Dinghy anchor - what & how used

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

rsn48

Guru
Joined
Feb 18, 2019
Messages
2,019
Location
Canada
Vessel Name
Capricorn
Vessel Make
Mariner 30 - Sedan Cruiser 1969
So I bought one of the grapnel anchors with the expectation they were crap and the guy who does all those anchor videos didn't disappoint and confirmed they were/are crap. But........... I didn't really purchase it for in water use but more with the dinghy floating just off shore and slightly burying said grapnel anchor in sand or whatever to secure the dinghy.

What anchor do you use if you have one for your dinghy and how do you deploy it?
 
I have a folding grapnel anchor as well. Like you, I take the dinghy to the beach, walk the anchor out and bury it in the beach sand.

One of the "screw in" devices sometimes used for holding a dog leash would probably work better, but the grapnel should actually work in the water if necessary.

The problem with most other anchor designs is, they could easily puncture an inflatable dinghy.
 
I got this little Mantus. Digs in and works as well as larger similar designs. Disassembles to store flat, rubber nose cone for the pointy end.
 

Attachments

  • A62A34D4-1A82-4762-B2F5-611105725486.jpeg
    A62A34D4-1A82-4762-B2F5-611105725486.jpeg
    19.5 KB · Views: 134
I have a small grapnel for my dinghy. I try to get a far from shore as I estimate the outgoing tide will still leave my dinghy floating when I return. I also try to have a line to shore, so that if I am on a rising tide, I can pull the dinghy close enough that I don't need to get too wet or worse, have to swim.
The only failures I have had with my grapnel have been when it has held too well, so I couldn't pull the dinghy close enough to have a dry boarding, or it hasn't held at all and the dinghy had come to shore. The former failure is far more likely than the latter. The shore line has never failed.

I have seen those elastic lines that allow bringing the dinghy to shore at the limit of their length, then pull the dinghy to rest at their shortest length. They look pretty cool, but I have shied from their price, as I haven't really needed that feature enough to justify the price. I carry about 150 ft of line in my dinghy, and mostly use about 50' on the anchor and the rest for shore line.
 
Maybe I should start another thread, "where do you store all the stuff you need in a dinghy, in your dinghy?" Lol.
 
Maybe I should start another thread, "where do you store all the stuff you need in a dinghy, in your dinghy?" Lol.

Naa
Go big, or go home. Then you will have all the room you need.
 
I have two anchors for the dinghy: a small Danforth type and a small claw. I usually drop the claw in the water and take the "Danforth" to the shore.

I use the "clothesline" system to shuttle the dink from and to the shore.

I have tried folding grapnel anchors but found them to be useless in sand.
 
Last edited:
Having tried far too many others, nothing beats the Mantus Dinghy Anchor Kit- 316 Stainless Steel Collapsible unit. Never fails to set.
 
Last edited:
Mantus Dinghy Anchor Kit- 316 Stainless Steel

Its the stainless steel part that bothers me. 1) an unnecessary feature 2) makes the anchor much more "getting stolen" worthy.
 
No rusting issues with SS.
I inserted a short length of SS chain and use SS shackles.
Being using mine for many years and never experienced an attempt by someone to steal it (so far).
Fits easily into the forward locker in my AB Inflatable centre console tender.
Would not contemplate changing it.
 
Back
Top Bottom