Anchoring Failures

boomerangben

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Much has been posted and so much made of anchoring, best anchors, best rodes, what loads and so on. So here is a list of failures and I wonder which are the most common:
1. The anchor fails to set/drags
2. The anchor breaks
3. The anchor to rode connector breaks
4. The rode breaks
5. An intermediate connection in the rode breaks
6. A stemhead fitting fails.
 

Chris_Robb

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1. You have a CQR
2. You have a cheap imitation of a CQR
3. Use a shackle or buy an expensive connector
4. We call it chain and warp here
5. shouldn't have them
6. Get a decent boat with a decent stem head.

Not sure what your point was!
 

VicS

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With both a genuine CQR and a imitation CQR the most common problem I have had is it dragging as a result of not being properly set and dug in in the first place.

For best results I lower it to the bottom and slowly pay out the chain (Chain never rope for me!) as the boat falls back on the wind and/or tide. Then dig the anchor in by going astern, gently at first but progressively increasing the power. If it drags start all over again.
 

boomerangben

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Sorry forgot to add my point - Much has been made recently of how much load there is in the anchor rode (I use rode because it could be chain or rope or a combination). I'm just trying to work out if it is relevant, or at least can we as lay people do anything with the expected loads in our anchor system.
 

Bergman

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Never had any of them,

But the very worst failure is when the anchor won't come back up.

Remember spending an energetic couple of hours at Holy Island putting on a performance for the amusement of the locals and several tourists of how to lose an expensive anchor in 27 increasingly original and futile acts.
 

jeanne

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I find it hard to believe that the root cause of anchor failure is the lack of a sound procedure for setting it initially.
If you are in a tidal area, the anchor will trip and reset every six hours. In other areas, the same will happen every time the wind shifts.
The cause of the problem is that those who sell boats know that few people actually drop an anchor with the intention of trusting it, and going to sleep, and so the accepted standard has been eroded.
I quote Eric Hiscock , Page 172 of Cruising under Sail, who says that- I do not consider it wise to use any type of patent anchor weighing less than 30 lb, for although it may well have ample holding power when dug in, it may not be heavy enough to force its way through a layer of weed to reach the holding ground-.
These days, people seem to want a money back guarantee with an anchor of that size.
 

craigsmith

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Eric Hiscock did not know what developments in anchors would occur in the decades following that quote. It is quite reasonable for its time.

Now, people want - and get - a money back guarantee.
 

William_H

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Mine is only a little boat boat and I seldom anchor, using usually a danforth sand anchor, however I have had difficulties with it getting a grip......
In weed where the anchore just chokes with weed... I now carry a fishermans style for when I am in weed. I can usually dive down to inspect the anchor at work so weed problems show up quickly.

In mud where I guess the wind was too strong and the anchor too small.

I have also had a rope part under load. It was old polypropelene and I guess it had had too much sun. I don't know where it came from but it definitely has lost its strength.

Moorings of course have a lot of trouble with shackles that are not moused so work loose. (which applies to anchors too.

This might help with your discussion on anchoring concerns. olewill
 

craigsmith

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[ QUOTE ]
Sorry forgot to add my point - Much has been made recently of how much load there is in the anchor rode (I use rode because it could be chain or rope or a combination). I'm just trying to work out if it is relevant, or at least can we as lay people do anything with the expected loads in our anchor system.

[/ QUOTE ]To answer your first post, clearly the most common form of any failure is simple dragging or failure to set.

In terms of load etc, well of course the anchor will always drag before you can apply enough force to break anything, unless your set-up is particularly lacking. The exception comes when the anchor gets stuck. Then, it depends on how it's stuck... hook it up so you're pulling linearly, and usually the shackle or swivel will fail first. If it's jammed or wedged somehow, then you'll usually bend the shank first - but not necessary break it. Those are the typical failure modes.

The general answer is that the loads are all manageable, but something's gotta give at some point.
 

GMac

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From what we see I'd rank anchor system failures/breaking as follows:

1 - anchor not setting
2 - anchor dragging
3 - boaters cutting anchor rode as anchor is stuck (by far the most common way to turn 1 rode into 2)
4 - chafe
5 - Winch failure due to overload (stuck anchor pops up with this one a lot)
6 - Chain jambing in winch resulting in chain or winch failure (poor, if any, chain calibration)
7 - Poor quality chain failure
8 onwards - a combination of shackles letting go, undersize gear letting go, rusty chain letting go, polyprop rope letting go, old crappy rope letting go, anchor itself breaking. All in no particular order.

Obviously that list does exclude the user but they do have a large input into why some of the above does what it does.

Craig above is correct, just about /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Some of these newer anchors, his included, can hold very large loads (we've had over 1000kg on a 4kg new gen anchor /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif) Some of these loads are now pushing into the area that can cause damage to the related gear. I'm happy saying there are now boats on the water with oversized new generation anchors that do certianly have the ability to hold more than some of the gear behind it even when not stuck, set damn well though obviously.

I'm also happy saying that 99% of boaters will never get to those loads though. I'd even add most with the older designs will never max out the possible loads on those either.
 

jimbaerselman

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[ QUOTE ]
If you are in a tidal area, the anchor will trip and reset every six hours. In other areas, the same will happen every time the wind shifts.


[/ QUOTE ] . . . will trip and may reset . . .

If you want to stay anchored through a tide direction change, you should always moor - drop anchors fore and aft.
 
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