Anchoring

[ccscott49]

Re: Setting a CQR

There is lead on mine, genuine CQR's the ends are boxed in (almost) and filled with lead, I think they are just not the right anchor for the job, but I reallly need an everyday, GP anchor for my bower, I have always believed in wight, I think I may design my own, I had an idea for a danforth type with petal shaped flukes, tip weighted with sharp points on the front and longish bars out the side to stop it rolling, type affair. Not very good a describing, you cant see my hands! or sketches!

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Alvor

That may be a problem, I cant see the damn thing when its in the weed! Some places, just dont have any nice sand patches! Unless of course you get the diving gear, or snorkle etc on, I dont like doing that and leaving the boat on its own. I still want a good anchor, it appears opinions on anchors are like ass holes, everybody has one and they're all different!

 

[charles_reed]

Re: Setting a CQR

None of the ploughs, and I include the Bruce in this, are good at recovering from a capsize.
The only ones that are foolproof in that respect are the Danforth tribe.

Design away - it's like poetry, the pleasure lies in imagining it not in the finished product.

Have you noticed, all the way from Finisterre they use grappling hooks made of reinforcing bar?

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Setting a CQR

As a matter of fact I have, if they get snagged, they just keep pulling until the bar bends and they still get it back if not who cares it was only pence to make anyway, but I dont think oits going to work for 57' and 48 tons of motorsailer! But boy! I wish it would!! Bit of a bugger to stow a huge one!

 

[charles_reed]

Re: Setting a CQR

I've seen one on a bigger boat than that - in Cartagena

 

[brian_neale]

Re: Setting a CQR

What is "right way up" for a CQR? My understanding is that they fell on to their "side" as they are not really stable lying in plough position, the pivot and weighted tip then combine to get the point to start digging in, and with enough force and in the right conditions they start to bury. With enough pull, they should come upright but buried - but maybe they do not always do this, hence problems reported with break out when the tide turns (and depending on which way it turns with respect to the anchor on its side?)

 

[Guest]

Re: Anchoring Practices:

Well, to restate I am not an expert. I use the swivel on the connecting end of the 6' of chain to the 5/16" high test simply because I have seen chain that has been wrapped and know that is not what I want my boat to be hanging on. The heavy chain is not going to turn the lighter will take its on kinks out in front of the heavy chain. I use the same system on my deep-set danforth. I have had to pull the gear taunt and throw a wrap of chain about the Heavy Duty Samson post which is 18" in front of my anchor windlass. Sooner or later the surge and the weight of the boat pulls the anchor. Donald Street is an expert, I'm NOT. I have heard of those who use two anchors on the same rode. To each his own, I speak only about
what I have actual experience with, not what I would surmise or guess.
What I do works, I have different anchors for different bottoms I find that most of the time I am using a combination of chain and nylon for my rode. I like the 5/8"
nylon because its easy to handle, it wears well and still gives me plenty of safety margin. I'm too much of a seaman to think mine is the only method that works.

You may find a picture of a Northhill anchor at www.blueoceantackle.com/anchors.htm. the third anchor from the bottom.

Keep the big REDBALL handy!!
Gene

Keep on Learning!!

 

[Guest]

Re: Anchoring Practices:

You will find a drawing of the Northhill anchor at:www.blueoceantackle.com/anchors.htm
Good luck Keep the big RED BALL handy
Gene

Keep on Learning!!

 

[Guest]

Re: Anchoring Practices:

Try www.blueoceantackle.com/anchor.htm
Good luck Keep the big RED BALL handy!
Gene

Keep on Learning!!

 

[peterb]

If I remember correctly, the original RYA recommendation was 3 x depth for chain, and 5 x depth for rope. About 15 years ago, this got changed to 12 x square root of depth for chain, and 20 x square root of depth for rope. The last recommendation I saw was for 4 x depth for chain, and 6 x depth for rope, but there has been a new edition of their handbook since then and it may have changed again.

The 12 x square root of depth has a lot going for it, since it allows for the varying angle of the catenary. But this depends on the weight of the chain. With a rope rode the density of the rope is not far off the density of the water, so the catenary effect is hardly noticeable and a direct proportionality to depth is probably the better rule.

Originally the RYA didn't specify the units to be used in their square root formula. When I queried this I was told that provided that the units used for depth and scope were the same it didn't matter what units were used. So I asked what scope should be used in depths of 4000 millimetres, 4 metres, and 0.004 kilometres. According to their formula, the answers should be 760 mm (which wouldn't even reach the bottom), 24 m (which is about right) and 0.76 kilometres (which would just about sink my boat with the weight of the chain). I noticed that in the next issue the units were specified in metres.

