Re: M_Boats: New Boatwhat anchor?
Hi Justin, Congratulations on the new "Toy" They are wonderful boats and once you get familiar with them they can take you almost anywhere. As for your anchor question: You ask the $64 question, but there is no single answer to the question. Consider anchors as tools. There is no such thing as a "Universal Tool" as a glance in any tool catalog will prove. With anchors it's the same. Anchors are tools designed to hold in different types of ocean bottoms. It all comes down to what is the bottom like? The answer to that question then allows you to pick the best tool for the job; but change locations, with different bottoms, and you start all over again. For soft bottoms Danforth anchors do very well, ..............except if there is eel grass, and then the anchor might never get to the bottom, becoming entangled in balls of eel grass. They also are great in sand. Plow type anchors, a Bruce or CQR are more universal. They are heavier relative to their size, and get to the bottom easier than a Danforth will if there are obstructions such as thick vegetation. The answer to your question really boils down to: where are you sailing, and what kind of bottom is there? If your sailing horizon widens, so will the tool assortment (anchors) increase. ..............and as a final thought. One anchor is NEVER enough. Two should be the minimum. Just think, being anchored for the night, the wind is blowing, and somebody in a motorboat runs across your anchor rode and cuts the rode. Now what........? That is why a second anchor on board is an insurance policy. If it really starts blowing, then laying out two anchors insures a much better night's sleep. Connie M15 #400
Justin: I started to type something along the lines of what Connie said, and that you may get different opinions on what to use. Anchors seem to be a personal thing. For most bottom conditions, your Bruce type should work for a starter, but I would go to a larger size....say around 11 pounds with a short piece of 1/4" chain and 150' of 3/8 nylon rode.. The 4 pounder would be good as a secondary/kedge/lunch hook, although I suspect there are lots of folks on this list that only use a 4 pounder. None of these are real handy to stow. The good thing about a Bruce or any of the one piece plow types....in addition to being strong....is they will likely reset themselves if you have a wind or tide shift and the set anchor is pulled out. As for the 4 pound/11 pound dilemma, I'm in the camp that when looking at your primary anchor, too heavy is always better than not heavy enough.... at least if you are planning to anchor overnight. You will sleep better knowing you are going to stay put no matter what comes along (weather wise). Digging in is a function of weight and enough scope to give you a good sideways pull to set it (have it dig in) and to keep it set. Use the rating guides of the anchors with a dose of skepticism and you won't be sorry the morning after that big storm. Howard PS: Congratulations on the boat. You are going to love it!
For most bottom conditions, your Bruce type should work for a starter, but I would go to a larger size....say around 11 pounds with a short piece of 1/4" chain and 150' of 3/8 nylon rode.
Not exactly true...It's less about the weight of the anchor and more about the system. Never use a SHORT piece of chain. Use one that is properly sized for the load of the boat you are anchoring. Any good book on anchoring will tell you how to calculate the loads. And, 3/8 is way too stiff for such a small boat. The goal is for the rode/chain combination to keep the anchor grounded. Smaller rode (within reason) is always better as it will give and take without lifting the chain then the anchor etc. Anchoring is a lost art that's worth learning. Even a bad anchor will do amazing feats give the proper chain/rode and placed at the proper scope. You can get the best anchor money can buy, but without correct deployment it's worthless. Take the time to go to the library and get a book or two. It's as important as knowing how to sail the boat. For what it's worth I used the 4 lb. Bruce for a number of years with a nice length of chain and lots of scope. Used properly it's all the anchor you will ever need. An 11 lb. Bruce on such a small boat is way overkill. Take the difference in cost and invest in a good chain and rode.
participants (3)
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chbenneck@juno.com -
Howard Audsley -
stephen gray