OPERATION 3

ANCHORING

WARNING

Always anchor from the bow. Anchoring from the stern will make the boat unsteady. A strong current can pull a stern-anchored boat underwater.

Select an anchor appropriate for your boat and water conditions. A “danforth” (or fluke) type anchor is suitable for most applications; your dealer can help you choose an anchor.

1)Make sure the anchor line is secure- ly tied to the anchor and to the bow eye.

2)Move the boat to the spot where you want to lower the anchor, heading the boat into the wind or current. Stop the boat, then lower the anchor until it hits bottom.

3)While keeping tension on the line, slowly back up the boat until you have let out line that is 4 to 6 times the depth of the water. For example, if you are anchoring in 10 feet of water, let out 40 to 60 feet of line. Secure the line.

4)Pull on the line to be sure the anchor is holding. Also, periodically check your boat’s position against the shoreline to make sure it is not drifting and dragging the anchor. Reset if necessary.

5)To pull in (“weigh”) the anchor, start the engines and move forward, keeping tension on the line as you pull it in. When the anchor line is straight up and down, pull hard to lift the anchor from the bottom mate- rial.

6)If the anchor is stuck on the bottom, try this: Let out a few feet of anchor line and secure the line to the boat, again. Slowly maneuver the boat around the anchor until the anchor pulls loose. Keep the line taut during this procedure.

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