Learn to Sail Video - How to Anchor Inside Shoal Water in an Emergency!

You are homeward bound--under power--inside a narrow channel after a perfect sailing day. All of a sudden, you lose power and your engine dies with a cough and sputter. Thick boat traffic means you need to get out of the way until you can find the problem.

What now, skipper? Better watch this one-minute video to find out how you can handle this in a matter of seconds!

1. Look outside of the dashed, dredged-channel line on any nautical chart or chart plotter.

2. Blue water indicates shoals. Find white areas--called "pockets"--inside of the shoal area. These show deeper water. Make sure the pocket has water deep enough for your draft. If possible, use a pocket with a depth at least 2X your draft.

3. Highlight deep-water pockets so that they stand out in all marine weather, day or night.