Anchor Rodes and Restless Nights

[btrayfors]

There is no tidal current fast enough anywhere in the Chesapeake to pull out a well-set Danforth Hi-Tensile anchor. If yours pulled out, it wasn't set right in the first place.

How do I know?

Fifty years of anchoring in the Chesapeake and its tributaries, mostly with Danforth Hi-Tensile anchors. More recently, I've switched to Fortress anchors which are incredibly strong and set extremely well in mud.

By contrast, a wind shift with a strong new wind could conceivably break out your Danforth anchor. That's why the last thing I do before anchoring is listen to the marine weather report on the VHF, and I set my anchor in the direction of the strongest ANTICIPATED wind, not the prevailing wind at time of setting.

On the Chesapeake, Danforth-type anchors have ruled for over a half-century, and not by accident. No doubt the newer designs have some advantages, but if you set your Danforth or Fortress properly you'll not experience any problems in these waters.

Can't say that for CQR's though. While I love 'em outside the Chesapeake...from Maine to Grenada....I've dragged my 45lb genuine CQR all over the place in the Potomac. They aren't worth a damn in mud or soft bottoms.

FWIW,

Bill

[motion30]

Bill I mostly agree with you as I had experienced problems with the danforth resetting on the intercoastal on my trips to s fl. Rarely did I know the anchorages In heavy sea grass in marathon the danforth held much better then the mason thought I was going to have to dive to retrieve it

[btrayfors]

Yeah, the Danforth/Fortress solution is great in the Chesapeake. However, when I leave the Chesapeake, I generally put the CQR on my bow. It's done well in most places from Maine to the Caribbean.

Those marshy areas in SC and GA can be a bear, though :-)

By the way, I have 200' of 3/8 Hi-Tensile chain (all chain rode). My backup anchors have chain and nylon rodes. Have never need them, though, except during the 5 hurricanes my boat weathered in the BVI, when they sure came in handy :-)

Bill

[AnchorageGuy]

Another of the what do I do anchoring questions. There will be lots of opinions and advice. We have a 34 foot trawler about the same as yours. On our sailboat we carried 200 feet of chain for the Caribbean. With the trawler we will do lots of inland lakes and coastal cruising so we gave up using so much chain. Here is what we found that worked for us on our recent 1200 mile trip from the Chesapeake to Fort Myers. We set up the boat with 50 feet of 5/16 chain and the rest all rode. We have a Manson Supreme 45 anchor. It never failed to set except in one tight anchorage and that had a soft ooze bottom. We seldom anchor in more than 15 feet and usually ten feet. That is the reason for the short length of chain, no need for an extra snubber, we are always past the 50 foot mark. I would strongly suggest at least the length of the boat for chain as suggested earlier and more is better. Good luck and seriously consider installing a windlass. We did a post on our Beach House site on our windlass installation if you need some ideas. Chuck

[zeehag]

to whomever ccalled me ahnold-- i use no windlass on my ericson with 100 ft of 5/16 and 490 ft of 3/4 rope rode--3 strand, and isnt difficult to pull. the cqr, which has yet to fail me, is 35 or 45 pounds on that boat--i g=frgit as i dont sailit often,i DO sail my formosa 41 now and she has a 45 pound windlass and 200 ft of 5/16 chain. and a manual windlass. secondary anchor being what is used at present for my primary..LOL.. i havent spent any sleepless nights in m7y own boats. in th egom i sailed 37 seidelmann with 30 ft only of 3/8 chain and rest was nylon 3/4 in rode , 3 strand-- sukked as was always dragging anchor. no windlass. my recommendatin, as a result of this is to have 100 ft of 5/6 chain and whatever length of 3 strand you wish, and have fun. slleep well. your 45 pound anchor is enough for the anchoring part. good luck. also--put out a lot moe than 30 or 40 ft of rode--use 100 ft.in 25 ft water. lol goood luck.
oh yes, and my 45 pound cqr does excellent work in mud and sand..LOL... just NEEDS the chain of 100 ft or more to make it work without pulling self out of mud from bad angles of rode.

[motion30]

Chuck I have a very similar boat as yours and the same 45lb mason I guess the chain makes a big difference

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by motion30

Chuck I have a very similar boat as yours and the same 45lb mason I guess the chain makes a big difference

It absolutely will. Good luck and stay safe. Chuck

[David M]

Originally Posted by djmarchand

Hmm, you usually anchor with only 40' of scope? I have never anchored with less than 75' and usually more.

