Best anchor for a 6.5 m RIB

[Brian Dinsley]

I'm in the process of buying a new 6.5 metre Humber Destroyer fitted with a Suzuki DF175TX, rigged up for diving. I've been reading up on the various anchor options. The Bruce anchor has a good reputation for holding in a variety of seabed conditions, through mud, sand and rock. I'm tending towards this option, however it has a drawback in that it's 330 mm wide accross the plough. I'm concerned that this may be difficult to store in the anchor locker. I could simply keep it in a large bucket, along with the chain and rope at the front of the RIB and use the anchor locker for something else?? (Sanwiches and beer??)

I know a lot of ribsters use grapnel anchors, but they aren't great in sand/ silt??

Would appreciate any comment and advice from fellow RIB users.

Cheers,,,, Brian

[BruceB]

I don't think you will have a storage problem.
My 5.8m destroyer has enough room in the anchor locker for a 7.5kg Bruce with 10m of 10mm chain and 60m of 11mm rope. I could also probably get a pellet bouy in there as well. because you are diving I would probably carry a large bouy (50L or so) for the shot. I used to carry mine clipped to a eye screwed onto one of the legs of the bow U bolt and it sat on the locker out of the way at the V of the tubes.
The clip can just be seen in this pic along with the reinforcing patches I had fitted where the bouy sat. This pic is an assault with the same ropes but a 5kg Bruce

Oh, and take the anchor locker hatch off when you get the boat and seal it to the deck, Humber have not done this with either of my hulls and the rain and spray just fills up the locker through the gaps. It is fairly weather tight if you take it off and sikaflex it back down.

[Stoo]

Ya, but can you really trust a guy named Bruce to advise you on an anchor! Personally, I think a Stoo Anchor would be better!

I also use my boat for diving as well. I carry a small 15 lb mushroom for anchoring into rock bottoms here. Everything else gets impossibly snagged. Bear in mind that I always have a tender in the boat, and if it's snarly out, I will hand-place the anchor when I am down. I find that a serious hunk of chain really helps it hold as well. (The chain weighs at least what the anchor does...)

But I also carry a larger Danforth anchor for mud bottoms as well as the rocky stuff. It holds well. If we are camping, I string both out as well as a line to shore...

I adopted the bucket storage method years ago for the mushroom which I use 95% of the time. The other is held in set of chocks along with it's chain.

As an aside, the only time I "lost" a boat while at anchor (and about the only time I didn't have a tender in the boat) was when the shackle holding the line to the chain came undone. I was diving and it let go ust as I approached. I was able to grab the end of the line and get back to the boat as it was drifting away in a strong breeze! Fortunately, it was a 2.5' SIB and was easy to recover. What I'm getting at is the type of anchor is moot if the shackle isn't sound and secured properly!

[codprawn]

Probably the best all rounder is the Delta - it's a CQR with no silly hinge. Now used by the RNLI.

A 6kg is about the same as a 7.5kg Bruce. they aren't cheap - about £90 but there are Chinese copies around that are just the same - but only £30 - they are great - I ordered one.

http://www.boatgeardirect.co.uk/id14.html

They are amazing in sand and mud and they work better than a Bruce in rock.

[Nos4r2]

I use a Danforth with the dowels on the sides trimmed down a bit to fit in my anchor locker. Seems to hold OK-but I carry a grapnel too for emergencies, beaches etc.I've used it as an 'angel' when folded up as well.

[BruceB]

Originally Posted by Stoo

Ya, but can you really trust a guy named Bruce to advise you on an anchor!

I liked it so much I bought the company....
I usually prefer the Bruce as it seems to hold well but another reason I have used it in preference to other anchors like the Delta and equivalents is the lack of "Points" on it. With wet hands and other easily punctured kit on the boat I have always preferred the non pointy type of equipment over anything that has a point.
But you pays your money and takes your choice, at least you can fit either anchor in the locker.

[BruceB]

Originally Posted by Stoo

Fortunately, it was a 2.5' SIB

Christ, thats a small boat. Where did you stow your diving kit

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by BruceB

I liked it so much I bought the company....
I usually prefer the Bruce as it seems to hold well but another reason I have used it in preference to other anchors like the Delta and equivalents is the lack of "Points" on it. With wet hands and other easily punctured kit on the boat I have always preferred the non pointy type of equipment over anything that has a point.
But you pays your money and takes your choice, at least you can fit either anchor in the locker.

The point on a Delta is pretty blunt - far more so than on a Danforth.

[Brian Dinsley]

Thanks for the advice guys. Much appreciated.

Bruce, I'll ask Humber if they can't make the anchor locker weather proof before they hand it over. Thanks for that!

[Limey Linda]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

I use a Danforth with the dowels on the sides trimmed down a bit to fit in my anchor locker. Seems to hold OK-but I carry a grapnel too for emergencies, beaches etc.I've used it as an 'angel' when folded up as well.

I do exactly the same and if I know the bottom is rocky I shackle the Grapnel anchor on to reduce the risk of loosing the Danforth due to jamming in the rocks