Suffolk and Essex - Anchors...?

[alpha]

Plans are coming along rather nicely for the planned cruise to the Suffolk and Essex coast, but a scouting trip by car revealed that our Danforth will look out of place amongst all the CQRs in the marinas! This is not to mention the holding questions in the area... (For readers of previous postings, the Page 3 anchor chocks are now ready for fitting to the boat, and may be the envy of all).

So, do I bow to apparent necessity and buy a CQR just for a few weeks cruising, or is a Danforth OK in the mud?

Also, one local chap suggested using 'lots of anchors' (no kidding!), so is it usual to lay multiple anchors in the Stour, Orwell, etc?

Any other anchoring advice relating to this area also greatfully received...

(...thinks... if I get a CQR as well, I can make some more chocks...)

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[sailorman]

i have used a Bruce for the past 20 yrs no probs at all.
have a fortress type ( vetus) as kedge.
often anchor in>
Stour,Ore, East Mersea, Deben, Back Waters.
the only place likely to drag is lower reaches of the Ore in shingle with very fast tidal flow

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[davidwf]

Used a CQR and more recently a Delta, find the delta much better.

Good tip have a fish slice to get the mud off the anchor as it comes up. Honest I have two one for the anchor and one for the bacon, or at least thats what I tell the crew.



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[FullCircle]

Umm, yes CQR is my main anchor, but I have a Bruce kedge. Have used Fortress on racing boat, but that don't really count, and a little 5kg folding fisherman for lunch in quiet spots upriver.
I tend to agree that you shouldnt need anything very special unless you are parking in full spring ebb with loads of breeze and not much chain but its mostly mud round here.
Chain is probably the key.

Jim

<hr width=100% size=1>Second Chance - First Love. Still no wind instruments, c'mon peeps its for (my)charity

 

[apollo]

I have a Danforth on the Princess and was based in the Medway last summer.

After many nights on anchor predominantly in mud can honestly say we had no problems, in fact the biggest problem was pulling the sucker out again the next day!

Don't forget the chain, its an important part of the kit, you need to have at least 60 feet, 90 would be better.

When are you going?

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[Mirelle]

Ooh, you should see the magnificent teak chocks for the TWO CQR's on our foredeck!

Seriously you will be OK with your Danforth; it's almost all good holding ground.

The only snag with a Danforth is that if you hook it under a ground chain, which are common anywhere where there are, or were, moorings, it's bye bye Danforth. A CQR can be persuaded out with a little dodge invented by Eric Hiscock.

Agree 15 fathoms of chain is very desirable.

<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?

 

[alpha]

Right, Mirellle, I'm off to 'anchors-r-us' for a complete range until my foredeck has more of them than their showroom, and ALL on teak chocks varnished with the first tears of Mezopotamian Mermaids... (That's fixed THEM).

Seriously, though, thanks for the help. I do carry loads of chain, plus some anchorplait for deep water, but I'm wondering what the technique mentioned above is. Short of rigging a good tripping line, what else can one do to avoid fouling?

The holiday is the latter half of April... Anyone else around then? It would be good to meet up... Raggies and Oilies equally welcome. We'll be based at Woolverstone, but cruising around.

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[Sinbad1]

The mud is so damn sticky that you could leave the anchor at home and just chuck the chain out........

Instead of Woolverstone why don't you go to The Royal Harwich which is right next door, cheaper and has a new little marina.

Just a thought.

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[Mirelle]

The CQR defouling trick

This works very well with CQRs, mught work with the Delta or Bruce (have not tried) but does not work with Danforths.

Having discovered that the anchor has become intimate with some foreign body on the bottom, and won't leave hold, haul the anchor rode taut, and shackle a loop of chain - say 1ft of chain - round it, with a reasonably strong line line bent onto the loop.

Drop the loop of chain down the rode. Leave the line slack, but belayed.

Slack the anchor rode as abruptly as possible, dumping a good lot of chain over the side.

Haul taut on the line attached to the loop of chain. With any reasonable luck, it will have slipped right up to the business end of the anchor and you can lift the CQR free of the obstruction.

There is one place where you may well like to anchor where a Danforth can sometimes be a bit "iffy" - this is Hamford Water, which has a thick growth of pipe weed (not the Tolkien variety!) on the bottom. This can choke the flukes. But you won't come to any harm if you do drag, there.

I fear we will still be fitting out as last year, tempted by the March weather, I skipped it and just went sailing so this year I have to make up for it. Help yourself to our mooring if you come up the Deben - talking of which, be sure to get the new entrance charts for the Deben and the Ore (available from Small Craft Deliveries in Woodbridge if Woolverstone don't have them - they probably do).




<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?

 

[pandroid]

I've got both and find the Danforth works better in East Coast mud than the CQR

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[chasroberts]

I agree with Pandroid on this. Most of the anchorages around this area are thick (and extremely smelly!) mud and I've never had much of a problem getting my Danforth to dig in. Make sure to keep an anchor watch if you're hooked up over the turn of the tide as the ebbs in some of these East Coast rivers can be a thing to behold, especially around springs, and 4 knots of tide is not uncommon. Just make sure that it digs in again after you've swung and you should be fine. Hope the trip goes well. There are some great spots up here.

Chas Roberts

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