yacht anchor ball

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Using an Anchor Ball

• By Kevin Falvey
• Updated: November 10, 2010

Having a windlass beats weighing anchor with your back by a measured mile. Yet a windlass costs some bucks, and not all boats have the space to fit one. Also, the slow drop of a power-out windlass makes it difficult to anchor precisely, compared with the speed with which a free-dropped anchor hits the bottom. Add learning new techniques and having a backup plan should the windlass break, and you’ve got the impetus for this instructional on using an anchor ball.

What Is It? An anchor ball is a round fender with enough buoyancy to support a rode and anchor. A 20-inch-diameter ball has approximately 180 pounds of buoyancy and is the most popular size used by seasoned skippers. To this ball, it’s common to affix a three-foot trace of line (but see tip later). At the other end of the trace, attach a large carabiner snap. To this snap, connect a specialized piece of equipment called an anchor ring.

The Theory Using an anchor ball is like heaving a line over a tree branch and connecting one end to a truck’s hitch in order to raise a heavy weight at the other end. Since limbs are rare on the water, run the rode through the ring, which is supported by the buoyancy of the ball. The boat is the truck, the ring and ball the limb.

The Practice To haul anchor, place the anchor ring around the rode and snap the line to it. The snap connects the ball and also “closes” the ring, capturing the rode. Now power toward the anchor, angling off just a bit so you’re not quite running parallel to the rode. (1) A good, fast troll that provides confident steerage is fine.

You pass the anchor, which of course is on the bottom, and continue until the ball, with the rode captured in the ring, slides by the boat. Needless to say, you have to be careful not to run over the rode and foul the props. Here’s a tip I use to avoid that: Snap the ring tight to the ball instead of using the three-foot line. With a long trace, the rode is three feet below the surface. But with a short trace, the ring is only a foot down, and so the rode is closer to the surface and above the level of most props.

Also, at this point I would have a crew member standing by to grab the rode as the ball passes by, bring it aboard and belay it to a stern cleat. With the rode tied at the stern, and you moving the boat forward, the chance for tangles are virtually eliminated.

Note that if you are solo, or don’t have solid crew aboard, you can leave the rode secured at the bow and continue heading forward. In that case, extra care is required on your part to avoid fouling the rode.

Crew or not, as you continue forward, the ball will descend the rode, and submerge as the anchor breaks free. The combination of the ball’s bouyancy and the boat’s pull lifts and yanks the anchor out backward, and the anchor surfaces with great commotion in the wake, with the flukes neatly hanging in the ring. Now all you do is haul in the virtually weightless ground tackle, or back up toward it if you like. (2)

As with any technique, it’s prudent to practice in clear, open water a few times before doing it for real. It’s easy as pie once you try.

• More: anchoring , How-To , Seamanship

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Understanding the anchor ball

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OK so I am studying more about nav lights and the USCG rules. In one of their documents it states: A black ball day shape must be displayed by ALL vessels when anchored during the day. True or false and if true, I see a ton of vessels not displaying this. My sailboat is 26' if that matters. I understand the other nav rules fine and the all around anchor light at night but just have to wrap my head around the anchor ball rule and the inverted cone rule. Keep in mind I am new to sailing, bought an O'Day 26 and fixing it up this year and will launch next spring. I have the mast down now and was thinking about changing out the mast head light to LED. I have already replaced all 5 lights in the cabin to LED and installed a new fuse panel. Oh and regarding the all around light, my bow and stern lights are on the rails but an all around light by rule is supposed to be a meter higher than those lights--really? If so that means I buy a 3 foot long removable all around light to be within this ruling when anchored at night.  

Day shapes are a hoot . When anchored (day time) you must display a black ball if you are 20 meters or more . As for your all around white light ( at night ) yes you need one . It can be mast head , it can be your steamer and stern white light or this . https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=colregs+anchor+light&tbm=shop&spd=10346875300852990465 PS .Please verify this , but I think I'm at least pretty close .  

The way I read it: (b) A vessel of less than 50 meters in length may exhibit an all-round white light where it can best be seen instead of the lights prescribed in Rule 30(a). Vessels at Anchor I don't see how the stern light and the steaming light would work because the stern light is on the same switch usually with navigation lights and to have the navigation lights on when anchored would be a violation. Also the where best can be seen clause would certainly be litigated if someone hit you. Probably better than nothing if your anchor light was out and you covered the red and green. But as was said before the courts assign more blame whenever it can be showed you did even the slightest thing wrong.  

Day shapes are not used much, at least around me. In fact I have never seen one. I know there are those around here that say they use them, I just have not seen it.  

In admiralty court, if another boat crashes into you when you dont have the proper dayshape (anchor ball) aloft, you are assessed more contributory damage penalties (percent) towards the cause of the mishap. Case law in admiralty court seems to support such - AFIK.  

