Anchors..

[ausnp84]

Howdy folks,

I’m posting this here because I’d like to avoid the usual anchor choice bunfight and also as it’s multihull specific.

What are you using? What’s your boat, where are you using it, would you recommend it?

I’ve got a 40ft 9.5t / 21,000lb cat and need to buy a new anchor in the next week before we head off to the Channel Islands...

N

[tkeithlu]

30 ton+ trawler, 45# dansforth, 45# plough, all chain rodes. The chain rode seems more important than the anchor per se; no drags since we made that switch.

[Mike OReilly]

15 ton full keel monohull. My bower is a 55# Rocna, with 250’ 3/8” chain. Definitely pleased. Have never dragged once fully set. I currently sail some challenging waters, up in Newfoundland.

[John_Trusty]

Sorry to get personal, but what's your bottom like?

I'm currently based in anchor paradise - sand, small gravel, and some clay. I could anchor with a rock-filled soda can and string! Considering that I cruise to places with rock and weed, and when I put the anchor down I really want to sleep well, I bought a Rocna a size up from what was recommended. When it goes down in sand, it's like tying to a bolder.

[Shrew]

The anchor size and chain size is dictated by the size, weight and type of boat.

The Type of anchor is based on what is most appropriate for the bottom type.

I've had very good luck with Rocna traditional, Manson Supreme, and Rocna Vulcan. I would happily sleep on a Spade as well. They do well in a variety of bottom types.

[Pegu Club]

We have a Bristol 29.9 dry weight of 8,650 lbs. we use a rocna 15, 33 lbs, we anchor from New England to the Bahamas, very happy with this anchor.

Fair winds,

[pathlesschosen]

The Rocna website has a chart for anchor sizing.

[Pete7]

What have you got at the moment and would you consider buying it in Jersey?

S120

[smj]

35lb Manson with 80’ of 1/4” HT chain and 5/8” rode-on a 6700lb. 38’ catamaran. And a 45lb Mantus with 15’ of 3/8” BBB chain and 5/8” rode on a 6700lb 40’ catamaran.

[Cayuse51]

We have a 35 kg Spade anchor with 50 meters of 10 mm chain on our Outremer 51 catamaran. We sailed about 40,000 miles anchoring many places around the world while circumnavigating. I would highly recommend the anchor.

[fxykty]

We are a 54 foot long, 23 foot wide and 23,000 pound catamaran with moderate windage. Our boat came with a Spade S140 (66 pound) anchor with 1/2 inch G40 chain.

The anchor was bought in 2007. No problems in a variety of bottoms in all conditions under 45 knots (haven’t seen any more in the time we’ve had the boat). Sets fast, holds well at ridiculously short scopes, and resets consistently when wind direction changes. No roll bar means nothing to catch the chain during resets, and fits our bow roller, which is located under our front beam.

If we were to replace the anchor we’d go for an S180 (99 pounds) or a Vulcan 40 (88 pounds) so it can suffice as a storm anchor as well.

For chain we would go down a size to 10mm (3/8 inch) G70 chain. The difference in weight in the first 50m is similar to the difference in anchor weights, and since our anchor locker is quite shallow the smaller chain will use less space. Unfortunately we have a Lofrans windlass and a new gypsy is quite expensive.

[ausnp84]

Originally Posted by smj

35lb Manson with 80’ of 1/4” HT chain and 5/8” rode-on a 6700lb. 38’ catamaran. And a 45lb Mantus with 15’ of 3/8” BBB chain and 5/8” rode on a 6700lb 40’ catamaran.

Ok thanks. Any preference on either / reasons to steer clear of one or the other?

N

[ausnp84]

Originally Posted by Cayuse51

We have a 35 kg Spade anchor with 50 meters of 10 mm chain on our Outremer 51 catamaran. We sailed about 40,000 miles anchoring many places around the world while circumnavigating. I would highly recommend the anchor.

That’s really helpful - thanks! Did you find the 50m to be sufficient for the South Pacific or would you havw liked more?

N

[ausnp84]

Originally Posted by fxykty

We are a 54 foot long, 23 foot wide and 23,000 pound catamaran with moderate windage. Our boat came with a Spade S140 (66 pound) anchor with 1/2 inch G40 chain.

The anchor was bought in 2007. No problems in a variety of bottoms in all conditions under 45 knots (haven’t seen any more in the time we’ve had the boat). Sets fast, holds well at ridiculously short scopes, and resets consistently when wind direction changes. No roll bar means nothing to catch the chain during resets, and fits our bow roller, which is located under our front beam.

If we were to replace the anchor we’d go for an S180 (99 pounds) or a Vulcan 40 (88 pounds) so it can suffice as a storm anchor as well.

For chain we would go down a size to 10mm (3/8 inch) G70 chain. The difference in weight in the first 50m is similar to the difference in anchor weights, and since our anchor locker is quite shallow the smaller chain will use less space. Unfortunately we have a Lofrans windlass and a new gypsy is quite expensive.

I hadn’t really come across the Spade anchor much before but will have a good look at it now a couple of posters have mentioned it. Thanks for the real-world review - that really helps!

N

[tomfl]

Asking about an anchor needs to be changed to asking about the ground tackle system. No anchor will hold well if it is attached to 25 feet of 3/16 in Polypropylene rope with a slip knot. There is also some disagreement about things like using a shackle to attach chain to the anchor, not to mention if stainless steel is a good idea for an anchor or chain. There is also the issue of a bridle setup; and most suggest you use a bridle, with or without snubbers, on multihulls. As others have noted some types of anchors work better with some types of bottoms. There is also the issue of where you are anchoring. Places like the Florida Keys/Bahamas you will often be anchoring in less than 20 feet of water while in some more exotic areas it may be more than 50 feet of water.

In any case I have a Manson Supreme with plenty of chain on my windless ready to instantly deploy and a Bruce right beside it with 50' of chain also ready for instant deployment. Also have a spare Bruce (bought it cheap at a sale) and a couple of Danforth anchors in the anchor locker (it is big) I can quickly access. I also have a ready to go bridle on top of all the mess in the anchor locker. As for anchoring it's self I probably take 20 minutes plus to locate the best spot, drop the anchor, slowly let out the chain, check the GPS anchor location, see if I am drifting, wait for things to settle down, check the GPS again, back down, and set the anchor alarm.

No one needs just an anchor, they need a ground tackle system including anchor, chain, rode, bridle, and understanding how to deploy it.