Andy Bav
Well-Known Member
Want to get a kedge anchor and forum has suggested a Danforth. The question, is what weight to get if used as a kedge, rather than main anchor, or does the weight formula for boat length still apply ?
What weight for a kedge ?
- Thread starter Andy Bav
- Start date
sarabande
Well-Known Member
If your kedge anchor is doing the same job as the main bower anchor for e.g. fore and aft mooring in a river, then it needs to be the same size to do that same job.
On the other hand if it is tasked with smaller loads, you can go to a lighter anchor. If anchor or handling weight is a factor from a dinghy , then a Fortress or Guardian is a good choice..
On the other hand if it is tasked with smaller loads, you can go to a lighter anchor. If anchor or handling weight is a factor from a dinghy , then a Fortress or Guardian is a good choice..
Andy Bav
Well-Known Member
Thanks, in the Med so no current. Just want to keep her facing in the same direction, so more to arrest lateral (swinging) movement.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
Fortress have exceptional holding & can be used with rope rode to save even more handling weight
kennyh
Well-Known Member
I've a Guardian Anchor for that very purpose (to stop swinging).
Does the job well and is light in comparison to other (traditional) anchors.
I've got 6ft of chain on it then rope to help it dig in as well as prevent chafing.
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Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
If thats the case then I guess the answer is as heavy as you can lift by hand. A Fortress or Danforth would be a good idea as they stow flat
prv
Well-Known Member
I work on the principle that the manufacturer's sizing advice (for main anchor) is generally a bit optimistic, but is perhaps about right for a kedge.
This is for a sailing boat that wants to anchor securely for Channel cruising; feel free to decide it's not applicable for a Mediterranean mobo
Pete
This is for a sailing boat that wants to anchor securely for Channel cruising; feel free to decide it's not applicable for a Mediterranean mobo
Pete
Bouba
Well-Known Member
If it's just to keep the boat from swinging in the wind especially in the Med here is my take. You only need a light anchor and the rode can be rope, mostly this is deployed so boats in the Med can pack themselves close together and keep the stern to the beach for easy access. The stern anchor tends to either go on the beach or in shallow water. I would recommend a folding grapple anchor, the flukes on a folding grapple only open on the sand side. This means no paddler will be injured from standing on your anchor.
sarabande
Well-Known Member
Folding grapple anchors do a remarkably fine job of ploughing furrows if there is any force on them. To lock the blades open, it is necessary to turn the collar, and this opens all four blades at once.
Bouba
Well-Known Member
Well it's not a storm anchor just to keep you in line with your neighbors and my folding grapple you can open as many flukes as you want and then lock the collar but in truth gravity keeps the uppermost flukes folded flat so the collar isn't necessary. They also don't take up room on your boat and don't pose a risk to your inflatable if that's how you deploy it. But the lack of injury to other beach goers is the main advantage.
Just my opinion
Just my opinion
Nick_H
Well-Known Member
I've also seen boats lined up close to shore with small low-spec anchors out the back in shallow water, but it has always been smaller sportsboats and RIBS. If i'm not mistaken Andy has just bought himself a V42 so is likely to be anchoring further out where there would be no risk to beachgoers.
I suppose the guardian/fortress is a good option, although I wouldn't say they're that easy to store due to the long cross-bar.
I think to make fore and aft anchoring work you also need more bow chain, so you can let out a stack of chain at the front, drop the kedge straight off the back of the main boat, then pull in at the front whilst paying out at the back. I found it a nightmare trying to use the tender to drop the kedge, though I admit I didn't really stick at it. I also found it just doesn't work in busy anchorages, because everyone else is swinging.
Andy Bav
Well-Known Member
Spot on. Probably - and mostly - in c4-8m and a muddy bottom (the lagoon at SCM).
I have a question though - and possibly one for an engineer / mathematician...
Assuming the 20kg anchor and chain does its job and holds a c11,000kg boat "on station" but swinging in an arc, how much less force would be required to stop the swinging action, assuming a reasonable wind of 10 - 15mph, and based on that (and assuming the same degree of bottom "hold" astern) what weight of anchor, anchor / chain / rope combination would do the job.
Also I am trying to get my head around how you recover both anchors if you go for the pay out at stern as you winch in at the bow, system when setting the anchors if there are only 2 of you on board ?
prv
Well-Known Member
Surely you just let out on the bow while pulling in on the stern, until you're over the stern anchor and lifting it off the bottom. Then you pull in on the bow anchor same as usual.
Pete
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Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
The whole thing sounds like a complete PITA. We did a lot of anchoring in Croatia involving taking lines ashore and it was just a big hassle especially with just 2 of you on board. The other downside with setting a kedge anchor or taking lines ashore is that it often puts you beam on to the wind which can be uncomfortable and there is the constant worry about whether the anchors or lines can resist that side load. Fine if you have crew on board to do the hard work and keep watch and you have stabs to reduce the rolling but IMHO if you're shorthanded far better to find a space in the middle of the anchorage where your boat can swing around without disturbing anybody else and stay head on to the swell.
prv
Well-Known Member
Can't disagree with that, but we did a charter in Greece last summer and several places we visited would not have had space to secure any other way.
Pete
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Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
Same in Croatia. In the end we were avoiding those places and seeking out more secluded anchorages. If you're going to be anchored cheek by jowl with boats on either side, you might as well be in a marina with shorepower to drive the a/c
Nick_H
Well-Known Member
We found it pretty easy tying back to rocks in Greece as long as someone is happy to swim to shore with the rope, and there is another crew on the boat to pull in spare rope and cleat off, while helmsman holds position. With less people, or using the tender, I can see it would be more of a PITA.
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Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
Yup its a 3 person job really and that depends on somebody being willing to swim ashore with the line which is not always a given before June
Hurricane
Well-Known Member
Yup its a 3 person job really and that depends on somebody being willing to swim ashore with the line which is not always a given before June
SWMBO always volunteers to swim and check the main anchor before I switch the engines off.
Recently, when she returns, she has been given the end of the floating rope and told to continue swimming to the rocks.
Just as well she isn't going to read this!!
Hurricane
Well-Known Member
We have only been able to set a kedge once - in Cala Portals - Vells.
After all the Hooray Henrys had gone back to the night clubs in Palma.
It worked well keeping the bow into the swell but I haven't been able to use a kedge since - anchorages in the Baldricks are usually too full and our kedge isn't really big enough.
Might try more tying back though - if we find somewhere not too full - now that our problems of slipping with the main anchor have gone away.
After all the Hooray Henrys had gone back to the night clubs in Palma.
It worked well keeping the bow into the swell but I haven't been able to use a kedge since - anchorages in the Baldricks are usually too full and our kedge isn't really big enough.
Might try more tying back though - if we find somewhere not too full - now that our problems of slipping with the main anchor have gone away.
