What anchor is the right anchor?

[rbarna]

For the lower hudson river, what is the right anchor? For use if I get disabled. 2kt current.

Thanks!

-Ross

[Ghost]

What's the bottom like there? (Mud, sand, rocks, mix, vegetation, etc.?)

[VetteLT193]

For the lower hudson river, what is the right anchor? For use if I get disabled. 2kt current.

Thanks!

-Ross

If I were broken down on the Hudson I'd want this anchor: http://www.therustyanchorbar.com/

:wink:

All kidding aside, it depends on the bottom. I have always had decent luck with the danforth style... My next one will be a Fortress because they are light.

[rbarna]

How do you guys store your anchor without it bouncing around?

[VetteLT193]

How do you guys store your anchor without it bouncing around?

:bonk:

I wrap the rope around mine then use a complex system of life vests to wedge it in.

One of these days I'll come up with something better.:crossfing:

[CHACHI]

I have my Mother in Law hold it.




Tight!!!


Ken

[Kirbyvv]

And then you throw her over with the anchor....

I have a box anchor that folds pretty flat, and comes with a heavy duty storage bag. I wrap the line around the bag and it fits under the back seat on my X-18. I don't know how well it will hold in a current, but it stores conveniently.

http://www.slideanchor.com/

[MOP]

I can help with the answer of LH anchoring conditions having done it a few times up by the Tappenzee, it is rocky, grassy and quite a few bottles cans etc. It is one of those places that is is a good idea to have a second hook ready just in case!

Phil

[Ghost]

How do you guys store your anchor without it bouncing around?

I found that wherever I stored mine, piling the chain on top pinned it down pretty well. (If your anchor rode has no chain, I highly recommend getting at least 10 feet of heavy chain, if not more. I can't imagine using one without.)

Of course, with a donzi and no bow locker, the storage thing is a bit more of a challenge, so I will defer to others on the best places they've found. I could sort imagine if you use a bag to deal with the rode, just putting the rode bag on top might pin it down sufficiently. With my old bow locker on my last boat, putting the anchor on the rode, and the chain on top of the anchor kept it happy all the time.

[Just Say N20]

I don't know how well it will hold in a current, but it stores conveniently.

:lol9:

:lol9:

:lol9:

:lol9:

[Ghost]

Most anchors we see nowadays are Danforth styles and plows.

I grew up with a Northill anchor, kinda like a Danforth, which I don't see being sold anymore. But it had a sprung stock (the crossbar that forces the orientation of one of the flukes down into the bottom) that rotated, making it easy for storage. A great, convenient compromise on storage (literally, 3 seconds to fold the stock), but not the ridiculous hassle of, say, disassembling a Fortress anchor or something, especially one covered in muck.

EDIT:


http://anchors.synthasite.com/resources/northill-ad-1941flightmag.jpg

Oh, I left out the important part. You can find old ones around if you look. Found one on craigslist in about 30 seconds, though it is a big one.

[Sam]

I have my Mother in Law hold it.




Tight!!!


Ken

Stop the madness.................to darn funny. On another note don't skimp on your choice of line and if you haven't done so read up on "Anchor Scope" it does matter.

[rustnrot]

"I wrap the line around the bag and it fits under the back seat on my X-18."

Wow, I feel sorry for your mother-in-law! How long can she ride under there?

[Dr. Dan]

:wink: I use a Danforth Style - I am going to be converting all my anchors to Fortress Aluminum units. The Fortress are collapsable and also can be stored in their own Anchor Bag. When collapsed it has a more linear profile and takes up about 6" by 30" for a small one...16 or 18 Classic.

For a 22 they are only 7lbs compared to 14 lbs. for an off the shelf steel danforth. I also use a Coated Chain, 100' of Rode and I store it in a Ballistic Nylon Bag.
Both anchors are stored in their own Bags, with Towels Wrapped around them to help cushion the Gel from the wakes and waves. Never had an issue. Worst case buy a small Duffel Bag of Heavy Nylon to suit your specific Size Requirements. I also use a Winder to wrap the Rode around.... makes quick retieval a little bit less of a PIA.

