Out of my depth anchoring in the south west

[ducked]

I'm with Doug, keep it simple and go for a good length of 6mm chain and a good anchor. I chopped out my Bruce copy anchor that came with my boat and spent cash on a Rocna Vulcan as it is new generation, super high holding power, it sets quickly and resets quickly.
Being a farmer I am a simple creature and for the sake of a few extra quid you get the quality. For me I sleep so much better knowing that I am well fastened to the seabed. To me having a cheap anchor is like having a Poundland lifejacket. When you look at what you spend on a boat in a year why would you not have a top end anchor.

To my mind.

You can get Poundland life jackets?

Good News!

(I thought I'd probably end up paying through the nose for a Decathlon one)

 

[Iliade]

Also, knowing how deep some of the rivers are down west, I'd definitely shell out on that fortress! Once, after getting weed in the intake, I dropped the hook in the Kingswear, only to discover that I could barely lift it off the bottom as I was having to lift some twenty five metres of chain and anchor in one go!

 

[Boathook]

Also, knowing how deep some of the rivers are down west, I'd definitely shell out on that fortress! Once, after getting weed in the intake, I dropped the hook in the Kingswear, only to discover that I could barely lift it off the bottom as I was having to lift some twenty five metres of chain and anchor in one go!

Reasons like that is why I fitted a windlass ....

 

[seeSimon]

Also, knowing how deep some of the rivers are down west, I'd definitely shell out on that fortress! Once, after getting weed in the intake, I dropped the hook in the Kingswear, only to discover that I could barely lift it off the bottom as I was having to lift some twenty five metres of chain and anchor in one go!

Ah...but...8m lift keel...light boat

My Fortress recently dragged in st mawes river (fx7 + 10x 8mmm chain + 20m x 14mm rope out) on my third night. Strongish (maybe 25 knots?) Wind up the river.
I'd had trouble setting it in one favourite spot on arrival due to huge amounts of weed over the mud. So I moved, set well immediately.
Fortress used because I was too lazy to carry my 10kg Rocna forward from its stowage.

Seems the Fortress failed to reset on tide change, and ploughed up a huge ball of weed? Must have been 3ft in diameter, I could barely lift it.
In these circumstances Rocna proved better.

 

[seeSimon]

8 mm chain is overkill for a 27' boat. If it were me I'd get 7 mm, but others may suggest 6 mm.

I'd also be getting a 10 kg new gen anchor, as I know how much easier they are to set than an old plough...

6mm chain means dinky little matching shackles.
No arguments about the strength of the chain, but any corrosion on small shackles worries me. Greatly...bad experiences.
Can also bring problems if attaching suitably rated matched ropes, either by chain splice (I don't like, and don't need as no windlass) or shackle and hard eye.
I do use lifting rated green pin shackles, of good quality and provenance, not random chinesium tat off ebay.

I've been shot down for this before on here, but it's not changed my experiences so far...

However, if buying again...I'd probably go for that 6mm chain, but buy enough spare shackles to change IMMEDIATELY any corrosion was showing.
That said, on my 10m chain plus rope set up (kellet too) the weight saving of 6 v 8mm chain is negligible.

Overarching requirement, what ever the anchor/chain wish-list, is the ever decreasing capability of an older skipper to lift it singlehandedly. OP has no windlass, age undetermined...

I've recently been admiring aluminium Spade anchors, but can't yet see me casting something of that value into Barn Pool at Plymouth (deep and foul!).

 

[Tranona]

6mm chain means dinky little matching shackles.
No arguments about the strength of the chain, but any corrosion on small shackles worries me. Greatly...bad experiences.
Can also bring problems if attaching suitably rated matched ropes, either by chain splice (I don't like, and don't need as no windlass) or shackle and hard eye.
I do use lifting rated green pin shackles, of good quality and provenance, not random chinesium tat off ebay.

I've been shot down for this before on here, but it's not changed my experiences so far...

However, if buying again...I'd probably go for that 6mm chain, but buy enough spare shackles to change IMMEDIATELY any corrosion was showing.
That said, on my 10m chain plus rope set up (kellet too) the weight saving of 6 v 8mm chain is negligible.

Overarching requirement, what ever the anchor/chain wish-list, is the ever decreasing capability of an older skipper to lift it singlehandedly.

I've recently been admiring aluminium Spade anchors, but can't yet see me casting something of that value into Barn Pool at Plymouth (deep and foul!).

Suspect you really are overstating the potential corrosion of shackles (and chain) - or you have just had bad examples. Proper shackles for 6mm are both well over strength and usually well galvanised. I have used 6mm chain on similar sized boats for over 40 years and never experienced corrosion problems. 6mm. With 50m of chain it is highly unlikely in the OPs style of cruising that rope will ever be needed and a thimble on the bitter end will allow shackling on of extra rope rode if needed.