How big is your Anchor???

[AKDoug]

One size up from the manufacturers recommendation. I am a coastal guy who likes to sleep in calm water so that's enough anchor for what I do with it. I think it depends a lot on what you are going to anchor in as to how large or what design it should be...

Sand and mud love Danforth type anchors, other bottoms not so much. If your bottom type is going to be varied a lot, that's not a good choice for anchor type.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Yup,
The old philosophy of having an anchor that excells in all to most of the bottom types you’ll be likely to encounter. I cruise w a minimum of three anchors.

The problem now is that advertising hype has convinced skippers that their anchor is good for all bottoms. However some come close depending on geography.

 

[foggysail]

Yup,
The old philosophy of having an anchor that excells in all to most of the bottom types you’ll be likely to encounter. I cruise w a minimum of three anchors.

The problem now is that advertising hype has convinced skippers that their anchor is good for all bottoms. However some come close depending on geography.

I agree. There is no one anchor good for all bottoms. Modern anchors do provide a better chance at getting a good night’s sleep though.

 

[Mako]

I suppose the focus for most boaters is finding an anchor with maximum performance at minimum weight.

But there are a some with truly heavy displacement boats where weight is not such a factor. Many of today’s stockless anchors are HHP certified and when you put a 200 or 300 lb version on the nose of a 40-50 ft boat then perhaps no Mantus, Rocna, Delta, etc will even come close to performing in any bottom type.

In essence you’re carrying around a portable mooring. They are the winners of this contest!

PS I tried this with my little 20ft CC and it worked great.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Mako,
Here is a picture of a a guy's boat and anchor in Craig Alaska that did that. He was (as you say) caring around his own mooring. He lived in an island NW of Craig and this 500lb Navy anchor needed to hold his boat in the 60knot winter gales. But he regularly picked it up and came to town too.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Mako,
HHP or SHHP that you mention is the result of insurance companies but who certifies to this rating and how do they arrive at it? I believe ARA has anchors rated thus but I have little idea what it means other than it's not the same as a pleasure boat anchor test. I would think it would be very international .. world wide known and applied throughout the world as well. Re the example above I don't think he needs to stew about what kind of bottom he's about to anchor on.

 

[Mako]

Nice. But it probably wouldn’t look so awkward if it were nestled against the port bow plating in a hawsepipe (not that fisherman likely care about looks)

 

[Mako]

BTW Willy do you have any idea of the length or displacement of that Boat?

 

[sdowney717]

Just have a Seachoice 22, a Danforth knockoff . But it holds. Any heavier and it would be that much worse to hoist anchor. I just a few days ago added 6 foot of chain to the anchor, I figure it can only help it bite, but I do notice hauling it in is harder now. Boat is 37 foot and 20,000 lbs.

I think the chain also helps it to lay flat on its flukes.

 

[foggysail]

Just have a Seachoice 22, a Danforth knockoff . But it holds. Any heavier and it would be that much worse to hoist anchor. I just a few days ago added 6 foot of chain to the anchor, I figure it can only help it bite, but I do notice hauling it in is harder now. Boat is 37 foot and 20,000 lbs.

I think the chain also helps it to lay flat on its flukes.

Do you have a bow roller to make lifting easier? I had no trouble lifting a 44# Bruce when anchoring our old 30’ sailboat. I just sat there with my feet in the anchor locker and pulled the anchor into bow roller. But yes, without a roller. it was a real pain lifting a small Dandforth up.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Mako wrote;
"Willy do you have any idea of the length or displacement of that Boat?"

Probably 45' but I don't know. I can even see in my pic that he was using a hydraulic reel winch (see pic this post) that is almost totally universal for fish boats.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Just have a Seachoice 22, a Danforth knockoff . But it holds. Any heavier and it would be that much worse to hoist anchor. I just a few days ago added 6 foot of chain to the anchor, I figure it can only help it bite, but I do notice hauling it in is harder now. Boat is 37 foot and 20,000 lbs.

