Anchor Buddy

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cdogg

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Continuing my paranoia about secure anchoring, I have already decided to change my 'replica' 13kg.CQR for a genuine Delta (Santa is bringing it) I am however taken by the sales literature about 'Anchor Buddies' The logic seems sound. My yacht is 31', 4200kgs., and most of my anchoring is on the West Coast of Scotland. Have you had experience of using one and any comments about them? and yes, I am aware of the "just learn to anchor properly" brigade.

Thanks
 
Anchor Buddy (any old weight run down the chain or rode eg bucket full of cement for the cheap skates)

Very effective, changes the angle of drag and also reduces the snap on the chain / rode caused by wind and wave. Less effective though if the amount of scope out is not correct for the depth of water and conditions.

Other options for a good nights kip include using two anchors at 45' to each other, two anchors in tandem or 1 anchor with loads of scope out, 7-10 times depth is the weather is very mucky.
 
A "chum" or "angel" can be useful in a crowded anchorage where it would be impractical to simply throw all your chain on the bottom.
We use a 'halfway house' solution which is a stretchy bit of 16plait with a chain-hook, which reaches about 15feet down from the bow roller. After it's attached we run out a big loop of extra chain which adds weight where it is needed.
 
I am not at all convinced by the 'anti' graphs, but then I use a mainly rope warp.

My Anderson 22 would be crucified by all chain, so I use a Bruce ( 7.5KG I think ) with 12' of 1/4" chain & 33 metres of 14mm nylon.

I also carry a 7.5KG Folding Grapnel as a kedge, the idea being that if things have gone pear-shaped and she's above a rocky seabed, ( ie not to plan ) the grapnel has a chance of penetrating weed and holding, which the Bruce is pretty unlikely to do.

I am aware, and it's worth mentioning, that one wouldn't want to hang around too long in a lee shore situation hanging onto just the grapnel, as the design relies on the pivot pins of the flukes; it may well save the boat until Plan 'C' is come up with though !

More usually though, I use the grapnel as an Angel, lowered in folded state about halfway down the bower warp.

Being a deep fin with the keel in down position, she can tend to 'sail the anchor' , wrapping the warp around the keel; the Angel completely prevents this ( the other option being to trail a drogue aft, a temporary measure as it extends the swinging circle and puts extra pull on the anchor ).

I've also used the grapnel as an angel on maximum scope sitting out a solid gale at Studland.

The improvement in angle of pull is quite visible in clear water, and it also takes the snatch out of waves when things become unpleasant ( the nylon warp also helps here, and the 12' chain is probably a fair bit heavier than some would use, so as well as anti-seabed chafe that helps the catenary too ).

In light, good weather at crowded anchorages, in conjunction with the Bruce's qualities the grapnel angel allows using a shorter scope than text-book ( say 4 x instead of 6 x max depth ) though I wouldn't go ashore and leave her like that.

If I was cruising seriously long distances I'd have another big Bruce ( works well for me ) but in normal cruising I reckon laying to 2 anchors can cause as many problems as it solves, chiefly a different swinging pattern to any neighbouring boats.

I wouldn't carry a dead weight to use as an angel, but when it can be multi-purpose like the grapnel I'm a great fan.
 
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Seajet said:
I am not at all convinced by the 'anti' graphs, but then I use a mainly rope warp.
Click to expand...

To be fair to the "anti" graphs, they are of pretty extreme conditions. What the graphs show is that with a 300Kg load down the anchor chain on a 6:1 ratio, a 15kg weight does very little to keep the chain closer to horizontal. 1000Kg load and the chain is almost straight, neither weight of chain or weight has much effect.
Damping is different, I've never used an anchor chum so don't know but 10m of nylon does a pretty good job of absorbing dynamic loads.
 
cdogg said:
Continuing my paranoia about secure anchoring, I have already decided to change my 'replica' 13kg.CQR for a genuine Delta (Santa is bringing it) I am however taken by the sales literature about 'Anchor Buddies' The logic seems sound. My yacht is 31', 4200kgs., and most of my anchoring is on the West Coast of Scotland. Have you had experience of using one and any comments about them? and yes, I am aware of the "just learn to anchor properly" brigade.
Click to expand...
See article above from Conachair.

You should have put the weight/money into a bigger Delta, a decision that would actually increase your system's ultimate holding power. (Or dare I say it, a better anchor type selection).
 
Strange you should say that as last night while trying NOT to watch "Celebs" in the jungle on TV. (I hate it) I added the cost of a Delta and an Anchor Buddy together and the total was only £30 cheaper than a good sized Rocna ! My only problem is whether the Rocna will fit the bow roller without hitting the hull, now I have to find an obliging Chandlers that will lend me a Rocna for a trial fit.
I'll let you know how it pans out.
Cheers
cdogg
 
cdogg said:
I added the cost of a Delta and an Anchor Buddy together and the total was only £30 cheaper than a good sized Rocna ! My only problem is whether the Rocna will fit the bow roller without hitting the hull, now I have to find an obliging Chandlers that will lend me a Rocna for a trial fit.
Click to expand...

A few solutions: Put some treadmaster on the hull to protect the hull from the anchor. Keep the anchor in the anchor locker if you have one. Get a Spade, the bend in the shank should pull the plough high up against the roller. Just get a bit of treadmaster to protect where the shank hits the deck.

