Anchor questions...

[ferryden]

More noob questions I'm afraid (but want to do things right)..

I've bought a 6kg anchor, with 6m of chain and plenty of rope and am planning ahead for when I'm out in Mallorca next week. Mainly anchoring in 15ft of sand in sheltered bays. But many such sites are likely to have plenty of other craft around.

Firstly, can I get away with a warp of say 3:1 in such benign conditions for an hour or two?

Secondly, how much space around me do I need to be consider allowing myself, given hardly any tide (mainly wind/wave factor)? Assuming I anchor from the wind side in 15ft of water?

Or maybe Im worrying too much (I've seen others over there just dropping their anchor right beside one another...)

And LASTLY, where do you all store your anchor onboard in order to: protect the tubes, keep tidy, keep secure (I keep thinking if the sib did flip at some point, the anchor would cause real hassle..)

Sorry for all but I had to get these questions off my chest!

:-)
Ferryden

[Polwart]

6kg for 3.4m SIB sounds massive to me. What design of anchor?

[longjohn]

a 6Kg anchor and that amount of chain is well over the top for the conditions you are describing - it would hold a boat 2-3 times the size. I anchor my 4.7m rib with a 2kg Bruce type anchor and 3-4 metres of chain - always holds well.
Just remember that all the boats will move in the same direction - but you should be at least the length of your rope and chain from other boats. -- But all depends for how long and wether you are leaving the boat attended or not.
Stowed anchor needs to be in a tied down bag at least assuming you have no lockers. When I had a sib used to keep it amid ships in the under seat storage bag.
John

[willk]

You're a bit overspecced in the ground gear department (I used to use something like yours for my 6.5m twin engined RIB). For what you describe, a 2.5kg Bruce, 4-5m of LIGHT chain and a long FINE rope would be more than OK. You don't have a huge amount of space on that boat and keeping the weight down is quite important. 25m of fairly fine rope will coil very small and still be strong enough to suspend your SIB from, never mind hold it at anchor.

I keep my ground gear in a cordura sports bag (closed) and clipped to the safety line in the bow. In a capsize it would hang down and possibly slow the boat's drift somewhat.

[Fenlander]

Just how thin do you guys go on the anchor rope for a SIB? My current setup is from my previous GRP boat where space was greater, the rope isn't that thick but it's cheap stiff stuff and takes up a huge amount of room in a SIB.

[willk]

My 75m warp is 6mm nylon braid, it's very compact, and I figure the bridle D-rings will fail before it does.

I carry about 20m of 8mm braid too, it's easier to haul for general anchoring purposes.

Chain is 6 milly x 4m

I often keep a 10m hank of 14mm "nylon twisted" secured on the airdeck, for tying off to things and looking purposeful, a tricky job in an airbed

[ferryden]

It's a Bruce anchor... ach well, sounds like I got worried by some prior threads saying always go on the safe side when choosing warp n anchor...

OK Willk, I'll now get a 2kg lump, 3.5m of light chain and 25m of 6mm rope ...thanks also for the storage tips...

Assuming I switch to this kit, what sort of scope for lunch/snorkle stop?..would 3:1 work?

(Even if she's a bit slooow, I'm determined to have some fun Willk!)

Thanks very much all!
x
Ferryden

[Doug Stormforce]

Originally Posted by ferryden

It's a Bruce anchor... ach well, sounds like I got worried by some prior threads saying always go on the safe side when choosing warp n anchor...

OK Willk, I'll now get a 2kg lump, 3.5m of light chain and 25m of 6mm rope ...thanks also for the storage tips...

Assuming I switch to this kit, what sort of scope for lunch/snorkle stop?..would 3:1 work?

(Even if she's a bit slooow, I'm determined to have some fun Willk!)

Thanks very much all!
x
Ferryden

While the lighter ground tackle is a good idea 3:1 scope isn't, think more in terms of 5 or 6 to 1.

[willk]

On a calm day with no tide and you there, 3:1 WILL work with the chain as you are very light and have almost no windage. However, you should be carrying MUCH more warp than required for mooring in the shallows, hence the 100m that I'm toting about. If you're leaving the boat unattended, then 5:1 is a sensible minimum.

[m chappelow]

Another problem with using a short anchor line or scope is if there is any rise with the tide or even wash from a passing boat ,that will make the line even shorter pulling out the anchor or making it drag,
i have a minimum of 45 mtrs of 10mm braid line and 3 mtrs chain and anchor kept in a plastic box or you could fake it down into a bag or coil it on a reel .