Take a Look at a Cruising Guide to Find Good Anchorage Locations
Cruising guides can also be essential in helping you plan where to anchor. These guides primarily serve you well in choosing a spot to drop your hook that has the right ambiance for your needs, and will show you which anchorage points are most picturesque. (Yes, that does mean that featured anchorage points may be too popular for your liking, on the downside.) Cruising guides can also offer information about swell wraps, for instance, but most relevant technical info will be lacking — and that’s why you will definitely still need your chart.
Watch Out for Signs
OK, now that we’re reading that, it’s clear that you might need some clarification — we don’t mean a proverbial “sign from the stars” or anything like that, although a gut feeling that this is the right anchor point for you can definitely help you have a more enjoyable time once you’ve ensured that the anchorage is otherwise safe and suitable.
If pipelines, undersea cables, wrecks, and other hazards are present in an area where you were considering dropping your hook, that fact is frequently going to be advertised with the help of handy signs on the shore, as well as indicated with the presence of buoys. The same holds true for areas where it is prohibited to anchor, whether because the area you are in is an ecologically vulnerable one that is subject to special protections (coral reefs, turtle grass, and so on), or whether anchoring is forbidden for any other reason.
Wouldn’t your chart let you know about all those factors, you wonder? Well, yes, in theory. Especially if you are using a paper chart, however, keep in mind that the tides of change can be swift, and your chart might have errors or be out of date. It is always best to keep your eyes wide open as you decide where to anchor your boat.
Make Sure You Are Familiar with Local Laws to Avoid Trouble
Have you recently acquired a boat, or are you just beginning to venture further from home? Assuming that you have checked the chart or chart plotter you are using and have also consulted a boating app or two, looked at a cruising site, and maybe browsed some boating forums, you’re already armed with a lot of information.
You are not done yet, though. Even if you think you have found the perfect place to anchor your boat, and you are sure that the conditions are safe, there is another matter — the matter of the local laws. It’s especially important to check and double check local laws if you are boating in a foreign country (even worse — a foreign country where you don’t understand the language).
Even a completely innocent slip-up could earn you a hefty fine, and in some cases your boat may even be confiscated temporarily. Even if it doesn’t come to that, dealings with local law enforcement can ruin your enjoyment in a heartbeat.
The same situation that we described earlier holds true in this case, too. If you’ve already been to the area before and happily dropped your hook without any problems, rules and regulations can change quickly. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so check:
- Where anchoring is allowed, and where anchoring isn’t allowed.
- How long you can be at anchor in a given spot.
- Whether you may need to get an extension from the harbor master after a certain period of time, such as 72 hours.
Use an Echo Sounder to Check the Conditions
Echo sounders have come a long way since they initially appeared on the market. Modern echo sounders, with electronic displays, continuously offer very reliable insights into a wide range of variables, such depth (when measured directly under the hull) and your position in relation to your chart.
An echo sounder can also help you discover the presence of rocks, heavy kelp, reefs, and rubble. These dangerous spots may not always be marked on a chart, so double-checking is crucial for any responsible boater. If you do see signs of potential trouble, move your boat out of the area and look for a better place to drop your hook. An echo sounder is an indispensable tool, so if you do not have one yet, strongly consider investing in one as soon as you can.
Don’t Forget to Check the Weather Forecast Before You Anchor
Checking the weather forecast is another important step in choosing where to anchor. Don’t skip it! Even the most carefully chosen anchorage spot will become unpleasant and possibly dangerous if the wind direction is going to change and the wind is set to pick up speed. Check the forecast carefully, and rather than relying on yesterday’s news, do so right before you are planning to drop your hook.
As you become a more experienced boater, your senses will also give you valuable weather intel (or at least a gut feeling), which you can pair with the forecast as you decide where to anchor your boat.
Keep Anchoring Etiquette in Mind as You Decide Where to Anchor
Imagine this scenario — you have poured over cruising guides, or perhaps browsed through your favorite boating spots, and narrowed your list of places to anchor down to two or three beautiful and safe spots. They’re popular because they’re nice, but not enormously crowded, and you really have your heart set on this one particular spot.
You have checked the chart and looked at the weather forecast. You’re also sure you’re allowed to drop your hook in that spot. Everything is just perfect. Except, when you get there, you find that there are already a few boats there.
What now? Use your manners. Treat the sailors already at the anchorage as you’d want to be treated if you were there first. Approach the spot slowly, give your fellow boaters ample space, taking the length of their rodes into account, and be mindful of the noise you make.
Don’t like crowds? Good thing you have designated backup anchor spots in mind! Sail on!
Set Your Anchor Properly
Congratulations! If you’ve made it this far, you’ve done your homework and have hopefully ended up with the perfect place to anchor. Now, you have to actually do it. Make sure to set your anchor properly so that you won’t accidentally be dragged into dangerous areas. Enjoy a fun or relaxing night. You’ve earned it!
Choosing Where to Anchor Your Boat: Some Final Words
Didn’t get all that? Don’t worry, here’s another look, in the form of a step-by-step checklist you can use.
The right place to set your anchor will be:
- Sufficiently deep, and you’ll have plenty of chain to cope with the depth.
- Free from undue hazards, and protected from weather conditions.
- One where dropping your hook is allowed.
To find the right spot to anchor, use the following tools, roughly in this order:
- Consult your chart to find candidate anchorage points, and make sure that your chart is current.
- Not sure where to anchor your boat? Cruising guides can help you find wonderful places, but boating apps, cruising websites, and boating forums can give you insights from sailors who have recently anchored in the same spot, making them potentially more valuable.
- Make sure you understand the local laws, but also watch out for signs that indicate danger or a prohibition to anchor somewhere. If you are in doubt, check with the harbor master.
- Use an echo sounder to check the depth and to look for the presence of rocks and kelp.
- Check the weather forecast so you know what you can expect. Weather conditions can quickly turn a great place to anchor into a completely undesirable one.
- Have others already dropped their hook in your dream spot? Follow anchoring etiquette for safety and a good experience.
- Drop your hook, set your anchor right, and enjoy!
If, when you get there, you don’t find what you were expecting, that’s quite OK. You have done your research and already have backup places to anchor in mind, not far from where you are now.
Have you followed all these steps? Dropping your hook might still be a little daunting, especially if you don’t have much experience. Rest assured, however, that you have done everything you needed to, and covered all your bases. Don’t forget to take in the sights and breathe in the fresh air — enjoy your time while you’re at anchor, because that’s what boating is truly about!