Fortress are about 1.5 times more $ than a regular heavy off the shelf Danforth.

My Anchor holds in a 7 knot current in the C & D Canal... so it should work in 2 knot current.

Good Luck...

Doc the Anchor Man :cool!:

[zimm17]

I like the slide anchor. folds up nice into it's bag.

http://www.slideanchor.com/

[rbarna]

I have a danforth with chain. Does it need to be powered in?

The main application would be in case of emergency.

I'm familiar with scope from sailing.

-Ross

[mattyboy]

no i think the current will help you set it,

who knows what you'll pull up down by the city


:eek:

[Ghost]

Thinking a bit more, if I had a 22 Classic, I expect I would use a Danforth 5H, unless I was somewhere that bottom conditions precluded it.

The 5H (the high-tensile version of the ordinary Danforth) is a great little anchor. Same as the 5 lb Danforth, but adds a lot of strength. I had a 22 ft Cobalt and bought a Danforth 12H, more than capable as a storm anchor, but heavy for everyday. Bought a 5H as a lunch hook and never used the 12 again, ever. The 5H bit like crazy, didn't drag, did fine.

The 5H is more compact than the smallest Fortress (FX7) and at 5 lbs, only a pound heavier than the 4 lb FX7. Onboard a Classic, I'd think the space was more the premium by far. And unless I didn't use an anchor, and just kept one onboard just in case, like flares, I have trouble imagining I would ever disassemble and reassemble a Fortress. And even then, you might need it quickly, and assembly sounds like trouble. So, I think I would only ever keep a dissassembled Fortress on a larger yacht as a backup for an everyday anchor on the bow roller, but maybe that's just me.

What the Fortress does give you is MUCH lighter light weight if you want a larger size, and that should mean extra holding power in some bottom conditions than a smaller Danforth of comparable weight.

I also always wondered if, over time, a Fortress might ever run into galvanic (dissimilar materials) or other fastener-related problems (like, loose nuts). A Danforth is just simpler, and I prefer that. But lots of folks swear by their Fortresses.

Hi-tensile Danforths are pricey, but still a little cheaper then Fortresses. Looks like $95 for a 5H at West.


Danforth: http://www.wmjmarine.com/tie94019.html


Fortress: http://www.fortressanchors.com/fortress_anchor_guide.html


FWIW,

Mike

[MOP]

I have my Mother in Law hold it.




Tight!!!


Ken

You would say that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[zelatore]

In a grass bottom, nothing works very well.

While I like the Danforth design and carry one on my Donzi as the primary and on the Carver as a secondary, they work more on size than weight. They are excellent in sand or mud and OK in rocks/coral.

They are easy to store since they lay flat. I actually hang mine upside down in the engine compartment using a hanger designed to store it on a bow rail - I just changed the mounting hardware a bit. I do put a couple small bungee cords across it and the rode to keep it from bouncing into the belts of the engine.

I also like the Fortress anchors. I've often rigged very large versions of these as stern anchors on our larger yachts since they can be big enough to offer good holding but light enough for a man to handle without a windlass.

[DonziJon]

There are only THREE Types of anchors to be considered. The Danforth "Type". The CQR PLOW "Type", and maybe the "Bruce" Spade "Type" for anchoring a boat/yacht.

For a Donzi Classic, the Plow and Spade Type are OUT..because they are designrd to hang over the bow in a chock....ready to deploy. They can NOT be stored Low Profile as would be required in a Classic.

This leaves ONLY the Danforth type. Danforth gave up its patent a few years ago so every fly by night company came in with their own versions.....Knock Offs....Quite often in ALUMINUM. Aluminum has NO Place in an anchor.

