What do you EXPECT from your anchor? (Not a bun-fight thread)

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Like all things, it just depends! The worst one is when the wind starts as light offshore one in very hot sunny weather, then gets cancelled by a very strong see breeze as the land really heats up during the day. The sea breeze starts more or less from SW or W then moves around to NW by sunset, N a bit later and then all that air that went inland starts to go home after midnight but this time added to the original land breeze. Sometimes it is very little more than a direction change but a few times we have seen F6 cause chaos amongst the hundreds of French boats who have little Brittany anchors, not enough chain or dumped in a heap and the anchors not dug in. Makes quite a fun party as long as you are in the (new) upwind position, something to aim for in defensive anchoring! We once had a S/S snubber hook made from 10mm bent rod straighten despite a rubber Gondolastik thingy in the snubber line - we now use cast S/S proper chain hooks! If it does happen it is relatively short lived and you lie to the waves and pitch, much better than rolling. The real problem is that where we see it most the fetch in a Vent Solaire is over 12 miles so the waves pick up if you are open to it, F6 or even much more is fine if the wind is offshore as the holding is good in hard sand.

It isn't something to get paranoid about but to be aware of. If you see lots of the locals dissappearing round the corner to another bay about sunset you might want to ask yourself why, sometimes it is just what they do, other times they might expect a vent solaire! We have often moved and it didn't happen and stayed when it did! It is very difficult to forecast, sometimes the French VHF forecast will predict the shift in the day from SW-W-NW-N but not get the last most important bit when it goes the extra bit to NE. The good news is you only get it in GOOD weather, if the weather is crap you don't get it, the winds are the same as back home around a low.
 
I used a big fisherman with suitably heavy cable always at 3 times the depth + for ten years, 6 of those in the Caribbean. The only time I had an unanticipated problem was when the cable became unshackled from the anchor. I made this discovery whilst diving on the anchor to check its set. The other discovery I made at that time was how extraordinarily fast I could swim when the need arose.
Damn fine anchor otherwise.
 
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What do you expect from your anchor?

Are you satisfied with the anchor you have?

Did your anchor come with the boat, or was it your choice?

If your choice, do you feel satisfied?

Let's be clear, there is no anchor in the world that cannot be bent and that will never drag.... I'm talking about whether you are satisfied with it.

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I suspect you're asking a fairly irrelevant question despite the angst displayed by yachties fomented by anchor manufacturers.

IMHO (in order of importance)

1. Nature of the anchoring substrate - so choose carefully where you anchor
2. Your competence as an anchorer.
3. The configuration of your boat (short keel/high topsides lightweight or long-keel, low-topside heavyweight).
4. The anchor design.

All I expect of an anchor is that it does its job, is easy to handle and easy to stow.
 
Wind shift or turn of the tide or just shearing around in fickle wind against tide conditions. The direction of pull is rarely constant over a prolonged period of time and can't be guaranteed over a short one either. So, in a way, I'm inclined to agree that there is more to it than just 'technique'...particularly when you bear in mind that there are probably as many 'techniques' as there are anchor threads.

My last boat but one was engineless and I didn't have the luxury of being able to use an engine to dig the anchor in. The onle way to judge how well the anchor was set was by frequent compass bearing checks, transits etc. On the one, memorable, occasion when the anchor failed to set (CQR) it was almost immediately apparent.

I carry CQR (Bower) Danforth (Kedge) and Bruce (in case I sail to Australia). They've all been fine but I can't say I've ever had a really good night's sleep unless in very settled conditions. I've always got half an ear listening for anything that sounds 'different'.
 
As above I expect the anchor to do its job if I do mine. Put it in the right place and the correct angle, lots of chain to ensure a horizontal pull. Go big on anchors, we run a 65lbs CQR and a 95lbs CQR at the bow, a 30kg Danfoerth and a 50kg Admiralty pattern. Expect them to keep on worlin as they are never stressed.
Size is everything when it comes to anchors.

Simes
 
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we use a bruce and the only problem we have ever have is breaking it back out after a blow - an experience shared elsewhere on the thread. We have never dragged, even when others around us have been in disarray.
I sometimes wonder if having a motor boat, therefore with relatively higher engine power , gives an advantage in that a short burst astern really digs the anchor in more than may be possible with a yacht's auxiliary engine or simply drifting back with the wind?

