Lunch Hooks - How big?

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Sadjers

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I want to get a lunch hook to drop out for a two hour lunch stop while cruising around the Bristol Channel. I have no idea what size anchor and what length of chain I should be looking for. I have a 23ft (7m) fin keel Newbridge Virgo Voyager. Would an 8kg Anchor with 13m of Chain be enough?

Can anybody advise or let me know how to work this out?

Thank you for your advise.
 
I would add some rope to the chain, about 20 m, that should give you plenty, remember you might need your hook in an emergancy when it is deeper then your normal lunch time stop
 
Sadjers said:
I want to get a lunch hook to drop out for a two hour lunch stop while cruising around the Bristol Channel. I have no idea what size anchor and what length of chain I should be looking for. I have a 23ft (7m) fin keel Newbridge Virgo Voyager. Would an 8kg Anchor with 13m of Chain be enough?

Can anybody advise or let me know how to work this out?

Thank you for your advise.
Click to expand...

This is almost exactly what I use - 7,5kg Bruce with 10m of chain followed by 30m of rope. I get the Bruce to bite going slowly backwards then lay out all the chain still going backwards and cleat the rope when the end of the chain is on the ground. On sand or mud nothing has ever shifted us. We've had problems with the Bruce on posedonia and added a Danforth with a large shackle round the chain so it slides down the chain until it reaches the ground then stops, if the Bruce drags, sooner or later it will snag the Danforth which, with its pointy end, should bite, that's the theory anyway and it's a bugger to get back up again!

Then there's the admiralty! We're not the only boat to have a 15kg admiralty anchor as a kedge, I saw another one in Greece. Needless to say we've never used it, but it looks so good in its cradle on the pushpit! I found it whilst diving to free the Bruce in a commercial harbour after a fierce storm.
 
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The only difference between a lunch hook and an overnight one is that you are less likely to have a tide change. The anchor load will be the same. And you dont want to be re-anchoring in the middle of your disgusting FB pie, do you? Well maybe it would be better than eating the pie :)

I use an aluminium bulldog anchor because its much lighter to handle.
 
My approach has been to have a lightweight lunch anchor which doubles as a kedge, and a main anchor to use overnight. My logic is that if the lunch anchor drags, then I'm up and about and can deal with the dragging quickly, whereas overnight, I want to be able to rest rather than spend all night fretting. Consequently, I have a Fortress FX-7 as a kedge with 10m of chain and 20m of multiplait, and a 16Kg Delta as the main with 25m of chain. The Fortress weighs a mere 1.7Kg, but sets quickly on sand and mud and holds well. This is on a 32ft boat.
 
Wow talk about overkill!

Unless lunch means a very elaborate roast with yorkshire puds an' all.

It's lunch. If the anchor drags a bit let some line out to let it catch.

Chain on your lunch hook? Nelson's navy managed without chain at all.
 
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