A bridle caught on the windlass can prevent the anchor from dropping

After carefully scoping out the sandbar to find a shallow spot she liked, and accounting for the expected swing during the blow, Lauren Landers Sailing went to drop anchor and nothing happened. The bridle had fouled on the windlass, or on the anchor itself, physically preventing the anchor from falling. The fix was to do a full circle and come back around for another attempt. It is a quick thing to check before you commit to your drop, especially when other boats are watching and you do not want to appear as though you are crowding them.