Setting Two Anchors

[sabray]

yes its weight if it pulled free it will act the same.
otherwise good snubber stuff and 3 strand works quite well. Im using all chain to 250' I like about 30' of 3 strand cleated off taking the load but now wonder what others are using for lenghts on snubbers.

[Curmudgeon]

Bigger is better. Before messing with kellets, I'd just get a bigger anchor and would also consider going to all chain, although I'm not convinced that the benefits of all chain outweigh the negatives.

[capngeo]

Bigger is NOT better.. smarter is! A giant anchor will certainly hold your boat, BUT there are trade offs. As mentioned, my storm anchor sits largely unused, as do the kellets and extra shot of chain. Most of the time the chain and kellets are just some more righting moment assisters sitting way low in the hull. Now if you have that GIANT anchor in the pulpit taking up room and adding metacentric weight. Are you gonna use it? is it too much of a PITA to haul and deploy?

A "reasonable" anchor and partial chain rode of a combined 80# can be hand hauled if needed. The kellets? Yeah, they suck to bring up out of the bilge and the briny deep, but they only see daylight when a named storm is on the way.

[sabray]

No way Im using a killett in a named storm. To easy to tangle. I would lay down some big ground tackle but not a killett. I use one occassionaly so not a nay sayer but not for that kinda blow

[mr-canada]

There are some good posts in this thread (sorry to necro it). But a lot of it is just junk and conjecture coming from people who say buying more toys will solve the problem. Buy a Rocna, buy kellets, buy more chain, buy this buy that. In all honesty you can only fit so much crap in your boat before it becomes a tow barge you tow behind another boat you have to buy to tow all the junk you've bought.

I am using two anchors right now in a Y configuration off the bow. Primary anchor is a Danforth with adequate chain. Secondary is a smaller Danforth with rode only. Boat is good and stable (I have been very impressed that the small secondary is adequately carrying the boats weight with no chain when stressed, I'd have expected it to drag)

The key is what configuration makes sense for your situation?

In a tight protected cove with a lot of other boats to worry about, a bow and stern or bow and stern tie (like to a tree) is good because you get less swing. This reduces the likelihood of colliding into someone else and ensures that once your set on your main bow anchor, it likely won't come loose.

If you have a ton of space, a good anchor, and good holding, maybe a single anchor is simpler. Having enough chain is key, forget these stupid 20 pound weights, just get the chain you need and the right anchor and adequate ground for your anchor. A million weights wont help you moor a Bruce when you really need a rock pick.

In my case, I am in a semi protected cove. I get a lot of wake from a 530 ton ferry coming from the backside, and a lot of wake coming from deep V displacement hulls coming from across the bay, but the storm winds with fetch would be coming from dead ahead. So I used a Y configuration as that's where I'll encounter the greatest wind and most powerful waves (due to fetch). There is also cruise ship and freight traffic in the straight, so long deep waves will bounce me around from that direction, which is the direction I have placed the Y. There will be tides, current, and other winds, but the goal is holding power against the most powerful forces from that direction. There are also a lot of other boats kicking around. Less swing is better.


Sitting in an armchair while your boat is in the dock pontificating about how much more money you can spend if only you had it is pointless. Turning your blessed boat into a barge to lug weights, extra extra chain, a few dozen anchors, is unfeasable, you may as well just buy a bloody barge - or just take a ferry or fly to your destination.

[Blue Crab]

I'm afraid to fly these daze.