Anchors - Is One Enough

[Cheechako]

Most of the fore/aft anchoring I've done is in tidal currents. It can be a real mess as the currents are often too much for the aft anchor. Or if the aft holds the forward anchor may drag due to the added stress applied from the aft holding. If the current is always in one direction and consistant... no problem. But It's never been that way in my situations in the PNW and Bahamas etc.
The only time it's been successful for me is in an enclosed small bay where one end is anchored and the other tied to a tree with no current or wind.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Sun and Moon

Stainless is a lousy material for an anchor. It's prone to crevice corrosion which is hard to detect, and then failure when you most need it. Not to mention it's very expensive. Galvanized wins in every category except looking shiny at the dock.

+1,000

Goes for chain, too.

[Ocean Girl]

We have Manson 45lb(main) Fx37(storm), danforth 16 (lunch).

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Most of the fore/aft anchoring I've done is in tidal currents. It can be a real mess as the currents are often too much for the aft anchor......

Yes, good point. It's important that the aft anchor be sized properly for the intended load. Many folks have much smaller stern anchors, so, not such a good idea. Our Bruce stern anchor is 1/3 smaller than our primary, but I had been using it as a primary for many years until I got the Rocna as the new primary. In this case, a Danforth or Fortress would be a good application, since it's one directional.

[tbodine88]

I've a small boat. I have the 15# Seachoice Utility anchor on the bow, keep a grappling anchor in the cock pit and a mushroom down below. Usually only use the bow anchor except when I beach her then the mush room is ashore Seachoice goes astern.

Boat US had an article on anchors this month, not a very thorough test, but they found an anchor like mine held best.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Most of the fore/aft anchoring I've done is in tidal currents.
The only time it's been successful for me is in an enclosed small bay where one end is anchored and the other tied to a tree with no current or wind.

There are some small bays along the Pacific coast of MX that are completely open to the sea. The swell is so large and with big tides swings, sideways is not tolerable. Stern lines would need to be pretty long so every once and a while an anchor helps.

[Chalifour]

We are a Jeanneau SO DS43. Our sailing grounds are the Mediterranean (Greece and Turkey currently). While we carry 2 anchors, a Delta 22Kg (as a spare anchor) and a Spade 22kg, we only use the Spade which we find amazing. We will not hesitate to verify our holding especially if the weather calls for high winds and we will tie to shore if the holding is questionnable or too deep.

[steve77]

Our primary is a Mantus 85. A CQR 75 is also on the bow, with a Fortress stowed partially assembled in the cockpit locker. A Luke 120 is our storm anchor. Of course, lots of 1/2" chain an 8 plait rode.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by LTDsailing

That's a good question! I always figure that if you walk down the dock and see one type of anchor over and over again - there's a good chance that is the best anchor for the area.

Well I have a 60 lb Manson Supreme, but if I used the walk the marina method would have something like a 35 lb CQR

[mrlee]

Hi all,I will be getting my boat in 2 months and it will have a 35lb. Mantus with 40ft. of 5/16 g4 chain and 250ft. of 1/2' rode on the bow and a 25lb. Danforth as a stern anchor. I will be mostly in the Caribbean area-Cancun/Cozumel....Is this ok?
Great post Randy....I love learning!!! Thanks all...

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by LTDsailing

That's a good question! I always figure that if you walk down the dock and see one type of anchor over and over again - there's a good chance that is the best anchor for the area.

I am not so sure.

I have done a number of marina and hard-stand surveys of anchors. The results are interesting, but I do not think the most popular anchor represents the optimum anchor for the area.

The main problem is that boats that frequently depend on an anchors performance, don't go into marinas much. The second problem is that the most popular anything is not usually the best.

Count the number of high end Oysters, HR, Discovery yachts in any marina and the numbers are likely to be small, should we conclude they are poor quality yachts, unsuitable for the area?

These are the results from my last marina/hard-stand anchor survey a little less than 12months ago:


Delta 65
CQR 33
Spade 16
Bugel copy 12
Rocna 11
Kobra 10
Brittany 10
Bugel 9
Bruce 8
Claw 6
Brake 5
Kingston quickset 5
Plough 4
FOB rock 3
Shark 3
Jambo 3
Danforth 3
Fortress 1
Manson Supreme 1
SARCA 1
Stockless 1
Excel 1
Fisherman 1
FOB-HP 1

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Sun and Moon

Stainless is a lousy material for an anchor. It's prone to crevice corrosion which is hard to detect, and then failure when you most need it. Not to mention it's very expensive. Galvanized wins in every category except looking shiny at the dock.

True when referring to crap stainless coming out of a crap country. Complete Bee Ess when talking about high quality stainless fabricated to a high standard and tested composition. I just hate to see Bee Ess repeated over and over on the Internet until some begin to believe it.

Now back to the topic ... how many anchors?

[JPA Cate]

All our anchors are galvanized. Our main anchor is a 60 lb. Manson Supreme. In addition, we carry a 20 lb. high tensile Danforth, and a 45 lb. plow that hasn't been wet for years.

Uses for the Danforth: potentially, for a kedge; it hold stern to swell when you can't just spring the stern around, and in a two anchor formation, both forward in a wide "V", if the Manson Drags. It has done so once, in about 60 k. steady, and when we retrieved them both, the mud was different on the one than the other, leading us to believe that the Manson had found poorer holding mud and the Danforth, better. [I actually have a sort of affection for the Danforth, as it has been with us since the Yankee 30.] If I were going to by a sand anchor for the big boat, I'd go with a Fortress, but we already have the Danforth, and it does all we ask of it.

Ann

[Pauls]

"True when referring to crap stainless coming out of a crap country. Complete Bee Ess when talking about high quality stainless fabricated to a high standard and tested composition. I just hate to see Bee Ess repeated over and over on the Internet until some begin to believe it."

It is not BS. Crevice corrosion and stress corrosion do not stop because the part is
"high quality stainless fabricated to a high standard and tested composition." If it's a 300 series stainless it will experience these issues. This is metallurgical fact, it cannot be eliminated.

If you wanted to suggest that these factors are not likely to be important on an anchor, which should be way overbuilt for the loads it will see, I would not disagree.

Points that will always weigh against stainless anchors: 300 series stainless yield strength is less than common steels, so they are weaker for their weight (meaning they will bend easier). If used with galvanized chain electrolysis will attack the connecting link. And they cost a hell of a lot more than galvanized.

[jacob30]

Just bought a 65 lb mantus but was wondering the same thing. I currently have three additional anchors but need to narrow it down to one additional. I have a 35 lb cqr, a delta 20 something and a fortress guardian. I'm thinking about getting the fortress fx 37 as the backup. Thoughts?


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