Anchoring in Mud

[Teeto]

We are new to this east coast of Aust. This phenomena of mud is a mystery. We have a super Manson Supreme anchor on our cat, but there must be some particular technique for getting it to anchor firmly in mud. We put out heaps of scope to no avail. If anyone can enlighten us?

[capngeo]

Danforth

[Arch Stanton]

Originally Posted by capngeo

Danforth

+1

I anchor almost exclusively in soft mud down here in the South Puget Sound and have had no problems with my danforth-style anchor.

They're also easily stowable and cheap, so you can add it to your ground tackle arsenal without too much pain.

[btrayfors]

Agree that Danforth-type anchors are great in mud.

Probably the best these days is the Fortress...light, extremely strong, enormous holding power. And, adjustable fluke angle for those situations where you anchor in soft mud.

Bill

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Teeto

We are new to this east coast of Aust. This phenomena of mud is a mystery. We have a super Manson Supreme anchor on our cat, but there must be some particular technique for getting it to anchor firmly in mud. We put out heaps of scope to no avail. If anyone can enlighten us?

G'Day Teeto,

Just where are you having this problem? Asking because we've been up and down the E coast many times and so far have not had a problem anchoring in the various mud bottoms with our Manson Supreme. Comes up with a sizable glob of mud sometimes, but holds just fine on moderate scope.

Cheers,

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Towlers Bay, NSW, Oz (anchored here in mostly sand... excellent holding)

[READY2GO]

Ditto on the Danforth, Best holding power for mud.

[Greggegner]

I have a claw and am lucky to get it back if it is muddy. One question, are you sure you are getting it set good? When backing down I keep a hand on the line so I can tell when it is set.

[ReMetau]

We use a 60 lb Bruce and like to let it sink a bit before digging back down on it too hard.

[Aussiesuede]

The supermax is a great mud anchor. Sets easy, and won't budge. A bit pricey...

[Dame.n.Jess]

We love our Danforth for where we are (just north of Sydney, NSW) great holding power and cheap enough to get a really big anchor.

[Sailmonkey]

In Galveston bay mud you can anchor with a rock, given enough time to "fall" through the 5' of soft mud it's hard to pull back up!!

[onestepcsy37]

we anchor in mud all the time with a manson supreme. holds great - but like most anchors in mud you've got to give it a little 'soak' time before you back down on it. if you're using a heavy enough manson (45 pounder on my 20000 pound 37 foot monohull cutter, wish i had bought the 55 pounder) it just needs to drift it's way down into the mud until it reaches the sand beneath it.

i usually give it ten minutes of 'soak' time before lightly backing down on it. then let out plenty of chain (7 to 1 or better), then come back in half an hour and check it again.

if your only anchor is a manson supreme i strongly suggest you get a second anchor - mine is a big danforth, but the fortress might be even better....

[zeehag]

i use cqr with great results in mud, and danforth--am getting a 60 pound real bruce, so i will use it as primary. i dont go for the newfangled weird anchors.. too spensive and i havent tried them. the chain i use with my cqr is 5/16,and i am going to be getting 3/8 and a new windlass for the bruce--i am looking for a manual 2 spd windlass-- older the better ...heavy duty..my cqr is with a lofrans electric . my chain length is 200 ft.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by btrayfors

Probably the best these days is the Fortress...light, extremely strong, enormous holding power. And, adjustable fluke angle for those situations where you anchor in soft mud.

+1. I like the Fortress (and like the Guardian even better) with the proviso that you need to install the mud palms.

These days they come standard with every Fortress and Guardian anchor. Used to be you'd have to order the mud palms separately, even though they were free. But this is good to know in case you come across a used anchor that doesn't have the mud palms installed.

I'm curious, however, why that Manson isn't working for you. My primary anchor is a Rocna, and it does great in mud/silt. Have you tried letting it sit for a minute before you back down on it? In soft mud, it helps to let the anchor sink down to the point where it has something it can get a bite on.

Backing down too early and/or too quickly is as common an anchoring mistake as failing to set the anchor. Anchoring experts will develop a unique strategy for every kind of bottom they encounter.

[ozskipper]

Change to a CQR or Plough- they are hinged at the fluke, unlike your one. It also may be the size of the anchor that you need to reconsider. But look around the marinas on east coast of Aus. The one anchor that stands out is the plough.

Cheers
Oz