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Anchoring & docking.

A boat that drifts while unattended is not an abstract engineering exercise. Geometry, bottom type, wind, tide and available swing room all matter when selecting ground tackle.

AnchorsScopeDock lines
Scope equals deployed rode divided by water depth plus bow height, allowing for changing depth and tide. An illustrative 7:1 scope at 10 ft depth and 3 ft bow height needs 91 ft. This does not determine holding or swing clearance.
Slide the drawing sideways to read the full plate.
Measure from the bottom to the bowScope equals deployed rode divided by water depth plus bow height, allowing for changing depth and tide. An illustrative 7:1 scope at 10 ft depth and 3 ft bow height needs 91 ft. This does not determine holding or swing clearance.Reference: BoatUS Foundation — anchoring and mooring

THE QUESTION TO ASK

How much anchor rode fits your water depth?

Ground tackle, anchor rode, fenders, docking hardware and wind.

DEEP DIVE

Start here

Anchoring & docking· 6 minAnchor scope explained: the bow height countsThe underwater depth is only part of the triangle. Forget the height of the bow and your rode calculation is optimistic.Read the guide

PRACTICAL TOOL

Make the numbers behave

GEOMETRY TOOLAnchor scope calculatorCalculate anchor rode from water depth, bow height, and scope ratio. The bow is part of the triangle.↗