Advice on anchors please

[Erin]

Just getting together all the bits and pieces for my new purchase due in a few weeks time.

Can any of you experienced ribbers offer some advice on the style and weight of anchor to use. Past experience on a 19 foot day boat was with a 5kg Bruce. Would this also suit a 6m rib?

[Nick Hearne]

Hi how much chain are you going to use?
Nick

[roohairy]

General advice from other threads (try a search, lots of strongly held views out there!) is to make sure that you can stow it! I like bruce's, think they're good all rounders but I'm expecting to go for a Danforth type for my P22 as it'll stow flat. Get plenty of chain!

[Manos]

There have been many threads on this one. Have a look on 'search' about anchors and you will see the various views.

[Erin]

Thanks guys.

I've got 4m of chain (6mm I think) and about 30m warp which should be enough for the occasional use.

Pretty sure I'll go for a Bruce but is 5kg OK?

[Manos]

You need LONGER chain. Don't forget that is the chain that holds the anchor down not the weight of the anchor.
Rope length depends on where you want to anchor the boat. 30 mtrs is more that enough I think.
Anchor type I would use a 5kg or 7 kg folding anchor since it doesn't take that much space and is stowed very easily. Bruse is OK too but takes up a bit more space than the folding anchor.

[DGR]

The MCA guidelines for coding - which I guess you aren't doing - but is probably a good guideline, for a 6 metre vessel are:

Main Anchor - 8 kg with 6mm dia chain/12mm dia nylon rope.

Kedge - 4 kg with 6mm dia chain/10mm dia nylon rope.

I assume that for occasional use a Kedge would be fine - so 5kg Bruce would probably do.

Guidelines for amount of chain and rope are "10 metres of chain or 20% of the minimum required cable length (whichever is the greater) of chain between the anchor and the rope". So in your case 10 metres!! Again this is for coding purposes - but probably a good general guideline.

Dylan...

[Erin]

Thanks Dylan for that info.

I think I'll invest in a longer bit of chain in due course. I guess it wouldn't be good practice to join two short bits together with a shackle?