what anchor to use...

[alk]

Probably one of the most asked questions in boating, but somehow can't find the answer.

I have a 23' bowrider, about 4,000 lbs. Anchoring in soft sand or muddy bottoms has never been a problem with my main anchor, or 'lunch hook' - which are traditional fluke anchors, galvanized, not sure the size, but whatever was recommended for the boat - I believe 8 lb off the bow, and a little 4 lb I use off the stern when beached. Forget how much chain I have on the bow anchor, not much, maybe 6 feet. Can't remember ever anchoring in > 10 ft of water, only time I really do it is when beaching. No windlass, hauling this up manually.

While I've never had much problem anchoring in most spots - two anchorages we go to, which are both very near inlets and have pretty hard packed sand - I can almost never get these anchors to set - even at slack tide, 7:1 or more scope - they just don't seem to like the bottom at these two spots. Usually just put the bow on the beach, swim out to where the stern anchor is, and bury it - very amateur looking - and can't easily be done if current is coming in or out.

Was thinking of trying another style anchor this summer. Any suggestions? Or should I just stick with the danforth, perhaps go bigger, or maybe add more chain? As we never stay anchored for more than a couple hours, primary concern is setting it quickly, and I suppose getting it out easily too. Not as worried about it coming free if current or wind shifts.

thanks

 

[Radioactive]

As always, the actual bottom conditions at the chosen location will determine which anchor is "best".

Most of my local area is very hard clay up through "toothpaste clay" and/or various densities of sand.

My primary was a Delta ( one size oversize based on mfgr chart ) and a Fortress adjustable. When a Fortress is adjusted for a "big mouth" it does quite well in packed sand. Chain is highly recommended, as it will help the relatively light Fortress set. By design, a Fortress will release and re-set as the direction of pull changes ( ie tide change; wind change ), so the chain is highly desirable

Delta always held, though under extreme conditions the bottom itself would fail and I might "plow" a bit. But never a long distance, and never an unexpected release. Delta might also reset, but usually seemed to simply "plow in a different direction" This slippage was never a large distance. ( Though it could be. I just never encountered it ).

But use what suits your actual conditions ( Fortress will tend to foul on an oyster bank, for instance. And under some conditions, using a release line on the Delta is appropriate.

I'm sure others have their preferred configurations...

 

[PascalG]

Danforth incl Fortress don't reset when they get clogged with grass or thick mud. You have to bring it up and rinse it Fortress re fine on small boats because they re light and easy to handle, chain really helps, at least 6'

I ve never had good luck with deltas in soft mud. They just plow thru. Great in sand, grass or rocks though

I m a big fan of Bruce/claw anchors. Been using them for 10 years from cape cod to the Exumas anchoring well over 100 times a year. I can count on the finger of one hand how many times it has not set or slow dragged. I put a 176 pounder on the boat I run (84'), a 16 lbs on my 26 sailboat, a smaller one on a 14' tender and when my 53 is done I ll out a 110 pounder

An 8 lbs anchor on a 23' boat is too small regardless of type

 

[pdecat]

Hard packed sand can be tough. First I would try more scope to get the anchor at a lower angle to see if it will dig in. Once dug in you can always shorten up. 8# is small but angle is what I suspect. I'm not convinced that a heavier anchor will set better just not drag once set. IMO a heavier anchor may not set any better unless the angle is better. Swift running currents will scour the bottom to hard pack. Try a few feet in another direction.
You can always put the anchor on the beach and back off. Dont worry about appearances just do what works.

 

[alk]

the bow on the beach works fine at slack tide, but when the current is ripping through, it's a real debacle to keep the stern from swinging around and then the outdrive banging off the bottom.

Once it's set, don't remember ever having a problem with it dragging, just looking to set faster in the hard packed sand. it is nearly cement with how fast the current cruises through in both of these spots.

Would more chain, or heavier chain, help get a better angle and quicker set?

 

[Good Grief]

"Would more chain, or heavier chain, help get a better angle and quicker set?"

I would think so - keeping the shank down is key to setting the flukes.

The Boating Bible (Chapman) says rule of thumb is 1' chain per foot LOA, and it seems your right around 1/4 of that. 23' of chain may be excessive for a 23' boat, but more should be better than less. Maybe 10-15' will meet your needs.

 

[Phillbo]

I've heard people have good results with box anchors on smaller lighter boats such as yours. I've never used one but it might be worth looking into.

 

[PascalG]

Scope and chain will always help. Most failures are cause by lack of scope especially with little or no chain No chain you need to 10:1

 

[Chesagansett]

<<..."Can't remember ever anchoring in > 10 ft of water..."...>>

A possible thought on scope .....
For shallow water anchoring, remember to add in the height of the rode cleat above the waterline. It can be a significant percentage of total distance from the bottom when you're in shallow water. For example, if you're anchoring in 4 feet of water, and your bow cleat where you secure the rode is 3 feet above the water surface, you need to use a "depth" of 7 feet when calculating scope. So, a 7:1 scope would be 49 feet of rode. At lot of people miss that one, and would only put out 28 feet, using just the 4 foot water depth. Adding in the bow cleat height above water is less significant if you're anchoring in fairly deep water, but it can be a very large percentage of the number when anchoring in shallow water, as you indicate is your primary anchoring area. I'd bet very few boaters put out 49 feet of rode in just 4 feet of water. But, that is what is needed if you want 7:1 scope if your bow cleat is 3 feet above the waterline.

Glenn

 

[Radioactive]

A well-scoured bottom in an area with high currents is a "challenging environment". If years of high volume/high pressure washing hasn't gotten past the bottom, then any anchor will be hared pressed to do better.

Seek a better anchorage when possible.

The "rules of thumb" regarding how much chain are varied, but typically a length between one-half the boat length and "nearly" a boat length seem appropriate. ( That less than boat length is to avoid getting the chain in the prop under certain situations... ) (I'm ignoring the "all-chain" answer )

Danforth/Fortress are "easy" to store, but most other types lean toward the miserable to store end of the scale. Which is why you typically wee them in bow rollers. Further, Danforth/Fortress can work in a bow-roller, but are not reliably "self-launching", whereas a Delta/Bruce etc work well from there.

---

As for testing out new anchors, good idea. Every type anchor has a bottom in which it performs best. And the written descriptions do not always help. Testing in -your- environment is a good idea.

I carried two rather different types. If one wasn't working the way I wanted, then I switched types. For some, this is a good plan.