What size anchor?

[dleroc]

I have a small 18' Sailfish and want to get an anchor but am unsure of the weight I should go for. I will be sailing around Plymouth and the Tamar so the ground will vary from sand, gravel to mud. I have in mind a Bruce or Danforth anchor and have an idea that I might need a 5kg or 7.5kg.

Any suggestions please?

 

[sailorman]

I have a small 18' Sailfish and want to get an anchor but am unsure of the weight I should go for. I will be sailing around Plymouth and the Tamar so the ground will vary from sand, gravel to mud. I have in mind a Bruce or Danforth anchor and have an idea that I might need a 5kg or 7.5kg.

Any suggestions please?

5Kg Bruce would be fine with a suitable length of 6m/m chain. as she is a lift keel you will be able to anchor close-in

 

[footsoldier]

You do not realise what you have started!

 

[dleroc]

5Kg Bruce would be fine with a suitable length of 6m/m chain. as she is a lift keel you will be able to anchor close-in

Thanks Sailorman for your prompt reply.

I also plan to get 6 metres of 6mm chain with about 10 metres of rope on the basis that I was told that chain should be the length of the boat with the rope being 5 times the expected depth. Do you agree?

 

[dleroc]

You do not realise what you have started!

Oh dear - perhaps this might be a 5 pager!

 

[sailorman]

Oh dear - perhaps this might be a 5 pager!

Nowt but a trouble maker

 

[flipper]

Keep an eye on the for sale forum. There was one on there the other day.

 

[GeorgeLlewellin]

Anchor chain

Some really good advice from Bradney Chain & Engineering Co. Ltd. one of the good suppliers of chain.

http://bradneychain.anu.net/Mooring-and-Anchoring-Leaflet/Mooring-and-Anchoring-Leaflet.pdf

I have no connection except a satisfied customer in the past, George.

 

[dleroc]

Some really good advice from Bradney Chain & Engineering Co. Ltd. one of the good suppliers of chain.

http://bradneychain.anu.net/Mooring-and-Anchoring-Leaflet/Mooring-and-Anchoring-Leaflet.pdf

I have no connection except a satisfied customer in the past, George.

Thanks for the link. It looks like a very useful book.

 

[vyv_cox]

I suspect that when you say Bruce you may well mean a 'Bruce type' such as a claw. There are many cast and fabricated copy anchors around and very few of them are good for serious anchoring, such as you can expect in bad weather in a relatively exposed anchorage. I would be looking out for a secondhand Delta in 'For Sale' or Ebay - I bought a 25 lb one recently for £50.

Your 6 metres of chain should be OK but you will need more rope than 10 metres - I guess in your area you have a tidal range of about 6 metres? So at least you will need to anchor at HW in 8 metres and you need 5:1 scope with rope.

 

[dleroc]

All good advice thanks. What diameter anchor rope should I be looking for - 10mm or 12mm nylon?

 

[VicS]

All good advice thanks. What diameter anchor rope should I be looking for - 10mm or 12mm nylon?

10 mm.
Even 8mm may be adequate.

Some useful information and guides on Jimmy Green's website http://www.jimmygreen.co.uk/p/technical

 

[Stu Jackson]

Here's some more info on system sizing: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4990.msg30400.html#msg30400

 

[William_H]

Anchor size

If the boat has an anchor stowage place, then that will dictate the max sizer of anchor. You might as well get as big as you can fit in. Danforth are really good in sand but no good in weed. The Bruce type seem to be good but are harder to stow than danforth.
As said about 6 metres of chain is good plus 20 or 30 metres of rope. Attach the inside end to the boat permanently.
What you might find is that it is useful to carry another small anchor bit of chain and rope to set into a beach if you go in shallow where you can wade ashore. Bow anchored out deep stern in shallow on small anchor. good luck olewill

 

[vyv_cox]

All good advice thanks. What diameter anchor rope should I be looking for - 10mm or 12mm nylon?

As VicS says, even 8 mm is probably strong enough. However, bear in mind that you might be hauling it in by hand with a good force of wind blowing against you. The heavier the rope, the more comfortable it will be. Anchorplait is perhaps the most comfortable and it doesn't harden with age like three-strand does. Barry Edwards of Boatropes sells doublebraid for the purpose, which I have found to be pretty good also.

 

[TQA]

As you are likely to be anchoring for relatively short periods of time in relatively benign conditions, the smallest Danforth type [ Fortress ? ] , a couple of metres of chain and 30 metres of 8 mm nylon rope will do the job.

Standing by with nomex knickers on and popcorn at the ready.

 

[vyv_cox]

As you are likely to be anchoring for relatively short periods of time in relatively benign conditions....

I wish I was so confident. I have sat out several gales a few miles from my home mooring.

 

[onesea]

I wish I was so confident. I have sat out several gales a few miles from my home mooring.

Ok Just a couple of thoughts for you.

Have you contact the Sail Owners Club:
http://www.sailfish.org.uk/

They appear to be quite active and might be able to give you some personnel experience. If its anything like the Trident 24 owners association advice is always forth coming.

Secondly my thoughts (not more he says) you want an anchor for 2 reasons..

1) The pretty lunch/ overnight in a quite bay etc..
2) Holding on a lee shore in a gale (unlikely but)...

Personally for I would go four the largest anchor (if not heaviest) I can easily handle and stow.

I would also go for enough chain to anchor at 3 times depth inmy favourite hauntsn(as long as you can lift it). Draft 3ft call it one meter plus a bit for the tide so say 6-10m (or as much as you feel you can carry/ lift) plus rope as long as you want, but as others have said think of comfort in hand not just strength of rope.
If you are in the stage 2 option you can always attach more sheets, mooring ropes etc.

The reason for the chain is we sail in busy places, you will be able to sneak in closer/ use smaller gaps than other boats because you know you have smaller swinging circle under ordinary conditions.

Finding a space for a 20 foot boat and 6m of chain is easier than 20 foot boat and 10m of anchor warp.

I was brought up with the old fashioned train of thought the chain hold the boat not the anchor or the warp.

Then the day it starts blowing you should also have enough gear to hold you in all but the very worst...

Danforth/ fortres type is the one I would go for (but look at practicality on your boat), and if undecided between the chain sizes I would go for the bigger one.

The only limitation here are physical strength boat layout and if your boat is uber weight sensitive, or you want to race regularly.

Ok when it comes to anchoring I am of the bigger is better school...

 

[dleroc]

Thanks for all the advice.

As I have graduated from dinghy sailing I can assure you that I only intend to sail around Plymouth Sound - to include Cawsand and the Yealm estuary.

The boat only draws 12" with the keel retracted and the local ground varies between sand, garvel and mud. I believe Sailfish were originally provided with a Danforth anchor but I acquired my boat with no anchor or any warps.

I have already purchased 2 x 10 metre lengths of mooring rope for any pontoon moorings and I hope I will be allocated a trot mooring for next year.

This board certainly has a wealth of knowledge - and quick too

 

[BobnLesley]

...I only intend to sail around Plymouth Sound...

if you're even only vaguely contemplating spending just one single night at anchor, then I'd advise something bigger than those generally being suggested, particularly if you're going with a mainly rope rode (probably a better option on something that size). Within the parameters of what you can securely stow, go for the biggest anchor you can comfortably handle: Anchors, dairy cows and prop-forwards - a good big-un will beat a good little-un every tiime!