Incidentally, for practical purposes you can get a very close approximation to the square root rule by using 10 metres plus three times the depth.

 

[peterk]

hi hookers!

hello ,

Northhill is a great anchor , holds like the dickens -
Gene, I owned THE classic: a stainless folding Northhill,
about 30,35 lbs from one of
the Panam Clipper Flying Boats.
(had to sell it in Costa Rica to feed the cruising kitty, felt like a traitor)
In a radical wind shift a Northhill can foul itself,
since, as with the Yachstman or Luke, one arm always sticks up.
.
On my engineless trip around the pumpkin
I always used TWO anchors,
always more than 60 degrees apart.
It was either two CQRs or a combo CQR - Danforth.
Whenever possible I checked on them by snorkelling.
Once on Flores, Indonesia both CQRs dragged on very hard sand.
I ended up hammering two Danforths in under water -
and sat there watching fishing boats come in out of the blow
and drag all over the place


DO NOT forget bounce(hobbyhorsing), as you do in big onshore waves.
I got caught in a very rare(the natives always tell you that)
60 knot onshore blow in Walvis Bay, Namibia
'Tehani' kept sticking her bow in and occasionally
shovelled solid water clean over the doghouse.

I've had good experiences with
the original Bruce and with the SL Claw(lowpriced copy of the Bruce).

...peter, www.juprowa.com/kittel

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Anchoring Practices:

Thankyou! I've had a look at the site, I did know the northill, my brother has a flying boat one in stainless, bought in the states or canada, can't remember. But it definitely looks like it would work in the weed in the med, as long as the flukes are sharp, which wouldn't be a problem anyway, does it have the same problems as a fishermans, when the wind shifts drastically, the chain fouls the fluke sticking up? Wtih heavy chain as I have, it probably won't be a problem. Just need to find one in europe now, a BIG one 85 lbs! at least, I'd have to get the specifications of shank size etc, to ensure it would fit into my hawse pipe. Thanks again for the info. Colin.

 

[Guest]

Re: hi hookers!

The Classic you are describing is the anchor I use as my primary anchor. Peter,
the 6' of very heavy chain do away with the problem of catching the fluke. IT gives the anchor an opportunity to slowly pivot on its point. I too am a great believer in two anchors in current or shifting winds; that is why a deep set danforth sits on the bow with its matching set of gear. Nice to hear someone else's good fortune of owning a Classic. I saw one for sale a couple of months ago for $300.00
American if I did not have my present selection I would have jumped at it.
I am finding that the 44# Bulwagg will set just as quickly as my Northhill and it will
handle the change of direction of the pull very well. I'm to the point where it will
probably replace the Danforth in my system. I'm not to keen on changing the
primary anchor just yet. You go with what got you this far.
Thanks again
gene

Keep on Learning!!

 

[charles_reed]

Interestingly the system I use and the more recent RYA table are fairly close together - based on a 10m boat.

DEPTH RYA Alternative
6m 34m 36m
10m 38m 40m
20m 48m 60m

Mind you, by the time I had 50m of chain down I'd be onto the nylon rodem which brings us to the next question, how do you work out mixed chain/rode depths?

 

[charles_reed]

Last should read 50m nm

nm

 

[charles_reed]

Thanks everyone for contributions

New views for me:

Northill anchor
Heavy ground chain to ensure anchor buries

Reminders

Scope
Big buoy to reduce snatch
CQR burying

Hope everyone got as much out of it as I did.

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Thanks everyone for contributions

I certainly did, I was going to ask anyway, answered a bunch of questions for me.

 

[Guest]

Re: Thanks everyone for contributions

I'd like to thank you Mr. Reed while I expounded upon my anchoring techniques.
I'm certain my views did not sit well with everyone, that is to be expected! What I do hope, is those who thought about it; see something in my approach that they can take away and use for themselves.
Again Thank You!
Keep the big RED ball handy
Gene

Keep on Learning!!

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Thanks everyone for contributions

Already got a big red ball, but not used it for anchoring yet, will though!! Thanks for all your help! Colin.

 

[Guest]

Re: Setting a CQR

Rarely do I disagree with you but this will be the exception!

I can claim to have never dragged - and I've always paid out and then set. Perhaps, by way of compromise, I pay out maybe five meters on the bottom then set with a severe burst of astern, make sure the blightrer is well set and only then do I pay out the rest of my scope.

I'm not saying you're wrong ... but the risk of a pile of chain on top of the anchor does seem to be inviting some cursing at some point.

Does it always work your way?

Humperdinck

Email: HJ@Seacracker.org
Website: www.seacracker.org