Weigh Anchor!

yoyo · 01 October 2006, 15:33

I am interested to know what type of anchor you guys prefer to use and why?

Bruce,…Plough,…. folding grapnel,….rusty old seagull….etc. what are the pros and cons for choosing a suitable anchor for say a 5m rib, space being one of them obviously.

thanx.

mark-f · 01 October 2006, 15:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by yoyo

I am interested to know what type of anchor you guys prefer to use and why?

Bruce,…Plough,…. folding grapnel,….rusty old seagull….etc. what are the pros and cons for choosing a suitable anchor for say a 5m rib, space being one of them obviously.

thanx.

I have an XS600 with 115 opti and use a 5kg bruce, and regularly leave it ovenight on this anchor and to date have never had a problem with it not holding.

mark

Boatcareuk · 01 October 2006, 16:11

I would probably choose a Bruce. Grapnels are a waste of space with virtually no holding power except amongst rocks - in the solent it is either mud or sand most of the time

Jono Garton · 01 October 2006, 17:24

YoYo

For your boat a Bruce or Danforth would be fine, 5kg, or 7.5kg if you have the space to store, with at least 6m of of 6mm chain and good length of warp (at least 30m of 8mm).

I tend to carry a 10kg Danforth & 10kg Grapnel both with 12m of 8mm chain and 50m of 10mm warp on any ribs that are between 5.5m - 8m.

Every lifeboat shout I have been out on this year that was serious, would not have been serious if the casualty would of had a bigger Anchor, more chain and more warp.

Jono

Richard B · 01 October 2006, 17:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boatcareuk

Grapnels are a waste of space..

Bollocks. I have a grapnel and a bruce. I've only ever used the grapnel. Much less hard work than the bruce when you'r puling it back up!

Limey Linda · 01 October 2006, 18:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard B

Bollocks. I have a grapnel and a bruce. I've only ever used the grapnel. Much less hard work than the bruce when you'r puling it back up!

How do you know if you have never used your Bruce.? Grapnels only work if they catch on a reasonable large rock bottom. However if you use enough chain and warp you can get by with one in mild conditions only and/or short periods of time. IMHO.

Richard B · 01 October 2006, 18:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Limey Linda

How do you know if you have never used your Bruce.?

Because it's much, much heavier than the grapnel! Even getting it out of the locker is a major task.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Limey Linda

Grapnels only work if they catch on a reasonable large rock bottom. However if you use enough chain and warp you can get by with one in mild conditions only and/or short periods of time. IMHO.

Always worked for me, albeit after a short drag. And I've only ever wanted to anchor in mild conditions and for short lengths of time (on a RIB, anyway!)

The trouble with anchors with great holding is that they continue to have great holding when you want to recover them! So unless you go to the faff of rigging a tripping line it can be a chore. I once had to abandon a very expensive stainless steel danforth which was well dug into the mud. Fortunately it was on a drying area so I could retrieve it by foot the next day.

BogMonster · 01 October 2006, 19:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

Every lifeboat shout I have been out on this year that was serious, would not have been serious if the casualty would of had a bigger Anchor, more chain and more warp.

Jono

Interesting - are you saying that most small boats carry an anchor that is far too small then?

Mine has a Danforth, its what came with the boat and I've never used it. I'm not even sure how long the chain & warp is ... one of these days I must pull it out and have a look before I need it in anger....

I was just looking at the Danforth website and it says a 9lb anchor will do up to a 27ft boat in 20kt winds. I don't know a damn thing about anchoring but I don't think I'd want to push my luck too far with that combination .... 4kg doesn't sound like much to hold a 9m RIB to me!?

Channelwatch · 01 October 2006, 19:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

YoYo

Every lifeboat shout I have been out on this year that was serious, would not have been serious if the casualty would of had a bigger Anchor, more chain and more warp.

Jono

Likewise here. A good portion of our salvages could have been averted with proper ground tackle and usage. Although I must say that in most cases its not the size or type of anchor but rather, poor deployment. Not enough scope being the biggest culprit followed by fouling due to dropping everything down all at once in a big pile.

The key is matching the anchor, chain, and rode to the bottom type, depth of water, the size of the boat including windage, and the conditions you are going to be anchoring in. We have found that a Bruce is a great all around anchor for most bottom types but is hard to stow.

In soft bottoms like sand and mud the key is to make sure the anchor digs in, otherwise you are just depending on the weight and once the wind and seas pick up you may drag.

al40 · 01 October 2006, 21:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard B

The trouble with anchors with great holding is that they continue to have great holding when you want to recover them! So unless you go to the faff of rigging a tripping line it can be a chore. I once had to abandon a very expensive stainless steel danforth which was well dug into the mud. Fortunately it was on a drying area so I could retrieve it by foot the next day.

