[C320-list] anchoring

[Chef Adam Weiner]

I normally don't anchor out, I usually just return home, go to another yacht
club, pick up a buoy, etc.

The last time (before yesterday) that I anchored out was several years ago.
At that time the anchor rode (which is a non-floating line) wrapped around
the keel.  We went to leave at slack water so we just let out a bunch more
rode and the line dropped off the keel.

Yesterday we anchored in 6 feet of water at low tide over mud.  Claw style
anchor.  At high tide water would be 10 feet deep and with the distance from
bow to water of about 3 feet I let out 30 feet of chain and about 70 feet of
rode.  There are strong currents in this anchorage.  You guessed it.  This
morning the rode was wrapped around the keel I knew this was the case when I
stuck my nose of deck since we were facing a different direction then every
other boat in the anchorage.

I have never heard of this before, and have only met only one other person
who said that one time in a group trip one boat had the same problem,
ironically (and he didn't think there was any connection) it was a Catalina.

Any thoughts?  I would anchor out more if this wasn't such a potential
problem.

Adam