How to anchor a boat in Queensland: gear, where you can drop it, and the steps

Do you have to carry an anchor in Queensland? It's recommended, not required

An anchor isn't on Queensland's list of required safety gear, but it's recommended for every recreational boat on every type of water. The Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Regulation 2016 sets the required items. For a boat in or beyond partially smooth waters, section 14 lists lifejackets, a V sheet, 2 red handheld flares, 2 orange smoke signals and, over 5 metres, firefighting gear. Other sections add an EPIRB once you're more than 2 nautical miles from land in open waters (section 10), and a signalling light such as a torch between sunset and sunrise (section 12). None of them lists an anchor.

The BoatSafe Workbook's safety equipment table still marks anchoring "recommended" across smooth, partially smooth and open waters. Recommended means gear that's suggested to be carried to meet your general safety obligation as a skipper.

The Workbook says why it matters: even if you don't plan to use it, an anchor is imperative if your boat breaks down. It keeps you in one place, or slows your drift, until help arrives. In a real emergency, call triple zero (000) first.

The table below shows the anchor and cable lengths the Workbook recommends by boat length.

Which anchor and line to use: a sand anchor, 2 to 3 metres of chain, rope that sinks

For most small boats, a Danforth-style anchor is the usual pick. The BoatSafe Workbook says it's the anchor most commonly recommended for small craft, light to handle, with excellent holding in mud and sand. Keep it off reefs, as the flukes can wedge between rocks. Plough (CQR) anchors suit bigger, heavier boats and also hold in sand and mud. Reef or grapnel anchors are built for coral and rock, with prongs that bend out under heavy load.

Next comes the chain. Put at least 2 to 3 metres of chain between the anchor and the rope. The chain keeps the anchor's shank flat on the seabed so the flukes can dig in, and it stops the rope chafing on the bottom. Bigger boats need more chain.

Skip any rope that floats, such as polypropylene. It can stop the anchor digging in and it's easy to cut with a propeller. Nylon or silver rope both work, and nylon is stronger and resists wear better.

How much anchor line to let out: five times the depth, eight in rough conditions

Let out anchor line equal to about five times the depth of the water. The BoatSafe Workbook calls this the scope: the ratio of line you've paid out to the depth where you're anchoring. In extreme conditions, raise it to 8 to 1.

Here's how that works in practice. In 6 metres of water, a 5 to 1 scope means 30 metres of line. At 8 to 1 it's 48 metres.

The reason is the angle. The flatter the pull on the anchor, the better it holds, because the flukes keep biting into the seabed instead of being lifted out of it. A short, steep line tends to drag.

A simple trick from the Workbook: mark your rope at regular intervals with coloured twine. Then you can see exactly how much you've let out, rather than guessing as it runs over the bow. How well any anchor holds also depends on the bottom, so check a chart for good holding ground before you drop.

Where you can't anchor: near ramps, jetties, signed cables, channels and dam walls

Queensland law bans anchoring in several places, and each breach carries a maximum penalty of 100 penalty units. Section 195 of the Marine Safety Regulation says you must not anchor within 10 metres of a boat ramp or jetty. You also can't anchor within 50 metres of an underwater cable or pipeline where a sign shows it's there, or in waters gazetted as places where an anchored boat is a danger to aircraft or other vessels. Maritime Safety Queensland publishes the current gazette notice and map on its website.

Section 196 keeps you more than 100 metres from a dam wall, spillway or weir. Section 197 bans anchoring anywhere it would endanger marine safety.

Watch for submarine cable crossing signs in particular. The BoatSafe Workbook's advisory signs page says anchoring is prohibited within 200 metres of submarine cables at these signs, so treat 200 metres as your buffer, not 50. If your anchor snags near one, don't try to retrieve it. Cut the anchor line.

The Workbook adds that, other than in an emergency, you must not anchor in channels, near navigation beacons or near important shore notices such as cable crossing signs. For the speed limits that apply around anchored boats, see our Queensland boating rules guide.

Marine parks: no-anchoring areas, reef markers and time limits

Some marine park waters ban anchoring outright, and the Moreton Bay Marine Park zoning plan names three no-anchoring areas: Flinders Reef, Flat Rock and Myora Reef. Anchoring in one carries up to 10 penalty units. The zoning plan also takes in Pumicestone Channel areas, so parts of the Pumicestone Passage near Caloundra sit inside the marine park.