My understanding of the anchoring day shape is this; Anchored; Ball > 7m (not in channel) > 20m (in anchorage).  

When the situation required it I just slipped a scotsman in to a big garbage bag and hoisted up the forestay a ways. Although under 20 m I was often anchored in unusual places for scientific sampling as part of the working charter.  

Hey, Around here (Long Island Sound) I almost never see day shapes. Never on small boats when anchoring. Just this past weekend I did see a commercial fishing boat (around 50') displaying a day shape for fishing. I was impressed. Then, when I got back to the marina, I saw two other fishing boats with the same day shape - but these boats were tied in a slip. No dayshapes used around here. B  

Vessels with professional operators will display the dayshapes.  

Bruce3966 said: OK so I am studying more about nav lights and the USCG rules. In one of their documents it states: A black ball day shape must be displayed by ALL vessels when anchored during the day. True or false and if true, I see a ton of vessels not displaying this. My sailboat is 26' if that matters. I understand the other nav rules fine and the all around anchor light at night but just have to wrap my head around the anchor ball rule and the inverted cone rule. Keep in mind I am new to sailing, bought an O'Day 26 and fixing it up this year and will launch next spring. I have the mast down now and was thinking about changing out the mast head light to LED. I have already replaced all 5 lights in the cabin to LED and installed a new fuse panel. Oh and regarding the all around light, my bow and stern lights are on the rails but an all around light by rule is supposed to be a meter higher than those lights--really? If so that means I buy a 3 foot long removable all around light to be within this ruling when anchored at night. Click to expand...

30 (e) A vessel of less than 7 meters in length, when at anchor not in or near a narrow channel, fairway or where other vessels normally navigate, shall not be required to exhibit the shape prescribed in Rule 30(a) and (b). Click to expand...

6. Shapes (a) Shapes shall be black and of the following sizes: (i) a ball shall have a diameter of not less than 0.6 meter; (ii) a cone shall have a base diameter of not less than 0.6 meter and a height equal to its diameter; (iii)a cylinder shall have a diameter of at least 0.6 meter and a height of twice its diameter; (iv)a diamond shape shall consist of two cones as defined in (ii) above having a common base. (b) The vertical distance between shapes shall be at least 1.5 meter. (c) In a vessel of less than 20 meters in length shapes of lesser dimensions but commensurate with the size of the vessel may be used and the distance apart may be correspondingly reduced Click to expand...

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Is the anchor ball mandatory?

I just dropped my anchor. How do I report it? Should I install this famous "anchor ball"? Is it mandatory? Not many boaters hoist these gears. Rightly or wrongly? What do the texts say about it?

As you may have seen, some boats approach a black ball set high up when they're at anchor . We see it a lot on large boats, yachts , but among boaters, few comply with this regulation.

Moreover, since the introduction of Division 240 (2008), which sets out the safety rules applicable to pleasure boating at sea on vessels up to 24 m in length, this anchor ball is no longer part of the mandatory equipment to be carried on board.

Then you have to ask yourself, "Establishing a ball when you're at anchor in the daytime: Is it still mandatory?"

RIPAM intervenes

Article 240-2.09 relating to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea ( RIPAM ) states that " Pleasure craft are required to comply with the provisions made applicable, depending on the ship's characteristics, by Decree 77-733 of 6 July 1977 publishing the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972, done at London on 20 October 1972. "

In short, ships, even pleasure craft, must comply with these regulations. Therefore, if the characteristics of the vessel require that an anchor ball be carried by the RIPAM , it must be on board in application of article 240-2.09.

What exactly does RIPAM say?

According to RIPAM , Rule No. 30, it is stipulated that ".. that a vessel at anchor of less than 50 metres in length shall show, in the most visible place, a white light visible over the whole horizon or a ball.

Vessels less than 7 metres in length, when at anchor, are not required to show the lights or mark (ball), unless they are at anchor in a narrow channel, approach or anchorage, at proximité? from these locations, or on routes normally used by other vessels. "

How to establish his ball?

On a sailboat , installing a mooring ball is done by hoisting it in front of the mast (often suspended by a halyard under the forestay). But on a motorboat, it is much more complicated. Depending on the boat , a solution will have to be found so that the ball is set up forward and visible. So complicated that most boaters do not need to install it..

What if you don't have your ball?

Apart from the fact that you may find yourself confronted with a zealous policeman who is entitled to impose a fine (it's rare, but it happens...), the mooring ball indicates that your boat is at a standstill, not manoeuvring and with no one on watch.

On the insurance side, it can also play tricks. A yachtsman who had disembarked saw his boat at anchor being hit by another vessel. His insurance company declared the vessel at the anchorage responsible because it did not have an anchor ball. He should then have kept an active lookout as stipulated in RIPAM for vessels under way... Will you also hoist your ball at the next anchorage?