Anchoring in the Chesapeake

[bobmorning]

We have a 31' Hunter that we keep just below Annapolis. For years we carried two Danforth anchors, a 13 and 16 lb anchor.


After 10 years of never using the second anchor (13 pounder with 88' of 1/2 nylon rode and 5' of chain) we are considering removing it from the anchor locker as it clutters up the locker and makes pulling out the 16 pounder a complicated mess at times.


Our cruising is mainly day cruising with the once a month overnight stay in one of the creeks or rivers (West, South, Severn, Spa Creek, Choptank); we do not anchor overnight in the bay proper other than 4th of July celebrations to watch than head in.


What do those of you with much more experience about anchoring say about our plan to ditch the second anchor?


Your thoughts and ideas will be very useful in our decision making.

[Stu Jackson]

Why ditch it? Store it elsewhere on board. If you sell it, toss it or leave it at home in your garage, when, not if, when you need it, it will not be there, will it?

[Izikalvo]

the second anchor is a safety item you have to have, its like a fire extinguisher, you have it and hopefully never use it, if you want to save the space get a Danforth, or a Viking anchor, the Danforth anchor can be stored flat and the Viking can be kept unassembled, also flat.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Bob.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Izikalvo

the second anchor is a safety item you have to have, its like a fire extinguisher, you have it and hopefully never use it, if you want to save the space get a Danforth, or a Viking anchor, the Danforth anchor can be stored flat and the Viking can be kept unassembled, also flat.

Umm... if you actually read the OP, he already has two Danforth anchors, and likely has noticed that they lie flat.

Jim

[Izikalvo]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Umm... if you actually read the OP, he already has two Danforth anchors, and likely has noticed that they lie flat.

Jim

Danforth or other, two anchors.

[thomm225]

I have anchored hundreds of times in the Chesapeake or one of the creeks feeding into it.

For the last 8 years, I've used the same old CQR Anchor.

Recently though I was anchored up MobJack Bay in the Severn River. It was a nice anchorage but in the morning I couldn't get the anchor up. I pulled in all the rode as usual until I was directly over it, then pulled hard but it wouldn't budge

There was no wind that morning. Finally before cutting the line I used the engine and was lucky enough to pull the anchor out

Point is, what if somehow you lose anchor number 1?

I'd keep the backup onboard someplace. I have 5 anchors on my 27' boat because the PO knew the importance of anchors and their many uses

[GordMay]

There are a number of mounting devices, for Danforth style anchors, that can keep them out of the crowded locker.
Rail clips & hangers https://www.defender.com/category.js...276108|2276122
- DIY ‘rocket launcher’ tubes

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Izikalvo

the second anchor is a safety item you have to have, its like a fire extinguisher, you have it and hopefully never use it. . .

I'm not sure you "have to have" it, especially if you're just doing short range weekend cruising, but a backup/kedge anchor is highly recommended to have on board.



You might consider getting rid of the second Danforth and acquiring a Fortress, one size smaller. This will be a dramatic reduction of weight. And you could keep it on the pushpit or pullpit on a bracket as Gord suggested, if you want to save locker space.


On my previous boat, I had a Danforth mounted on the pullpit on a bracket which I literally never used in anger, but it was always there and ready to go, and easier to deploy than the best bower because it was on rope rather than chain so no futzing with the windlass.


On this boat, I have a Fortress which fits in my anchor locker (which is a bit bigger than on the previous, 37' boat ), and it is always there ready to go, with its own 100 meters of rope and 10 meters of chain. I HAVE deployed this in anger, and many times. Once when my windlass failed and I was getting ready to anchor out for the night -- just used the Fortress and made sundowners instead of stressing about the windlass or going back. I sure was glad I had it then. And I have used it many times as a kedge -- as a stern anchor when mooring bows-to, as a second anchor to control rolling, etc. etc.


Another important use of the kedge is for emergency stopping in case of a disabled engine. I've never used it for this, but it could save your bacon.



