How to Recover an Anchor
After a relaxing afternoon at the family's favorite swimming spot, it's time to recover the anchor and go back to port. Anchor recovery is one of the most important skills to master if planning to cruise from one area to another. Since there is rarely a need to rush, using the same slow, cautious approach to retrieving an anchor that one would use when docking a boat will result in being the one enjoying the pina colada in the cockpit watching others as they weigh anchor.
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Instructions
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Go to the bow of the boat and start pulling the anchor rode into the boat, pulling the boat toward the anchor. Tie off the anchor rode to a bow cleat as the rode approaches an angle that is straight up and down in the water. Return to the cockpit
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Start the boat motor and shift the transmission lever to forward, following the boat manufacturer's instructions in the owner's manual. Slowly idle the boat over the anchor line until the anchor flips, releasing it from the bottom. The boat operator can tell when the anchor flips by observing the bow of the boat. As the boat travels over the anchor, it will go down slightly and pop back up when the anchor flips
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Move the shift lever the boat to the neutral position, and turn off the engine.
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Return to the bow and pull the anchor up by the rode. Inspect the anchor when it comes out of the water to ensure that there is no mud on it. If mud, dip the anchor in the water a few times to wash it off.
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Stow the anchor and the anchor rode in the boat or an anchor locker, completing the retrieval process.
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