Hugo is a sailboat traveller. He reached the West Indies with his thoroughly renovated Écume de Mer. But alas, the small Yanmar inboard engine died after a wintering. The cylinder head has to be replaced. But how can you find parts when you don't have the budget to buy new ones? But the absence of engine does not bother Hugo who continues to sail between the islands.
Today, following requests from readers, he explains how he takes and drops anchor under sail, single-handedly in addition. This manoeuvre is aided by the "reasonable" size of her Sea Foam (7.92 m for about 1 tonne).
Before dropping anchor, Hugo sends the mainsail. Keeping the sheet well shocked, he has no problem, as the sailboat stays upwind. Once the sail is set, he can raise the anchorage. No windlass on board, Hugo quietly raises the chain by hand. Once the anchor is up, and before stowing it, he blocks it temporarily. The sailboat is free and he can lower the anchor to reach the open sea. Once away from the other boats, he can stow the anchor definitively.
Similarly, to get at anchor, the reverse manoeuvre consists of facing into the wind and when the boat is stopped, drop the anchor. You can also brake the boat by tacking the mainsail against it.
These simple manoeuvres show that it is possible to sail without engine even for a long time without any worries. The pleasure of sailing!
