Forgive the inexperience, but to date in my short sailing career, I 've never set two anchors at once. I 've been fortunate that I have not needed to - but recently heard of an approach that seems considerably easier than any other two anchor deployment methods that I have previously heard of...

1. Deploy main anchor and set.
2. Motor ahead of the first anchor and deploy the second anchor and set it.
3. Release tension on the second anchor rode and fall back to lie on the first anchor again. Leave "some" slack in the second anchor rode.

As I understand it, the first anchor holds the boat, but if she should begin to break out, the boat will fall back to lie on the second anchor, with greater scope.
If the second anchor fails, in doing so, there is a good chance that the first anchor would be able to re-set - since it would have ceased dragging while the second anchor took up the load.

Wind change through 90 degrees would tend to convert this anchoring system into a more normal; one to starboard one to port type arrangement I guess - and when it goes through 180 degrees, I imagine the first anchor would be allowed to drag a long way before the second anchor took up the load...

So question to you all - have I got this all wrong? I plan to try it out sometime this season - so maybe you can tell me where I 've got it wrong in advance of making an idiot of myself! Thinking I 'd do it with short scope to try to encourage movement - thoughts?

Bill Balme

Hi Daria,
Has anyone else documented your observation that a Spade needs more scope than a Rocna to set? I pay a good deal of attention to ground tackle and anchoring techniques and this is a new observation to me.
I am uncomfortable with casual asides of a critical nature from those whose advice will likely be heard and followed without an attempt at balance. Many casual readers will read your statement:
We have aboard and use the Ultra as our primary and the Rocna as our storm anchor. We also have the Spade but find that it needs more scope than the other two. (After all, we write about anchors and anchoring so we have lots of them.)
As an endorsement of Spade over Rocna. You may mean that to be the message, but there are some concerns over Rocna’s design (and occasional problems in action) that leads many thoughtful sailors/experts to endorse a Spade over a Rocna.
That said, I believe both to be superb anchors, far more effective than older generation anchors.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy