Anchoring setup - lets hear what you have?

Cookie's Cutter

Well-Known Member
Just wondering what everyone is using for an anchoring setup for their rigs?

What size boat?
What kind of anchor?
How many feet of Chain?
How many feet of rope?

Not interested in hearing about halibut setups. More wondering what guys are using to anchor over night etc.
 
23 feet/5500 lbs fuelled up
Lewmar plow anchor/7.5KG
20 ft of heavy chain
100 ft of line/100 extra feet can be added
I use a special release clip on the second connection point in case I get hung up

Holds fine in most conditions although I've never how it in Gail force winds overnight.
 
We are using a danforth and 30'of chain followed by 100' of rope. Our boat is a 20' double eagle. I'm not a fan of the danforth at all and am curious what others are using.
 
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Brian's set-up is the most common one - esp. in smaller rec boats. Pretty limited w only 100ft of line, however. As a rule-of-thumb most anchor books/experts recommend a 3 to 1 scope - that is the length of your line should be ~3 times longer than the depth in order to get a horizontal pull on the bottom verses a vertical one that will pull your anchor out. That's also where the weight of the chain comes in. I always go at least 1&1/2 times the bottom depth - and more doesn't hurt - except your back if you have no hydraulics.

There are many types of anchors - some better than others at certain bottom types. Compact mud/sand being the best bottom holding type grading through loose sand to rock being the worst. A different designs fare better than other anchors on different bottoms. The Danforth is arguably the most common for rec boats - starting to get surpassed in recent years by the Bruce (or similar) due to compactness/storage (typically on the bow). I've not had much luck w the Bruce-type. I find they are often undersized/underweight when they come as a standard install on many new rec boats.

I can offer these few helpful suggestions wrt anchoring:
1/ Choose you bottom type and anchorage for holding - even if it is a slightly longer row ashore,
2/ If is very useful to have a larger extra anchor stored aft w extra line for fore-n-aft or stern anchoring - particularly in areas with tidal currents or because the piddly installed bow anchor doesn't cut the mustard.
3/ Keep extra line (like 200-300ft of 3/4"+ line) for shore-line anchoring and towing onboard,
4/ Know how much the tide is going to rise/drop before you anchor in water shallower than the tide & allow for the tide rise/fall when you figure out how much line to put out. 30 feet at low tide is often perfect - 30 feet if you are at high tide already - often leaves little water under the keel when the tide drops.
 
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18.6 DE 10 lb folding anchor, 30 ft 5/16 chain, 100ft 5/16 rope.

This is the overnight rig, stows in bow anchor locker. We have spots we have used for 20 + years when hunting or fishing, we only anchor in very small protected, shallow with no current bays, normally less than 25 ft deep, we love to watch beach. If wind is up or forecast I have 2 old 10 lb pancake weights in locker with quick snaps. After anchor and chain on bottom I attach and slide down rope 1 (normally) or 2 (big winds forecast) weights, these stop at chain/rope shackle. Bays we anchor we in are very small, no room for scope or rode to circle anchor, extra weight keeps us exactly where I anchor. Never slipped with this rig. Never want too. Hauling up in morning more difficult but less than 25 ft to lift.

HM
 
18.6 DE 10 lb folding anchor, 30 ft 5/16 chain, 100ft 5/16 rope.

This is the overnight rig, stows in bow anchor locker. We have spots we have used for 20 + years when hunting or fishing, we only anchor in very small protected, shallow with no current bays, normally less than 25 ft deep, we love to watch beach. If wind is up or forecast I have 2 old 10 lb pancake weights in locker with quick snaps. After anchor and chain on bottom I attach and slide down rope 1 (normally) or 2 (big winds forecast) weights, these stop at chain/rope shackle. Bays we anchor we in are very small, no room for scope or rode to circle anchor, extra weight keeps us exactly where I anchor. Never slipped with this rig. Never want too. Hauling up in morning more difficult but less than 25 ft to lift.

HM
x2 on the extra weight. I've attached a 15lb cannonball to the end of the chain a few times. It definitely works. I should just get a bigger anchor and possibly a different style. The rest of my setup (chain and rode) is fine.
 
