If You Could Only Have One Anchor What Would It Be?

Where do you put your trust? Got a picture on that one anchor?

Phi, you are a trouble maker.

Found the anchor, now I'm looking for a windlass!

Useless---no chain.

Oops, meant to say not enough chain.

It's also too small and the wrong kind.

This works for me.


Some people are blessed with two primary anchors.








Others have only one but with a backup in the lazrette.

I'd get married.

This question is a joke, right?

Capt.Bill11 said:

I'd get married.

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With whom?

Capt.Bill11 said:

I'd get married.

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Now that would be the world's most expensive anchor.

Fortress FX-17

If you don't use my anchor your boat will drift onto the rocks, bang into other boats in the anchorage, or just sink for no reason.

markpierce said:

With whom?

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Ms. Manson perhaps. Definitely not Ms. Bruce.

Damn it Bill, you just made an image of Charlie Manson in a dress flash into my head. That is not something you want to see for real.

This is a trick question. Obviously nobody should have just one anchor. Certainly if you have four or five different types you will be in agreement with the many and insult few. This way the skipper would have to consult four or five previous anchor tests before deciding which to throw over the bow for any given bottom or weather conditions. Because the type of chain or combo or mainly rode is also in question at least three rigs will have to go in the water all chain- chain rode combo and mainly rode. Juggling the choices between five anchors and three rode or chain rigs will keep any skipper busy and that way the boat will burn less fuel even if it is just idling the whole time. Of course if the skipper lets the motor idle too long while he decides which anchor and rig to use the dam engine will get all fouled up. Maybe that's why most boats hardly ever leave the dock.

HopCar said:

Damn it Bill, you just made an image of Charlie Manson in a dress flash into my head. That is not something you want to see for real.

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Sorry. I guess I owe you a couple of drinks for that one.

Capt.Bill11 said:

Sorry. I guess I owe you a couple of drinks for that one.

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If you could only have one brand of booze, which would it be???

Danforth 60 h

Donsan said:

If you could only have one brand of booze, which would it be???

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Leaning toward something with the word gin in it. Because you know what they say, " clear liquor is clean living".

For an anchor I would have to go with Jody and the GMC from The Fall Guy or Elisabeth Shue and an 85' Toyota pickup.

I wouldn't exactly buy the cow with Jody if you know what I mean but I would set the anchor with Elisabeth any day of the week


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Best anchor if you want to sleep soundly, everything else is a compromise.

Twenty one posts and only two decisive answers.
This forum is fast becoming a joke box.
I came on this thread thinking it may be interesting to see the choices.
Nsail you are right .. it's a joke. But the OP didn't intend it that way.

Seriously,
If I could only have one forever ...
Had to hold in a bad gale.
Had to hold in a small and deep anchorage.
Had to set basically always.
Had to be fairly light.
Had to hold in soft mud.
Had to do fair in rocky bottoms.
Had to be strong.

Note what I left out of my "had to" list.

SCOTTY those cleats are VERY small.

This is not a recommendation for anybody and I'm not promoting this anchor. I post the link for general interest only.
XYZ Boat Anchor - presentation and information about the best boat anchor

XYZ I like the little hand grip probably there to right it. The short shank is going to probably work on most roller systems and that will leave a big lower lip hanging out may not be too artistic. Definitely different looking but how will it do head to head with the ugly duckling Bulwagga? Practical Sailor tested both 2003 XYZ had less holding power on that set of tests. Regarding what is my best single anchor it is whatever one I have on the bow of that particular boat and my multiple boats rarely have or had the same anchor. Most anchors if used well work well most of the time. I do believe the modern lighter weight deep digger anchors have an edge on older heavy units and are not as dependent on a lot of heavy chain. Note I am not saying the older styles will not work well, but on a pound for pound basis probably not as well as a deep digger. Eric's seven situations points out why one anchor might not suffice. If you allow me two I pick a modern spade type and a Fortress as the second. I do not own a fortress and use a al. spade to back my SS ultra up. That is mainly because I already owned the spade for 10+ years and it never failed so I did not go out and buy a fortress but if Fortress wants to send me one I would use it when appropriate. As to internet joke boxes what do you expect when you ask questions of a undisciplined anonymous unaccountable mob. There are still some gems among the chafe and there is that entertainment and venting factor for frustrated skippers who need an on water engine running fix.

