Anchor Chain advice

[Sailsarefull]

I know there are tons of posts on anchors and chain. I have a 36' Cheoy Lee. It came with 300' of chain, 45# CQR. Have read tons. Some say don't need that much chain/weight up front, others say get newer anchor. Am leaning towards just keeping it as is until I get more experience under me. Figure the CQR is fine, the extra weight up front doesn't seem to effect the handling of the boat, and the added weight of the extra chain on the bottom should help. But, am open to opinions of those with more experience, which is most at this point. Thanks, John

[Cheechako]

That's a lot of chain for a 36 ft short waterline boat. But it would be a shame to cut it. On my boats to 47 ft I used 200 ft chain and 150-200 ft of nylon spliced on rode. The rode never saw light of day. But it depends on where you are sailing. Here in the PNW I would keep the 300 ft of chain. In the Caribe I might take 100 off. Invest in a better anchor would be good, but no, not a must have.

[Sailsarefull]

Thanks. That was helpful. Boat in Newport, RI now. Anticipate sailing that area this summer. Then leaving early September and hopping down the coast to Florida. Figured I would keep it as is until I get to Florida then cut shorter as anticipating heading to the islands and shouldn't need as much in the shallower waters.

[Cheechako]

You can put 100 ft in the bilge for doomsday or a backup rode. In much of the Caribe I anchored in 15 ft of water letting out 75 ft or so of rode. Sometimes in 20-25 ft.

[nautical62]

For Florida and Bahamas I've usually gone with 150 of chain and another 100 feet of rope. That means all chain to a depth of about 25 feet LW in typical conditions. In the very rare instances I ever anchored in deeper water (or wanted a lot of scope in storm conditions) any rope out was well off the bottom.

Another boat I had came with 200 feet of chain and the windlass would't accept a rope transition so I just stayed with that, since the boat seemed to handle it fine(33 feet). I never wished I had more. That boat was used primarily in the Virgin Islands.

I guess if I bought a boat with 300 feet of chain, but the boat seemed to handle it fine, I'd be tempted to get rid of a little and go with all chain, getting rid of more later depending on how it goes.

I've had CQRs on a few boats. I think they are fine anchors, so long as you pay some attention to technique as you set them. In the islands (clear, warm water) it's usually easy enough to check them to ensure they are set correctly. There are newer anchors that are better at self correcting but that doesn't really matter if you just set it right in my opinion.

We all have to make our own decisions, but personally I would not replace a good CQR and good chain when I see no reason to believe they cause any problem.

[Sailsarefull]

Thank you. This was what I was looking for. And thanks to Cheechako as well. I like the idea of putting 100' in the bilge if expecting something really bad. 200' seems plenty. My boat seems to handle the weight well. But, know moving 100' back to midship would make a difference. Believe I will sail it this summer and then can decide before I head south. Am pretty sure I will atleast put 100' in the bilge before heading to the islands. Have never met anyone who wanted that much. Haven't added a second anchor yet either. So could use the 100' with a second anchor plus additional rode. Leaning toward a Mantus or Rocna. Would like one that disassembles and can store easily. Most have said don't get rid of the CQR. Will work fine.

[skipmac]

I cruised for a few years in a similar boat with similar gear; 34' boat with a 45# CQR. Most of the time the CQR was fine but it did drag a couple of times and a couple of times it I couldn't get it to set.

If you don't have a second anchor you need one. I would get a 45# new gen anchor (Mantus my current favorite) and move the CQR to backup.

I do like having extra chain but like others mentioned, east coast and Bahamas I seldom anchored in more than 10-15', occasionally 20-25. The only time I anchored deeper was when I anchored short term off a reef to go diving.

The weight may not be a problem in day to day sailing but than much weight in the bow of a boat this size can cause significant hobby horsing in rougher conditions. Been there, done that.

[Sailsarefull]

I was leaning toward a Mantus based on my discussions with others who have one. Just need to ensure it fits on front roller. Believe it would be fine. That would give me 200' on primary anchor with more rode and 100' on backup with rode. Thanks also for your response. I am learning from others like you.

