Why do I have a kedge anchor?

[NormanS]

I carry three primary anchors, all of different designs. OK, one of them is permanently shackled to the chain, and is obviously first choice, but as Jonathan points out, it's horses for courses, - you use the anchor(s) best suited to the conditions.
I also have a little 4.5lb Danforth, primarily for the dinghy, and a couple of times, when exploring among sandbanks on a floodtide, it's been used to hold the yacht, after grounding. I suppose that is therefore my kedge anchor.

 

[noelex]

No, not a spare primary.

We would not use a Spade or Excel in thin mud or soft sand, so the Fortress (which excels in these seabeds) is our primary of choice. Similarly we would not think of using our Fortress is seabeds with a profusion of stones and pebbles. Other anchors have different strengths and weaknesses - but no need to go there. If we deploy 2 anchors in a fork or 'V' with rodes of equal length (to reduce veering) - which one is the primary?

I hope that trying to choose which anchor will work in which substrate is largely a thing of the past. Good modern new generation anchors have the ability to work effectively in large range of substrates and swapping the primary anchor should not normally be needed.

Even if you have a wide choice of good anchors that are suitable as a primary, such as say a Mantus, Rocna, Steel Spade or Ultra, combined with a detailed knowledge of the substrate type, and finally the motivation to swap anchors, how would you decide which to use?

A kedge anchor has a multitude of other uses that are different to the primary anchor. I would recommend every cruising carries one. However, if you regularly have the need to deploy a kedge anchor to make up for inadequacies of the holding power of your primary anchor, then this is an indiction that the design, or size of your primary anchor needs improvement.

 

[Neeves]

Noelex, your anchor is so big it has been described as a portable mooring.

Jonathan

 

[Neeves]

And thinking of it further:

Our 38' cat has the windage of a 45 Bavaria, but at 7t (cruising mode) half the weight. Your yacht was 46', it would be interesting to compare windage (frontal and side) with a Bav 45. I'm not sure of the implications of weight. We anchor, worst case scenario, with 16kg of anchor (that's 2 x 8kg alloys), but carry a total of 24kg. Your one anchor weighs 50kg.

You champion the one size fits all - it works for you. I champion, horses for courses, it works for me. I'd be the first to admit you would find it difficult to swap, for me (or my wife) its easy.

Discuss.

Jonathan

 

[GHA]

And thinking of it further:

Our 38' cat has the windage of a 45 Bavaria, but at 7t (cruising mode) half the weight. Your yacht was 46', it would be interesting to compare windage (frontal and side) with a Bav 45. I'm not sure of the implications of weight. We anchor, worst case scenario, with 16kg of anchor (that's 2 x 8kg alloys), but carry a total of 24kg. Your one anchor weighs 50kg.

You champion the one size fits all - it works for you. I champion, horses for courses, it works for me. I'd be the first to admit you would find it difficult to swap, for me (or my wife) its easy.

Discuss.

Jonathan

So far anchoring round the atlantic I can think of one well known churned up thin mud anchorage where a "on the large size' new gen dragged with full power in reverse, solved by moving 20 feet towards the fairway on advice of locals.

Otherwise up a bit in recommended size (as many long term cruisers go for) new gen works fine in the vast majority of anchorages visited in the past decade. With a fortress waiting in the wings should the need ever actually arise.

Seems a lot of work swapping out anchors when it can be so seldom required.

 

[Neeves]

From the southern tip of Tasmania to Cairns we have anchorages consisting of coral sands (sometime with coral rubble), pure silica sands (hard and soft), stones and pebbles (ranging in size up to that of ones head), weed (thin ribbon grass to kelp), muds (thin to thick) - primarily in our tidal rivers and clays. I may have missed a few.

Winds, direction, are generally well predicted, timing can be a bit iffy and strength forecasts can be questionable. Winds tend to pass through 90 degrees - and then weaken (excluding cyclones)

The seabeds are well documented, we have good cruising guides, the Admiralty Pilots are still valid and our forebears documented seabeds extremely well.

Please advise one anchor design that will work in all of these seabeds under the weather conditions experienced on Australia's east coast.

