373 Anchor Recommendations

ToddS

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Sep 11, 2017
248
Beneteau 373 Cape Cod
I'm the new owner of a Beneteau 373, and am tempted to improve the anchoring tackle it came with, though I'll admit I haven't even used it once yet. It has a delta style anchor on it now, on a roller with windlass. I can't read the weight on the anchor, but it looks like maybe 25 lbs (maybe 30?) with around 25-30 feet of chain and another 75-100 feet of nylon. My old boat was a bit smaller (35 ft.) with MUCH lower freeboard/windage, and I used a 25lb CQR with short (but oversized) length of chain, and mostly nylon as my primary setup... short chain because I didn't have a windlass and had to deploy/haul-in/stow the anchor by hand. I also own a fortress anchor which (imho) makes a lousy primary anchor, but an outstanding anchor to leave in a locker for the rare occasion you need to carry out a 2nd anchor in a dinghy for one reason or another... lightweight, easy to deploy, corrosion-resistant. Anyhow, I'm wondering what other 373 owners use as their primary anchors. I live in the northeast and am somewhat of a fair-weather sailor... so I'm not likely to need an anchor that'll let me sleep well through a hurricane at anchor (if that's even possible). I need more than a lunch hook though, since often I'll anchor for a few nights at a time. I anchor mostly in mud/soft bottoms... occasionally with weeds (always a challenge). Mostly I'm in shallow harbors... 8-12 feet with decent holding. I don't need a lesson on anchoring, as I've done a bunch but am just curious what other 373 or maybe 393 owners are currently using (and whether they're happy or not with their current setups). Thanks.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
I have a Bavaria 38E; a little larger than yours in size & weight, freeboard. I use the 45# Suncor SS PlowMaster. Nice anchor, especially if you attach 150 ft of 5/16" SS chain, backed by 9/16" nylon 3-strand. This is not a "CQR"; much wider palms.

 
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Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
I will leave you to research the massive amount of ground tackle info hear on the forums and on the internet in general. This is an important decision. But if it were my boat I would pick up one of the new generation "scoop" style anchors, 45lbs, 60feet of chain and 150ft of 8 braid. Sell the Delta and use the proceeds to pick up a Guardian/Fortress 23 or so and plan to shackle it to your existing rode. I run a 65lb Mantus Supreme on my boat but I like oversized anchors. You will want a good working electric windlass to pull these new anchors out of the bottom. They dig way deep.

You may find that you need a smooth swivel to allow your anchor to pass the bow roller. Suncor makes some nice double swivel SS models with outstanding load capacity.
 

Bob S

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Sep 27, 2007
1,771
Beneteau 393 New Bedford, MA
I'll second Gunni's advise. I had the Mason Supreme on my C30 and it performed flawlessly. I just bought a Mantus for our new to us boat. I plan on buying 100' of 3/8 BBB chain at the Defender Warehouse sale next month. We anchor often.
 
Jul 20, 2005
2,422
Whitby 55 Kemah, Tx
If you can find a used 44 lb Bulwagga then get it, otherwise go with the 45 lb Mantus with their mounting bracket to keep it snug on the roller.

If you don't plan on anchoring in coral then 50' of 5/16th chain with 200' of 5/8th rope will do perfectly. I've ridden out a couple of hurricanes with eye going over on anchor with this setup (one on Bulwagga one on Mantus) and rope chain combo and I can tell you it will hold, but sleep, na, you will not get much sleep.

Edit: come to think of it, doubt you will ever find a used Bulwagga. Owners do not sell theirs.
 

ToddS

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Sep 11, 2017
248
Beneteau 373 Cape Cod
West Marine has a Manson Boss anchor on sale this week at a pretty steep discount... tough to beat 62% off (and I've had great luck with their return policies if things don't work out), so I bought the 45# model. They advertise that the "Boss" anchors are a revamped version of the traditional Manson anchor with fins instead of the rollbar to better fit power boats, but I can't see how that's specific to power boats, and it gets good reviews (similar to Mantus and Rocna). I live an hour away from the boat, and it's buried in snow where I live, so I won't know how it fits on the bow roller for another month or so until the boat emerges from hibernation, but I'll post here when I get it onboard. It is too difficult to tell from measurements/specs alone how it will sit on the bow, and how it will deploy without actually trying it out. Technically the manufacturer recommends the 35# version for a 37' boat, but with the windlass doing the heavy lifting, not my back... I voted to go a size up. I'll keep the delta as a backup anchor, and I already have a fortress that I can store flat in the bottom of an anchor locker with all nylon rode to use in rare cases where I need to carry an anchor out in a dinghy (If I have to kedge... or drop a stern anchor in some shallows... etc.) since it weighs next to nothing, and holds extremely well as long as you don't swing around and need it to reset itself (in my experience). I didn't buy a 2nd rode yet... but that's simple enough... I anchor in pretty shallow and obstacle-free harbors mostly... never coral... 150 feet of nylon and 30 of chain should be good... can't remember ever needing more than 100 in the past 15-20 years, Excited to see how/if the manson fits on my roller.
*UPDATE* - The prices were too good to resist, so I bought both the 35# and the 45#, and will return one depending on the fit... I'm a little worried about how close the point of the anchor will be to the bow gelcoat. I will probably visit the boat within a couple weeks to try it on for size. BTW, they both (especially the 45#) look RIDICULOUSLY huge sitting by my back door... partly because it it out of context (indoors instead of on a bow roller outdoors) and partly just the style of this particular design with the huge wings. It looks like it could hold an aircraft carrier in place...
 
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