Let's Stir The Anchor Debate a Little, Shall We!!

Marin said:

When you are anchoring in tidal currents that typically run (in this area, they're stronger farther north) up to four or five knots depending on where you are, there is generally no "letting the Bruce settle in on its own" unless you want to use power to counter the current for however long it's going to take for the anchor to settle in on its own.

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Fair enough - I don't find myself dropping the hook in more than about 2 kt of current. Everyone has their own approach that works and we all have a hard time believing that some else's approach works at all let alone could be better

Richard

Britannia said:

Everyone has their own approach that works and we all have a hard time believing that some else's approach works at all let alone could be better

Richard

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Oh, I have no problem believing that other anchoring techniques work better in different places.

We've never boated on the ICW or in Chesapeake Bay so I have no clue what sort of anchors, rodes, and anchoring techniques work best there. If we DID find ourselves boating there, one of the first things we'd do is what we did here when we bought and started using a cruising boat: hunt up the most experienced people we could find and ask them to describe the best technique they'd found for anchoring in the area. And then do that.

I've never been big on dreaming up solutions and then going in search of problems to apply them to. The anchoring technique we use here is one that works well, has been proven over decades to work well by boaters far more experienced at anchoring in these waters than we'll ever be, and it works for all the popular anchor types, from claws to plows to rollbars.

I don't doubt there are other techniques for anchoring a boat up here and they probably work well for their proponents or they wouldn't be using them. Are they better than what we do? Don't know and have no reason to find out because so far the technique we've been taught gives us no reason to look for something better.

There is one alternative anchoring technique we see used here more times than we'd have thought, and that is the boat that arrives in the anchorage, drops (literally) their anchor and dumps a bunch of rode on top of it and calls it good. I know that's a favorite commercial fisherman technique, but the stuff they're dumping on the bottom weighs a ton and they have the means to haul it all back aboard. But it's a technique we've chosen not to adopt.

I really tried to stay out of this, but every time when I visit my boat, (which has a S-Sarca roll-bar anchor), I still marvel at how many folk still sport a CQR or similar on their bow. Presumably they happy with their ground tackle, but being the very type I replaced because, like Marin, it had let me down too many times, I came to the conclusion a long time ago, summed up beautifully in the following statement, pinched from a post above by Marin, but attributed to Eric…

In another thread, Eric made an extremely astute point that in the vast majority of recreational anchoring situations, the conditions are such that the anchors are never really tested. Boaters could anchor using a big rock and it would probably do just fine 99 percent of the time.

Most of us exercise a fair about of mental energy to find an anchorage where a disrupted night will be the least likely. We are actually quite good at it. It's when you get caught out the s*** hits the fan, and you find out how good your tackle really is. Most are so careful that thus far, they have not been caught out, I suspect...

I can appreciate everyone's opinion and what anchor works well, when.
But I have to tell you I have the best boat anchor made. It usually comes in the color blue.

Pgitug said:

I can appreciate everyone's opinion and what anchor works well, when. But I have to tell you I have the best boat anchor made. It usually comes in the color blue.View attachment 39615

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And the winner is..? C'mon, don't be coy. We only know it's blue...

Peter B said:

And the winner is..? C'mon, don't be coy. We only know it's blue...

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I believe he is referring to that blue travel lift.

Dang, I am almost afraid to set my anchor after reading this, better stay at a marina.....

BTW this is my new setup with 550' of new chain.

ASD I like your winch.

manyboats said:

ASD I like your winch.

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Thread Drift Alert...

Thanks. Not ever having a windlass, I am trying to figure it out. I can run it from all 3 stations and I figured out that if I flip the handles out on top, I am thinking this is a free fall by clutching the spin of the windlass.....I think as I haven't tried it yet. I also have a big handle to manually operate it, but have not yet figured out how to use it as it seems to require some disassembly of the windlass.

ASD, is it a maxwell?

N4712 said:

ASD, is it a maxwell?

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Yep Maxwell/Nisson

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

Yep Maxwell/Nisson

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Ok, I have a VWC3500. Here's how to use it: Free fall- loosen up top part (clutch) with bar, should slide into one of the slots easily.

Manual Retrieval- on the bottom you should see little slots you just insert your bar and turn the windlass.

I would take apart you windlass and service the clutch cones. You should be able to find a manual on Google. That's what I did. Also should change gearbox oil.

N4712 said:

Ok, I have a VWC3500. Here's how to use it: Free fall- loosen up top part (clutch) with bar, should slide into one of the slots easily.

Manual Retrieval- on the bottom you should see little slots you just insert your bar and turn the windlass.

I would take apart you windlass and service the clutch cones. You should be able to find a manual on Google. That's what I did. Also should change gearbox oil.

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Thanks. Where on the unit is the model number? Do you have a pic of yours?

Usually on the top.