Anchor weight and type of rope advice please

[mickyp168]

Hi
I have a 23' (7m) fin keel sloop which weighs 1400kg according to CNSO who made it. I am in the south of France on the eastern med so only a bit of up and down tides to worry about and the seabed is sand and seagrass. I have a rather tatty 'umbrella ' type anchor which I want to change. Locals recommend a Danforth or preferably a Britany anchor. Come the fine weather I plan to anchor up over night on my travels. Marinas here are either always full up or they charge a fortune and the same goes for moorings if you can find one, so anchoring is the way forward. Grateful for some advice as to the correct weight of anchor I need to be secure. Also I thought I could use the old anchor as a secondary one over the stern to be more secure. I am searching through job lots of ropes on ebay and wonder what is the best thickness and material for a second anchor line. I would put the new one on the line I have which has a chain attached.
Thank you, Mick

 

[vyv_cox]

I think you will find a Delta to be far superior to the ones you mention. A 6kg one would be ideal.

 

[salar]

I agree, Delta type anchors are goo all-rounders although for a 23 foot boat I have used 7.5Kg but that was in strong tides. The problem with a Danforth is that stones can get stuck in the blades and stops it digging in although it does fold flat when not in use which is convenient. There is a short comparison section on anchors on this page:
http://www.boat-angling.co.uk/Hints_and_Tips/boat_equipment.htm