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Ground Tackle: Docking, Mooring & Anchoring

Nikki Wynn

Nikki Wynn

— 5 min read
Ground Tackle: Docking, Mooring & Anchoring

If all the biohackers and medical podcasts have taught us anything, it's that sleep is super important. And good sleep, starts with being damned sure your boat is secure and isn't going anywhere. Because none of us want the nightmare of busting off the dock in a storm, or dragging anchor and landing onto a reef, to become a reality!

In other words, we take our ground tackle gear seriously. I can promise you, the only thing worse for crew morale than a being hangry, is being sleep deprived.

RELATIONSHIP SAVERS (aka, calm communication)

Yes, I'm starting with headsets. If you end up yelling at each other, then throwing your first mate overboard because you can't catch a mooring ball, or you've hit the dock before getting tied up...well, the rest of this guide won't really matter.

These are the best headsets on the market and are purpose built for high wind and background noise. So we can hear each other no matter what's getting thrown at us. But don't worry, there is a mute button...and trust me, it's handy.

ANCHORS

We've had several different anchors throughout our sailing career. And we can say without a doubt: don't cheap out on this one. The newest designs bite better, hold longer and hook in more types of seabed than the old-school plow or claw style anchors. Even if you buy a new boat, and it comes with an old style anchor (you'd be surprised how many boat builders use a plow because it's cheap), we'd recommend getting it off your boat before cruising.

We have used the Mantus and now the Rocna MK2 in a wide variety of bottoms and weather. Both have performed flawlessly. We're not dinking around trying to get the hook to bite, it just does.

  • Primary Anchor
  • Secondary / Backup Anchor

SNUBBER & CHAIN HOOK

The Mantus Snubber Pendant is cool because it attaches to chain or line rode. So it makes for a great all in one snubber. We have the Mantus chain hook and are using the snubber just for our line rode (but we may start using it for our chain too).

To save on weight, we only have 62 meters of chain and then 60 meters of nylon rode. Which is more than sufficient if you are sailing the shallow banks of the Bahamas. But here in Asia, we're often anchoring in 20+ meters of water. So, we need to attach our bridal to the line rode and that's where this snubber pendant comes in.

ROLL-UP BOAT HOOK

This is the coolest multi-use gadget. It's a flexible carbon fiber pole that rolls out to become a long, lightweight pole (think slap bracelet). We have multiple tips including a soft brush, firm brush, action camera mount and boat hook.

FENDERS

These are by far the most impressive fenders we had ever seen. Cleverly designed to save space, protect the boat and last a very long time. We found Fendertex through PYI and saw them for the first time at the Cannes Boat Show (see them in action here).  They are the only inflatable textile fender in the yachting market.

Space Saver - This was a huge selling point for us. Fenders take up a ton of space if you have to leave them inflated. These pack down tiny and blow up fast.

Robust - The insanely strong fabric on the outside takes a beating without looking like a frayed knot AND there is no harsh rubber, rubbing off our paint. Add a set of covers on top and now those rusty nails sticking out of an old pier or the barnacle lined dock are far less intimidating. Plus, these fenders can withstand the weight of a tractor. Which means they won't compress if a massive steel yacht cuts it too close or a big storm is pinning us to a dock.

We got our fenders through PYI, which is the same company that sells MaxProp (the feathering props we had on our previous boat), and they sell the Jefa systems, PSS Shaft Seal, premium hose clamps, all installed on our HH44...and they have the cool multipurpose boat hook/brush/camera mount we mentioned above.  So, if you’re in need of boat gear, they’ve offered a 10% discount off most anything in their catalogue.

MOORING & DOCK LINES

We received our beautiful dock lines from a new company out of the USA called Sail Locker. It was started by our friends Mel & Coop who are US Coast Guard Veterans. So they know how important safety is. We also picked up some eye spliced small poly line for the tender. They have been supporters of ours for a long time and we're stoked to now be customers of theirs.

Tender Tackle

We've been using the Mantus anchor since it first launched and it's been incredible. It easily packs down, it holds tight on most types of seabed, and with a little extra SS chain it won't move even with a short 3:1 scope. We only use SS ground tackle on the tender, otherwise is starts rusting and gets stains everywhere.

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