Guide to Smooth Anchoring Part 5

Before you drop your anchor into the water you’ll want to ensure the safe and smooth dispersal of the rode into the water. The best way to handle this is to lay the rode out on the deck before dropping anchor to make sure it’s free of tangles. Once you’ve done this you’ll want to be sure to cleat off the rode where you want it to stop. If you forget this part then you could find yourself either abandoning your anchor or having to dive for it. Once that’s complete you’re almost ready to anchor.

Go up-wind or up-current of the area you’ve selected and drop your anchor so that it lays flat on the bottom. After you’ve dropped the anchor you’ll slowly back up to help ensure safe and even rode dispersal. It’s important to back up slowly to assure that the rode won’t foul the anchor and prevent it from digging into the bottom. Once all the rode has been let out you’ll want to back up with the engine idling in reverse to help get the anchor well planted. While backing up you’ll want to keep a hand on the anchor line. A dragging anchor will cause the rode to shake. A set anchor, on the other hand, will not shake the line, which means you’ve now got your anchor safely in place.

Don’t forget to stock up on Evinrude XD50 oil to get the most from your Evinrude 2-cycle engine.