What size and type of anchor do you carry?

[nitsuj]

So in my travels looking at marinas, I've noticed a frightening trend. There are some BIG high dollar boats out there, and the anchors hanging from the bow pulpit are smaller than I'd use to anchor my 20 foot bow rider in calm conditions. One boat was at least a 40 footer. Big, nice, newer cruiser. It looked to have about a 15-16 pound galvanized danforth hooked to it's windlass. The rode was all rope, no chain.

[CLO]

I have a 24 foot cruiser and have a danforth type anchor in the front but I also have another anchor that will be used from the stern. Possibly these guys are using multiple anchors as well. Maybe even three for a boat that size.

[nitsuj]

I won't stern anchor, it gives me the creeps. Probably not as critical on a river, but on a great lake (or ocean), it can lead to a very bad day, so I never got in the habit. But I guess with a larger boat and on a river, it's relatively safe. But still, on a 40+ foot boat, you'd think you'd want your main anchor to be a little more substantial than a 15 pounder.

[BoatingBrian]

I think I bow and stern anchor ever single time. no matter the river or lake erie, havent made it to the atlantic yet... i know its frowned upon but it stops your boat from swaying back and forth, and when anchored off in a congested area i want to be as still as possible, one less thing to worry about. Also, a family member has a 30 ft larson and Im willing to bet his front anchor as no more than ten pounds, but once it digs in there hasnt been any issues.

[nitsuj]

I dunno, theres been a lot of boats sunk due to stern anchoring. Including that NFL player who died last year. I think I'd rather swing around a bit.

[WSW MARINA]

We often throw a stern anchor when we go up the Kiski river, to keep from blowing with the wind. My theory on size is bigger is better.

[CLO]

Well, WSW mentioned "throwing" the anchor, maybe that's an issue for some boat owners as well. Too big may mean "too heavy". Also remember the function of the anchor weighs heavily on the rope and chain that is used with it. Can't have a 40 pound anchor on rope and chain that are designed for a 15 pound anchor. So that increases all the weight associated with a 40 pound anchor. Next thing you know there is 200 pounds of anchor, chain, and rope at the bow of the boat.

[WSW MARINA]

Don't forget that a lot of the 40 footers and above have all chain. This is very common.general rule of thumb is a foot of chain per pound of anchor

[nitsuj]

I always heard the rule was 5 feet of chain for every foot of depth. Which I think is excessive. That's a hell of a lot of chain. Not that it's excessive for secure anchoring, but who wants to carry and store all that chain! I think my danforth has about 10 feet of chain on it. That is the rig for my bow rider. The cruiser is going to get a Bruce style claw anchor. And as much chain as I think it practical to carry. I wouldn't really worry too much about anchoring out for lunch or a few beers. But to sleep on it, I don't want to worry all night that my anchor will let go and I'll be drifting towards the dam.

[galleyslave]

Anchor Weight Guide

BOAT SIZE ANCHOR WEIGHT
Length(ft) Weight(lbs) Bruce(lbs) Danforth*(lbs) Fortress(lbs) Plow(lbs) Yachtsman(lbs)

20-25 2,500 4.4 8-S, 5-H** 4 10 15
26-30 5,000 11 13-S, 12-H 7 15 25
31-35 10,000 11/16.5 22-S, 12-H 7/10 20 35-40
36-40 15,000 16.5 22-S, 20-H 10 25 50
41-45 20,000 22 40-S, 20-H 15 35 65
46-50 30,000 22/44 65-S, 35-H 21 45 75
51-60 50,000 44 85-S, 60-H 32 60 100

Anchor Rode Guide

BOAT SIZE ANCHOR RODE
Length (ft) Weight (lbs) Chain (dia.-inch) Nylon (dia.-inch) Length (ft)

20-25 2,500 3/16 7/16 90
26-30 5,000 1/4 7/16 135
31-35 10,000 5/16 1/2 190
36-40 15,000 3/8 9/16 225
41-45 20,000 7/16 5/8 240
46-50 30,000 1/2 11/16 315
51-60 50,000 9/16 3/4 360

*Danforth is a registered trademark. Similar-style anchors may differ significantly in
performance. **S indicates standard anchor; B indicates high-tensile anchor

[nitsuj]

What do you guys use Galley? Do you guys spend much time on the hook or do you always dock?

[galleyslave]

What do you guys use Galley? Do you guys spend much time on the hook or do you always dock?

We have a 22# Danforth with 4 feet of chain and 200 feet of 1/2" nylon rode. We also have a spare anchor, and extra 100' of line we can use on it, but it's below decks and I forget what it weighs. We wanted to drop the hook on the trip south, but the inverter went bad. So we had to stay at marinas because the refrigerator is only 120v, not a dual marine 12v.
Replaced the inverter this morning with a 2000/4000 watt, which will allow me to use the crock pot too. We've also picked up a marine kettle bbq grill.
Plan to drop the hook on the trip back but we have no windlass, so we'll see if my old muscles can still haul an anchor.

[bobzeepgh]

The people at West Marine say "you don't need any chain on your anchor when boating the Pittsburgh rivers."

[moisturemissile]

just in case I eat a log just above a dam I`ll keep a chain on mine.....

[bobzeepgh]

How much chain do you have on your anchor?

[moisturemissile]

around 3'. but I only have a 20' boat and carry an anchor for like a 32' one. saftey is cheap!

[nitsuj]

The people at West Marine say "you don't need any chain on your anchor when boating the Pittsburgh rivers."

I'm sure the person that said that knows more about boating than I do. But I'll still keep a chain on mine too. I can't fathom why anyone would say you don't need it on a river. And like moisture says, an anchor is more than just a parking brake. It's an important piece of safety gear. Used correctly, it can save your bacon. Used incorrectly, it can sink you. (Remember the NFL players who died while fishing off the coast of Florida last year? It was due to stern anchoring.)

[moisturemissile]

in shallow water like on the rivers you "probably" would be fine without the chain, but it seems like they set faster with the extra help, especially as rocky as some places are.

[bobzeepgh]

It was weird, I went there to buy some anchor chain, and they talked me out of it.

[May-Sea]

This is from the online PA boating course.

Prepare your anchor before setting out.

•Attach 7-8 feet of galvanized chain to the anchor. The chain aids in setting the anchor by lowering the angle of the pull as the chain sinks and lies on the bottom. It also will help prevent abrasion of the anchor line from sand or rock on the bottom. Most anchors grip by digging into the bottom when the line is pulled horizontally. Any upward pull may break the anchor loose.
•Be sure the anchor line is strong and long enough to anchor your boat. A good rule of thumb is that the length of the line should be at least seven to ten times the depth of the water where you are setting anchor.
•Since an anchor can be a safety device in an emergency situation, store the anchor and its lines in an accessible area. If the engine breaks down, you may need to anchor quickly to avoid drifting aground.