The FIRST thing an anchor wants....IS.. to BITE into the bottom. Weight..and Sharp.. makes this happen. Aluminum is NOT weight. (Girlyman)

HISTORY: The Steel Danforth anchor was developed and perfected for use on WWII PT Boats...AND LSTs, (Landing Ship Docks) which needed to pull themselves OFF the beach after they had dropped off their payload on the beach.

In addition to the anchor...you need a Rode..which includes some CHAIN just behind the anchor..then some NYLON from there ..up to the boat.

For a Donzi Classic I recommend a Danforth Anchor (See Pictures) with 10 feet of 1/4 inch galvanized chain..plus 75 to 100 feet of 5/16 "Twisted" Nylon rode.

Going into WHY this is Valid is another story for another time.

I have an '86 Minx and this is what I have..and how it's tied down. The anchor weighs 9 Pounds. John

[handfulz28]

Fortress FX-11 with 6ft of vinyl coated chain always held my Formula 311 without issue in sandy/muddy bottoms. I picked up a smaller Guardian (Fortress' cheaper brand) at Bass Pro Shops for use as a stern anchor. Fortress uses nylock nuts to hold it together and at these sizes there's no good reason to take it apart. When you need it in an emergency, you don't want to be stressed trying to put it back together.

I just happen to live close to Fortress' HQ. Made it easy to stop in and take advantage of their excellent service when the Bass Pro purchased item was missing a nut.

[Ranman]

Fpr the 18 Donzi, I run a box anchor (collapsable) with 100' of Top Knot anchor line. It doesn't require any heavy chain wiuch is nice. It also has a heavy duty storage bag. The whole shebang gets stored loose on the starboard "shelf" next to the engine as far back as possible. I have checked many times and it just rides back there with no issue. If you've never heard of them, do a search. They have a great reputation. I do 99% of my anchoring in 4' of sandy bottom though.

I also carry a slide anchor for beaches and to tie off the transom if I leave the boat in a semi-crowded anchoring area. These are another nice to have item for our boats.

[MOP]

The box anchors are getting pretty popular, I have to give one a try. They are on the "SlideHammer" site listed earlier in this thread.

[zelatore]

There are only THREE Types of anchors to be considered. The Danforth "Type". The CQR PLOW "Type", and maybe the "Bruce" Spade "Type" for anchoring a boat/yacht.
For a Donzi Classic, the Plow and Spade Type are OUT..because they are designrd to hang over the bow in a chock....ready to deploy. They can NOT be stored Low Profile as would be required in a Classic.
This leaves ONLY the Danforth type. Danforth gave up its patent a few years ago so every fly by night company came in with their own versions.....Knock Offs....Quite often in ALUMINUM. Aluminum has NO Place in an anchor.
The FIRST thing an anchor wants....IS.. to BITE into the bottom. Weight..and Sharp.. makes this happen. Aluminum is NOT weight. (Girlyman)
HISTORY: The Steel Danforth anchor was developed and perfected for use on WWII PT Boats...AND LSTs, (Landing Ship Docks) which needed to pull themselves OFF the beach after they had dropped off their payload on the beach.
In addition to the anchor...you need a Rode..which includes some CHAIN just behind the anchor..then some NYLON from there ..up to the boat.
For a Donzi Classic I recommend a Danforth Anchor (See Pictures) with 10 feet of 1/4 inch galvanized chain..plus 75 to 100 feet of 5/16 "Twisted" Nylon rode.
Going into WHY this is Valid is another story for another time.
I have an '86 Minx and this is what I have..and how it's tied down. The anchor weighs 9 Pounds. John

You're yacht background is showing....:wink:

I'd agree with you almost 100%. The only place I'd hedge would be on the weight. YES, more weight is better. BUT, on a danforth style anchor weight doesn't do the holding as much as fluke area. Extra weight helps them set, especially in grassy bottoms, but once it's set, it's all about the size of the flukes.

I have a 44 lb Delta on my Carver with 50' chain and 200' 3-strand nylon. My Donzi has a small Danforth I got from my father years ago with 150' 3-strand (no chain...I know it's a no-no, but I don't like messing with it on small boats).