Relax Eric, you really believe this site needs another anchor thread. Especially one hypothesizing "if you only could have one anchor". Really!

our 10,000 LB mooring being readied to be reset from the tug. We added about 50' of heavy chain (60 lb per link) to add weight. When we remove the spuds from the dredge, this mooring will have to hold dredge, dumpscow and tug until we are ready for sea. We will sacrifice this mooring because both of our tow wires will be attached to dredge and scow.

Cap I'm not the OP. He's got more guts than I. Hypothesizing? Well I do like hypothesizing and think it should be a big part of forums. What's the point of discussing things if you're not going to be analytical.

eye,
Actually it's Ed right? Dosn't say in your avatar.
Yes the "handle" is a righting strut. Does the same job as the roll bar but w much less drag and is more stylish. Draggo has had difficulty at anchor tests. I know part of the why but not nearly all of it .. or even half probably. The XYZ in the pic (center) has never been tested to my knowledge. An XYZ that was very similar (that was his mud anchor) was tested and did very badly not setting. I think it was the tip. The XYZ in the bottom pic was the one that I originally had and in the Practical Sailor anchor test in April 06 it outperformed all comers including Rocna and Fortress. I rarely got the thing to set though. Sent it to the landfill in Thorne Bay when we moved south. But for some reason I bought another XYZ .. the one in the post above and in the center below. It set fine and worked well otherwise too but I sold it to an XYZ admirer in Thorne Bay. Had the shank and back fluke but Draggo would'nt sell me the SS tip. So I made my own. It worked really well even in a 50 knot gale. I thought w the wide chisel like tip it wouldn't set in anything but mud. Used it 9 or 10 times coming down the coast and it set all those times quickly and was great. Can't recommend the standard anchor as I've only used it twice. And I wouldn't recommend my chisel tip as it's very experimental.

My runner up for this thread was a big Claw. But it has a flaw IMO and I haven't used it in a blow. When you hang on an anchor in a 50 knot blow for hours it's amazing the trust that develops. I would definitely have chosen the Supreme but I haven't been w it in a gale.

On my "had to" list fitting on a bow roller wasn't there as I store the XYZ flat on deck like a Danforth. I'm not that vain about my anchors so good looking wasn't there either. And I don't care what other people have so being popular wasn't on the list. Some people buy stuff to attain image.

A bit of time using the search function would show the idiocy of asking on any boating forum what the best anchor is, the humor was just the collective sigh from the folks here recalling the hundreds of pages devoted to this elusive question.

BTW it's not SCOTTY and the size of the cleats on some generic picture are not relevant, your post was a joke, right?

Mr Davis,
Respectfully it says SCOTTYDAVIS in your avatar.

Not a joke those cleats in the pic look too small. Like cleats on a cheap boat.

"Collective sigh" yes I can relate. As I said he's got more guts than I do. I NEVER woulda started this thread. But it got me thinking about the best anchor and the XYZ was actually the third one on my list of about 6. Was actually tough narrowing it down to one. On a long trip I usually have about 6 on board. Yea I know but manyboats better than

I think the best anchor is the SARCA but it's not availible so I shoulda prolly put down Supreme. But I couldn't because I don't have enough experience w it and the same goes for the SARCA.

By the way if anybody is thinking of taking my post #26 as a recomendation (it's not) think of how proven it's not.

But to pick one anchor I found difficult.

Manyboats, respectfully it is my name and my middle initial is E, really, go look!. This I know.

Regards.

Pgitug said:

Where do you put your trust? Got a picture on that one anchor?

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It's not a realistic question. Do any of us have only a single anchor and rode aboard?