Second Anchor on Sabre 426

[rick77]

We recently purchased a 2003 Sabre 426 and are planning on cruising in the Bahamas. I have a question for other 426 owners on how they manage and store the anchor rode for their second anchor. The windlass and anchor locker are less than ideal for managing a second anchor.

Thanks for your help.

[cfarrar]

Hi Rick,

On the anchor roller we only keep our primary, a Rocna 25Kg with 100' chain and 200' nylon. We've never deployed two anchors from the bow, even in the Bahamas.

Our secondary anchor, an aluminum Spade A-100, lives in the bottom of the starboard sail locker. It's basically a backup anchor/kedge/stern anchor. I keep 20 ft of chain attached to this anchor and a 40' section of chain in a water proof bag in the bilge, just aft of the mast. The rest of the secondary rode is 250' of nylon 8-plait, which fits neatly in the starboard side of the anchor locker.

If I lost the primary anchor and rode, I would bring the secondary anchor / chain to the bow, attach it to the secondary nylon rode with a shackle, and use it with help from the windlass capstan. Otherwise, I can deploy the secondary off the stern or the dinghy as a stern anchor or kedge.

If I were starting from scratch, I would keep this setup the same, except maybe I'd get a Fortress for the secondary or even a Danforth to save money. In 5 years we've only used the secondary twice - as a stern anchor and only because I wanted to have a nice view from the cockpit. So I feel good about keeping it stored below, knowing I can get it pretty quickly if I need it.

Feel free to PM if you have Sabre 426 questions (or share with the forum, your choice).

Colin