Anchor

I am going to close on a 42' Sundeck Trawler. One if the things I am looking at what anchor should I use and is what is on the Trawler. Any suggestions on the type and weight I should look into?
Also the Trawler I am getting has 50' of chain and then rope. Is that ok or should it be all chain?

Try "advanced search" and type "anchor" for a titles only search, then set aside time for about two days of reading

Here you go: Trawler Forum - Search Results

Size and rode is dependent on where you plan to cruise.

For casual, fair weather use in moderate ie < 20' depths, always anchoring in protected anchorages, a 50 lb Rocna, Manson Supreme, Spade and a few others would be my choice. Your 50' of chain and at least 100' of nylon would work fine in those conditions.

For tougher duty, ie heavy winds and potentially rocky/rolly anchorages I would go up to 75 lbs or even 100 lbs and 3/8" G4 all chain rode to give you 6:1 from the bow roller to the deepest expected anchorage.

Sundeck trawlers have a lot of windage.

David

For rope/chain vs all chain, I'd say it depends on where you boat. In areas with coral or lots of rocky bottoms, 50 feet of chain may not be enough to avoid chafing the line on the bottom except in shallow water on a windy day. In areas with mostly mud bottoms, it would likely be fine.

MurrayM said:

Try "advanced search" and type "anchor" for a titles only search, then set aside time for about two days of reading

Click to expand...

Or, save yourself some time and just get a Mantus.

Start with the basics, what's on your boat currently? By the way, the most current research says scope is more important than all chain or not. In an anchorage of 40 feet in medium winds, your better off to have 7:1 scope with some chain and the rest line, than 5:1 with all chain. Some will disagree with this, trust me.

Welcome, and congrats on your new boat! Most newcomers are warned (or encouraged, depending on the responder's mischief level) to stay away from the anchor topic. However, you've asked for anchor advice, and you'll get plenty!

Greg.

Most modern anchors have plenty of holding power and some older types do to if they are heavy enough.
For modern high performance anchors five pounds of anchor per 4,000lbs of boat may be a good place to start (as a minimum) for boats w/o high windage.
Choose an anchor that sets well in various seafloors, isn’t upset easily by veering, sets and holds good at short scope as well as more typical scope and be drawn to anchors that are more consistent in anchor tests. Nothing is more important than consistency re anchoring.
Lastly buy an anchor that has very good holding power (but you will probably never use the holding power of those that perform at spectacular heights). But you will frequently use the performance of anchors that set well, veer well and deal well with unusual seafloors. That kind of performance is harder to measure but of more value.

See “Anchor Setting Videos” in the anchoring section on TF. It’s on page 7 right now. It’s easy to find w 601 posts and close to 50,000 views. Look for the 601 posts instead of the thread title.

syjos,
Anchoring will never be a dead horse and I offer the history of the anchoring section of TF as proof. It is less popular than in the past though.

Welcome to TF Charles.

Agree with Murray. Do a search and alot a lot of reading time.

I like larger anchors , so I would first look at the windlass that will be hauling it up from the bottom.

My minimum overnight rule of thumb is a pound of anchor for every foot of boat.

3 story roomerands will need more sometimes on a nervous dodging boat much more.

Charles,
What follows is my opinion and there are probably many who would disagree.
First, rode. Fifty feet of chain is the bare minimum for your boat (normally a boat length is considered minimum). I would increase this amount. You will have to decide by how much depending on your anticipated anchoring situations and your windlass's capabilities. I use 250 feet of chain (usually all chain when anchored) and have an additional 150 feet of rope for "really deep" anchoring like the northern BC coast or Alaska where you could have to anchor in 100 feet of water with tides well over 20 feet of swing.

I have direct experience with 3 anchors. CQR, Rocna, and now the Vulcan. I found the CQR to be poor, and like both the Rocna and Vulcan for where I tend to anchor. I recommend both, however, I am sure you would do well with most other "Next Gen" anchors like Spade, Mantus, Ultra, Manson, etc. If your windlass is capable, I would suggest "bigger" rather than "just enough" for your anchor size. So, for example, if the anchor sizing guide (like Rocna's available on their website) states for your length and weight you should have a 25 kg (55 lb.) anchor (or you fall in between 2 sizes), I would "move up" to the 33 kg (72 lb) anchor. This would give you better peace of mind should you experience bigger winds, less than perfect protection, waves in the anchorage, etc.
Good luck with your new boat, and your search for the "perfect" ground tackle

I prefer 'New Age' anchors. Traditional Rocna, Manson Supreme, Rocna Vulcan, Spade, etc. All function about the same with about the same overall performance. All of them hold better than the previous generation of anchors (Plow, CQR, Danforth).

Anything with a rollbar works better with a 'over-the-pulpit' style roller. Spade and Rocna Vulcan don't have rollbars and fit the through-pulpit style rollers better.

I've used the Traditional Rocna, Manson Supreme and Rocna Vulcan extensively and would use any of them again. I've heard very good feedback regarding Spade.

Manson makes a non-rollbar model similar to the Rocna Vulcan, but I find it aesthetically unappealing.

You have asked about the anchor but not your rode and I talked about road, chain and line in my above post. But I thought it would be helpful to link this article about "Catenary & Scope in Anchor Rode: Anchor Systems for Small Boats:"

https://www.petersmith.net.nz/boat-anchors/catenary.php

Peace of mind is priceless.

The largest spade style anchor (I have 121 lb Vulcan) your boat will accommodate and 300' of all G4/G43 High Test Chain rode (I have 400' of 3/8 G43). If you opt for an anchor swivel use a Mantus (I have but do not use a Mantus swivel). Lastly, get a Mantus bridle that comes with chaffing gear and a Mantus chain hook (I have and faithfully use a 1" 3 strand nylon Mantus bridle).

My wife and I have cruised the US east coast, Bahamas and Caribbean for the last 2.5 years. We have anchored in almost every condition and dive on our Vulcan whenever practical. We have also practiced and learned how best to set our anchor to hold from high winds to shifting winds and currents.

Lastly we set and use an anchor alarm app on our iPad (I use the alarm provide with AquaMap).

Nothing is better than getting a good night's sleep at anchor so don't skimp on any portion of the gear or training.

After you’ve done some looking read “Anchor Setting Video’s” ... a thread on TF. It’s on page 7 in “Anchors and Anchoring”. This thread mostly reveals the most important elements of anchor performance.

It’s easy to find. It’s the only thread w 601 reply's. Right now on pg. 7.