I also have a nifty bungee-like line I use that works great when you're on the beach. Set the anchor like normal as you drift up to the beach. Have the wife take a bow line to shore while you pull the boat back into deeper water. Then attach the bungee thing to the line - it has enough tension to keep the boat in deeper water but enough give to let you pull it up to shallow water to get on/off without swimming. Pretty cool.

[yeller]

I vote box anchor as well.

I hated my danforth. It was always such a pain to get it to set. With the box anchor, there is no technique needed to get it to set. Just drop it over the side. No chain needed, and less rope, which is a big plus.

I've used mine in sand, rock, and a river with mud bottom and it worked great everytime.

The holding power and versatility of this anchor can't be beat.

[Ghost]

Couple folks have mentioned box anchors and said "no chain needed." What is different about a box anchor in that fashion? (Never even heard of one until today.)

[yeller]

Couple folks have mentioned box anchors and said "no chain needed." What is different about a box anchor in that fashion? (Never even heard of one until today.)Here's the link.
http://www.slideanchor.com/Hlm_ShopIT_ProductDetails.aspx?ID=024a8189-c4ba-41dc-9a41-c5e749bb8688

Personally, I don't think I'd want a box anchor if I needed anything bigger than their 'small' size. I think a bigger one would be to cumbersome to set up and break down without damaging something on the boat.

[Ranman]

There are only THREE Types of anchors to be considered. The Danforth "Type". The CQR PLOW "Type", and maybe the "Bruce" Spade "Type" for anchoring a boat/yacht.
For a Donzi Classic, the Plow and Spade Type are OUT..because they are designrd to hang over the bow in a chock....ready to deploy. They can NOT be stored Low Profile as would be required in a Classic.
This leaves ONLY the Danforth type. Danforth gave up its patent a few years ago so every fly by night company came in with their own versions.....Knock Offs....Quite often in ALUMINUM. Aluminum has NO Place in an anchor.
The FIRST thing an anchor wants....IS.. to BITE into the bottom. Weight..and Sharp.. makes this happen. Aluminum is NOT weight. (Girlyman)
HISTORY: The Steel Danforth anchor was developed and perfected for use on WWII PT Boats...AND LSTs, (Landing Ship Docks) which needed to pull themselves OFF the beach after they had dropped off their payload on the beach.
In addition to the anchor...you need a Rode..which includes some CHAIN just behind the anchor..then some NYLON from there ..up to the boat.
For a Donzi Classic I recommend a Danforth Anchor (See Pictures) with 10 feet of 1/4 inch galvanized chain..plus 75 to 100 feet of 5/16 "Twisted" Nylon rode.
Going into WHY this is Valid is another story for another time.
I have an '86 Minx and this is what I have..and how it's tied down. The anchor weighs 9 Pounds. John

I can appreciate what you've said here, but I have to disagree. The box anchor is relatively new technology, but it cannot be ruled out as a viable option. I've owned one and have used it on my Donzi for several years with excellent results. I've never heard of an owner of one of these complain that they didn't like it or that they don't work exceptionally well. My Formula has a plow type anchor with all chain and a windlass, so that's what I use on that boat, but for the Donzi, this is the ticket.

All anchors are bulky and clumsy, the "box" included but to a lesser degree. What I like about the box anchor is that it folds flat into a relatively narrow profile. The anchor and line fit neatly in to the storage bag and can be easily stowed in several places on an 18 or 22 Donzi.

[DonziJon]

OMG: This is the first I've seen a Box Anchor. It looks like either a Bear Trap, or some Evil Contraption designed to Mangle Inocent Lobsters, while they look for an ever diminishing food suppliy, caused by Global Warming.