[gjordan]

You probably dont want to have 100 feet of chain on your second anchor, since there will be enough times that you will row it out in the dink and that amount of chain will be unworkable. If you are going to use it only as a bow anchor or a backup for a lost main anchor, then the 100 foot would be fine. You (IMHO) should always have an anchor ready that can be rowed out if necessary , so it cant be too heavy to handle and should not be apart in some locker. This is were the light weight new gen anchors are an improvement. Lots of fluke area and not so much weight that you cant handle it in the dink. Just some things for you to consider. _____Grant.

[jmac9365]

Originally Posted by Sailsarefull

I know there are tons of posts on anchors and chain. I have a 36' Cheoy Lee. It came with 300' of chain, 45# CQR. Have read tons. Some say don't need that much chain/weight up front, others say get newer anchor. Am leaning towards just keeping it as is until I get more experience under me. Figure the CQR is fine, the extra weight up front doesn't seem to effect the handling of the boat, and the added weight of the extra chain on the bottom should help. But, am open to opinions of those with more experience, which is most at this point. Thanks, John

Check out the mantis anchor, I swear by it.feels like your hooked to a semi truck

[Lepke]

Chain length depends on where you anchor and how deep it is. The rule of thumb is 4:1 ratio when using all chain. But that's for average conditions. The anchor is also a piece of safety equipment that needs to be able to stop and hold the boat in an emergency.

[Sailsarefull]

Thank you QJordan. I really appreciate the reply. Makes sense to me. Believe I will get a Mantus and also a Fortress. Thought about using the fortress for the dinghy. Still gathering information but really appreciate everybody's opinion.

[UNCIVILIZED]

One thing yet to be mentioned is the size chain that you have. As there's a big weight difference between 8mm & 10mm. Also, prior to making any decisions that are fairly permanent, like cutting the chain into shorter lengths. Go sailing a few times in ugly conditions, especially upwind, & beam reaching. Both with all of your chain in the bow, & then in the bilge/center of the boat, & note the differences in the boat's motion, as well as her (measured) performance.

Likely there will be a fair bit of difference. And you may also wish to try this with 1/2 or 2/3 of your chain in the bow as well. Or a weight which approximates this. As on many boats an extra 100lbs in the bow makes a huge difference; in her performance, her motion, & how wet she is.

On racing boats, even huge Maxi's, anyone who goes forward of the mast aside from the bowman, risks having half the crew screaming at him to get the extra weight off of the bow. It's that big of an issue, even on some 80'ers I've raced on.

[Sailsarefull]

They guy I bought the boat from suggested the same thing. He also suggested putting a short piece of large diameter (6"+) PVC through the anchor locker bulkhead. Pull 100'-150' through it. I have another locker directly behind the anchor locker. That would move 1/3-1/2 the weight back about 5 ft and lower as well. Still give access to the full length of 300', but only when needed. You and most others have said don't do anything until I have sailed her for awhile and see how she handles. I like the idea of putting the PVC connector in to move some weight down/back. And thanks also.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by Sailsarefull

Thank you. This was what I was looking for. And thanks to Cheechako as well. I like the idea of putting 100' in the bilge if expecting something really bad. 200' seems plenty. My boat seems to handle the weight well. But, know moving 100' back to midship would make a difference. Believe I will sail it this summer and then can decide before I head south. Am pretty sure I will atleast put 100' in the bilge before heading to the islands. Have never met anyone who wanted that much. Haven't added a second anchor yet either. So could use the 100' with a second anchor plus additional rode. Leaning toward a Mantus or Rocna. Would like one that disassembles and can store easily. Most have said don't get rid of the CQR. Will work fine.

I have 200' of chain and never felt like I needed more. I also have 200' of 3/4" three strand in the bow, and two more coils of 200' so I'm comfortable with having what I need. 200' of chain was more than adequate to sit out a few nasty tropical storms in 20' of water.

I have a CQR and it was my primary anchor until this year, at which point I bought a Rocna. There is absolutely no comparison; the Rocna sets like hitting a brick wall, rotates well and holds set with current and wind changes, has never dragged after it was set well. The CQR is great for mud, in the NE and mid-atlantic, but is not as secure as the Rocna. I kept mine as a spare as I have a double roller. Also the Rocna comes up cleaner and is much easier to clean than the CQR. Mud generally just slides off of it.