The Complete Anchoring Handbook: Stay Put on Any Bottom in Any Weather

By Achim Ginsberg-Klemmt and Alain Poiraud

Book Overview

A modern, authoritative anchoring guide for sailors and powerboaters

A boat swinging safely at anchor can mark the relaxing conclusion to a great day of boating or the successful completion of an essential emergency measure, while failure to anchor properly can be frustrating, inconvenient, or downright dangerous. The Complete Anchoring Handbook is your path to mastering this indispensable seamanship skill.

Based on original engineering analysis--and with contributions from such international anchoring experts as Alain Fraysse and Chuck Hawley--The Complete Anchoring Handbook emphasizes the proven best gear and methods for anchoring safely in any situation with any boat, sail or power. Here's everything you need to know, from the basics to the most advanced techniques. Poiraud and company describe: The physical forces acting on a boat, its ground tackle, and the sea bottomWhy the new generation of roll-stable anchors (including the Spade, Rocna, Manson Supreme, and others) is proving superior to traditional favoritesHow to select and size anchors and ground-tackle componentsHow to connect those components without introducing weak points in your ground-tackle system

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0071475087
• ISBN13: 9780071475082
• Release Date: November 2007
• Publisher: International Marine Publishing
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.11 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 7.4" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Anchoring Fundamentals

After a couple of worrying anchoring experiences in the mediteranian sea I decided to dig into the topic of anchoring. Immediately after starting to read this book I recognized how valuable it is to really understand the mechanism of anchoring. Everybody who often relies on his ground tackle should try to optimize safety and read this book. As a physicist I was not much irritated by the formulas in this book but everybody who does not like this should just take it as a sign of seriousness and should just concentrate on the conclusions and great recommendations.

An approachable and engaging guide to going on the hook

I am finding this book very useful as I prepare a 44-footer for extended cruising; with its focus on the subject, it is the first reference I reach for when making decisions about the myriad challenges of hook and rode. The writing is friendly, yet the content is deep and obviously the result of considerable on-water experience. Another reviewer complained that it is opinionated and biased... but what anchoring discussion isn't? This is a subject fraught with peril and colored by lore, and all the authors of anchoring chapters in the major cruising books have grown accustomed to the tools that have worked best for them. As with any complex subject, you have to assimilate recommendations from multiple perspectives, filter according to your own needs, selectively toss out a few extremes, average the rest, and apply the resultant to your own situation only to tweak it over time as you continue to learn. There is no single right answer. I don't believe any book on a subject this rich can be truly "complete," so perhaps the title is a bit ambitious... but this book does get very close to covering all the issues and thus occupies an exalted spot in my boat's limited shelf space along with Calder, Roth, and Vigor. It reflects the experiences and personal opinions of the authors, but that's fine with me... I respect their wisdom, and any endorsements are presented in the larger context of appropriate tools for different environments. It's also a fun read, which is not an easy thing to accomplish in a book that has to grapple with scope calculation, holding grounds, chain handling, and other dry subjects. I've had a number of "aha" moments while reading this, and find it enjoyable enough to curl up with on occasion. Recommended.

A welcome reference

As a life-long boater who now works for boat manufacturers, I recommend "Complete Anchoring" an essential reference (and an enjoyable read) for everyone who wants to sleep well while at anchor! Within the first few pages, it becomes clear that safe and proper anchorage is much more than adding chain to your line, playing out as much as you guess to be "about right," and crossing your fingers. "Complete Anchoring" gives all boaters the guidance they need to KNOW what is "about right," and provides it in a simple and authorative format. The authors live what they write, having cruised the world for years. No matter how many years one has on the water, this book will be a welcome addition to your chart desk book rack.

It is truly complete

Rarely do authoritative books of this quality come along. Both the science and the art of anchoring are captured in a very readable way. The book contains valuable information useful to the experienced mariner but will not leave the novice behind. To keep the information from becoming too encyclopedic, the history and lore of anchors and anchoring are carefully woven in both the text as well as the graphics. This is a real word reference, useful for all levels of expertise.