Anchor equipment for Caribbean/Pacific cruising

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Posse

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What anchoring equipment would you suggest for longer/round-the-globe cruising?

The boat is 42 ft, 10 ton.

*Anchor chain length? (50 / 100 / 150 meters?)

*Anchor chain strength and material? (Stainless/galvanized?)

*Which main/secondary anchors? (Delta/Rocna?)
 
I'm not qualified to answer, but would strongly recommend a Fortress as a kedge/backup. If you ever need to lay out a kedge from dinghy, a Fortress is your friend.
 
RTW
42'HR, so not light. 20kg Delta (wanted a 25kg but not available when wanted). 80m 10mm galvanised chain (no idea of the grade G30?). I think that stainless is generally weaker
Only dragged in thin silty seabed. When it did I added my FX37 Fortress on 5m chain in series ahead of the Delta, rock solid. Fortress chain attached to the delta shackle.
I thi
 
I live on the hook in a lightweight 44 ft mono. I use 200 ft of 3/8th galvanized with a 200 ft rope extension which gets used when anchorages exceed 70 ft. I used 45 lb CQRs for many years but now have a 25 kilo Rocna.

I would not use stainless steel chain, I have seen SS chain that was severely corroded after moderate use.

I have a 37 lb Fortress as a kedge.

My most valuable anchoring item is my Lofrans electric windless. Crap foot switches last a year.
 
Ric said:
"proper cruising attitude and philosophy in relation to international anchoring-as-a lifestyle"

I confess I have never thought of anchoring as a lifestyle but everybody to his own...
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That's a lovely quote and I think anchoring is generally far more of a cultural thing than a technical one, except when things get hairy.

I remember reading a description of how differently the British appear to others when anchoring in the Med and was initially surprised as I thought that others anchored weirdly and we were normal.

My observations on others were:
Croatians anchor by building up speed in reverse then as they pass their favoured anchoring spot they drop the anchor over the side and press the "down" button on the windlass so the chain slowly and steadily drops towards the sea bed as they increase reversing speed. They continue to reverse at speed through past other boats through the anchorage until the whole boat jerks to a halt with a huge amount of chain out at which point they all dive over the side (or repeat the exercise if it doesn't work).

Italians seek out other Italians and with a lot of shouting (probably about nothing to do with the task in hand) stop their boat near another one, pile a load of chain on top of the anchor then carry on their conversation.

The French come straight into a spot as if they'd booked it from a couple of miles out, let the anchor touch the seabed, gently reverse then bed it in, and instantly sit down to a fully laid cockpit table with wine and food.

The description of the British was that they circle the anchorage again and again mournfully and quietly like cats looking for a place to rest, then doing something both unknown and complicated with hand gestures and take 3 times a long as the French to drop anchor. Then follow a weird ritual of looking over the bow, looking a bit sad, walking back to the cockpit, then up anchoring and going somewhere identical to do it all again.

So I think anchoring is very much a lifestyle and wish I was a bit more French.
 
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We had a 12 ton steel ketch which was 15 tons fully loaded and our anchors for the Caribbean were: main anchor 40lb CQR with 100 metres of 8mm test chain, second anchor for a strong wind forecast to be put out at the bows a at a 45 degree angle to the CQR a Fortress FX23 wth 50 metres of chain ands 50 metres of warp, storm anchor FX125 also with the same lengths chain and warp. Fortunately we did not have to use the storm anchor but it gave peace of mind to know we had it.
 
One problem with stainless anchors is steel strength. Needy to check that its not just a SS version of a carbon steel type. Shank bending is more common it seems with SS anchors.
 
Bear in mind that much heavy chain stored in the anchor locker right forward will unbalance the boat, and cause it to pitch in swells. Also if you expect to anchor in say 40m on 120m of chain, you are going to need an exceptionally powerful windlass to recover it.

I agree with Duncan99210 that 80m of 8mm chain is adequate, for your bower anchor. Given it is mostly possible to anchor in <15m, this will allow plenty of extra scope for a blow.
 
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You can identify the French in an anchorage, they have their fenders out.

Another description is that the French arrive, drop the anchor and chain and leap into the dinghy. The Italians consider this to take too much time and are in the dinghy befire the anchor hits the seabed.
 
Chalker said:
You can identify the French in an anchorage, they have their fenders out.
.
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Well, I'm certainly French in that way - I can't imagine relaxing in an anchorage without fenders out. I can't do the British thing of staring and tutting as people pack in closer and closer around you whilst doing nothing to protect your boat from a possible nudge. Again, all this in calmish conditions - it's almost easier in rough conditions because people think a bit more and boats don't drift around pointing in opposite directions.
 
RupertW said:
Well, I'm certainly French in that way - I can't imagine relaxing in an anchorage without fenders out. I can't do the British thing of staring and tutting as people pack in closer and closer around you whilst doing nothing to protect your boat from a possible nudge. Again, all this in calmish conditions - it's almost easier in rough conditions because people think a bit more and boats don't drift around pointing in opposite directions.
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Sounds like you must spend all your time in horribly busy anchorages.. ;)
 
GHA said:
Sounds like you must spend all your time in horribly busy anchorages.. ;)
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About half the time alas, my wife is a fan of turquise waters, good shelter and a range of bars and restaurants a dinghy ride away. Still plenty of nearly empty ones if you lose the requirement for bars, but even an anchorage that can take 30 boats but has just 5 becomes crowded on day 2 as all the new arrivals cluster tightly around you.
 
RupertW said:
About half the time alas, my wife is a fan of turquise waters, good shelter and a range of bars and restaurants a dinghy ride away. Still plenty of nearly empty ones if you lose the requirement for bars, but even an anchorage that can take 30 boats but has just 5 becomes crowded on day 2 as all the new arrivals cluster tightly around you.
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Where is that? Don't remember the Caribbean being that bad, or South America. Anyway in the trades it's usually nice little breeze nearly always from the same direction. :cool:
 
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