How to Anchor a Boat: A Beginner's Guide for Self-Drive Renters

One of the best moments of a self-drive boat day is dropping anchor over a quiet, turquoise cove, cutting the engine, and diving into the sea. Anchoring looks simple — and it is, once you know the steps — but doing it properly is what keeps your boat (and everyone on it) safe and stable while you swim.

If you're renting a license-free boat on the Athens Riviera for the first time, this is your plain-English guide. We cover the same steps in person during your pre-departure briefing, so think of this as a friendly head start.

Step 1: Point the bow into the wind or current

Before you drop anything, position the boat correctly. Always point the bow (the front) into the wind or current. This keeps the boat stable, helps the anchor dig in properly, and stops you swinging around unpredictably into rocks or other boats.

Step 2: Approach your spot slowly

Don't drop the anchor exactly where you want to end up. Cruise slightly ahead of that spot, so that as the boat settles back you lay the anchor line out behind you. Moving forward gently also stops you dragging the anchor across the seabed before it's ready to set.

Step 3: Come to a complete stop, then drop

Make sure the boat is fully still before you release the anchor. Dropping while you're still moving makes the anchor skip and snag instead of catching. Lower it slowly and upright so it lands flat on the bottom, letting the flukes (the pointed parts) bite into the sand.

Step 4: Let out enough line

Keep feeding the line out even after the anchor touches the bottom, so the chain lies flat along the seabed. The chain's weight pulls the anchor sideways, which is what makes it hold. A good rule of thumb: let out three to five times the water depth in line length. In a 4-metre-deep cove, that's roughly 12–20 metres of line.

Step 5: Anchor where you can see the seabed

This is easy on the Athens Riviera, where the water is famously clear. Choose spots where you can see the bottom — ideally clean sand. You'll avoid rocks and seagrass (where anchors get stuck), and you can actually watch the anchor set.

💡 Local tip: Around Anavyssos and the coves toward Cape Sounion, aim for the pale, sandy patches between rocks. They hold an anchor beautifully and they're kinder to the seabed than rocky or weedy areas.

Step 6: Secure the line to a bow cleat

Once set, tie the line off to a bow cleat with a simple cleat hitch. Keep it firm but not strained, and double-check it won't slip.

Step 7: Test the hold

Finally, give the engine a gentle nudge in reverse (or tug firmly on the line) to dig the anchor in, then watch a fixed point on shore for a minute. If you're not drifting, you're set. Now you can swim.

Common anchoring mistakes to avoid

• Dropping the anchor while the boat is still moving

• Letting out too little line (the #1 reason anchors drag)

• Anchoring over rock or thick seagrass

• A loose or rushed knot on the cleat

• Ignoring the wind direction

  
  

Anchor with confidence

Anchoring is a five-minute skill that unlocks the whole point of a self-drive day: stopping wherever the water looks best, with no schedule and no crowds.

Ready to find your own private cove? Our license-free boats in Anavyssos seat up to six and start from €160 per day.