Stern anchor configuration

[rebel heart]

For my bow anchor I have a 60lb manson supreme on 5/16 chain, hooked with a crosby shackle. 50' of 1/2" three strand nylon that I secure with a rolling hitch to act as a snubber.

Other anchors onboard are a 22lb delta, a ~20lb danforth style, and a 45lb "seahook" which is sort of like a danforth but with more blunt / stocky blades. It stands up well so I keep it on the stern pushpit lashed to a stanchion.

For stern anchoring situations, what are you guys running? I was thinking 6' of 5/16, maybe with 1/2" spliced to a thimble and shackling the two.

I have 300' of chain up front, plus another 100' of 3/4" three stand if I needed it.

[Jimbo485]

There are two situations.

1. Stern anchoring. 6' is not enough. Depends on the depths, but we use 15 m (50') and then 12 mm nylon. This is our second anchor off the bow as well.

2. Kedging. Needs to be lightweight, so you can run it out in the dinghy or a kayak or attach it to some jerry cans and swim it out. 6' of chain is fine. We use a Fortress for this because of the light weight and the rapidity in getting it out.


The kedging is required quickly because you stuffed up somehow, ran aground and may need to get off asap. So your stern anchor should be set up for kedging. And you have the other length of anchor chain stored away for use with the stern anchor when required (in coral or rocks or when you want to reduce the scope in a tight space.) When you want to use a stern anchor for anchoring (not kedging), you have the time to get out the additional chain and set it up with your kedging anchor.

Alternatively, set yourself up with a good primary anchor, 2nd anchor (with at least 50' of chain and which can be used as a stern anchor or additional bow anchor) and then a kedge anchor with your 6' of chain.

You already have enough anchors to do this. Just need some more chain and nylon.

[bobconnie]

We have always used a danforth for a stern anchor. You mite could use one a little larger. we use them cus they set easy by hand and if your setting from a dink that helps !! Mostly with the primary anchor you have, we would anchor for and aft with the Primary pointed away from the beach and dink set the stern anchor, maybe on the beach if theres enough water to do this ! You have the same anchor for a primary that we have been looking at ! and with that anchor ya may never need to use 2 LOL they sure are great !! for and aft has always worked for us !

[jeremiason]

Our boat's displacement is about 37,000 lbs now. We sail with a Rocna 25 as a primary and a Lewmar Claw 66 as a secondary anchor. We have 300' of 5/16" HT Chain and 200' of 5/8" Mega Braid spliced to that. On the secondary we have 200 feet of 5/16" HT chain and 200' of Mega Braid... Our snubber is a 1/2 three strand dock line spliced with a Wichard Chain Hook.

We use a Fortress 23 as a stern anchor, which is hung on the stern rail with the standard Fortress Rail Clip and a bungee attached to the bottom pulling down to keep it from bouncing out of the clip.

We also have a fortress 55, in storage, in case we need something larger.

Since we use the stern anchor so in frequently (7 times in two years of fulltime cruising), the rode is not attached, but stored in a West Marine anchor rode bag in a cockpit locker.

It is a little heavy, but we have 35' of 5/16 HT chain and 200' of 5/8" three strand anchor line. I use a standard galvinized U-Shackle to conect the chain to the anchor when in use.

With our boat, we have found that the stern anchor likes to be set at 5 to 1 or greater, for optimal holding.

So with that in mind, it should determine your desicion on lenght of rode based on your anticipated anchoring depths.

[belizesailor]

I have two anchors on the bow, a 35kg Bruce and a Fortress FX-23. Each with about 80 feet of chain and then about 200' of 3-strand. On those rare occasions when I use a stern anchor, I just dump the Fortress, rode and all, into the dink and motor it around to the stern then rig it on a bridle of 3-strand (dock lines) to the mooring cleats on the stern.

Depending upon the anchoring situation you can go with much lighter tackle on the stern anchor. For example, anchoring bow and stern in a very protected canyon. I've used a very small Danforth in a pinch in very protected tight anchorages just to hold the boat in position. However, if I were going to rig a dedicated stern anchor for cruising purposes I would go with the cruising grade ground tackle. Full size anchor appropriate to boat, although maybe something light weight and easier to handle like a Fortress since often you are running out stern anchors in the dink. How much chain is a bit of a judgement call, but more is of course better, except that it can make deployment by dink more challenging, as a compromise I would go with about 25 feet.

Related note on setting using a dink: I dump all the ground tackle in the dink, anchor end first, then attach the bitter end over the bow of the dink and back away from the boat allowing the rode to pay out over the bow. I've watched people try to set by just putting the anchor end in the dink -- this does not work so well if you have a lot of chain because most dinks cannot over come the centenary load of the chain to fully extend the rode.

[zeehag]

i store 4-5 anchors--i have 45 cqr used to be primary until i foun d my 30 kg bruce which is primary.
i have fishermans, danforth, and a mushroom.
i do not stern anchor unless is absolutely necessary. everyone anchors from bow. everyone here swings with everyone else.

[djmarchand]

I have set an anchor overnight probably 250 times in the past ten years and have used a stern anchor exactly once: inside the moorings at White's Landing in Catalina. The water depth was about 12' at the bow anchor and about 6' at the stern anchor. I used a stern anchor to keep the bow into the swells and keep from swinging out into the mooring field with the wind.

The point is that it is very rare to use a stern anchor and if you do the water depth will likely be shallow at the stern so it won't take too much rode. So use whatever spare anchor that you have and don't obsess about having all of the rigging in place. You can rig it when you need it.

David

[Dockhead]

I'm with others about frequency of stern anchor use. If you are Swedish mooring that's one thing. Otherwise I can't imagine how often you will have the need.

And as others have said, a good kedge setup will work fine for a stern anchor. I have a big Fortress, 6 meters of chain in a bucket, and 100 meters of braided nylon, which all live inside my anchor locker. If I need to deploy off the stern, I just use a stern cleat, and an electric sheet winch to recover. Works a treat, but again, why would you ever need it? I've set a stern anchor to hold the bow into the swell when the tidal current is pulling the boat perpendicular. This did not work as well as simply putting a bridle on the main anchor rode.

[Dockhead]

As to anchors - the Fortress is a perfect stern anchor. Sets instantly, which is really important since you might not be able to back down on it very well. And light, for rowing it out in the dink.

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by djmarchand

.

The point is that it is very rare to use a stern anchor and if you do the water depth will likely be shallow at the stern so it won't take too much rode. So use whatever spare anchor that you have and don't obsess about having all of the rigging in place. You can rig it when you need it.

David

Funny, I've just been kicking myself for not using a stern anchor last time I was out. In that case, it was very deep which was what caused the problem. Other boats on moorings, and deep water means lots of swing needed for us.

Agree, though, it's a rare thing to need to do, and often you can use reduced scope as it's mostly there to keep you oriented in some way.

I've also heard of people reducing swing with a 2:1 score out less off the bow. You'd have the tangled rode issues, though I guess.

[Tim_H]

I have a 30' Cape Dory Ketch - 10000lbs

my main anchor currently is a Danforth 15H off of the sprit.
This anchor is currently set up with 100' of 5/16 chain and 200' of nylon.

I would rather have my Danforth 20H as my primary and the 15H as a stern anchor. The 20H has 50f of 3/8 chain - no rode yet,

And then I have the big anchor...Danforth 35H


Just need to figure out how to create the best setup.

Any ideas? the 20H doesnt fit properly in the factory bow roller.