For anchoring while mooching with my 17.6 DE I have 25ft. 3/8 chain (general recipe for mooching is 1 1/2 times in chain of the length of your boat), 300 ft. of double braid rope. I also have another 10ft. of chain that I can add if needed. ( sometimes the tide is running so hard on a sandy bottom you hookup and need more weight) I have a Danforth anchor that I attached the chain to the bottom of the anchor and then run the chain up to the top and attach the chain to top with a heavy tie rap, because if you ever get snagged on the bottom and can't lift it, you pull harder and break the tie rap and then you're pulling from the bottom of the anchor, generally comes un snagged.
 
View attachment 45973
Brian's set-up is the most common one - esp. in smaller rec boats. Pretty limited w only 100ft of line, however. As a rule-of-thumb most anchor books/experts recommend a 3 to 1 scope - that is the length of your line should be ~3 times longer than the depth in order to get a horizontal pull on the bottom verses a vertical one that will pull your anchor out. That's also where the weight of the chain comes in. I always go at least 1&1/2 times the bottom depth - and more doesn't hurt - except your back if you have no hydraulics.

There are many types of anchors - some better than others at certain bottom types. Compact mud/sand being the best bottom holding type grading through loose sand to rock being the worst. A different designs fare better than other anchors on different bottoms. The Danforth is arguably the most common for rec boats - starting to get surpassed in recent years by the Bruce (or similar) due to compactness/storage (typically on the bow). I've not had much luck w the Bruce-type. I find they are often undersized/underweight when they come as a standard install on many new rec boats.

I can offer these few helpful suggestions wrt anchoring:
1/ Choose you bottom type and anchorage for holding - even if it is a slightly longer row ashore,
2/ If is very useful to have a larger extra anchor stored aft w extra line for fore-n-aft or stern anchoring - particularly in areas with tidal currents or because the piddly installed bow anchor doesn't cut the mustard.
3/ Keep extra line (like 200-300ft of 3/4"+ line) for shore-line anchoring and towing onboard,
4/ Know how much the tide is going to rise/drop before you anchor in water shallower than the tide & allow for the tide rise/fall when you figure out how much line to put out. 30 feet at low tide is often perfect - 30 feet if you are at high tide already - often leaves little water under the keel when the tide drops.

3/4 seems a little over kill for a stern line. How big of boat do you have?
 
It may/may not be overkill for an anchor line - but it sure isn't for a shore line or a tow line. So it works for both. 1/2 wouldn't work for a shore line. That's why I do 3/4" (if I can get it - 5/8" if not) - can be used for both/either.
 
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I just boat camped for 5 days, 3 of which were in gale force winds, 30—35 with gusts to 40 knots. I followed bad advice and ended up in a spot that supposedly was protected from all weather—-absolutely not——the water was turning to smoke all around me —-I never slept, thinking for sure I’d end up on the rocks due to the 3/1 scope I was forced to use —-there was no room for swing in such tight quarters if I’d used the 5/1 scope recommended “by the book” —— I was forced to drop in 50 feet of depth because that’s all there was (unless you wanted to be 10 feet off the rocky shore in 10 feet of water)

How did I get away with 3/1 scope in 40 knot winds? I’m thinking anchor design and more chain then most guys would use for the length of boat I have. I saw a boat named “Overkill” go by me one day during the trip and I thought to myself....yes, that’s my anchor set-up——overkill, but like horsepower, you can never have too much of it, especially when conditions get crappy

Boat = 24 foot, approx. 4,000 kg when tanked down with fuel. Anchor = Rocna 10 kg (would suffice for a 33 foot boat) . Chain = 30 feet 3/8” (would also suffice for a 33 foot boat) Rode = 5/8” eight plait brait
 
