What size anchor and chain for 5.5m RIB?

[Gobuchul]

Just fitting out my new, to me, Zodiac Pro Open 550.

I need an anchor and need to decide on the old age compromise between ease of handling and holding power.

I am looking at either a 5kg Bruce with 4m of 8mm chain or 3.5kg Bruce with 4m of 6mm chain.

Is the 3.5kg a bit small?

https://www.boatworld.co.uk/boating/...-kit?limit=100

https://www.boatworld.co.uk/boating/...-kit?limit=100

Any advice?

[Nordburg2001]

I'm sure one of the more experienced guys will advise better but I have a 5.8m Northcraft with a 6kg Bruce and around 3m 8mm chain and it's more than ample for mine, some may say overkill but I'd rather be looking at it than for it!
A friend has a Shetland cabin cruiser around 6m and he has no bother using a 4kg Bruce.

[Mark Evans]

I have got a 5kg Bruce anchor with six metres of 8mm chain on my Ballistic 550 - I am not going anywhere!

Someone told me a good rule of thumb is chain around the length of your boat, as the weight of that is primary in keeping you in one place, alongside the actual anchor.

[gpsguru]

Originally Posted by Gobuchul

Just fitting out my new, to me, Zodiac Pro Open 550.

I need an anchor and need to decide on the old age compromise between ease of handling and holding power.

I am looking at either a 5kg Bruce with 4m of 8mm chain or 3.5kg Bruce with 4m of 6mm chain.

Is the 3.5kg a bit small?

https://www.boatworld.co.uk/boating/...-kit?limit=100

https://www.boatworld.co.uk/boating/...-kit?limit=100

Any advice?

With a Bruce, either anchor will be OK for a boat of 18ft LOA ...........

See here ....... Bruce Anchor Sizing Chart


The important point is to make the chain the length of the boat, this gives a little more added weight, but more importantly allows the Bruce to 'bite'.

With anchor 'warp' you need at least 3 times the depth, sometimes 5 times the depth if its a bit rough ............ I normally fine that 3 times the depth has me well anchored 99.9% of the time.

You will be best buying it as seperate items due to the fact that the warp is too short on most kits .............. for the warp buy a 220m coil of 8m 3 strand nylon ........... chain needs to be 6mm or 8mm (5m) ........... dont forget to rig your Bruce to trip by attaching the chain to the head and then using two ty wraps to secure the chain to the shaft ....... remember to 'mouse' the shackle pin on the head end. Also use an A3 buoy on the warp nd remember to put up a black circle flag or pole board to show you are pinned to the bottom.

Dont for forget to add an A3 bouy which will allow you to 'drive' the anchor out with an alderney style recovery ............however, since I have owned my RIB, I have found 'hand recovery' to be very easy.

Personally if its just anchoring for leisure and you will not be leaving the boat, then I would go for the 3.5kg bruce ........... the bruce is a pretty good anchor in most types of ground.

[jeffstevens763@g]

https://www.jimmygreen.co.uk/p/techn...hor-size-guide

some info here

[GuyC]

If the 5kg anchor and the 8mm chain fits in your anchor locker i'd go for that.

[GuyC]

Originally Posted by gpsguru

....... dont forget to rig your Bruce to trip by attaching the chain to the head and then using two ty wraps to secure the chain to the shaft .......

Are you suggesting shackling the chain to the tripping line hole near the head of the anchor rather than at the end of the stock? I'd be concerned that the cable ties would chafe and the anchor would trip just when you didn't want it to.

Would you not be better to rig a separate tripping line?

[gpsguru]

Originally Posted by GuyC

Are you suggesting shackling the chain to the tripping line hole near the head of the anchor rather than at the end of the stock? I'd be concerned that the cable ties would chafe and the anchor would trip just when you didn't want it to.

Would you not be better to rig a separate tripping line?

I have never had that happen ........... it is pretty standard practice on small angling boats to rig a bruce anchor in this way ............ I normally use 2 cable ty's (2x 5mm or 3 x 3.5mm), which are strong enough to hold fast under any conditions that I am likely to be out in, but they are weak enough to be snapped with a good sharp (overhead) pull on the warp if the anchor gets lodged ..............

If I am fishing over really rough ground then I take a 'fishermans' anchor fabbed from 'rebar', as it it is easy to 'bend' it free and it doesnt matter too much if its lost.


It is years since I have seen anybody use a buoyed tripping line ..........it is also years since I have fully manually hauled, I generally drive out the anchor using an alderney ring, however, you need a good samson post for it to be a safe option.

[paintman]

I rig mine - a danforth - the same as gpsguru when I'm in the boat.

If the boat is to be left unattended at anchor then the chain is shackled to the top of the shaft.

I too use a homemade rebar on rocky ground.