Adding a weight on anchor chain

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Popeye2

5.5 ton 35ft sailboat. 15kilos Bruce anchor 8mm chain. Mud. 2 meters depth in low tide. Wind from all directions. Gust to 50 knots on occasion. No space to leave out more than 25 meters of chain. To spend the winter I am considering adding a 25 kilo metel weight about 10 meters from the anchor. Am I on the right track?

Adding weight is OK if you never worry about change in direction. If you will be there a long time, get a bigger anchor.

[dcorbert]

I have a Prairie 32' , displacement weight 17,300 lbs. My main anchor is a 44lb Bruce and I use all chain. One advantage of Bruce is that it is supposed to reset quickly if wind switches. Is good in mud. . I always dive on the anchor unless too deep. Only have problems in grass especially if wind switches, as it will skid across. It seems the best anchor for grass is the old fisherman's anchor.

[MarAzul]

I like adding weight to the chain when anchoring. Like Don C said, it does not add to the holding power of the anchor, but it can really dampen the shock loads so that the boat don't jerk the road out straight in the gusts of wind.

I often use a pair of 12# lead balls hung on the chain, one at 1.5 x the depth of the water, and another at 1 x the depth, placed on the boat end of the scope. With a pair of nylon snubber lines hold in the anchor chain slack on the bow, we hardly ever come up taunt as the wind comes up. The weight puts a real delay in stretching out the chain and when it sinks to the bottom it pulls the boat in, in a tighter circle about the anchor.

Putting the lead on in this pattern also provides the ability to pick it up and remove it without adding additional weight to the overall load on the windlass.
Pick the lead up, then pick then anchor. In this sense it is better than a bigger anchor, but not for planning holding power.

[gulfislandfred]

The reason danforth type anchors are cheap is that they DO NOT HOLD IN SHIFTING WINDS. A danforth type can flip over, and hold a ball of mud, so it is useless. I have personally experienced this twice, in my early sailing days, with shifting tides.


In one direction, a danforth type holds very well.

[Spice of Life]

a kellet worked for me in 75 knots and a short scope, in a narrow estuary, on my 25 ton vessel

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by gulfislandfred

The reason danforth type anchors are cheap is that they DO NOT HOLD IN SHIFTING WINDS. A danforth type can flip over, and hold a ball of mud, so it is useless. I have personally experienced this twice, in my early sailing days, with shifting tides.


In one direction, a danforth type holds very well.

interesting I lived on the hook for a year ( went sailing near daily ) and never drug anchor once . Islander bahama 24 danforth S1300 27 ft 3/8 chain and from 25 to 150 ft of 1/2rode ( depending on winds ) up to 60knot sustained winds.

[Spice of Life]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

If I understand correctly, in bad weather you deploy two 50 lb kellets. This is situated at the junction between 30 feet of 1/2 chain and nylon. CORRECT

1/2 inch chain weighs about 2.4 Lb per foot. Why not add an extra 40 feet of chain instead? LEAD DOSEN'T RUST. THE EXTRA CHAIN REACTS DIFFERENTLY THAN MY KELLET(S) The chain is steel rather than lead so perhaps 60-70 feet I DON'T WANT MORE CHAIN TO HANDLE ON DECK. I AM A TRADITIONAL SAILOR, AND I WEIGH ANCHOR AND KELLETS WITH A BLOCK AND TACKLE FROM MY AFT HELM 50 FT IN ONE PULL. WORKS GREAT, AND GOOD EXERCISE might be more equivalent of the in water weight depending on the construction of the kellet. The location of the weight will be the same (or very close), but where the chain replaces the nylon it will add valuable chafe protection. GOOD POINT, SO FAR I HAVEN'T HAD ANY CHAFE

The extra weight of the chain would be always present. No need to deploy kellets in the middle of the night if the wind pipes up. IT ONLY TAKES ME 5 MINUTES MAX TO SHACKLE AND DROP MY KELLET(S). IF NECESSARY I PRESET MY GROUND TACKLE BASED ON THE WEATHER REPORTS. In addition, retrieval of chain is much simpler than trying to manage kellets. NOT WITH MY SET UP, NICE CLEAN NYLON TO HANDLE BEFORE THE 30 FT OF CHAIN STARTS CHIPPING MY STEEL DECK PAINT This is invaluable if you drag. AGAIN IF CONDITIONS WARRANT IT, MY 2ND BOWER, A 150 LB NORTHILL IS HANGING BY A SLIP KNOT READY TO GO.

The above is the major argument against kellets used in effort to increase holding power. I ONLY USE THE KELLET(S) TO REDUCE THE PULL ANGLE AND IN SHORT SCOPE TIGHT ANCHORAGES Why not add the weight as extra chain, or even better add it to the anchor. I DON'T WANT A 180 -250 ANCHOR 100 lb added to the anchor makes an enormous difference to the holding power, far more than can be gained from an equivalent weight elsewhere. WHAT I HAVE IN GROUND TACKLE CAME WITH MY 50 FT SCHOONER, AND THE ADVICE OF THE PREVIOUS OWNER THAT IT WORKS. AND IT HAS IN 75 KNOTS FOR ME. "IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT"

You have hinted at short scopes, but how often in bad weather do you deploy only 30 feet of chain?

