I am embarrased to ask but........

Athene V30

Athene V30

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I know there have been so many posts on this subject and opinions vary considerably but a 'friend of mine' has a problem!

His anchor (a CQR probably 20kg) is rusting to bits along with the chain. Should he ditch it or is it possible to get it regalvanised.

As he isn't getting any younger - well he'll be 46 next week - and he has a bit of a back problem (other than getting stuck on the mattress) he is thinking that if he changes to a Bruce style he could get away with a lighter anchor to pull out of the anchor locker and fling over the bow (like me he often sails solo). His boat is quite similar to Flipper amazingly and is also 27' and about 4500kgs disp (we think!).

What advice can you give 'my friend'? Regalvanise or replace and if so dare he ask with what!
 
You are embarrassed to ask and I am embarrassed to offer a suggestion!

/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

In my humble, whispered and very low profile opinion...

20kg is too big, so finding the right hook for the job is a much better option that sprucing up the old one.

I have a very heavy 22ft boat and fee disappointed if I cant get the small (7kg) anchor to set. Obviously I carry a bigger one for when nothing other than attaching myself to the sea bed with a huge weight is the only weigh forward!

*Malthouse now runs and hides*
 
I'd agree, I had a 15kg CQR that kept my 33 (8ton) sloop in line with next to no trouble. I'd just go for a smaller CQR/Delta/rocna etc. Probaly about 10 kgs, or 15 if he is nervous about going down from a 20.

One issue with regalvanising a CQR is that the lead lump in the nose can melt out....
 
I think a smaller Bruce is a good idea (or other modern anchor). A 10Kg Bruce worked well for our 5.3 ton boat at the Rocks and immediately dug into the hard bottom there. The lack of a hinged section makes handling easier than a CQR.
 
If there is any lead left in the CQR, the best bet might be to see if you can get a decent price for it at the local scrap metal merchant (given the current astronomical price of lead). That might help with your budget for the new one!
 
Peter,
I can offer your friend some choices to try. He may borrow any one of these for a month or so before he has to commit.


I have

35lb CQR
10Kg Bruce (Stainless)
Aluminium Fortress FX16

Your friend needs to carefully consider the weight and length of chain, and maybe doubling up with a lunch hook in benign conditions.

Re galvanising is cheap, but is the head swivel worn away too? And sell it to someone with a 40 footer.
 
Peter - as a comparison, we use a 25kg Delta as Marmalade's main anchor - reckon you could get away with something lighter.

Simon
 
My friend looked at the anchor & chanin again today - it is worse than he remembers (his mind is going too, poor old sod) and has to go.

Looks like a 10 or 15 kg delta and 50m chain needs to be ordered.

Thanks for advice and I am glad it hasn't resulted in a scuttlebutt style anchor debate! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I have a 12kg delta on my 3000kg Centaur. Seems to work well. I would take JIm up on his offer and try the range.
 
Do you need 50m of chain for the East Coast?

We have a 16kg delta, attached to 30m chain and 50m rope.

Seems to do us well with 8 tonnes hanging on it!
 
On Pete's boat, Tosca III, we have about 15m of each with a smallish CQR on the basis that if the sounder goes over 10m, we are in the wrong place. To be honest, you can sling virtually anything over the stem in the Essex/Suffolk rivers and probably stay put. Exceptions being Pyefleet (ploughed up by too much anchoring!), Wrabness (too much dredging) and the Rocks (scoured).
 
In that case go for chain. You will quite often find yourself anchoring in 5m at low water (so 8m to 10m) at high water. My boat is 30ft / 6.5 tons and carries 35m of 3/8" chain for everyday use and we have 50m of 14mm warp for kedging / towing / emergencies. I am actually thinking of upping the chain to 50m at some point. Rope next to useless in Scilly. A number of the more trad boats in Falmouth (mine included) also carry a decent fishermans.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Exceptions being Pyefleet (ploughed up by too much anchoring!), Wrabness (too much dredging) and the Rocks (scoured).

[/ QUOTE ]Interesting you say that..... I anchored at the Rocks last week, and the anchor did take a while to dig in.... and when it came up had a significant amount of weed on it..... never had anything other than simplicity itself anchoring there before.....
 
Seems to be not to bad on the side where the two reds are, but not so great by the beach in the deeper stuff. The weed is definitely worse in the last couple of years. The scouring theory came from a fellow yottie I met in the Ramsholt Arms (early evening!) and made sense to me because we have a similar issue on the S bends in the upper Tamar (see YM passim).
 
Yes... thats fits....

We normally anchor over on the West side of the river, but decided to go on the east side this time as 1] we were the only boat there, so fancied being close to the beach and 2] the wind was a SW'ly, so thought the trees might shelter us a bit... (they didn't!)
 
Peter, your friend needs to consider the weight of chain he is considering putting in the bow.

For instance, I ordered 80m of 10mm for my Jeanneau, and ther is plenty of room in the anchor locker. Jeanneau advised that I would need and extended propshaft with a knuckle joint to reach the water, and 3ft extensions on the rudder.

The max I can carry is 60m of 10mm, and thats why my boat sits low at the front. I have 60m.

Check that out before he gets carried away.
 
Neil

If you are planing to get your anchorplat where I got mine last year you had better bring a wheelbarrow with you to get it back to God's corner of the harbour.
Our 50m was heavy enough.

I may be able to convince J to splice it for you.
He did a grand job with ours.
 
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