Jonathan

Edit I find it difficult to see why deploying a 8kg anchor using a second rode is difficult.

You attach anchor to rode, drop in sea and allow yacht to drop back, cleat off on bow cleat - seems pretty simple to us.

 

[GHA]

Please advise one anchor design that will work in all of these seabeds under the weather conditions experienced on Australia's east coast.

No idea, never been there. Doesn't change the fact that an awful lot of long distance cruisers get by in the majority of anchorages with just a biggish new gen without the need to swap out when you come into a new anchorage, with a separate design as a spare should the need actually come about.

Edit I find it difficult to see why deploying a 8kg anchor using a second rode is difficult.

You attach anchor to rode, drop in sea and allow yacht to drop back, cleat off on bow cleat - seems pretty simple to us.

Doesn't sound that hard really, though nowhere as easy as just pushing a button.

Why not just accept your anchoring style works fine for you, but that you're in the minority. For most a decent primary covers most anchorages without swapping about but with a choice should the need actually arise.

 

[Neeves]

Quite right, its horses for courses, - didn't I say that already??

But just seems odd, most of the time we have one 8kg anchor deployed.

Jonathan

 

[NormanS]

I always find it strange that so called "long distance cruisers" are somehow credited with having vast and superior anchoring experience. If you are sailing long distances, one thing that you are not doing is anchoring very often.
Compare that with someone coastal cruising, and anchoring in different places every night, in different weather and ground conditions. :encouragement:

 

[Kelpie]

I always find it strange that so called "long distance cruisers" are somehow credited with having vast and superior anchoring experience. If you are sailing long distances, one thing that you are not doing is anchoring very often.
Compare that with someone coastal cruising, and anchoring in different places every night, in different weather and ground conditions. :encouragement:

Do you think long distance cruisers are like swifts or albatrosses, and they never stop? I don't think that's really the case. From most accounts, long distance or bluewater people are only on the move about 10% of the time.

 

[Halo]

I have only ever used mine as a weight when mooring against a wall. I put it onto the stern line with a shackle and it holds her in.

 

[NormanS]

Do you think long distance cruisers are like swifts or albatrosses, and they never stop? I don't think that's really the case. From most accounts, long distance or bluewater people are only on the move about 10% of the time.

How often would you anchor on an Atlantic crossing?

 

[Daydream believer]

How often would you anchor on an Atlantic crossing?

It is a bit like How long does it take to fly to Spain
That question does not take in to account the wait both ends.
A trans Atlantic trip may include a month's wait both ends

 

[NormanS]

It is a bit like How long does it take to fly to Spain
That question does not take in to account the wait both ends.
A trans Atlantic trip may include a month's wait both ends

Of course it does, and quite possibly anchored in the one place - so?

 

[Neeves]

And often the marina is the place to be when waiting, with the thought of the deprivations to come, and to retire to after arrival to talk to people other than crew, repair and enjoy the copious water.

Jonathan

 

[GHA]

But just seems odd, most of the time we have one 8kg anchor deployed.

For many the idea of swapping over anchors seems odd, with a decent size and decent design it's just so rarely needed, maybe once in a blue moon if ever.

 

[NormanS]

For many the idea of swapping over anchors seems odd, with a decent size and decent design it's just so rarely needed, maybe once in a blue moon if ever.

Which "decent design" would you use in a place notorious for kelp, and would you choose to use that same anchor in soft mud?

 

[ashtead]

I have a kedge which I have never deployed and it lurked for many years in our stern locker but reading this thread I now wondered if it would be of any use if it was deployed . It's a plough type with short chain and rope so easy to row ashore etc but should it be replaced at the next boat jumble by something else? It's 15kg I recall .

 

[NormanS]

I have a kedge which I have never deployed and it lurked for many years in our stern locker but reading this thread I now wondered if it would be of any use if it was deployed . It's a plough type with short chain and rope so easy to row ashore etc but should it be replaced at the next boat jumble by something else? It's 15kg I recall .

Why replace it, when it has never let you down?

 

[ashtead]

NormanS I thought I might sell it to someone as a one careful never used anchor at a boat jumble as there might be others out there who could rehome it and put it to work.