Using sentinel for anchoring (anchor weight) Cruising Corner Forums

Hi Johnathan, I use a homemade sentinel and swear by it.  It is 20 lbs, and I tie it into my chain rode at the depth that I anchor in at flood tide.  I then play out more scope depending on conditions and anchorage.  The sentinel, we call her baby, so baby reduces the bounce on the chain from wave action on the bow of the boat and helps the anchor stay set.  So a typical set up would be as follows: calm bay with little wind, tides to be expected, depth 45 feet at high tide.  So as I lower the anchor, I hold fast at a little past my 2nd 20 foot marker on my rode, make fast the sentinel, (ensuring the knot and lead is outside, or water side of all rigging and pulpit) and release baby. Probably, release another 100 feet of chain. Sometimes I attach a floating line to her with a small float, but not always.  And as I raise the anchor, I spray the rode off with salt water so it is easy to see baby as see rides up.  I secure her to the deck, detach her and then continue raising the anchor.   In theory you are still anchored because the anchor is still in the bottom when you are raising her due to the depth of the attachment to the rode during the securing of baby.  That is it.  I have used this set up in a lot of conditions.  I have lost baby once in the Harbor at Pago Pago AM Somia.  It took about an hour of diving to find baby.  My knot came loose, (opps) I wish I had tied on the float that day. 

I hope this helps, I know it wasn't actually answering your question, because I have never used the type that slides down, but thought I would share. 

Travis