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I just boat camped for 5 days, 3 of which were in gale force winds, 30—35 with gusts to 40 knots. I followed bad advice and ended up in a spot that supposedly was protected from all weather—-absolutely not——the water was turning to smoke all around me —-I never slept, thinking for sure I’d end up on the rocks due to the 3/1 scope I was forced to use —-there was no room for swing in such tight quarters if I’d used the 5/1 scope recommended “by the book” —— I was forced to drop in 50 feet of depth because that’s all there was (unless you wanted to be 10 feet off the rocky shore in 10 feet of water)

How did I get away with 3/1 scope in 40 knot winds? I’m thinking anchor design and more chain then most guys would use for the length of boat I have. I saw a boat named “Overkill” go by me one day during the trip and I thought to myself....yes, that’s my anchor set-up——overkill, but like horsepower, you can never have too much of it, especially when conditions get crappy

Boat = 24 foot, approx. 4,000 kg when tanked down with fuel. Anchor = Rocna 10 kg (would suffice for a 33 foot boat) . Chain = 30 feet 3/8” (would also suffice for a 33 foot boat) Rode = 5/8” eight plait brait

When you put it this way, maybe the Chinese rope for sale on Amazon isn’t the way to go.

How many feet of rope do you have?
 
When I was a kid I remember hearing a comment from Mario Andretti, one of the Ferrari team’s drivers. He was quoted as saying ...”Your life is on your tires”....

With that in mind, I always step up for the best tires I can find for both my truck and my daily driver.

I look at anchor equipment the same way. I boat camp 30 to 40 days a year. There are narrow hidey holes I end up in where you just don’t want to end up on the rocks...it could be catastrophic. Your life is on your anchoring set-up....

So, overkill on the size of the anchor, overkill on the chain length relative to the boat length, and overkill on the rode diameter (5/8”) with 300 feet of length. I just installed an electric windlass so I had to peel 300 feet of twisted three strand nylon rode off my boat and replace it with 300 feet of eight plait brait....

For this trip, I rigged up a 30 foot snubber which I’ve never used before when I hand-pulled my anchor. Last summer, hand-pulling for 3 straight weeks got me a herniated disk so that explains why I had to belly up to the bar for an electric windlass... the snubber keeps the surging pressure on a cleat instead of on your windlass and allows you to throw scope into your anchor set if you need it when the wind picks up

I buy from SECOSOUTH in Florida. They sell rode/anchor packages on eBay or you can call them direct—-they’re good folks
 
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Good point sharphooks. Better to be safer than is trouble. Nights on anchor always have that 1 eye open feeling. Like in a tent on alpine nights. Our issue where we anchor is shore is only 50 yds away at any time. We can't adhere to scope/rode rule as we would be on beach. My extra pancakes alleviate that. I like the snubber idea, see the sailboats around us use that. I think its meant to stop the rope rubbing on bow cleat at night also?

HM
 
On my 17' Double Eagle I use an out-haul or "clothesline" anchor setup. I think this is a great option for small boats. I connected two 150' lengths of braided line to form a clothesline with a snap shackle that clips to the bow eye at one end. The other end loops through a 3" steel ring and swivel connected to 18' of chain and a danforth.

150' gives just enough length to allow for a full tidal cycle at most of the beaches we overnight camp on in the Gulf Islands. It also means for day trips you don't need to adjust your boat as the tide comes in or out. The trick is to be able to judge were to drop the anchor about 150' out as you approach the beach, but once you figure that out, the procedure is simple:
  • Drop anchor a little under 150' from high tide line and run the boat to the beach letting the line play out.
  • Once on the beach, set the anchor by pulling in hard on the rode, unclip the rode from the anchor locker and clip to bow eye.
  • Once you have unloaded your gear, give the boat a shove off the beach and by pulling in on one rope, run it out almost the length of the clothesline.
  • Tie off the beach end to something secure such as a log, or a second anchor. I have a folding grapple hook which works great for this.
Because there is no swing around the anchor (ie the strain is always toward the beach), it holds really well. I leave the anchor set up as a clothesline system as it works as a "standard" anchoring system as well.
 
All great comments.

I like the idea of having enough rope on board (and the stainless steal ring) to clothesline if needed.

When you say you leave it setup as a clothesline, do you just deploy both lines when using it as a standard anchor?
 
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