Anchor Size for 40' Trawler

[Art]

And the biggest variable is the bottom .. not the anchor.

In my mind...the biggest variable is the experience of the skipper.

I agree with you both...

 

[psneeld]

I agree with you both...

Might as well run for Congress...of course only if you have some kind of criminal record....

 

[Art]

Might as well run for Congress...of course only if you have some kind of criminal record....

 

[Old deckhand]

Interesting. I presume you are referring to the Manson Boss, their new spade-like anchor. So far one has not heard much about it from actual users. Do you find it sets quickly and well in most bottoms encountered so far..? Do you have to do a power set, or does a drift set suffice? How does it perform on the varying scopes from 3:1 up to 7:1, etc..? That sort of thing is always of interest.

Peter, yes the Manson Boss. We always do a power set. The 33 lb and 66 lb Bruce anchores both suffered the "Bruce rock" and I lost trust in them. The Deltas were much better but occasionally difficult set in gravel bottoms. The Boss so far works in all bottoms. I usually use no less then 3:1 and so far no problems.

Manson allocated a greater percentage of the anchore weight to the working end and less to the shank. So far it appears that is the reason for a very quick set and perhaps a requirment for less scope.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Interesting Mr Deckhand,
Less weight into the shank .. Hmmm. The shank on the Boss is quite long.

What did you prefer about the Boss over the Supreme? ... no roll bar?

66lb Bruce = big mama. I have a 33 lb Claw and consider it big. But think of my 22lb Claw as small. Why not a 44lb Claw for you?

 

[Nomad Willy]

And the biggest variable is the bottom .. not the anchor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by psneeld View Post
"In my mind...the biggest variable is the experience of the skipper."

With a fairly good bottom and a fairly good anchor setting the anchor shouldn't even be necessary. I'll bet everyone on this forum could figure out a length of rode that would work. Hardly any skipper input needed.

Variables like an unsuitable bottom and weather probably would require some experience from the skipper.

 

[psneeld]

Figuring out what the bottom is, what scope to use, whether the anchor is best suitable....etc..etc..are all skipper experience variable...


I'll stand by my post.

 

[Old deckhand]

Eric,
Yes, no room for the roll bar. The 66 pound Bruce was for a larger boat. Due to increasing age we have been down sizing and going for the KISS principle.
Ken

 

[BruceK]

The anchor has never left it's perch for as long as I have had the boat (since june). It sits up on the pulpit wrestling for space with the defender. My comment about it needing replacing was more to do with the overall age of things on the boat itself.

PO claims the claw (and the defender) held fast thru 2 hurricanes in the Caribbean. So I figure the rocna ought to hold thru a cat 5 based on the comparisons. Not that I will be on the boat like the PO was.

If the claw is that good, why ask the question? Perhaps you should be checking condition, rather than alternatives to a hurricane proven anchor.

 

[jleonard]

I use a 35 Danforth high tensile as my main on my 40 with all 5/16 chain. I have held comfortably in 40 knot sustained winds.
My backup and secondary is a 44 Delta. That has also held in those winds, but I much prefer the Danforth for the muddy bottoms around LI Sound.

 

[Art]

I use a 35 Danforth high tensile as my main on my 40 with all 5/16 chain. I have held comfortably in 40 knot sustained winds.
My backup and secondary is a 44 Delta. That has also held in those winds, but I much prefer the Danforth for the muddy bottoms around LI Sound.

jl - 50's / 60's I grew up boating LI and all of the NE coast. We always used Danforth. Really good anchor design! For our 34' Tolly tri cabin I now use Fortress FX-23 as primary anchor on a bottom that is even muddier with looser-mud than LI sound (SF Delta). Fortress is like having a Danforth on steroids! Check out their website. I've also a 35 lb. old time Danforth strapped to front deck as my secondary. The design improvements of the Fortress are considerable and the light weight is a blessing!

Happy Anchor Daze! - Art

 

[Montenido]

Thanks folks for all the great responses. Sorry, I forgot to check back with this thread for a while. I did pull my 80# MS off of my sailboat, which has since been sold. I am in contract with a Californian 42 LRC that has a SS Delta 55# anchor on 280' of 5/16 BBB. I believe that this will be a good set up for Mexico, as the current owner anchors out all the time. Since the boat is located in Mexico, I am going to make a cardboard mock up of the shank and anchor to see if my large MS anchor will even fit on the bow roller.

Thanks again for all the great input on such a controversial subject.

Cheers, Bill