thoughts on anchors and chain

[BJones]

'Evening. New boat owner here and quite inexperienced at that. Looking around the current anchor and chain set up, I am unimpressed. As I don't know much more than I read I thought I would ask the forum for input and information on anchors and chain. The current set up is all galvanized and appears rather shop worn although in the near future I intend to drop the anchor on the ground(boat is currently in the yard for a couple of weeks having some work done) and take a hard look at what I actually have. The PO didn't anchor out much but I probably will. Boat is a 1992 65 motor yacht (and a lovely girl)...any thoughts and/or information and/or sources for info? Many thanks in advance for your forbearance!

 

[Pascal]

Rule nr 1: always oversize your anchor compared to what manufacturers recommend.

On a 65 footer I d use something in the 100/120 lbs range.

You didn’t say where you will be anchoring but personally I be always had good luck with Bruce aka Claws all
Over the east coast from cape cod to the bahamas. A 110 pounder would work well for your boat. Stick with galvanized, as long as you rinse it it will last just fine.

Chain last a long time too, again if rinsed. If yours show sign of rust, you may be able to swap it around as the sections that rarely gets used is usually in good shape. While You re at it, make sure the end of the chain is secured to the boat in the locker with about 6’ of line. This way you won’t loose your anchor and chain unless you need to cut it in an emergency .

 

[Glory]

Dito!

 

[jim rosenthal]

If you want a good reference, 'The Complete Book Of Anchoring and Mooring' should still be available used; I don't think it is still in print but I could be wrong. It covers everything you could imagine about this and in addition is well written and easy to read.

Pascal is correct, as usual- oversized anchors are necessary, especially in a yacht with that much sail area. In my area, Chesapeake Bay, Fortress anchors work well, also SPADE. There are a lot of new anchors on the market; you might consider looking at Practical Sailor's anchor tests, although they do not test for boats that big. If you can find articles aimed at the trawler community, they may be helpful. Finally, information from captains of similar size boats will be very useful to you.

 

[firbanks]

+1 on Pascal’s note. On our 67 Cockpit Motoryacht after a couple anchor dragging issues, I replaced with a 125 pound galvanized anchor on the existing galvanized chain and it’s been great - I sleep better at night. Lots of views on anchor shapes and designs but having enough weight certainly helps. Also pay attention to recommended scope for your anchor type and don’t forget to include the height of your bow pulpit roller above the water line when calculating scope. I also like using an anchor chain snubber to absorb some shock load and to keep things quieter for v-berth dwellers. Just make sure you use a suitable chain hook and also keep the chain arranged in a way that will be serviceable if the snubber needs to be cut or breaks.

 

[Pascal]

Scope is king. Chain doesn’t do you any good in the anchor locker and unless you are in a right anchorage use it

I have had to upgrade anchors on pretty much every boat I have run a full time captain. Last year on the 116 I had issues with the 200lbs Poole anchors which took 10:1 to somewhat hold on Bahamas sand. Luckily Sam’s had a 400 pounder left over from when Hatteras built a few big boats. Was able to make it fit in the anchor pocket and no more problems!