I NEVER DEPLOY ONLY 30 FT OF ANY RODE.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by gulfislandfred

The reason danforth type anchors are cheap is that they DO NOT HOLD IN SHIFTING WINDS. A danforth type can flip over, and hold a ball of mud, so it is useless. I have personally experienced this twice, in my early sailing days, with shifting tides.


In one direction, a danforth type holds very well.

Yeah, I am advocating for their use in this situation because they will work in mud and with two deployed, they will not be subjected to being turned or flipped. I routinely deploy my Danforths bow and stern, and I'll swear by them for that use, but if I were only using one, I'd probably get a Mantus or Rocna or one of the other newer models.

[SuW]

I might gently ask Popeye2 how many anchors are carried on his boat, and what size?
For the frugal sailor, I'd say that having a number of decent large anchors and a couple of smaller ones should be considered as an insurance policy.

Mind you, I remember a number of scrap anchors on Praia do Barril, near Tavira...
https://sometimes-interesting.com/20...arve-portugal/

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by SuW

I might gently ask Popeye2 how many anchors are carried on his boat, and what size?
For the frugal sailor, I'd say that having a number of decent large anchors and a couple of smaller ones should be considered as an insurance policy.

Mind you, I remember a number of scrap anchors on Praia do Barril, near Tavira...
https://sometimes-interesting.com/20...arve-portugal/

that's funny . I carry a total of 7 anchors. 3 different size danforth, a cqr for a 40 ft boat , a Bruce claw , a box anchor , and a grapple type . My next addition will be a northhill.
All are at least one size larger than my boat needs . 3 shots of chain and about 600 ft of rode . Not counting the stern tie reel.

[James Mackey]

Try a Fortress as second anchor with 5 to 8 metres of chain in front of your Bruce. The Fortress can be adjusted to the wider angle to bed in securely. Also make sure you bolts and nuts secure as there will be heavy loads in strong winds. You should swing on your own Bruce and having the Fortress will stop it dragging.
The Fortress is not too expensive.
I have used this arrangement around the world.
In NZ we had 105knots at top of the surrounding hills and 50 knots in the anchorage. From a hurricane that hit Fiji and the travelled south to NZ. Held perfectly.
Unfortunately other boats dragged. Had a float above the anchor as indicator to the surrounding boats. One dragged down towards us but lifted their anchor before getting too close

[jitait]

I have a weight - around 20lbs - which I lowered down the all chain rode on my Ohlson 35. I used a very large shackle and a rope to lower the kellet down the anchor rode.

I've ridden out gales in several anchorages using a 35lb CQR and this set up, including in some noticeably gusty anchorages. The definitely helped, I suspect by keeping the pull on the chain flat. The downside was that sometimes, as the direction of the gale moved, we'd be shearing round the weight, and then it would lift and we'd shear violently until the pull came back on the anchor.

But I agree with Bleemus - a weight is no substitute for a decent length of rode.

[GordMay]

Greetings and (belated) welcome aboard the CF, Jari, Grazia, Spice of Life, and David M.

[Popeye2]

Originally Posted by SuW

I might gently ask Popeye2 how many anchors are carried on his boat, and what size?
For the frugal sailor, I'd say that having a number of decent large anchors and a couple of smaller ones should be considered as an insurance policy.

Mind you, I remember a number of scrap anchors on Praia do Barril, near Tavira...
https://sometimes-interesting.com/20...arve-portugal/

My other anchors are too small. Considering to buy a new anchor for mud and put that in front and the bruce behind. As i dont want to take sometimes the wind to the side of the boat, i am trying to figure out how to deploy two anchors at 180 degrees from the bow, to allow the boat to swing and somehow not get the rudder caught up in all that.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Popeye2

My other anchors are too small. Considering to buy a new anchor for mud and put that in front and the bruce behind. As i dont want to take sometimes the wind to the side of the boat, i am trying to figure out how to deploy two anchors at 180 degrees from the bow, to allow the boat to swing and somehow not get the rudder caught up in all that.

Pick your spot and drop the bow hook facing W in the last hour before high water.. if its in the channel close to the S bank which is the side I would choose.. lay out your anchor and 30metres chain and set the snubber, tide will keep you lined up..
Then take your dinghy with anchor, and chain attached to long enough line and once far enough out lower the anchor and start pulling yourself back using the line while feeding out the chain so it does not pile on top of the anchor.. only have to do this for 5 metres then dump the rest over.. back to the boat and haul in the chain using the line and attach your bridle..
By now its high water and your scopes are set.. no chance of the rise and fall snagging anyting.
Would suggest let the anchor sit and sink into the mud for a day then heave by hand to bed, repeat for a couple of days..

PS.. Dont set them in spring tides.

Opps.. Just realised your looking for a central point for bow only.. My bad..