How many anchors do you carry?

[TBW]

5 rocna, 2, 55 kg. One bigger than those. One very small for dinghy. One 30- 40 lb. Lots of assorted rope chain. Main is 3/8 all chain.

[georgeg305]

Years ago, we chartered out of Ft. Lauderdale and cruised to the Berry's. We had some difficulty anchoring. Let me elaborate


1. We had strong current that reversed every 4 hrs. The solution was to put two anchors out in the direction of the current flow, then we put both rodes on the bow cleat. We had enough slack so that at the current reversal, the rode would NOT catch on the keel and the boat stayed pretty well in the same spot. I.E. the boat was in between the two anchors


2. The second problem was that in spots, the bottom was hard coral with an inch or two of sand. The anchors would NOT "bite". Took a lot of chain to provide friction from the chain to hold the boat.


3. We found a Danforth that someone had lost. However, one of the flukes was badly bent and that sucker would not "set" It would just roll out.

[peter loveridge]

4, main is a 40lb stainless copy of a CQR, secondary is a 22lb Bruce, stern anchor a 12h Danforth, spare 25lb CQR in bilge, and a small Bruce for the dinghy. 100 ft 1/4HT chain and 200 feet 1/2" braided nylon for the main. 30ft boat. I know many on here don't like CQRs but held us in 100knot microburst in Florida when the wind rotated through 360 degrees

[Mike Banks]

Not overkill. That is what I always carry, one kedge, one bower, one reef--and that is a minimum.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

I have Three and its the perfect number. Anchor enough and you will loose one anchor to a snag. Then you anchor on the backup and have a spare if that one is lost. Anchors are critical for cruisers. Less so for the day sailor or racer.

^^^Good advice. Prudent sailors plan for the worst and then plan for what happens when the worst is something you haven't thought of.

[ohdrinkboy]

I'm a lake sailor. I carry only two danforths with chain. There are times I use them bow and stern at night when there is no wind. Dancing around at anchor sucks when you are in a field of stumps and the chain wraps.

[Siberian Sea]

Four if I count the bread my wife cooked yesterday, damn that stuff was heavy and solid

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by vonchris7

Hi,

I have a 36' sailboat and currently carry 3 anchors. Is this overkill? My primary is a badass Rocna and I have a couple of fluke anchors as a backup. Do I need all 3 onboard? Thank you!

The answer depends on where you sail and what kind of traveling you do.


And if they're NOT on onboard, what good do they ever do you? Big paperweights?

[Perfusser]

I have Danforth anchor, with a whole 10m of chain, plus 30 m of nylon rode. I do have a 2nd lighter Danforth with all nylon rode in the garage, kept as my spare. Cant have too much weight on board when racing.

[Discovery 15797]

Originally Posted by vonchris7

Hi,

I have a 36' sailboat and currently carry 3 anchors. Is this overkill? My primary is a badass Rocna and I have a couple of fluke anchors as a backup. Do I need all 3 onboard? Thank you!

The most critical information is not the size of your boat...but information on your sailing areas and anchoring conditions.

If you sail in say Puget Sound or Cheasapeake Bay or some big lake...2 anchors are likely to be more than sufficient.

If you are a coastal cruiser...3 good anchors might be the right number

If you are in the Caribbean 3 anchors with 200 ft. anchor rode would be good...in the SoPac 4 anchors with 300 ft chain rode is much better.

IMHO...a fluke is not a good back up for a primary...I personally would only use one as a lunch hook and never rely on it as a backup for a primary or securing during storms.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Perfusser

I have Danforth anchor, with a whole 10m of chain, plus 30 m of nylon rode. I do have a 2nd lighter Danforth with all nylon rode in the garage, kept as my spare. Cant have too much weight on board when racing.

Says the guy lugging a tonne of lead around in his keel

[LEOCAT66]

35' cutter.


We carry four,


44 Vulcan bower, 200' 5/16" G 4, plus 250' 5/8" three strand
FX 23 Fortress, 100' 3/8" G 3, 200' 5/8" three strand
FX 55 Fortress
35 Delta, stowed

[wsmurdoch]

On our 34 ft sailboat we carry three anchors in the SE USA and Bahamas. A 45 lb Rocna that we use daily five months of the year on the port bow roller. A 44 lb Bruce backup that has not been used in a year or more on the starboard bow roller. A FX-16 Fortress on the stern rail for correcting navigational errors which has been used for that purpose several times in 15 years. The Fortress also saved the boat a few years ago when anchored bow and stern the Bruce pulled out in a sudden and unforecast storm that changed our anchorage from a well protected spot to a wave filled, rocky lee shore.

Oh, and two anchors for the dinghy - a 2.5 lb galvanized Mantus and a 2.2 lb claw.

Bill

[Smokeys Kitchen]

Bower: 25kg Vulcan on 260' of 5/16 HT chain
backup: Fortress FX 37 on 50' of 5/16 HT w/ 200' 3/4" rope rode
stern: Fortress FX 23 on 25' of 5/16 HT w/ 120' 3/4" rope rode
store: PE Luke 70
Have tested the FX 37 and PE Luke, but never used either in real situation. Have used the stern anchor frequently

[Maka]

4
+ 1 for the dingy.