Can an anchor be too big?

[jenku]

If the boat needs an anchor too heavy to be manhandled by the crew available the best option would surely be to get a smaller boat, not a smaller anchor...

 

[Artic Warrior]

Within reason, of course - I don't mean something completely ridiculous, such as a 400lb Manson on a Mirror dinghy.

I appreciate that there might just be more than one opinion about anchor types but I'm not asking about that. What I would like to know is what disadvantages there are in going up a size or two on the recommended weight for a particular boat.

Initial thoughts that occur to me include additional weight forward if stowed at the stemhead, the extra weight to haul up, and possibly a harder job to break out if well dug in.

Most people dont have the right size and definatly not enough chain from what ive seen around...

 

[fireball]

SWMBO has set and recovered our anchor on the last few anchorages - not a problem ... cos we have an electric windlass!! Saves buggering about with your back ...

Ok - I do then recover the anchor into the locker, but that usually waits till the mud has washed off....

 

[pappaecho]

Anchor too big -dunno. On a Caribbean Cruise Ventura 105000 tonnes was parked next door to Pelorus (Abramovitch's motor boat) about 5000 tonnes.
Guess which had the bigger anchor?
Obviously billionaires know more about anchoring than Cruise ship designers

 

[Refueler]

I think it is very unwise to have any safety-critical system or equipment which can't be operated by everyone. What's going to happen with your Big Butch Anchor when it's night, blowing a hooley and you're down below, sweating out a broken leg?

I understand your reasoning - but cannot agree with it in the context of anchoring. With your comment - you'd likely have a piddly anchor that I would be reluctant to be in same anchorage as you !!

As Jenku said ... if anchor suitable for your boat is too big to handle - get a smaller BOAT !!

Ok seriously - anchors can be smaller as you go down in boat size .. but only to a limit. Once you get to small anchors - you have greater difficulty getting them to set. So IMHO you get to say a 10 ... 15lb anchor and that's about the smallest I would ever use for even a small boat. As many have found out - there's no substitute for having a good sized anchor !

 

[srm]

Eric Hiscock sugested 30 lb as a minimum anchor size as it needs weight to make the initial penentration of the sea bed. Having seen lighter anchors used by dive club inflatables gently drag the chain and anchor along the sea bed I am inclined to agree - whatever the design.

 

[machurley22]

Can't quite bring myself to disagree with the Blessed Eric but if he's right about this there are a lot of smaller boats sailing with anchors that are unable to be set except, presumably, under the most favourable conditions.

Anchoring was one of the subjects on which he modified his opinions between editions of Cruising Under Sail and we've had previous discussions on here about the differences. I suspect that if he were alive today his views would be different again.

I'm currently using a 4.75kg anchor on my 2T boat and haven't yet dragged it or had any difficulty setting it.

 

[LittleSister]

Some posters seem to mistakenly think that those suggesting that an anchor can be too big are proposing one that is too small. Not necessarily so.

You most certainly need an anchor that is big enough (unless you're racing, perhaps?). On the other hand you don't want one that is too big, either. So you want one that's big enough, but no bigger, n'est pas?

 

[LittleSister]

I wonder what qualifies as a small boat? Ours is a 34' fin keeled sailing boat and displaces about 8 tons.

I think anyone that has an eight ton 34 foot boat and is worried that they may have a small boat may have, ahem, 'size' issues, and should see a doctor as soon as possible!

 

[charles_reed]

Yes

If you can't handle it easily.

 

[Bilgediver]

Could do what the mobos do. Just leave the engine in gear.

Well I was surprised to see one of the larger passenger ships anchored just down from the Forth Bridge and BOTH ANCHORS HOUSED.

Seems he had read this post and was trying out the engines in gear option and gone to DP mode

 

[Artic Warrior]

I think anyone that has an eight ton 34 foot boat and is worried that they may have a small boat may have, ahem, 'size' issues, and should see a doctor as soon as possible!

Go as big as you can afford, windlass can handle and yourself can handle,
and you will sleep better and if you do get into trouble you know you have done your best...

 

[Genoa]

Slightly obvious, but we carry (and use) 2 different hooks. An all round delta that does the job well and resets easily and a fortress that, if we know we are in for a blow comes out and does its straight line stuff. It means that we are never over pressed to lift the hook, and that we have appropriate tackle for the conditions.