Fisherman Anchor - ANY reason to take it???

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by mako

OP, 55lbs is not very heavy for a fisherman, especially for your 51ft boat. Really heavy ones perform better than little toys. If you want to make it a good performer then bring it to a TIG welder and have larger and sharper flukes welded on. Basically emulating a Northill.

Either that or give it a super duper shiny polishing and sell it as art for hundreds of dollars on eBay.

55 lbs is, indeed, way too small for that boat. Sell it. Traditional sizing of Fishermen anchors is two pounds per foot of boat, so 100 pounds. But I think that's still a little small, personally, considering the very small fluke area per unit of weight of this design of anchor.



If you want a Fisherman-type anchor, try a Luke:


Storm Anchors, Maine. Rocky and coral bottoms. P. E. Luke, Full Service Boatyard.


I would choose something like the 120 pound one, for your boat.


Beautiful thing about Lukes is that they break down into 3 pieces so are very easy to store. These anchors are great for rocky bottoms and heavy weed. Not so good for anything else, but if you have room for a third anchor (after your Spade or whatever primary, and Fortress kedge), AND assuming you are able to handle this, considering the configuration of your bow roller etc., then this would be a good one.

[mako]

@DH, agree that with today's great modern anchors you really just need one great primary and a nice, light Fortress as kedge and backup. I don't see the need for 5 or 6 anchors anymore. A third, say fisherman, would be enjoyable for its historic value, which us romanticists appreciate.

[boat driver]

Originally Posted by mako

@DH, agree that with today's great modern anchors you really just need one great primary and a nice, light Fortress as kedge and backup. I don't see the need for 5 or 6 anchors anymore. A third, say fisherman, would be enjoyable for its historic value, which us romanticists appreciate.

Anchors are debated constantly- Everyone has the best until it drags- No one discusses, particularly in this modern google day, why locals tend to use certain types of anchors- traditionally most commercial fisherman use the best for the area-
Fisherman anchors tend to dig deeper in grass and rock-
They are easy to make, easy to deploy, and easy to store. The question on yours is if the flukes are wide enough. In soft mud-no, but in heavy grass, heavy clay, and larger stone bottoms- excellent.
In context of outfitting a vessel- research the planned regions of cruising- then pick the closest choice of design and have it available. To carry four anchors on the bow is kind of ridiculous- to have two in the bilge for other choices when global cruising? what is the harm.
Get into the northern latitudes and a couple kelp fields and one might desire a fisherman design similar.

Many comments give the perception that anchoring in a set and forget process. ships drag anchors regularly, intentionally and unintentionally.
Spend the time looking at different designs utilized and determine why.

[MicHughV]

I would use it as a model for a nice tattoo....

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by mako

@DH, agree that with today's great modern anchors you really just need one great primary and a nice, light Fortress as kedge and backup. I don't see the need for 5 or 6 anchors anymore. A third, say fisherman, would be enjoyable for its historic value, which us romanticists appreciate.

I think actually that a very large Fisherman would be a very good third anchor to have, for anyone who anchors in rocky or kelpy places. I for one have been in situations where I would have liked to have a Fisherman.


I don't have one because where the hell would I store it? And could I handle a 120 pound (or 150) pound beast like that?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by boat driver

Anchors are debated constantly- Everyone has the best until it drags- No one discusses, particularly in this modern google day, why locals tend to use certain types of anchors- traditionally most commercial fisherman use the best for the area-
Fisherman anchors tend to dig deeper in grass and rock-
They are easy to make, easy to deploy, and easy to store. The question on yours is if the flukes are wide enough. In soft mud-no, but in heavy grass, heavy clay, and larger stone bottoms- excellent.
In context of outfitting a vessel- research the planned regions of cruising- then pick the closest choice of design and have it available. To carry four anchors on the bow is kind of ridiculous- to have two in the bilge for other choices when global cruising? what is the harm.
Get into the northern latitudes and a couple kelp fields and one might desire a fisherman design similar.

Many comments give the perception that anchoring in a set and forget process. ships drag anchors regularly, intentionally and unintentionally.
Spend the time looking at different designs utilized and determine why.

Indeed

[boatman1]

I anchored a couple of times at the Berlinghas (Portugal) - it was deep (close to a hundred feet) and nothing but rock. We were there mostly to dive the wrecks that abound in those waters so it was pretty easy to dive (scuba) the fisherman anchor into a crevice-no other anchor would have worked. I only considered it to be a fair weather anchorage and it was a bit rolly poley. Sure was fun though, and I got to dive on a ship that was carrying carrara marble when it sank. And good Lord, the girls! Whether it was worth toting that anchor around for those few occasions is another matter: probably not. With the scuba ability I probably could have rigged a chain to a bottom feature and tied off to that.

[BobFord]

I am a 'Fisherman', fan . Carry a 30kg as kedge. However , it is modified by adding 'wings', to the flukes. Essentially used only in dense weed ,e.g.Southern Ocean but does have an application in rock. One other use that I have applied is to use it as a killet to the main anchor, shackled to 9m chain approx 10m up cable. Great security in a serious blow . Real b---- to retrieve if the wind veers !!

[Bycrick]

+1 JBP. In a bottom with large rock, a fisherman anchor is great. I only used mine once after the Bruce had dragged into a rock bottom and wrapped the chain 3 times around a good sized rock. Put the fisherman over the side and held on very short scope until the winds died down and I could get the Bruce up.

[billgewater]

Had one. A monster (over 1.2 m high), really heavy, forged galvanized beast.

If anchored in a strong tidal stream for a few days, the anchor would set so well that even with two swivels, the chain would wrap around the cross bar.
A local fisherman explained that he only used his fisherman's anchor if anchoring in a non tidal stream area e.g. in a prevailing wind area etc.

Worked well in all tested circumstances but was a horror to manage at the bow.
Once back on the bow sprit it usually took two strong chaps to organise it. Often described as "hernia material".
Looked ugly on the boat but looked "artistic" in the garden. So much so, that someone actually made a good offer. Not missed.

[captnknopf]

I had a light weight fisherman anchor (imported knock off) on my 53 foot trimaran in addition to a big Bruce, CQR and Delta. Never tried the fisherman until I was in the middle Florida keys and dragged the other anchors. The bottom was like granite covered with marbles. almost as a joke I set the fisherman and it found a hole and held the boat way better than the other three anchors. I think it was a thirty pounder. Not good for most anchorages but sure held in the keys. Used it a number of times on trips there. It came apart so did not take up much room.

[Capt. Ray]

If I could find a 300 pound fisherman I would be a very happy man and would weld on a cathead to stow it!

[mako]

Order on Alibaba

[Panope]

Originally Posted by deblen

Cobble bottom-common in this area. I assume the sand & mud wash out of this bottom because of strong tidal current?
I wish he had tested a fisherman here.

I did

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_IwuzXwnZQ

[Nicholson58]

We have a 180# put-together fisherman in the lazerette. I hope to never need to deploy this monster.

Your bronze fisherman is a high end expensive curio/antique. Polish the heck out of it and use it for a door stop when you give up cruising. I lusted after one in a shop window but couldn’t cut loose the boat bucks for an ornament. It was about what a modern anchor four times the size would cost.

At the very least, $7.00/# for scrap brass.