Anchor Type

Tally Ho · Monday at 1:49 PM

The ice will probably hold the boat still :poop:

I am wintering in SW Florida, and it is chilly with this polar vortex stretching all the way to the gulf…but I am still in shorts and flip flops today

I think you are ok with your anchor set up, assuming you have some rope rode after the chain…in other words, you need more than 22 feet of total anchor rode. Even in 10 feet of water, I would typically play out 30 feet of rode for a calm night. More if I have any wind.

I sail a 1988 O’Day 322 (about 12,000 pounds loaded) on the south end of Lake Michigan. I typically use a plow type anchor, about 25# I think. I have 2 danforth anchors as well, but don’t keep them on the bow.

When I anchor out on Lake Michigan, I select my weather window carefully. As you know, Lake Michigan can build 8, 10, 16 foot waves. So as long as you are on an inland lake, a protected bay or have off-shore breezes and calm seas, you should be good.

Are you sailing on LM or a smaller lake?

Greg

SV Temenos · Monday at 1:50 PM

Danforths will hold really well once set. For me they have always been very difficult to set. They also don't do well if the wind / tide changes direction. There are much better designs out there today. I have had really good luck with spade anchors. Set really well with in a 1 1/2 boat lengths and reset if the wind / tide changes. If you want to see a lot of test data on anchors check out SV Panope on YouTube: SV Panope

Tally Ho · Monday at 3:21 PM

jpiombo67 said:
Thanks for the laugh. Lucky you. I'm a Floridian who came up here 20 years ago and said, " This is a really nice place to live" Then winter came along and then family and here we are.

I mostly sail on W. and E. Traverse Bay, S.and N. Manitou Islands and an occasional trailer to Lake Superior. Always always find little coves and natural harbors that are protected from the elements. The reason I was thinking about the Dansforth is that it stores flat. I have 150' of rope attached to the chain. I try to stay in 10' to 12'.
My current setup is a couple of Byers, but they kind of drag around a little. I am hoping the Dansforth will sit better.

I like my old plow anchor better than the danforth…not sure if they are readily available used .

Greg

Will Gilmore · Monday at 5:01 PM

Lake anchoring can be challenging. Danforths work great in sand and mud, but a rock bed shore not so well. Snags are also a frustration, come time to haul anchor. Do you use a trip line in case an old tree root is down there? I like trip lines with a small buoy, because the buoy helps tell you where your anchor is.

-Will

dlochner · 2025-01-21T04:48:04-0800

A 22 lb anchor for a 22 foot boat is way over kill. An 8 or 12 lbs anchor will easily hold your boat.

What matters is what the bottom is like. Danforth's work well in sand and mud, so-so in gravel, and not at all in weeds.

The SV Panope YouTube channel has more information about anchors than you may care to know. Steve's videos are very instructive and worth watching.

SV Panope

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

www.youtube.com

JBP-PA · 2025-01-21T06:36:18-0800

@dlochner is right, 22 lbs is overkill for a Venture 22. 22ft of chain is perfect for your boat on the Great Lakes. I prefer a bit more rope rode as my typical anchoring is in about 20 ft. +/-. As long as you anchor in mud or sand you'll have no problem. I have a 13 lb Danforth on my 23 ft boat and it does just fine for overnight use. I like 1/2 in anchor braid which is also overkill but it is easy on the hands. Watch some of the myriads of videos on how to set your anchor. Once it digs in it's really solid. If you are on gravel, if it sets you are OK, but if it skips along the bottom you should move elsewhere. Even if the bottom is rocky in part of a bay, there will often be another area that is mud.

I also use an anchor watch app as a backup warning. Especially since we tend to get wind shifts around midnight to a offshore breeze. Although I've never had my Danforth drag in a wind shift, it's good to stay aware of the possibility. Sometimes I'll set the anchor alarm to trip on the wind shift just so I can get up and check on things.

Danforths are much more popular on the Great Lakes than spade type anchors because we have a lot of sand and mud bottoms and they are fairly well charted. Spade anchors hold better in all conditions and reset well, but they are heavy and expensive and not really necessary (unless you leave your boat unattended for long periods).

shemandr · 2025-01-21T07:27:09-0800

Someone said anchor three times and now Beetlejuice is out!

dlochner · 2025-01-21T07:42:12-0800

jpiombo67 said:
Hello all,
Currently -14 with the wind chill here in Traverse City, Michigan.
Venture 222

Noobie question. Will a 22# dansforth with 22' of chain be enough to keep me from moving when spending the night on the hook. In protected waters. Sand and some rock/gravel bottom.

Thank you all

What size chain is being used?

@thinwater has written a book on anchoring, You might find that helpful as you sort through all this information. It's available on Amazon here.

dlochner · 2025-01-21T13:53:39-0800

jpiombo67 said:
Thank-you for the input. I was looking on Marketplace. I just saw a listing for a 17# dansforth. I have 22' of 3/16th chain that is currently attached to my Byers type anchor. I was looking at spades, but it looks like they take up too much room.
I do have an anchor alarm on my GPS.

17# is too big for your boat, unless you plan to anchor in hurricanes.

dlochner · 2025-01-21T14:04:47-0800

Defender has a 9# Genuine Danforth Anchor is which the size you need for $45. Not sure how much you would save on Marketplace.

https://defender.com/en_us/danforth-standard-anchor

The anchor you don't want looks like the photo below. They are designed for easy retrieval, the ring slides to the anchor flukes and the anchor comes out backwards. This also happens in a 180° wind shift, the anchor pulls out and won't reset. Fine for a lunch hook, but not for overnight.