Hobie anchor kit...

We've only been sailing since October of '07 when we purchased our Getaway, so we're still new to it all. I saw an anchor kit in Hobie's catalog and thought that it would be great to be able to anchor out in the middle of Santa Rosa Sound (Pensacola/Navarre, FL), especially during the Blue Angel shows...we could watch the jets from the Sound and avoid the crush of human/auto traffic on Pensacola Beach. But I'm unsure of how to use the anchor. Is it as simple as tossing it overboard? Do you have to lower your sails?
Basically, I'd just like to know how to use an anchor for a sailboat.

I've never contemplated anchoring a cat. It should be a simple as tossing the anchor overboard. Unless it is calm, you will want to drop your main and roll your jib, otherwise the boat will sail away, dragging the anchor.

Cabelas has a small boat anchor with line and bag for about $35.

Thanks, iresq.

That's kind of what I figured. I'd never contemplated anchoring either...we always just beach it. But for Blue Angels shows - and possibly some other circumstances that I just haven't thought of yet - it would be perfect to be out in the open water for better viewing. We'd be in less than 20 ft. of water, so depth wouldn't be a problem.

I've never tried lowering/raising the main on the water. Is this a fairly common thing that cat sailors do, or would this be considered unnatural or weird?

Like I said, we're totally new to the whole sailing scene. We're loving every minute of it, but I'd prefer to not look like a clueless dork if I don't have to!

I fitted an outboard this year and now always raise and lower my sails out on the water while the motor is keeping me perfectly head to wind.

I am considering an anchor to turn my Getaway into a large fishing platform when I am out on the lakes in CA.

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2007 Getaway

Depending on wind heading, I will sometime motor out and hoist main from the water. That's what the front tramp is for!

As a side note, I have watched many Blue Angel Shows from the water. They do a show for the Navel Academy Graduation. Best seat in the house! If the weather is nice, there can be 100's of boats.

Thanks for the info, guys.
I think I'll go ahead and buy the anchor and try it out.

Because of the way a catamaran tracks on an anchor rode tied to a single mounting point, I'd tie a bridle to the front of the two hulls, with a bowline on the bight or similar loop knot in the center. With a little bit of slack, you can easily carabiner your anchor rode to the center point of the cat. I would recommend the angle to the front crossbar being at least 45 degrees if not 60. This will also keep your cat from "hunting" while at anchor. This is theoretical advice only. We'll be instituting it ourselves in the very near future. An additional benefit of keeping the bows directly into the wind is that even if the main us hoisted (which I wouldn't recommend), and if it's up, uncleated, it will have a slight windvane effect keeping her from sailing off on an angle to the anchor rode. I'll let you know what our emperical evidence suggests.

Chris
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Thanks for the idea, Chris! We'll be out on the water this weekend and I may just try that.

I did find out in the meantime that the Hobie anchor is a kayak anchor...much too small. I ended up just grabbing a $22 10-pound anchor from Wally World.

The dealer did mention the drifting or 'hunting' aspect, as you refer to it. His suggestion was to get 2 anchors and throw one over the bow and one over the stern. I discarded that out of hand...just too impractical to stow 2 friggin' anchors. I like your idea much better.

If I do try it out I'll let you know how it goes.