Trying to understand the use of stern tie

[DBBRanger]

We're planning our first trip to the San Juans this year and I'm trying to get my head around the stern tie method. On our 40' trawler, we always put down 2 anchors without fail. Our experience is with Florida and Bahamas cruising, so those 2 anchors were usually set Bahamian style - ie one anchor off the bow and one off the stern with both lines coming off the bow keeping the stern free. Thus when the current changed direction, we had a good, set anchor holding us. I cannot get my head around the use of a stern tie. Rather than using it in switching currents, I get the impression it is used mostly in tight anchorages where one doesn't want the boat to swing in a wide path due to boats being too close or the shore being too close. OK, I understand that need, but I don't understand how one can sleep well at night because of the worry of shifting winds that might end up abeam or potentially strong currents going parallel to shore. Surely that cannot be a comforting situation with a potentially high force perpendicular to the lines. How does one deal with that concern? Some may say they don't stern tie if wind shifts are expected, but what then since you might not be able to find an anchorage where you can set an anchor and swing on it? I had the same issue when we cruised Lake Powell. There, I refused to give in and therefore had a heck of a time finding a suitable place to swing. I expect I might not be able to do even that in the San Juans.

Can anyone get my head straight?

 

[pleeson]

In my limited coastal experience it seems that those anchorages with limited swing room, or crowded conditions share a very sheltered characteristic. Almost without exception they are in confined quarters in an inlet, small bay, or amongst numerous small islands. Wind has a hard time buffeting the superstructure in these places and generally you are just dealing with the tide either filling or emptying said small area so no big currents. I would think that anchoring in a channel subject to flows filling or emptying a large bay or inlet would not be an ideal stern tie location, and if the anchorage is larger, or you are out towards the seaward edge and open to wind and wave action it might be time to find swinging room and stick to an anchor(s) and an appropriate amount of rode. On the coast you can typically find some pretty sheltered little nooks with these shallow draft boats, and the issue is often just keeping your boat from swinging into the shallows at low tide, or into your neighbour if more crowded. Don't know if this helps - I only seem to use stern ties in pretty small, sheltered anchorages...

 

[JamesTXSD]

We have logged quite a bit of time in the San Juan Islands. I am not aware of any place in the San Juans where a stern tie is necessary. Generally, it is one anchor, off the bow, with plenty of chain and a 7:1 scope, and you are good. We found that a Delta Quick-Set or similar to be good in most bottoms in the San Juan. There are many great anchorages to be found there.

NOW, if you are heading up to the Gulf Islands (in Canada) or further north, you will probably want to use a stern tie, so as not to be an against-the-flow anchorage neighbor. Many of the marine parks in that area have ring ties onshore - run a line through the ring, bring it back to the boat, and tie it off. That way, when you are ready to leave, you don't have to go to the ring (or tree) to untie it... just undo one end and pull the other end to get the line back on the boat.

The anchorage where stern tying will be necessary are pretty protected. Summer months (if that is when you will be visiting) are generally light wind conditions.

Poly-prop line is generally used by most folks - inexpensive and it floats. This is completely different from a Bahamian moor. The anchoring issue in the PNW is less about the shifting winds and more about the tides and currents. You want to watch your depths and be aware of where you are in the tide cycle when anchoring.

The experience in the San Juans is also SO different from cruising in Florida and the Bahamas. Both are great; just different. For some perspective, I am a Gulf Coastal guy... even in summer, the waters in the San Juans are cold... body-part-disappearing cold. You have to get up to Desolation Sound before the water temps are tolerable for a dip (for me). These PNW folks are tough. And, friendly. They'll show you the whole stern tie thing, if you need.

Best wishes,
Jim B.

 

[walldog]

A couple of points to add to the already excellent advice. Many times in the areas of Desolation Sound and above, you will be anchoring on a very steep slope close to shore. A stern tie is necessary to keep your anchor pulling upslope toward shore. Two always be sure that your shore tie point is above the high tide marks. Rings are placed at that point, but without rings as you will be often that should be a consideration. Without rings, you will try to find a smooth rock or other object that you can loop without damage to it or your line.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3272&p=28431&hilit=stern+tie#p28431

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

At West Marine the Poly prop line comes on a black plastic spool. When they finish selling the line on one of these spools the spool is typically thrown away. When I bought my line the spool was about empty so I asked if I could buy it as well and they just gave it to me. The beauty of the spool is that it all fit on one of your aft bemini support poles, making feeding out the line very convenient.

Jim F

 

[Steve k]

DBBRANGER: Stern-tie or not to stern-tie.

Your original posted comments are "right-on". I say this after
40 years of anchoring the cruising grounds of the west coast to Alaska (and the great lakes to the Atlantic)
the most important observation you make is the implications of a beam sea or wind in a crowded anchorage.

Don't even think about it. It "happened" to 15 vessels at Walsh Cove anchorage in the NW of Desolation Sound. What "happened?" A brutal wind called a Williwaw by the First Nation old timers came abeam at 2am. Most stern lines stretched, broke, or pulled trees to the sea; compounded by anchors pulling out as they were loaded laterally ( testing any proper longitudinal set.)

