A third way of bow-anchoring is to use an anchor pulpit. A bow pulpit is an extension off the bow. On some boats it’s used for sight-seeing; whalers use it for the harpooner [think “Moby Dick”], but most pulpits are for anchoring. I used a clamp-on anchor pulpit for years and need to build a new one because it works so darn well. The anchor pulpit has a roller mounted forward with a deadeye or two aft to guide the anchor line. It protrudes far enough from the bow to allow the anchor to hang without banging on the hull. The anchor line goes from the anchor, through the roller and each deadeye, along the rail and back to a conveniently mounted cleat near the helm. You can lower or raise the anchor easily and safely with little hassle. Again, the boat is under sail once the anchor leaves the bottom, but you can keep the boat in irons until the anchor is brought to the pulpit and secured. You can then just fall off and get underway. I love it.

A useful component mounted beneath and aft of the pulpit roller would be a block of wood or a bracket to capture the anchor stem to help keep it from swinging and banging while underway.

Anchors

There are many types of anchors available for small boaters that run the gamut from dirt cheap to bloody expensive. A simple sack full of sand has been used for centuries. I’ve successfully used a three- or four-pound disc of lead with an eyebolt cast into it. I once used a concrete block I scrounged off a nearby island when my rotted anchor line parted at the thimble, freeing my anchor from its nautical labors while under sail. Folding anchors do well, as do plow, mushroom and other types. Whichever you use, the scope is essential.

Scope is the relative amount of rode—anchor line—you have out versus the depth of the water. A 10:1 scope—10 feet of line for every foot of depth—provides 100 percent holding power regardless of anchor type.

If the scope is too short, say you’re anchored straight down [1:1], the up and down movement of the boat can lift the anchor and cause it to lose its grip. If the scope is great enough, then the anchor will do its job under even storm conditions, which most of us should not encounter in sailing canoes and kayaks! Most of the time just ensure you use enough line to let the anchor do its job.

Anchor Line

A good quality nylon line about a quarter inch or more in diameter will hold your boat. Too big is overkill and a hassle; too small can be hard on your hands. Chain is generally not needed for our purposes.

Okay, crew, that’s it. Go forth and prosper!

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