Treadmaster do a smooth version that's self adhesive, cut to shape with sharp scissors, easy.
 
I've just looked up the 'anchor buddy' - irritating and confusingly there are 2 products with this name, one a stretchy elastic job to whiz the boat back out to an anchor laid off a beach etc, the other a posh version of the traditional weight I and others call an angel, kellet etc.

Then I saw the price - near as damnit £200 !!!

Unless it comes mounted on its' own plinth with a spotlight to show you have £200.notes to burn, the concrete in a bucket suddenly makes sense...

Or dare I mention, 10kg KG folding grapnel ( the buddy is 13.5kg but this was the largest grapnel I could find in a quick search ) £36.99...

I am not a grapnel anchor salesman; though I'm beginning to wonder if there might be a better future in it than some anchoring products.
 
cdogg said:
Strange you should say that as last night while trying NOT to watch "Celebs" in the jungle on TV. (I hate it) I added the cost of a Delta and an Anchor Buddy together and the total was only £30 cheaper than a good sized Rocna ! My only problem is whether the Rocna will fit the bow roller without hitting the hull, now I have to find an obliging Chandlers that will lend me a Rocna for a trial fit.
I'll let you know how it pans out.
Cheers
cdogg
Click to expand...

Rocna www has downloadable templates, so you can build a mock-up out of Cornflake packets, Fairy Liquid bottles and PrittStick to work out whether a Rocna will fit.

www.rocna.com/distributable/patterns
 
If you intend to carry a heavy kellet in your anchor locker you might as well buy a bigger Delta, and plenty of chain. I have a Delta and a Manson Supreme(about 66% of the cost of a Rocna at the time and still being made in a proper foundry in New Zealand) The Delta is much easier to handle through the pulpit and stow in the locker and the performance so far has not been visibly inferior. The manson is in the anchor locker with 30 m. of chain and 100m of nylon warp, The Delta goes in a box in the cockpit locker with only 15m. of chain plus warp. If conditions were bad enough I would have them both out. I used to use genuine Bruce anchors with better success than CQRs even in the kelp in Canna.
I do think that for my area (west coast of Scotland) the Spade seems to be the best performer for its size and is easily handled but the price is just silly, I would have reservations about the aluminium alloy ones though.
I know the OP is already aware that the difference is really only the set, once dug in any of them will hold fine.
 
I just did a quick bit of 'net searcing ( out of touch as I'm not looking for an anchor ).

I based this on a 10KG anchor, as this seems a probable size and judging by price is likely the OP's size - ? -

As far as I can make out,

10 kg Delta, £108.00, with grapnel £145, with buddy £308.00

10kg Rocna, £250.00, with grapnel £287.00, with buddy £450.00

10kg Bruce, £175.00, with grapnel £212.00, with buddy £375.00

10kg Folding Grapnel ( particular make unknown, they do 'all seem the same' , the only anchor I'd willingly say that about ).

£37.00 - flexible use not dead weight, as I forgot to mention but Snooks points out, can also be used for the tender etc as well as kedge and angel.

Don't know about anyone else, but I can always find it alarmingly easy to put a spare £163.00 to use in a chandlery...
 
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Quandary said:
If you intend to carry a heavy kellet in your anchor locker you might as well buy a bigger Delta, and plenty of chain. I have a Delta and a Manson Supreme(about 66% of the cost of a Rocna at the time and still being made in a proper foundry in New Zealand)
Click to expand...

The last I heard, Mansons were still being made in a proper foundry in New Zealand. Or did the "at the time" refer to the cost?
 
cdogg said:
Strange you should say that as last night while trying NOT to watch "Celebs" in the jungle on TV. (I hate it) I added the cost of a Delta and an Anchor Buddy together and the total was only £30 cheaper than a good sized Rocna ! My only problem is whether the Rocna will fit the bow roller without hitting the hull, now I have to find an obliging Chandlers that will lend me a Rocna for a trial fit.
I'll let you know how it pans out.
Click to expand...
Link above for patterns/dimensions to check fit.

Where a Delta fits the Rocna will fit, there is a bit more clearance at the fluke, only exception is the roll-bar with any forward protrusions off the boat. Compare Rocna and Delta profiles linked to here:
www.rocna.com/kb/Delta_anchor

The Delta is a decent anchor, a good upgrade to your CQR (but then anything is...), only it brings something less than 2/3 the performance of the Rocna on a weight-for-weight basis. 16 kg Delta can be replaced with 10 kg Rocna etc, ref independent data, not to mention wider versatility and superior performance of the latter in tougher seabeds. Additionally the Rocna has finer quality finishing/detailing (which is admittedly reflected in the price).

Anyway if you stick with the Delta it's still a good choice, but do up the size until you've exhausted the 'weight budget' - especially if you're seriously contemplating a kellet. Per above, a kellet will not help your anchor's ultimate performance. They're a waste of time and weight. Especially if it's concrete, which loses half its weight underwater... :rolleyes:.

The Anchor Buddy specifically has its value in its deployment mechanism. Useful enough if you want to use one in calm weather to restrict swinging circle or whatever, but in decades of anchoring we've never found the need for that either.
 
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