Second Anchor on Cat

[Belize 43 crew]

We are struggling to find a good way to drop two anchors from our Fontaine Pajot Belize 43.

The first anchor (20 kilo Brittany) and chain (10 mm 60 meters) is in a central locker behind the trampoline, is dropped using the windlass and a 7 meters bridle is attached to the chain using a snap shackle.

The 2nd anchor (20 kilo Brittany) chain (10mm 25meters) and rope needs to be dragged across the trampoline and onto a forward roller offset to stbd. The fairlead does not line up with the windlass. So we think this will need to be dropped by hand.

Once set, should we use a second bridle? which may chafe against first bridle.

Or should we dinghy (swim) out and attach two chains together just below the bridle? What sort of shackle will we use?

How can this system be released quickly if, say, a yacht is dragging between your two anchors?

[Dreaming Yachtsman]

We have used a second anchor on our Belize only three times, partly because we upsized our primary anchor. If you know you need the second anchor when dropping your primary, you can deploy it at the same time by manually dropping it over the forward cross beam and paying it out as you go.

If you decide to add it after your primary is set, the best bet is to dinghy the anchor and chain out to is position and set it that way.

In either case, your rope going through the fairlead on the cross beam adequately substitutes for a second bridle.

With this setup, there is no way to quickly release other than to let the rope go with a buoy on the bitter end. The only way I see to emergency releas the main would be to cut the bridle and let the primary chain run out, something I am normally not willing to do.

A word of caution: If the boat spins when you have two anchors out, the rodes WILL wrap up, leaving you a big mess when trying to retrieve. In that case, all you can do is spin the boat around the chain with one engine forward, the other astern. (Did that for 3 revolutions in Barra de Navidad lagoon one year.)

[bludden]

I have a Bahia and have been eyeing off the second anchor from the bow situation but perhaps from a different perspective...I just replaced the 60 pound Bruce that came with my boat with an 80 pound Manson Supreme...still refitting so haven't set it in anger yet but my point is I want a single anchor I have faith in. If my windlass can lift it it's just the right size! The Manson may or may not prove to be the perfect all round anchor, in which case I may for example find a heavy Danforth the correct anchor for a night in a loose sand anchorage and I'd switch for the night. This multiple anchor caper and (in my humble opinion) the sequential anchor thing (one hooked to another) looks pretty scary for the reasons you mentioned and perhaps a few more. Personally I'll still hang behind a single anchor of gargantian size, selected for the bottom I'm dropping it on and contemplate whether I could fit an 80 pound admiralty somewhwere on L.T...Cheers

[webejammin]

Originally Posted by bludden

I have a Bahia and have been eyeing off the second anchor from the bow situation but perhaps from a different perspective...I just replaced the 60 pound Bruce that came with my boat with an 80 pound Manson Supreme...still refitting so haven't set it in anger yet but my point is I want a single anchor I have faith in. If my windlass can lift it it's just the right size! The Manson may or may not prove to be the perfect all round anchor, in which case I may for example find a heavy Danforth the correct anchor for a night in a loose sand anchorage and I'd switch for the night. This multiple anchor caper and (in my humble opinion) the sequential anchor thing (one hooked to another) looks pretty scary for the reasons you mentioned and perhaps a few more. Personally I'll still hang behind a single anchor of gargantian size, selected for the bottom I'm dropping it on and contemplate whether I could fit an 80 pound admiralty somewhwere on L.T...Cheers

So what length of chain do you use ? with the 80 pound anchor.

Different locations take different types of anchors. In the pacific northwest we deal with gunkholes and usually muddy bottoms with rocks and logs so I was advised to look at a CQR 35 pound for our 9000 lb catamaran and we anchor in different locations with depths of 10 to 50 ft so we use 125 ft of 3/8 chain and 250 ft of 5/8 rode, this setup has never failed us. We also carry a 30 lb claw that came with our cat and 75 ft of chain and 200 ft of rode. and a large Fortress anchor disassembled and stowed for when we are in some warm sandy location but would still use the longest chain I could because of coral cutting the rode. We also sturn tie to trees and carry extra rode for this.

