Anchors on small sailing boats 18-25ft.

[Yachtingsouthwest]

Interested to hear from those small trailer sailers, pocket cruisers and other small cruising boats what anchor gear you carry?

I have been using a Mantus 13lb for a few months now but finding it awkward to stow as the stemhead fitting has to be kept clear for the mooring strop. This means the anchor has to be stowed on deck.

Weve been noticing the anchor becoming more and more in the way of foredeck work and jib sheets catching on different bits of the anchor.

Current boat is a Drascombe Coaster 22ft

 

[Supertramp]

Interested to hear from those small trailer sailers, pocket cruisers and other small cruising boats what anchor gear you carry?

I have been using a Mantus 13lb for a few months now but finding it awkward to stow as the stemhead fitting has to be kept clear for the mooring strop. This means the anchor has to be stowed on deck.

Weve been noticing the anchor becoming more and more in the way of foredeck work and jib sheets catching on different bits of the anchor.

Current boat is a Drascombe Coaster 22ft

Years ago I used to sail an Eagle 525. I used a fortress and a folding grapnel, both with a short (5m) stretch of chain. Of the two, and this is my own anecdotal experience, the grapnel was the most useful except in soft mud, sand, shingle when the fortress was best. Again anecdotal, but if I was doing it again I would use heavier chain, at least on one rode. Two anchors were useful for beaching.

Agree about the stowage challenge. Deck work was actually more difficult than on much larger boats due to space and (in)stability. I tied the fortress to the pulpit using shockcord and chain and rope below via a hawse pipe. I used a small bowsprit from the stem head so wanted the bow fitting clear. While out of my way it regularly caught jib and gennaker. I used the grapnel from the cockpit in a washing up bowl as on a small light boat you can simply walk to the bow to tie off the rode.

Hope this helps. You can have a lot of fun on small boats and accessing and anchoring in special places was one of the best bits for me.

 

[DownWest]

I use a brittany type anchor. So far, holds OK and lies relatively flat. Not sure about the difference to a Danforth, other than the flukes are a bit differently shaped. Not had to use it in any heavy weather. Usual chain and nylon rope.

 

[Yachtingsouthwest]

Years ago I used to sail an Eagle 525. I used a fortress and a folding grapnel, both with a short (5m) stretch of chain. Of the two, and this is my own anecdotal experience, the grapnel was the most useful except in soft mud, sand, shingle when the fortress was best. Again anecdotal, but if I was doing it again I would use heavier chain, at least on one rode. Two anchors were useful for beaching.

Agree about the stowage challenge. Deck work was actually more difficult than on much larger boats due to space and (in)stability. I tied the fortress to the pulpit using shockcord and chain and rope below via a hawse pipe. I used a small bowsprit from the stem head so wanted the bow fitting clear. While out of my way it regularly caught jib and gennaker. I used the grapnel from the cockpit in a washing up bowl as on a small light boat you can simply walk to the bow to tie off the rode.

Hope this helps. You can have a lot of fun on small boats and accessing and anchoring in special places was one of the best bits for me.

Thanks for the post,

I also have a fortress 7 as a secondary/kedge thats got 6m chain and 25m warp the Mantus is on 10m of chain and 30m warp I would not want anymore chain 10m seems to be enough to give some abrasion protection along with some horizontal pull in light conditions.

I am happy with the ground tackle apart from the mantus storage also the fact I have seen conflicting results of mantus performance along with a worrying trait of the chain getting caught on the rollbar bolts.

 

[Refueler]

20lb Holdfast plough that sits in deck chocks.

26m chain then 10m of plait rope.

Boat is 4ton 25ft Motor Sailer :

At home ...

I've always regarded small anchors as a 'risk' especially on a high windage style boat. You see small MoBo's with piddly anchors - great for wife / partner to handle - but with any wind and especially if lack of chain - that boat will exert a lot of strain on that ....
In my book - there's no substitute for weight ... yes I agree that fluke area is important - but that can only work in 'ground' flukes can set into.

Years ago - I posted this photo of the same boat at Priory Bay IoW .... you can see the chain go from stem to the stony bed ..... then you see the chain has curved back towards the boat with that Holdfast anchor sitting ....

The point being that even though it was a moderate wind and tide as she settled - the chain rode kept her nice ...

 

[Goldie]

Weve been noticing the anchor becoming more and more in the way of foredeck work and jib sheets catching on different bits of the anchor.

Could you keep the anchor and short length of chain aft, and run the anchor warp back from the bow so that you just shackle the warp to the chain and deploy the anchor from the cockpit?

 

[Yachtingsouthwest]

Could you keep the anchor and short length of chain aft, and run the anchor warp back from the bow so that you just shackle the warp to the chain and deploy the anchor from the cockpit?

I did play around with that idea but found it easier to keep the whole lot at the bow, that was when I was using a delta anchor which was less of an obstacle.

 

[Fantasie 19]

Could you keep the anchor and short length of chain aft, and run the anchor warp back from the bow so that you just shackle the warp to the chain and deploy the anchor from the cockpit?

Keep all mine, anchor/chain and warp, in a big plastic garden trug down below.. if I need it I deploy from the stern and then just walk the warp forward..

 

[VicS]

Interested to hear from those small trailer sailers, pocket cruisers and other small cruising boats what anchor gear you carry?
I have been using a Mantus 13lb for a few months now but finding it awkward to stow as the stemhead fitting has to be kept clear for the mooring strop. This means the anchor has to be stowed on deck.
Weve been noticing the anchor becoming more and more in the way of foredeck work and jib sheets catching on different bits of the anchor.
Current boat is a Drascombe Coaster 22ft

I have a 15lb Holdfast (CQR type plough like Refueller's) Never kept in the stem head fitting , always stowed on deck on the special chocks, like Refueller's. Lashed to the chocks under the hinge.
And 90 ft of ¼" chain. (The boat trims correctly with that weight up for'd

Also carry a Fisherman (10lb IIRC) with shorter chain plus rope.......... never used it though.

Plough anchor must be set carefully and gently dug in . Has never failed to hold when set and dug in properly.

It is a bit in the way especially when picking up the mooring and has occasionally caught a fores'l sheet but that can usually be avoided by not letting fores'l flap too much when going about and keeping both sheets under control.

 

[Refueler]

I have a 15lb Holdfast (CQR type plough like Refueller's) Never kept in the stem head fitting , always stowed on deck on the special chocks, like Refueller's. Lashed to the chocks under the hinge.
And 90 ft of ¼" chain. (The boat trims correctly with that weight up for'd

Also carry a Fisherman (10lb IIRC) with shorter chain plus rope.......... never used it though.

Plough anchor must be set carefully and gently dug in . Has never failed to hold when set and dug in properly.

It is a bit in the way especially when picking up the mooring and has occasionally caught a fores'l sheet but that can usually be avoided by not letting fores'l flap too much when going about and keeping both sheets under control.

Nice to know I'm not alone !!

The only problem I have with my anchor sitting in chocks like that :

'Guests' who like to sit up fwd complain it stops them stretching out ...
and
Dirt / muck gets trapped under - needing lift and clean later after retrieval ...

But its nice to be there and easily deployed.