The Queensland Government marks no-anchoring areas with white, pyramid-shaped reef protection buoys with a blue label. Never anchor on the reef flat inshore of them, and don't tie up to one, as they aren't strong enough to hold a boat. Public moorings use blue cone-shaped buoys instead, with a coloured band showing boat size and time limits of 2, 4 or 24 hours between 7am and 5pm.

Staying a while? In the Moreton Bay Marine Park you need a permission to anchor in one area for more than 14 days in a row, or 30 days in any 60. You only count as moving if you re-anchor at least 1 nautical mile away. The Qld Fishing 2.0 app shows moorings and no-anchoring areas.

How to anchor a boat, step by step

This is the BoatSafe Workbook's anchoring sequence. Always anchor from the bow. Anchoring by the stern drops the back of the boat lower, and waves or another boat's wash can come over the transom.

1. Pick an area that gives you the most shelter from wind, current and boat traffic, with swinging room in every direction and space from other boats.

2. Check the depth and the bottom, then work out how much line you need for a 5 to 1 scope.

3. Lay that line out on deck so it follows the anchor smoothly, and make sure its end is tied to the boat.

4. Motor slowly into the wind or tide to just ahead of your spot.

5. Wait until you start drifting back, then lower the anchor. Don't throw a bundle of chain and rope over and hope.

6. When it hits bottom, pay out the line, using gentle reverse if it helps, then secure it to a cleat.

7. Motor gently astern to dig the anchor in. Line up two fixed points on shore, watch the line's angle, and rest your fingers on it. A dragging anchor vibrates.

8. Keep checking you're not drifting.

Anchoring overnight: show an all-round white light and allow for the tide

If you're staying at anchor after dark, you need an anchor light. The BoatSafe Workbook says a boat under 50 metres at anchor shows an all-round white light where it can best be seen, and anchor lights must always be shown from sunset to sunrise. In a busy area, show extra lights (not your navigation lights) so you're seen, and keep a good watch. Our boating rules guide covers the navigation lights you show once you're moving again.

The tide matters too. The Workbook says to allow for its rise and fall when you choose a long-stay spot. Water that's comfortable at high tide can leave you aground at low tide, and line set for low-tide depth can be too short once the tide rises, so check the tide times and let out line for the deepest water you'll sit in.

Weather shifts change things as well. A change in wind or sea can cut how well your anchor holds, so check your position through the night. And remember that once you're anchored the lifejacket-wearing rules change. Our life jacket rules guide explains how.

Pulling the anchor up, and what to do if it's stuck

To raise the anchor, warm up the engine and motor slowly along the line, bringing it in and feeding it into the bin or locker as you go. Don't run over the rope. In a small boat, the Workbook says to handle the anchor from the cockpit rather than the foredeck, and to wear gloves.

Once you're directly above the anchor, a firm pull should free it. If it doesn't, cleat the line and give a short push ahead under power. Bring the anchor up to the waterline, clean it if needed, and let the rope dry before you stow it neatly with the end tied on.

If the anchor won't budge, don't drive the boat over the top of it to break it free. The Workbook warns that this can overturn the boat. If you can't free it safely, the safest choice is to cut the line and leave it.

Stow the anchor securely before you get under way, somewhere you can reach it fast if the engine stops.

Learning to anchor on the Sunshine Coast

Anchoring sits in the manoeuvring chapter of the BoatSafe Workbook, the workbook behind the Queensland recreational marine licence course. Our Boat Licence course is priced from $329, with online theory included and a practical day on sheltered Sunshine Coast water. If someone in the house also wants to ride a jet ski, the Boat & Jet Ski Combo covers both licence courses together.

We run courses from three venues: Golden Beach in Caloundra on the Pumicestone Passage, Maroochydore on the Maroochy River, and Noosaville on the Noosa River. Check the course dates for the next one near you. If you're still working through the paperwork side, our guide on how to get a boat licence in Queensland walks through each step.

Training delivered by Australian Boating College, RTO #3399.