Never done it, looking for a few pointers.

I have a small mushroom anchor in addition to the main danforth anchor. 20' CC. I figure running the main off the stern to the beach above high with mush off the bow away from beach, thereby keeping the stern facing the beach.

Thoughts?

im not a pro, but here are my thoughts. I've only anchored in relatively protected coves so there was not a lot of wave action
the most important part of the boat is the motor, if the stern gets too shallow, you may be f'ed. I like to keep the stern in the deepest water. I usally anchor bow towards the beach, one anchor off the stern and one off the bow. I adjust as the tide goes in or out. That way if the tide/waves push me in too much, I can rely on the motor to pull me out.

I have always dropped the bow anchor first set it in deep with the motor then backed into the beach and dragged the other anchor up onto or near the beach from the stern. My main heavy danfort goes off the bow and a lighter danfort off the stern, would rather have the rear beach anchor let go than the one bow anchor which is holding me off the beach. Outboard goes way up once anchored this way to avoid hitting bottom when leaving I’ll pull myself into a bit deeper water with the bow anchor line before firing up the engine.

Both make good points.

You should see the Spit in Scituate on the weekend. All different types of anchoring styles. The crash landing, the bumper boat, the high and dry, the bent trim tabs and my favorite the "sh1tfaced shimmy".

I gave up and just anchor up in the channel and swim in.

Keel + beach+ 5 knots of current = disaster.

With outboards, you want the boat facing the open water (it rides better if the wind/waves come up) and you want the stern facing the shore to make it easier to get in and out (as well as avoid being swamped).

Set your best anchor from your stern as you go in and stop the boat and tie off as you reach minimum water depth.

Put your bow almost ashore and throw a second anchor onto the beach (or send someone over the bow with it to set it). Don't tie it off.

Now move your stern anchor to the bow and, as you do so, pull the boat out a little until your stern is just afloat. Use the beach anchor to hold you perpendicular to the beach. Unload your boat.

Pull the boat out by the bow anchor (the one you set from the stern while coming in) until you have adequate depth to account for tide change while you are ashore. (If you are landing at low tide you need very little....just enough to keep your keel from bouncing if waves or wakes develop.....at high tide you will need more). Doing this will keep you from grounding if the wind or current changes.

While still in the boat, feed out line to your beach anchor to allow the boat lay in the wind/current the way you want. Cleat it off then pull yourself back perpendicular to the shore and get out.

When you want to get back aboard, pull the boat in from the beach and wade/swim back to it. The last guy to get back aboard obviously has to bring the beach anchor. You can make this easier by slacking your outside anchor and pulling the boat closer in, then re-cleating it.

The most important issues (particularly if you plan to leave your boat with an onshore wind) are to make sure that outside anchor is set well (you can get fooled in rock/grass) and to allow for wind shifts and tide drop.

Be sure you know what the tide is doing (including its extent) before you try this, and never count on the wind to do what is forecast if you plan to leave the boat unattended.

Thanks. Very clear step-by-step instrcutions.

With outboards, you want the boat facing the open water (it rides better if the wind/waves come up) and you want the stern facing the shore to make it easier to get in and out (as well as avoid being swamped).

Set your best anchor from your stern as you go in and stop the boat and tie off as you reach minimum water depth.

Put your bow almost ashore and throw a second anchor onto the beach (or send someone over the bow with it to set it). Don't tie it off.

Now move your stern anchor to the bow and, as you do so, pull the boat out a little until your stern is just afloat. Use the beach anchor to hold you perpendicular to the beach. Unload your boat.

Pull the boat out by the bow anchor (the one you set from the stern while coming in) until you have adequate depth to account for tide change while you are ashore. (If you are landing at low tide you need very little....just enough to keep your keel from bouncing if waves or wakes develop.....at high tide you will need more). Doing this will keep you from grounding if the wind or current changes.

While still in the boat, feed out line to your beach anchor to allow the boat lay in the wind/current the way you want. Cleat it off then pull yourself back perpendicular to the shore and get out.

When you want to get back aboard, pull the boat in from the beach and wade/swim back to it. The last guy to get back aboard obviously has to bring the beach anchor. You can make this easier by slacking your outside anchor and pulling the boat closer in, then re-cleating it.

The most important issues (particularly if you plan to leave your boat with an onshore wind) are to make sure that outside anchor is set well (you can get fooled in rock/grass) and to allow for wind shifts and tide drop.

Be sure you know what the tide is doing (including its extent) before you try this, and never count on the wind to do what is forecast if you plan to leave the boat unattended.

This is exactly my method, I would just add, to answer RIJIMMY's concern, that after you set the first anchor and are drifting into the shore you should turn off and trim you engine all the way up. so you are at the end you are facing stern to the beach and you outboard is out of the water completely so that you don't have to worry about it at all....

I follow the same procedures as recommended. Bow out and lunch anchor on a light line to the beach.