Knowing how to anchor well is essential to ensure the safety of the boat and everyone on board.
The secret: It’s not the weight of the anchor, but the amount of rope you let out that ensures a good anchorage.
How to calculate: It’s simple, check the depth of the location and multiply by 5 to know how much rope to let out. For example, a depth of 10 feet, multiply by 5 = 50 feet. This is the amount you need to hold the boat. Is it very windy, is there a current, are you staying overnight and want to be even more secure? Let out more rope… the more rope, the better.
Auto Anchoring System: The MURANO 50 is equipped with a launcher and a rope meter counter. This launcher “talks” to the GPS and knows the water depth. So you just press Auto Anchoring, it reads the depth, multiplies by 5, and lets out the rope by itself. Convenient, right?
Safety tip: NEVER turn off the engines before finishing the process and being sure you are firmly anchored. When leaving, FIRST start the engines and then lift the anchor.
Preparation: Select a suitable location, preferably an area protected from strong winds and intense currents. Observe the position of other anchored boats because that’s how your boat will stay, parallel to them and turn with them. If there is no one for reference, ensure your boat can turn 360° without touching anything around it.
Anchoring: Navigate slowly against the wind or current to the desired point. Stop the boat and let it drift back gently while releasing the anchor until it reaches the calculated amount.
Confirming: After releasing the rope, give the engine a touch in reverse to ensure the anchor is firm. You should feel a slight jerk when the rope tightens, indicating it is firmly held and the boat should not move further back.
Monitoring: After anchoring, regularly observe the boat’s position to ensure it is not loose using reference points on the shore or the GPS.
Enjoy: Boat anchored, now you can turn off the engine and then release the people to go into the water. But stay alert… keep checking your position from time to time.