There was much damage and fear that night. I always put out bumpers if defection is reality. So we were lucky, no damage, because we had a 35# CQR on 200' chain, (Big for 30') ,very well set (despite the ooz and ahss from observers when we arrived, asking why are you being so careful to get a set; it's only a 30' boat?) We were the smallest vessel of the 15 boats , by 10'-30'. We were the only boat secure that night. Everybody else HAD to evacuate for their safety. They could not back down in reverse, in the dark, to reset their anchor.

I observed this happen again to others at the Tenedos Island anchorage (Desolation) some years later. When we came in that evening it was jammed. The stern ties were abeam about 20' apart. A disaster if and when! Boats would come in and depart for lack of stern tie room. We simply dropped the hook in 30', set the anchor with 200' chain ( 6-1 scope is comforting ) and had dinner. But wouldn't you know there were belly-achers complaining on the radio that protocol demands a stern-tie. "You are violating the rules". This is typical. But it is also typical to start a trend even for that evening, when you see other boaters doing the same after you broke the ice. You either lead or ^%#$%^*.

I have found that with the correct ( oversized ) anchor AND extensive chain and rode to get a proper scope and set, you do NOT EVER need to stern tie.

My wife is a very competent captain. After all these years and 13 different boats, she often observes vessels with undersized anchors. At Sidney HBR you can walk the docks and see 40-50 footers with undersized anchors--spelling trouble. Also, how about the big yacht with the shiney, polished stainless steel anchor that says volumes. It has never touched the water!

Stern-tie? You get the picture.

Safe cruising.
Steve Kraus

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

Steve brings a lot of good points to the table and I would agree in most situations and would always prefer just a bow anchor. With that said in a large number of places in Desolation Sound, Lake Powell or Ontario Canada's North Channel there are anchorages where the water depth falls off too dramatically to even consider anchoring safely without a stern line to shore. Some anchorages are, in some cases so small that there is no room for swinging on the hook and a stern line is needed to keep ones boat off of shore. But in the other cases where there is plenty of room and the proper sea bed landscape I differently would prefer to just swing on a single hook, as Steve has mentioned.

 

[Osprey]

I do most of my boating in the Canadian Gulf Islands and in Desolation Sound. I am familiar with the stern tie concept and I can say that I now avoid stern ties like the plague. The most entertaining events in an anchorage can be watching a couple try to complete a stern tie when there is a bit of beam wind or current present. The anchor is down and one person is trying to row a line to shore. At the same time the boat is swing bow to wind, the rower is madly trying to prevent the swing. Once the rower reaches the shore they have climb onto weed covered slippery rocks while wrestling with both the tender's painter and the shore line. Now, after looping the shore line through a metal ring or perhaps around a tree, the on-the-shore person climbs back into the tender and tries to row the shore line back to the yacht. Often, part way back, it is discovered that the shore line is fully deployed. Shouts echo back and forth between the tender and yacht ... "Let out more anchor rode" or "Use the engine to swing the yacht back into place". The later is really difficult because the yacht is tethered by the anchor rode and partially by the shore line. In addition the shore line is floating about the stern with a chance that the line will get sucked into the prop. In the end most succeed but others sheepishly motor away.
Difficulties can be reduced by: having a whole lot shore line, 300-600 feet; having an OB on the tender; even better is having an OB and an additional person in the tender.
If an on the beam wind develops one should be aware that due to the large angle between the wind force and the anchor rode directions, the initial force acting on the anchor will be several times larger than the wind force on the boat. (Perhaps you need to have studied physics to understand this). Keeping in mind that the yacht is firmly tether to the shore, what happens next is the boat swings on the shore line until the yacht is sweep sideways against an adjacent boat or onto the shore. A real "fire drill" develops if two or three adjacent boats are all dragging at the same time. I have seen this happen.
My worst experience with a shore tie was caused by an adjacent yacht. I was in place with the anchor set and a shore line on to the shore and back. Another yacht set an anchor upwind from me and ineffectually attempted to get a shore line deployed . In the process this yacht swung bow to wind with its rode crossing over mine. Finally giving up, the other "captain" pulled his anchor, fouling and lifting mine at the same time. I was very lucky to avoid swinging on to shore. Watching others try to get a shore tie accomplished can be less entertaining that one might expect. I have to say that others in the anchorage were paying close attention. Some even rowed over to help.

 

[Steve k]

Stern tie is a very important subject and all the comments are very meaningful to us.

Lake Powell, Sept. 2014: the comforting keyhole anchorage of the main channel, 5 miles NE of Rainbow Bridge, exploded with a lengthy high speed draft from Navajo Mtn. There were consequences. Anchors just don't seem to set well in sandstone mud. Here, a stern tie really must be HEAVY rode, secured to a BOULDER with chafing gear. The auger type beach anchors or imbedded Danforth are worthless when loaded by the vessel windage. I recall of 3 boats nestled in the hole, 2were blown out and departed for the main channel; fortunate for the late afternoon light.