So, I would recommend changing your second Danforth, to a much lighter aluminum Fortress, one size smaller than your best bower. If you put it on the pushpit (or pullpit) with brackets, you will save locker space, and improve deployability in an emergency, but of course you will gain windage and create another place for stuff to snag.



Yet another approach to this is to disassemble the Fortress -- you can even get a nice bag for it -- and keep it in the bilge. You give up quick deployability, but then it's really really not in the way.



I can't quite say enough good things about the Fortress as a kedge -- it's light, stores easily, and sets like a piranha. This anchor is especially good in soft mud like you have in the Chesapeake -- you need to set the fluke angle for mud and fit the "mud palms", but no anchor works so well in soft mud. I have used mine instead of the best bower for this specific purpose, on occasion.

[Breaking Waves]

personally, for your type of sailing/anchoring in the bay, I would be just fine with the one bigger danforth.

Just realize in some small probability of cases (like if your rode gets accidentally cut) you may have to motor around, or find another boat buddy willing to allow you to raft up, worst case at night in a thunder squall. But the bay is not that hard or dangerous a place to do that.

Many of the racers and racer/cruisers (who actually race a little) will be carrying only one anchor (because racing weight).

But this is the sort of decision which is hard to advise someone else on. My suggestion would be to think thru the various potential scenarios where you might possibly use the 2nd anchor and consider how comfortable you are dealing with them without the 2nd anchor.

The disassembled fortress solution has pros and cons. It is more viable if you have two competent people on board, where one can drive in a night squall and the other can get the fortress carry it on deck and assemble it. If you typically only really have on “seaman” on board (as many bay cruiser do) then I personally don’t think it is that useful.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by bobmorning

We have a 31' Hunter that we keep just below Annapolis. For years we carried two Danforth anchors, a 13 and 16 lb anchor.

After 10 years of never using the second anchor (13 pounder with 88' of 1/2 nylon rode and 5' of chain) we are considering removing it from the anchor locker as it clutters up the locker and makes pulling out the 16 pounder a complicated mess at times.

Our cruising is mainly day cruising with the once a month overnight stay in one of the creeks or rivers (West, South, Severn, Spa Creek, Choptank); we do not anchor overnight in the bay proper other than 4th of July celebrations to watch than head in.

We've been in this area for years, anchored in all those places many times, etc... and we've had good results with Danforth-style anchors here in the Chesapeake mud (sometimes slime)...

I wouldn't be comfortable without a back-up anchor, though. And we've never had to use a stern anchor, but prefer having another anchor on board just in case that were to become necessary. Also, we have had to use a space anchor as a kedge before (a Fortress, in that case).

Ideas:
- remove the second anchor and rode from your forward locker, but store it elsewhere onboard? (there are fixtures to hang the anchor itself on a bow rail)
- fabricate some kind of segregation in your anchor locker (starboard?), so smaller anchor and it's rode are below, main anchor and rode above, lower doesn't interfere with upper? (or maybe one on each side...)
- Replace the second anchor with a Fortress, and stow it dismantled? (in that case, it won't be so quickly available in an emergency)

-Chris

[jeff356]

Cruise the Chesapeake and anchor out almost every weekend with overnights and would not get rid of the second, smaller anchor but if in the way relocate to a lazzarette or other location.
Had a Delta Fastset that I think someone snagged and it reset closer to another boat in Chestertown and was unable to get the anchor up as it was under another boat, needed to put out my Fortress, which I keep in the lazzarette for emergencies, and tied a fender on to my main anchor and dropped it to pick up later.
Just this last Tuesday was in Swan Creek and a morning thunderstorm had a trawler drag 200 feet right by me.
I would keep a secondary anchor, you never know...
Jeff

[OBT]

Put your second anchor, rode and chain in a bag. Put it under your primary gear. No intertanglement (is that a word?).

We have 3 anchors on our boat and wouldn't go without them.

Fair winds!

Thom

[letsgetsailing3]

The second anchor is insurance.


As such, it's essential kit.