Request for Anchor Drag Reports

Request for Anchor Dragging Reports

“Anchor in an emergency, when doubtful of your position, or when weary.  Nothing seems to give quite as much comfort in times of stress or uncertainty.”

Last week NFTB received a detailed e-mail from a reader regarding his harrowing, near miss experience after dragging anchor.  During our discussion it was evident that he did a lot of things right, and possibly a few things wrong.  We also realized that, while there is plenty of lore about the causes of anchor dragging among boaters and how this can be prevented, we could not recall any study that critically analyzed this issue.

We searched the Internet for objective analyses of the best methods for preventing anchor dragging.  The literature is replete with research on anchors and ground tackle for commercial ships and offshore drilling platforms. NFTB found numerous engineering studies of anchor geometry, mechanisms of drag, rode breaking strength and wind forces.  We discovered innumerable lists of common anchoring mistakes, suggestions for rode and anchor types and sizes, and discussions of necessary ground tackle for differing horizontal loads. Except for case studies that dealt with disasters during major storms, we found no published reports that used the scientific method to analyze anchor dragging as reported by real life boaters.

Hospitals, manufacturers and other organizations have significantly reduced their numbers of mistakes and complications by implementing  “continuous quality improvement” plans.  Such plans identify recurrent problems (in our case anchor dragging), collect relevant information from a large number of adverse events, and design and implement better systems.  NFTB proposes to do the same with the issue of dragging anchors.

Sometimes the most fascinating studies are those that prove, or disprove, “commonly held principles”.  Whatever the outcome, our study should cast a bright light on the most common conditions that cause boaters’ anchors to drag.  It may also provide insight into which “ideal ground tackle” is ideal for a particular type of boat under varying conditions.  We will not be dealing exclusively with major storms, as much angst and damage is regularly experienced outside of these events.  We will not be including permanent moorings in this study.

We invite you to print a copy of the “NFTB Anchor Drag Report Sheet” below.  Carry it aboard and, in the event your anchor drags, document the event and send your report to NFTB.  If you wish you may remain anonymous.  We will collect the data and supply updates and analysis as information becomes available.

Thank you for taking the time to report an anchor drag event.  We hope you never drag, but if you do the information that you report, along with those of fellow boaters, provides will be valuable to all of us who are interested in protecting our vessels and preserving a good night’s sleep aboard ship.

 News From the Bow Anchor Drag Report Sheet

(E-mail to Editor@NewsFromTheBow.com or mail to NFTB at 110-51 East Shearwater Court, Jersey City NJ 07305)

Date of Dragging Episode:

Vessel Name (optional):

Owner’s Name (optional):

Owner’s e-mail/contact information (optional):

Anchor Type	CQR (Plow)	Bruce	Danforth	Delta	Rocna
Length of Vessel (feet)	ft.
Length of Anchor Chain	ft.
Length of Anchor Rope	ft.
Scope at Time of Drag	:
Bottom Type	soft	hard	rocky	sand	other?
Set by Backing Down?	yes	no
Maximum Wind Gust	mph
Maximum Current	kts.
Boat Manufacturer
Anchor “Re-Set” Performed?	yes	no
Wind Shift Greater than 90 degrees?	yes	no
Anchor Chain Snubber used?  Length?	yes	no
Entanglement with Other Vessels?	yes	no	Explain:
GPS Anchor Alarm Useful?	yes	no
Other Comments: