To take advantage of this dual-purpose wildcat, the rope is spliced directly to the chain enabling a smoother run of the combination rode through the grooved wildcat with no hand manipulation required. The effects of the critically sharp bends made in the rope strands, their constant working around the link, and rust and dirt accumulation deep in the rope's interior yarns are still unknown. When initiating the anchoring ritual, make a slow pass through the anchorage, observing other boats' ground tackle setups while looking for the optimum spot for your use. While this is being done, another crew member can assemble and arrange the ground tackle gear for easy, unimpeded and safe run-out of the rode. It is far better to deploy ground tackle in a slow, methodical manner, assuring crew safety in the operation as well as attaining a clean set of the anchor.
Patience is a virtue when anchoring.
Do not consider the anchor set just because it has touched bottom. Finally, deploy the desired scope needed for your particular anchor and rode makeup. If your anchor was chosen to match the sea bed and still hasn't set after a couple of careful tries, it may be fouled and should be retrieved and cleaned. Fouling of anchors can come from a variety of sources, both natural and manmade. Rocks can wedge themselves between flukes and prevent penetration.