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In fact, most power boats offer relatively less wind resistance than conventionally rigged boats, despite the power boat's higher topsides, they don't have all that mast and rigging drag.
 
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In fact, most power boats offer relatively less wind resistance than conventionally rigged boats, despite the power boat's higher topsides, they don't have all that mast and rigging drag.

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Theoretical calculations list the forces at anchor as greater on a similar length power boat than they would be on a sail boat. These calculations take into account the drag associated from a yacht rigging.
This study is typical.

http://alain.fraysse.free.fr/sail/rode/forces/forces.htm

In the absence of any practical measurements (I have never seen these published) the only data source is these theoretical models.
 
<span style="color:red"> What do you expect from your anchor? </span>
A good night's sleep

<span style="color:red"> Are you satisfied with the anchor you have? </span>
Yes - Spade - very happy

<span style="color:red"> Did your anchor come with the boat, or was it your choice? </span>
My choice

<span style="color:red"> If your choice, do you feel satisfied? </span>
Yes. 100%.

Totally disagree with the 'weight is everything' and 'it's all down to the chain' schools of thought.

Spade is good everywhere but IMO particularly striking in weed compared to other designs. Talk of needing several different designs for different conditions cuts no ice - I intend to replace my (backup) CQR with another Spade ASAP. Only other thing I would like is an ally Fortress for rowing out in the tender.

- W
 
What do you expect from your anchor?

I expect it to set itself without 'technique' as it has to be able to either stay set or re-set itself if there is a tide change or large wind shift (not all 180 deg wind changes are forecast or expected). As long as it does that then I sleep well.

Are you satisfied with the anchor you have?

Yes

Did your anchor come with the boat, or was it your choice?

It was my choice. The boat came with a 27Kg 'plough' type (not CQR).

If your choice, do you feel satisfied?

I chose a 30Kg Spade and am VERY satisfied. It held off SE Spain during 3 days of 30 to 49 knot winds when others were repeatedly dragging. It held so well that my paranoia turned to the adequacy of my shackle and chain.

Let's be clear, there is no anchor in the world that cannot be bent and that will never drag.... I'm talking about whether you are satisfied with it.

The Spade has not yet dragged in 4 years of anchoring in hard sand, weed etc etc but I agree with you that it might one day. <span style="color:blue"> </span> <span style="color:blue"> </span> <span style="color:blue"> </span> <span style="color:blue"> </span> <span style="color:blue"> </span>
 
Spades and Deltas seem to be very high on the list of anchors that people feel happy to go to sleep with, without keeping an anchor watch. Certainly we have no worries about the Delta and happily leave the yacht in a potential F5/6 and sleep in more than that. You never(?) hear of serious damage to Spades and Deltas, either, though no doubt it happens in severe weather. The twin-fluked anchor (e.g. Danforth) also seems to be an anchor people feel comfortable with.
 
We have chosen a Bruce for our main anchor , 44lb on a 36ft cat that weighs 12,000lb.
The only way my anchor could give me a perfect nights sleep would be if it came with a "Dragging boat Deflection" device.

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Ok - as someone who posted a simalar question 2 years ago and nearly started a war here is my experience after 12 months and 12,000 miles of anchoring later!

We have a 20kg Rocna on the bow. We haven't been in a marina now since the Canary islands (we are currently in between Tahiti and Bora Bora!) which was 9 months ago!
We have a 45lb CQR as a spare - never used by oursleves on this trip, but we did lend it to another cruiser who bent their aluminium spade's shank 90 degrees when it caught in coral (for those with a spade I would mention they liked the anchor, but seeing the shaft bend was distressing - the shank is not solid aluminium but box section).
We drop the Rocna in any bottom conditions and in 12 months and over 200 nights at anchor have only had it not set 1st time twice, once was in thick weed (it set second time) and once in very loose shingle (it set second time). So far (he says touching wood as its blowing 35 knots outside!) it has not dragged once.
I expect the anchor to set first time, not drag whilst it sets (this is important when trying to anchor in a tight anchorage), hold in strong winds, and reset when swinging.
The Rocna lives up to all of this and I would wholly support its use.
I have not used other anchors to the same degree as the Rocna (we used our CQR occassionally before we bought the Rocna) and therefore will not draw comparisons, but I hope this is useful info for someone out there.

(Boat is 37ft and currently weighs in somewhere around 11 tons!)

Jonny
 
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