Your bow roller is probably 5' above the water. So to have even a minimal (and I do consider it minimal) 5:1 scope ratio that means you can only anchor in 3' water depth- 40/(5+3)= 5. No wonder you dragged.

As others have said, install at least 50' of chain, preferably 100' so 90% of the time you are using all chain. 5/16" is fine. If you can't lift it, get a windlass.

BTW, not to start an anchor war, but the 45# Manson Supreme is a good choice for your boat. But it needs scope and some chain weight to work right.

No, I said a minimum length of chain, not rode. There is a difference. Not all rode is 100% chain.

[GMac]

Motion, I'm rubbed my ball, the crystal one, and it's does show a windlass in your future*

45lb Supreme is fine on size, no need for an bigger. But in soft mud like bottoms the Danforth pattern is the better option, use the Supreme when not in a bottom like that.

5/8" warp is fine at the moment but when my crystal ball prediction comes true, the 5/8" may be a size to large for the windlass due to the next part.

Chain, longer of small is better than shorter of larger, given the same total weight of both. So go for the 5/16". It's a good size for a boat like that anyway.

Now about your rope. When the windlass happens, see I have great faith you will fold one day or at least your back may , most that run the 5/16" chain tend to prefer a 9/16" rope so that's something to watch for but all is not lost as more are becoming better at taking a wider variation of warp sizing so it is possible to get ones that will run the 5/16" chain to the 5/8" warp. I say 'tend to run', which more means 'tends to run a lot smoother and with less hook-ups'. It often comes down to splice size and as you'd guess a 5/8" splice is quite a bit larger then a 9/16" splice.

* - OK I'm not really 'Miss Shelia Mystic' Palm reader to the Stars, as shocking of a surprise as that may come to some, more than I am in the game and history tells me 90% of people who don't have a windlass and don't want them do tend to change their minds quite quick especially after a longer trip that involves many anchorings.

[motion30]

GMac
thanks you made me smile . I may shop for a windless, I will see how I make out with the chain first. Its not like I have not anchored much. Made 3 round trips to s. fl from the chesapeake mostly singlehanded Usually at anchor every nite. The only time I drug the manson was in marathon with a thick grass bottom and a busy anchorage allowing only short scope a danforth worked almost to well there The mud in the chesapeake has brought me to a chain purchased

[motion30]

After reading one of the links off this board about chain, the "expert " author suggested having the weight closer to the anchor is preferrable, so I found at lowes 40' of 3/8'' grade 40 chain made by cambell in the usa, spliced onto my nylon rode. So I now have 56lbs more weight on the bottom . I spent saturday and sunday rafted with several boats , me being the anchor boat. The manson held just fine Time to go home late sunday, I had to drive over the anchor to release it from rhe bottom. It actually shook the boat when the mason released it grip on the bottom. So thanks to everybody for the advice. The chain made a huge difference. Hopefully I can sleep better on my next trip down the ICW in new anchorages

[Cheechako]

You need at least 25+ ft of chain on there. A Danforth probably has the highest holding of all, but not good when wind reverses.... especially with no chain to help it dig in. With out a windlass, I would try for a smaller danforth and add the weight saved in more chain length. a 45 lb Danforth has huge holding power. You boat is probably rated for a....22 lb danforth?? You should look it up to confirm.

[Cheechako]

whoops...I see I'm too late!

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by motion30

After reading one of the links off this board about chain, the "expert " author suggested having the weight closer to the anchor is preferrable, so I found at lowes 40' of 3/8'' grade 40 chain made by cambell in the usa, spliced onto my nylon rode. So I now have 56lbs more weight on the bottom . I spent saturday and sunday rafted with several boats , me being the anchor boat. The manson held just fine Time to go home late sunday, I had to drive over the anchor to release it from rhe bottom. It actually shook the boat when the mason released it grip on the bottom. So thanks to everybody for the advice. The chain made a huge difference. Hopefully I can sleep better on my next trip down the ICW in new anchorages

Not sure that "expert" was entirely correct...the weight needs to hold the rode parallel to the bottom as much as possible....so yes to a point...

I'm under the impression that a weight further up the rode has a greater effect..as in a sentinel or kettel....but shear, brut force (meaning weight next to the anchor) isn't a bad thing either.

[motion30]

psneeld
The article did mention a kettel It went on to say that the weight should be close to the anchor to hold the shank down I am certainly no expert this is just what " I read on the internet" so it must be true