What Anchor Should I Have?

[scoobert]

the yacht has a anchor that looks like a farmers plow now, i think it is called a plow anchor. i would say 35# maybe, will tell you for sure in 4 hours :P
how big should i have? i will be anchoring in rivers. need all the power i can get, and still have it come up with my 32 year old windless. i have 3-400' of chain.

[daddle]

Any old anchor will be fine. Whatever gets you away from the dock and out cruising. Here on CF it's all anchor BS all the time. One would think all the boats with CQR or whatever would have long ago gone to ruin on the rocks, but lo, they keep sailing into our humble port. Some after circling the world. The armchair anchor pundits here don't want you to go.

[boatman61]

Its unlikely you'll have heard of this anchor on CF...
BRUCE....

[scoobert]

Originally Posted by daddle

Any old anchor will be fine. Whatever gets you away from the dock and out cruising. Here on CF it's all anchor BS all the time. One would think all the boats with CQR or whatever would have long ago gone to ruin on the rocks, but lo, they keep sailing into our humble port. Some after circling the world. The armchair anchor pundits here don't want you to go.

i shall be floating today.
attempting to sail as i read my idiots sailing guide.
but when i throw that thing off the bow tonight called an anchor, i hope it holds.
this is my last armchair, amtrak to nyc, then onto long island.
still, how big is too big?

[scoobert]

ok, it is a CQR anchor. unknown weight

[daddle]

What boat? Length and displacement? I used a 35# CQR on a 8 ton 36 foot boat for many years. No problems. Plenty bad weather. Plenty bad bottoms. But then I'm an expert

[scoobert]

Originally Posted by daddle

What boat? Length and displacement? I used s 35# CQR on a 8 ton 36 foot boat for many years. No problems.

Tayana Surprise 45 ketch "Union Pacific"
15ton CGR

[sailorboy1]

seems too small

[daddle]

The Registered displacement is not in any way the actual displacement needed for anchor guessing. But a 35# of any kind sounds a little light. Still it's not the anchor its the sailor. Depends on the river. Some move fast enough to scour the bottom to hard and smooth that no anchor will hold. But then all that scoured stuff goes somewhere. That nearby shoal might be good. Who knows? It's more fun to go and find out than to sit and type on the Internet. So what if you can't sleep at night? There's another night just a day away.

[Tortuga's Lie]

Anchor Woes:

Let loose the chain o'er the bow
Sink deep in the mud and muck goes the plow
Let her hold through the night
Through wind and waves, escape from plight
Awake in the morn, groggy from sleep
Upon the rocks. "What the Bleep"!

T.A.Ehman

[skipmac]

Absolute min size for that boat would be 45 lbs but even that is a bit on the small side. I would go for at least 55 lbs. I have a 65 lb anchor for my 42' boat.

[s/vPainkiller]

The "general" rule of thumb is that you need at least 1 lb of anchor weight per foot of boat length. So in your case, minimum 45 lbs. 1.5X is better. Of course this doesn't take into account your displacement or where you cruise. You also have to be able to retrieve it, so consider your ability to raise a heavier anchor.

Again, lots of opinions on this but my take is that anchor weight, sufficient chain (which you have) and technique are more important than anchor type.

FYI my main anchor is a 66 lb Bruce, 70 feet of chain and the rest nylon rode on a 41 ft 10T boat. My rig so far has done fine in all kinds of bottoms and all kinds of conditions. When my budget allows, I'll upgrade to a new technology like a Rocna or Manson, in probably the 80 lb range.

YMMV
Scott

[tamicatana]

I like turtles.

[Tortuga's Lie]

Scott,
That's a lot of over-kill! An 80lb anchor on a 41ft, 20,000 lb boat? Good storm anchor, but for everyday, a 45lb Rochna would be very adequate for everyday. You may not want to carry that extra weight on the bow if you don't need to.

[Cotemar]

For a Tayana Surprise 45 ketch "Union Pacific" 15ton CGR (30,000lbs) you will want a larger anchor than 35lbs.

You should be in the 65lbs range for your boat