Anchor Angel?
- Thread starter VicMallows
- Start date
Poignard
Well-Known Member
Drudging weight?
RupertW
Well-Known Member
Great idea.
We always use an anchor angel no matter what the conditions.
Boats who attempt to moor without them are anchored fraudulently.
We always use an anchor angel no matter what the conditions.
Boats who attempt to moor without them are anchored fraudulently.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
well done Vic :encouragement:
SteveSarabande
Well-Known Member
Is 5kg heavy enough?
Rigger Mortice
N/A
OK, I'll bite. Why?
pmagowan
Well-Known Member
Don't understand the point of an angel. Just another heavy thing to stub your toe on or bang your thumb nail. Just put out more chain and if you don't have room use a shackle to join two links to make a loop. It doesn't take much chain to equal 5kg.
Bertramdriver
Well-Known Member
Couple of years ago in the boatyard I watched an Aussie and two Dutch guys smashing up redundant batteries for the lead and then smelting it over a butane assisted barbeque. The mould was a SS cooking pot with a ring bolt set in it. Final article weighed about 10 kilos. Last year I met one of them again and asked if he'd used the anchor damper much. The reply was no, it was too much hassle. Not top of my list now
GHA
Well-Known Member
It's a pity the spreadsheets have been removed from this site, you could play around and see just how little effect an angel has. http://alain.fraysse.free.fr/sail/rode/forces/forces.htm
And how effective a good snubber is at reducing forces on the anchor.
And how effective a good snubber is at reducing forces on the anchor.
Seajet
...
As my 22' boat doesn't like excess weight, I use a folding grapnel as a kedge & angel.
In folded state it makes a good angel, and is very effective on my mostly rope warp; maybe those who think them less effective are adding them to all chain.
It is also handy for drudging, again in folded state.
In Plan B mode as kedge the idea is the extended grapnel being pointy should penetrate weed and hold on rock, ie in emergency in places I wouldn't choose to anchor with my trusty bruce bower ( I am aware the grapnel relies on a hinge pin, it would be a get out of trouble and grab time to think type use, but as an angel as well it's excellent ).
In folded state it makes a good angel, and is very effective on my mostly rope warp; maybe those who think them less effective are adding them to all chain.
It is also handy for drudging, again in folded state.
In Plan B mode as kedge the idea is the extended grapnel being pointy should penetrate weed and hold on rock, ie in emergency in places I wouldn't choose to anchor with my trusty bruce bower ( I am aware the grapnel relies on a hinge pin, it would be a get out of trouble and grab time to think type use, but as an angel as well it's excellent ).
simonfraser
Well-Known Member
Recon they type of anchor is more important, personally I think a bronze spade anchor is best.
RupertW
Well-Known Member
In all honestly that's similar what we do when anchored with little swinging room and likely wind.
Anchor with chain, attach a rope and let the rope and chain out 2-3 metres and cleat the rope. Then let out lots of chain which then drags the rope/chain attachment under the water by the weight of a 10-15 metre chain loop. It adds a better angle up to moderate winds and helps with snatching, but I doubt it adds anything in a very strong wind. By then I'd be hoping enough of my neighbours had dragged to give me more room for scope.
JimC
Well-Known Member
An angel is very useful if you use a rope/chain rode as I'm sure many forumites do:
It reduces the boat's tendency to sail around at anchor and makes her move more like a boat using all chain which can be very welcome in a crowded anchorage.
It makes the rode fall at a steeper angle from the bow roller so it's less likely to get caught around or between keels when the boat drifts across the submerged rode at tide reversals or wind over tide situations.
It reduces the boat's tendency to sail around at anchor and makes her move more like a boat using all chain which can be very welcome in a crowded anchorage.
It makes the rode fall at a steeper angle from the bow roller so it's less likely to get caught around or between keels when the boat drifts across the submerged rode at tide reversals or wind over tide situations.
Hadenough
Well-Known Member
Spooky that, I saw the same while being dragged round TK Max recently. Thought I might get one for a tender anchor to avoid spikey things in a RIB. What are they filled with though?
Searush
Well-Known Member
5kg? Underwater it will be even less. May be OK for a dinghy tho. I have 4" of 6" diam round steel bar with a half link of chain welded to the top. I can only just carry it, so I guess it's about 25-30kg. It acts as an anchor in it's own right on a short scope of rope & only lifts a few meters off the sea bed so the pull on my anchor & 90' of chain is almost horizontal, which is the whole point of an angel.
Scotty_Tradewind
Well-Known Member
When an angel/chum was advantageous on a buoy line.......,
In Port Erin, Isle of Man, the opening to the bay and mooring buoys faces west.
Having to stop over night until early hours to catch the tide to go north to Portpatrick next day, we were faced with the aftermath of a westerly gale and so the swell was still significant.
I had seen small fishing boats in St Mary's a few days before, having huge barrels of water tied halfway down their mooring lines to act as a 'spring' to stop the mooring line going out straight so easily and without so much snatch.
In Port Erin I copied this by laying out a 30m line to the buoy and back again and dropping halfway down on that line a 5litre water container with my lead anchor chum. The westerly swell and breeze went on all night with the bows heading straight into it.
The boat was comforted each time the rollers came towards us by the line going gently out straight, the rocking horse action dampened significantly.
I can assure you that a similar result can be had by having the right length of anchor rode with the right weight as an angel along that rode.
When the wind is so significant that the rode is dead straight, imho only a superb anchor with a long chain is the answer.
However, imho, less chain need be put down if an angel is used in less windy or fast flowing tidal conditions. This has the advantage of allowing more boats to be anchored in a smaller area than would normally be ideal.
Quite an advantage if arriving at Newtown Creek late evening to find ther'es naff all space...
S.
In Port Erin, Isle of Man, the opening to the bay and mooring buoys faces west.
Having to stop over night until early hours to catch the tide to go north to Portpatrick next day, we were faced with the aftermath of a westerly gale and so the swell was still significant.
I had seen small fishing boats in St Mary's a few days before, having huge barrels of water tied halfway down their mooring lines to act as a 'spring' to stop the mooring line going out straight so easily and without so much snatch.
In Port Erin I copied this by laying out a 30m line to the buoy and back again and dropping halfway down on that line a 5litre water container with my lead anchor chum. The westerly swell and breeze went on all night with the bows heading straight into it.
The boat was comforted each time the rollers came towards us by the line going gently out straight, the rocking horse action dampened significantly.
I can assure you that a similar result can be had by having the right length of anchor rode with the right weight as an angel along that rode.
When the wind is so significant that the rode is dead straight, imho only a superb anchor with a long chain is the answer.
However, imho, less chain need be put down if an angel is used in less windy or fast flowing tidal conditions. This has the advantage of allowing more boats to be anchored in a smaller area than would normally be ideal.
Quite an advantage if arriving at Newtown Creek late evening to find ther'es naff all space...
S.
Last edited:
JimC
Well-Known Member
I've just bought one of the 5 Kg ones - looks just the job - now all I need is a big carbine hook to hang it onto the anchor rope.
Well spotted Vic - Thanks.
Well spotted Vic - Thanks.