Description of Solo Anchoring Bow & Stern

People ask me how I anchor bow & stern on my own. It ain't pretty! I run around a lot and make a mess, but this is how it goes:

1. Drop the headsail and secure it under the spinnaker pole.

2. Drop the outboard in the water, connect the gas line, and pull-start it (the electric ignition isn't working)

3. Place a fender next to the boat and pull the dinghy alongside, tie it to the cleats.

4. Drop the mainsail and tie it off to the boom.

The boat LOVES to get beam-on to the swell, which sends her rolling drastically, making all this work incredibly difficult. Then;

5. Prepare stern anchor - untie anchor from stanchions, tie extra long line to the end of the rode, and make sure it won't bind.

6. Prepare bow anchor - release from secured spot, and possibly pull chain on deck to facilitate.

Ok, now we're ready to anchor, so I back up as close to the beach as I dare, and drop the stern anchor over board with one hand, while the other hand puts the boat in forward and steers. Despite precautions, often the line gets tangled or caught and today is no exception. Finally it's extended all the way to the end, more than 250 feet away.

I begin to drop the bow anchor, but I don't want it all piling in one spot, so...

I make the bow chain fast,

run back to the cockpit,

give the engine some reverse,

pull on the stern line,

put the engine in neutral again,

and run back to the bow to let more chain out.

This is repeated multiple times, tripping over lines and such, always intent on the rocks around and the stern line on the propeller. Furthermore, a few extra doses of reverse gear are needed to ensure the bow anchor is set properly, or else it needs to be re-set.

Finally once we're back all the way and both bow and stern line are fairly tight, I coil up the mass of wet line which is everywhere, and adjust other things like the topping lift (so the boom clears my head) and whatever else isn't in its correct position.

I wear a gloves whenever anchoring, and use beeswax hand salve in the evening, to keep my hands from becoming callused beyond recognition.