I think the chain also helps it to lay flat on its flukes.

717,
It lays "flat on it's flukes" from gravity unless the rode is lifting the shank too much. And that is not likely w the chain you spoke of.
But if you were to use any one of many other anchors at 22lbs your anchor may not hold. I consider 22lbs as an average anchor weight for my boat of only 30' but w over 3/4 of your displacement. I don't know if I've ever said something like this before but you may want to consider another anchor .. bigger or of a different type. I'm not saying you should ditch the Dan brand but if you don't I'd be looking for a higher quality Dan like this one .. also A 22lb. I think Steve G in the thread "Anchor Setting Videos" did test this high performance Dan and it did well as I recall.

In the first pic see the anchor on the left. This is the highest performance Dan ever made (I think). The shank (the weak link in this type of anchor) is very skinny at it's end but very heavy at it's root. Second photo clearly shows how robust the root of the shank is on this very high performance Dan. In the last pic the typical cheapie Dan copy has a very weak and skinny shank. However this is a pic of a Dan w a forged shank. They bend kinda like a spring. But it looks just like this except w the real Dan the shank is forged. Danforth made several grades of these anchors. But most of the imitation Dans have shanks made of punched out mild steel. Not even good enough for a spare. If you haven't got the best troll on CL until you find one. As you can see in my pic I paid $30 for this one. Never used it.

 

[MurrayM]

Hi Eric,

What would be the typical rode length held on the drum of a 30-something foot commercial fishing boat in Alaska or BC?

 

[Yankee1]

Our New Mantus 55lb

For four weeks now My wife and I have been cruising with our newly acquired 55 lb Mantus anchor. When I go to the bow May wife will back our Duffy 35 down until I feel confident that it has set firmly. We have all chain 3/8” 125 ft of it. Like out on Block Island RI and other soft bottom anchorages we do this very carefully. That was then Our new Mantus anchor as set amazingly. The old plow anchor was 38 lb. This one is a dream.
Thank you Mantus for a truly amazing design in anchors
Paul

 

[Nomad Willy]

Hi Eric,

What would be the typical rode length held on the drum of a 30-something foot commercial fishing boat in Alaska or BC?

Good question Murray,
I know I can’t get my 400’ 5/8ths rode on my own reel drum. So I would need to replace my 5/8ths for smaller dia. .. I actually have 9/16” for the last 50’ on my rode so now it’s 450’.

The fishermen usually fill up their drums but one can order whatever length and dia you want. So it’s not an issue when bought new. Are you thinking of getting a reel winch? I have one that will be real cheap. You’ll need to rebuild the hyd motor or switch to electric. And you’ll need a clutch and hyd pump to drive it.

 

[sdowney717]

Do you have a bow roller to make lifting easier? I had no trouble lifting a 44# Bruce when anchoring our old 30’ sailboat. I just sat there with my feet in the anchor locker and pulled the anchor into bow roller. But yes, without a roller. it was a real pain lifting a small Dandforth up.

Hi, yes, and it helps. My windless has a bad connection inside and have not had time to fix it yet. When it works, it is very easy to pull up the anchor.

Interesting sitting on deck to haul up.
We usually stand over top, bend our back and haul it up.

I need to fix the windless. It stops and starts, motor stutters, so either brushes or a loose intermittent wire connection. Maybe I can get to it this week.

 

[foggysail]

Hi, yes, and it helps. My windless has a bad connection inside and have not had time to fix it yet. When it works, it is very easy to pull up the anchor.

Interesting sitting on deck to haul up.
We usually stand over top, bend our back and haul it up.

I need to fix the windless. It stops and starts, motor stutters, so either brushes or a loose intermittent wire connection. Maybe I can get to it this week.

My guess is most likely loose or corroded connections. Brushes should last a very long time and a windlass usually has a short duty cycle