Making the boat lighter.

[The Q]

I remember reading of a Lysander 17, design sailing weight of just under 1/2 ton, being taken to a weigh bridge....
There was another 1/2 ton of clutter on board, needless to say it sailed somewhat better when most of that was removed.

My current little boat had her performance raised when I removed 30 kg, and replaced it with 17lbs..
That is the old wooden near solid mast , was replace by an aluminium one...

 

[Neeves]

I have two anchors, one with chain and the other mostly warp. If I am required by the rules to carry an anchor, I am not cheating if I choose to leave the heavy lifting one behind.

Not quite correct - if there are rules then the rules will dictate the size of anchor for the yacht, the length of chain and the length or warp. It is common for rules to demand 2 anchors.

For local club racing - no-one bothers. If the wind drops most switch on the engine and go back to the club - its a social event, not serious.

Here in Oz/NZ Manson designed their Racer, an aluminium one piece Danforth design, and had it accepted for racing as a replacement for a similarly sized (area or performance) steel anchor. The Volvo and Imoca 60's have done the same in carrying a very large Fortress, in fact 2, as a replacement for a steel anchor (in the same way Fortress arranged that their anchors could be used on Coastguard boats, which are also aluminium, as replacement for steel.

If your anchor is rated a SHHP anchor, like a Rocna or Excel, then you can carry a lighter anchor than those carrying a Bruce or CQR which are HHP anchors.

Jonathan

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Not quite correct - if there are rules then the rules will dictate the size of anchor for the yacht, the length of chain and the length or warp. It is common for rules to demand 2 anchors.

For local club racing - no-one bothers. If the wind drops most switch on the engine and go back to the club - its a social event, not serious.

Here in Oz/NZ Manson designed their Racer, an aluminium one piece Danforth design, and had it accepted for racing as a replacement for a similarly sized (area or performance) steel anchor. The Volvo and Imoca 60's have done the same in carrying a very large Fortress, in fact 2, as a replacement for a steel anchor (in the same way Fortress arranged that their anchors could be used on Coastguard boats, which are also aluminium, as replacement for steel.

If your anchor is rated a SHHP anchor, like a Rocna or Excel, then you can carry a lighter anchor than those carrying a Bruce or CQR which are HHP anchors.

Jonathan

We carry two anchors at all times, both alloy, a fortress and a spade. Not much chain. The total weight of our ground tackle is only 25kg. I have no inclination to leave it behind. If theres plenty of wind the weight won’t matter. If theres no wind we might need it.

 

[Neeves]

We carry two anchors at all times, both alloy, a fortress and a spade. Not much chain. The total weight of our ground tackle is only 25kg. I have no inclination to leave it behind. If theres plenty of wind the weight won’t matter. If theres no wind we might need it.

We don't race but also carry aluminium anchors 2 x Fortress, one large for mud and one smaller for kedging, then an aluminium Spade and aluminium Excel. the latter 2 anchors weigh 16kg in total. Our rode is 75m of high tensile 6mm chain. We carry a second rode of 15m of 6mm chain and 40m of 12mm 3 strand nylon. The Excel sits on the bow roller all the rest, including the chain sits just in front of the mast.

The Excel and Spade are not of much value in soupy mud - the larger Fortress is excellent.

The alternative, for weight reduction, is a Viking where use of high tensile steel for the whole anchor allows weight reduction without loss of performance.

There is a lightweight anchor for every design, convex, concave, roll bar, no roll bar and pivoting fluke.

Anchors can be lost (which keeps anchor makers from starvation), we lost one of ours and retrieved it the next day - but you look very stupid if you lose one and cannot anchor.

Jonathan

 

[Chiara’s slave]

The prospect of losing one is the main reason we carry 2. Bottoms are generally firm in our home waters. If we were on the east coast we might do it differently.

 

[Neeves]

Our quiver of anchors is partially to manage oscillating/veering winds when we would deploy 2 anchors in a 'V' or fork. Deploying a 8kg aluminium anchor is painless compared with deploying the 15kg steel equivalent either by hand off the bow or from the dinghy. Enough of us now use aluminium (or light) anchors with success to dispel the idea that weight, in an anchor, is critical - its design not weight.

Historically the recommendation was that one heavy anchor was better - but one anchor does nothing for veering and a bigger anchor offers no more hold than the 'windage' of the yacht - as neatly described by Vyv Cox Oversize anchors – necessary? sadly as the battles are won the anchor threads become scarce.

(Note to self 'get into Lithium' )

'Bigger is not Better', at least in terms of anchors. All that drivel was...well just drivel and no data.

Jonathan