Be The Captain · video

What this video covers

Kedging — using an anchor to pull a grounded boat back to floating water — is the core technique James Evenson demonstrates after opening with the real-world loss of sailing vessel Centurion, a boat he argues could have been saved.2:04 The technique involves carrying the anchor as far as possible into deeper water, either by dinghy or by swimming it out underwater, then using the windlass or a cockpit winch to take up slack incrementally as wave action lifts and shifts the hull.4:11 The windlass is not strong enough to drag the boat free directly; the method relies on wave lift to skip the hull across the bottom while the operator pulls in slack between surges.6:09 Evenson covers three common mistakes: placing the anchor too close (losing leverage), failing to manually set the anchor before tensioning, and rushing the process.7:59 He explains how to rig anchor chain on a cockpit winch when pulling from the stern, how to deploy a second anchor if the first fails to move the boat, and how to use crew weight shifts or a halyard led to another vessel to heel the boat and free a stuck keel.9:57 He also notes the technique's use in Rio Dulce, Guatemala, where boats are heeled under a low bridge using halyards.10:56 The demonstration is conducted with the boat hauled out on the hard, showing chain placement and windlass technique in dry conditions.11:54

More from Be The Captain

25 People Abandoned an Unsinkable Ship. None Survived | The Joyita MysterySept 202631 Crew Sailed Into Hurricane Mitch. None Were Ever Found | The Tragic Story of SV FantomeAug 2026Declared Dead at Sea — Then They Came Back | The Rose-Noëlle StoryJul 2026My Final Video as Sailing ZingaroJul 2026

From Be The Captain — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analysed video.

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.