[welshdiver]

From what I have just read about the Anchor issue "its better to bust up hundreds of years of coral growth rather than pay a few $$ to use moorings or find a clear patch of sand/Mud. Have you tried tandem anchoring where you have your second anchor attached to the same chain approx. 2mtr/ 6ft behind your first one that goes down.
Look/read Zero To Cruising | Fun-loving couple sailing the Caribbean on their catamaran web page Anchoring, they have been out sailing for 500+ days & only had one issue where there was an unmarked wreck, other than that they have never had issues.

[welshdiver]

Or read this Anchoring 201

[webejammin]

We have used a second 30 pound anchor with rode at the end of our 75 ft of chain with our 35 lb CQR set but this only keeps the chain from moving some as the boat hunts in a heavy breeze. If I get to where there are free buoys to use I use them but if I don't trust the buoys I still let out my anchor and chain for security, there are lots of buoys that are not maintanced because of cost cutting these days. In the Pacific North Wst there are about half free buoys for the amount of boats using them and the state parks budget is constantly being cut. A lot of buoys in our area that are designed for boats under 40 ft and get abused and destroyed by bigger boats using them. As far as buoys that cost to hook to I've never seen any near the PNW except at Catalina Island off of California a long way away.

[ggray]

Addressing the OP, on our old cat we frequently used 2 anchors. But these were a 12 lb and an 18 lb anchors on combination rodes, which I could tie together and then use the rodes as the bridle. Very simple.

Now with all chain on primary, it is more complicated. My bridle is made of two lines tied together with the same knot as used before (one described in Multihull Mag years ago) that leaves two ends at water level. One has a chain hook for primary, and the other is long enough to secure to second anchor rode
(when deployed) with a rolling hitch.

That's how I do it when I do it, I just don't do so much any more.

[quirimbas]

i never enter marina if i can help it so am anchored out 1005 of time. The anchor systems i use got determined from suffering a number of anchor incidents which led to loss of anchor, close call anchor dragging, tangling of rodes... I use a CQR35kbs as main anchor on all chain of 8mm rode 90 meter long (i liveaboard in coral seas of North Mozambique most of time), then i got a Danforth 35lbs and a Bruce also 35lbs both with 10meter long 10mm chain and one with 60 meter Dacron other with 100 meter 15mm nylon rodes. I got two extra 15mm 100metr long extra nylon lines ready at all times. Ideally i anchor just with main, when swinging allows, but lots of the time i use bow and stern anchor, and if tides and season allow 2nd bow anchor at 60degrees to other. the point i am making though is that we seem to forget that knowing the tidal behavior, the expected wind, wave direction is of utmost importance before letting out 2nd anchor, and certainly stern anchor. So i simply always just anchor with one main bow on all chain at first, when i have been able to observe the anchor situation of the particular anchor spot i want to remain for length of time i enter more anchors as suits situation.

[webejammin]

Originally Posted by quirimbas

i never enter marina if i can help it so am anchored out 1005 of time. The anchor systems i use got determined from suffering a number of anchor incidents which led to loss of anchor, close call anchor dragging, tangling of rodes... I use a CQR35kbs as main anchor on all chain of 8mm rode 90 meter long (i liveaboard in coral seas of North Mozambique most of time), then i got a Danforth 35lbs and a Bruce also 35lbs both with 10meter long 10mm chain and one with 60 meter Dacron other with 100 meter 15mm nylon rodes. I got two extra 15mm 100metr long extra nylon lines ready at all times. Ideally i anchor just with main, when swinging allows, but lots of the time i use bow and stern anchor, and if tides and season allow 2nd bow anchor at 60degrees to other. the point i am making though is that we seem to forget that knowing the tidal behavior, the expected wind, wave direction is of utmost importance before letting out 2nd anchor, and certainly stern anchor. So i simply always just anchor with one main bow on all chain at first, when i have been able to observe the anchor situation of the particular anchor spot i want to remain for length of time i enter more anchors as suits situation.

What type of catamaran do you have ?

[quirimbas]

i have a Catalac10m empty weight 11,000lbs

[quirimbas]

i have a Catalac10m empty weight 11,000lbs