At Powell, the stern tie is preferred for big yachts. ( they don't like to beach due sand-abraiding the bow. Plus the high bow orientation makes beach access difficult.) We always select the bow ONTO the beach. ( sometimes even ONTO the hard sandstone rock beach, if prop depth permits. ) In the vulnerable weather months of Aug-Sept.-- we will place 2 anchors off the stern at about 45 degrees . With this practice--we have options as we did that afternoon. If we come off the beach, we can pull ourselves astern and freedom, or power off while still have some security from being blown back. OR, as in this case above, we powered-up and in gear was able to retain position .I remained at the wheel for many, many minutes until we re-beached and the wind subsided.

Lake Powell is a happening, as wind, rock outcroppings, and water level challenge all. It is noteworthy that there are NO small craft warnings or advisories that cover the ENTIRE lake. Most wind activity is not monitored outside of Wawheap, Arizona.
The rangers do post weather at each fuel stop. BUT, it does NOT relate to anything away from their 2 up-lake locales.
You are on your own. The last challenge can be an infrequent flash flood that does travel downstream to wash-out many a narrow channel anchorage ---and any boat in that channel.

What anchor practice works best at Powell ?
We have been doing L.Powell since 1967 ( My wife just sobered me with this timeline, ) and I am still learning about this subject. Whenever something different emerges, we study it. I am studying a proved "beached boat" concept used throughout much of the world..

" You run the bow into the sand and 2 vertical outriggers elevate the stern, to a level dryout. It will work equally in a tidal environment . Preferably, during a receding tide; beach the bow, extend the outriggers from the stern and you are high and dry. Why isn't it a common practice in N. America? We may."
Thanks for listening!
Steve and Roz Kraus

 

[DBBRanger]

Well, I'm not sure that helped to get "my head straight" - I see there's lots of strong opinions out there. I will say that this discussion didn't make me feel more at ease with stern tie so I'm not sure how I'll handle it when/if the time comes.

Thanks for all your comments though.

2 vertical outriggers elevate the stern, to a level dryout.

Steve,

Exactly what do the outriggers look like?

Doug

 

[pleeson]

Doug, if you limit your early use of stern ties to just those tiny keyhole anchorages where you haven't got the depth or the room to swing - especially at low tide - you should be fine. I'm certainly not advocating for their use where there is a lot of exposure to wind or current. We often seek these out for the peace and quiet, shelter, and wildlife or other values.

 

[bill j]

I have only used a stern tie when we visited Lake Powell where we parked parallel to the shoreline in a small cove and secured both bow and stern to shore. I have never done this in Desolation Sound but plan to this summer. Is the issue here that you are rowing the stern line to shore, passing the line through a ring or around a tree and then rowing the line back to the boat to be secured on a stern cleat? Wouldn't it be easier to set the bow anchor, row the stern line to shore, tie the end securely to land, and have the mate draw in slack as necessary and secure to a cleat? I realize that this will require more effort to depart the next day but seems there would be less time for the boat to swing around and get into trouble in a tight anchorage. thanks for any clarification - bill

 

[Bruce Moore]

Without addressing the merits of using a stern tie in any given situation, I've posted a PDF tutorial on using a messenger line to make the task both easier and more secure. It was prepared by Frank and Dawn-Marie Plumptre (R-31 CB Blue Horizon) for presentation at last year's Points North seminar. Many of us found it very useful.

You can download the PDF here.

Cheers,

Bruce

 

[Osprey]

Bill J, in a post above, essentially asks why run the shore line back to the boat when it seems faster to just make do with a single run, boat to shore. That is true, but I see some reasons why the two way method is preferred.
1. The to the shore and back method reduces the shore line tension up to half that of the one way method. This reduced tension makes it easier for the skipper to haul the boat into the desired position and orientation. It also reduces the load on the cleats and makes it easier to secure and remove the line onto and from the cleats.
2. The arrival and departure tide levels can be much different. This height difference can, in some cases, make what was an easy to reach tie point on arrival become a quite difficult to reach point on departure.
3. When a dreaded night time wind blasts through the anchorage and the "all crew to action stations" call is issued, rowing to shore to free the shore line is not a practical option. Instead, one has to free the line from the boat and hope that the line can be retrieved later. One also has to hope the floating line does not get tangled in a prop or sucked into a thruster.
4. Most times the overnight tie-up will be uneventful, but still, having to row to shore before departure gets "old" after with very few repetitions. Of course "old" might be replaced by "interesting" (in a negative way) if the wind or current is up during the making ready to depart process.

 

[Steve k]

Points for consideration:
Key-hole hurricane-proof are NOT exempt. The windage can be sudden and brutal at a safe-appearing anchorage. Best protection: don't stern-tie. If you can't find adequate swing room, you are probably in the wrong anchorage. Plan your anchorages carefully, use the VHF for activity, have alternates .

A single stern tie run or a return line is of little consequence. Both are stern lines and subject the boat to the deficencies that a stern line orients a vessel in an anchorage create.

At a lake; If you anchor parallel AND ON the shore ( with an outdrive up )-- you're on your own. If the lake drops, like overnight, your out of luck. This happened a few years ago to boats along the Colorado River. Boats were 2 feet dry after a dam restricted flow . They needed to be dug-out to re-float.
Surprise!!!