Glad to hear that it works. Sucessful anchoring can be considered an ART that needs to be practiced to be perfected. I've seen people toss an entire BALL of anchor rode (they usually call it Rope) ...along with the anchor over the side and HOPE it will "Take". :bonk:

Fun to watch during Cocktail Hour at the end of the day, when the stragglers are coming in to the overnight anchorage. Trouble is, sometimes you get to see it again at 2:00 AM when the guy Drags down on you. :lookaroun: John

[Ghost]

I watched the box anchor video--maybe I missed some discussion of the lack of chain in the video. Pretty interesting. Glad to hear it is working well for some.

Thing I don't get about the lack of chain, that it looks like is impossible to overcome, is keeping the rode quiet. Pehaps on a lot of lakes and other spots with very calm water it's not an issue, but it sure is here. (For me, the most important aspect of 10ft + of heavy chain is that the anchor rode isn't yanking the boat as waves roll in. Instead, some of the chain just lifts off the bottom, and then falls back, but the boat doesn't feel any harshness since the rode doesn't go taut. For anyone who hasn't used chain, I think you'd be shocked by how different it is in this regard.)

What I didn't notice from the box anchor video was whether they were saying you don't need chain, or whether it won't really do right with chain. But my suspicion is, without it, you might get scope savngs and bite, but the rode has no choice but to pound if there's any chop.

[yeller]

For most applications chain isn't needed. They do say that you may need some chain in nastier conditions.

I use the anchor buddy with mine to absorb any harshness.
http://tuggyproducts.com/

[Ghost]

I use the anchor buddy with mine to absorb any harshness. http://tuggyproducts.com/ (http://tuggyproducts.com/)

Cool. that looks like it'd work.

Never ceases to amaze me how different boating experiences are in different places. Around here, life without chain (or something like you have) is ugly. A buddy of mine got his first boat with nothing but 3-strand for a rode, and the pounding was unreal. He actually asked me how come by my boat didn't behave like his when anchored.

[DonziJon]

Another advantage with using chain....and the Shock Absorption Ghost mentions, is that, that very trait also helps prevent the anchor from being Jerked out of the bottom once it is set. The chain lies on the bottom horizontally, providing a horizontal pull on the anchor which helps set the anchor further, and using chain also allows you to get by with less Scope, giving you a tighter swinging radius which is GOOD when you are in a crowded anchorage. The chain makes a Catenary, which nylon ....being light weight will NOT provide.

Serious salt water cruising boats usually use ALL Chain. This is particularly important in areas with coral which will chew up a nylon rode in a hurry.

This is all probably irrelevant to Donzi Classic owners anchoring in four feet of water on a sandy bottom, because anchoring is usually only a Lunch Hook situation where the boat is never left unattended. John

[AndyDiSario]

I use Fortress Guardian aluminum danforth anchors:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/7214/377%20710/0/fortress%20guardian/Primary%20Search/mode%20matchallpartial/0/0?N=377%20710&Ne=0&Ntt=fortress%20guardian&Ntk=Primary%20Search&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&Nao=0&Ns=0&keyword=fortress%20guardian&isLTokenURL=true&storeNum=88&subdeptNum=381&classNum=381

I spring for SS shackles and chain. Galvanized or vinyl-coated chains always end up deteriorating and rusting. Next, they stain the clothing of my first mate (my wife) and even my boat upholstery. I use 7/16" braided line and a heavy-duty SS carabiner hook also. The Fortress comes with mud flaps, which I use also.

I use this anchor system on a 12' Waverunner, a 16' Donzi Classic, and an 18' Stingray bowrider. I'm sure captains of larger boats can offer better advice for larger craft, for example, I have no experience with an electric windlass.

I learned my lessons about using inadequate line or anchor: once, strong currents during tidal change dragged a barely-adequate temporary anchor; another time a surprise tropical storm blew through the Gulf of Mexico and broke my inadequate line which was holding three large Waverunners tied in series, causing loss of an expensive anchor. Fortunately, the boats were rescued in both cases, but never again will I take a chance. The hardest lessons are the ones we remember best.

Regards,
Andy DiSario