Anchors are generally really easy to break out once you apply a vertical pull on them - ie once the boat is vertiaclly above the anchor. Was anchored (stormbound) once in 30ft yacht with winds in excess of F8 continuously for several days (anchor chain was bar taught) but anchor still came out relatively easily once we'd motored forwards to the point where we were pulling it straight up. Exception is of course when it's fouled something......

Just a note of caution if using a trip line - the anchor tends to spin as you lower it and either wraps the trip line round the chain or the anchor (either of which is bad). You can lower the anchor with the trip line (instead of main chain) until it's on the bottom and then release the trip and play out the normal chain. I've seen lots of people throw the anchor out and not dig it in and I've also seen lots of people dragging anchor! You only realise the trip has fouled (or acnhor has fouled) when you start to dig in and realise the boat is slowly but surely moving back. => always make sure your anchor has dug in well and has not fouled the trip line.

I personally like the plough / CQR type of anchor but they are really RIB un-friendly (sharp point) and not easy to stow unless you've got a reasonable locker.

Jono Garton · 01 October 2006, 21:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Limey Linda

How do you know if you have never used your Bruce.?

Somones sharp tonight, obviously not as much magners as me.

Richard B · 01 October 2006, 21:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by al40

Anchors are generally really easy to break out once you apply a vertical pull on them - ie once the boat is vertiaclly above the anchor.

Shame you weren't with me to remove the danforth

yoyo · 02 October 2006, 19:36

Thanks guys

I will be using a bruce with plenty of chain for the main anchor (as Jono suggests). In addition I will use a folding grapnel as a beach and back up anchor.
thanx.

Nos4r2 · 02 October 2006, 20:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by yoyo

Thanks guys

I will be using a bruce with plenty of chain for the main anchor (as Jono suggests). In addition I will use a folding grapnel as a beach and back up anchor.
thanx.

Exactly what I do.

I have however found that the grapnel is at its most useful when being used to smack a mackerel on the head-or to hold down a prawn trap.

BogMonster · 02 October 2006, 20:07

A colleague of mine went to St Helena (small British island just south of the equator) on holiday recently. They went fishing and this required anchoring in about 200m of water, apparently they have a really interesting way of recovering the anchor (it was a fairly small boat so no winch fitted). They feed the warp through ring attached to a large buoy, then tie it to the back of the boat and take off at full speed. The drag on the buoy is more than the force required to lift the anchor, so the anchor comes up, and eventually the chain pulls right up through the ring on the buoy and is left hanging through the ring. Once this has happened they just pull the warp in and then pull the chain aboard and recover the buoy and anchor. Quite ingenious I thought

I have just checked mine today and it has 10m of 6mm chain and 34m of warp so from what Jono says I think that should do me for most things I'll need.

Interesting anchor test here

Jono Garton · 02 October 2006, 20:38

Stephen

Allot of fisherman use this method in the UK.

Jono

codprawn · 02 October 2006, 21:38

I use a big folding grapnel with no chain for normal anchoring - it is easy to use and will hold my 9m RIB reasonable well. I also carry a big Danforth with about 10m of very heavy chain for use in an emergency.

I like Bruce anchors but I intend to get a Delta because it will stow best in my anchor well - basically it's like a welded solid CQR.

I also carry a big sea anchor which is folded up and takes up very little space and weighs almost nothing - could be very useful one day!!!

alystra · 02 October 2006, 23:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

I like Bruce anchors but I intend to get a Delta because it will stow best in my anchor well - basically it's like a welded solid CQR.

I do a lot of anchoring. I'm very pleased with my Delta - a good all round anchor. Set it gently and I'm amazed how well it holds.

In the past, did a lot of anchoring in my heavy 38 ft ketch - like almost every day all season. Used a Danforth. In popular muddy anchorages we would watch CQR equipped boats dragging past us regularly. A CQR is a plough. Ask yourself, what do ploughs do? Designed as a seaplane anchor it was made popular in Scotland because its designer/manufacturer, Mr. Lawrence, or Mr. Simpson, I forget which, was a member of one or more of the top Clyde Yacht Clubs. The danforth, on the other hand, was an American design, I believe. No contest. Bit like Betamax and VHS.

Of course, I might be talking c**p. Oh! Yes. My spare was a 50lb. CQR.

Tony

codprawn · 03 October 2006, 03:03

Well the Delta is the same shape as a CQR......

Jono Garton · 03 October 2006, 07:29

As anyone come across an Anchor that looks like a 10kg Danforth in size, however is about 2kg? and cost about £150 - £200

Very easy to use and after all its the chain that needs the weight, not the anchor.

Zodiac supplied to jellis with the CZ7 and the Navy Seals use them?

I was most impressed