Anchor Decision

Charlie Jones s/v Tehani · Feb 3, 2019

TomY said:
There was just an interesting coffee-onboard thread on Cruising Anarchy. It went like gangbusters for 21 days with 5051 views and 206 posts!

For my money, the Mocha Pot rules.

View attachment 160804

French press- on board and at home. We bought the first one, made coffee, and my ex unplugged the coffee maker and tossed it in the garbage.

Never looked back

Gene Neill · Feb 4, 2019

Instant coffee is by far the best.

jssailem · Feb 4, 2019

That is the problem with instant coffee. You have to stir the pot.

capta · Feb 4, 2019

[QUOTE="MikeHoncho, post: 1512986, member: 133291Any references or insight to good technique with setting the CQR?[/QUOTE]
When I used a genuine CQR, I almost always pretty much used all my chain, no matter the depth, justifying that by saying that the chain did nothing to help if it was in the chain locker. Since getting the Rocna I have steadily been reducing my scope to just over 3 to 1 with the snub attached in most anchorages.
The Rocna has proved to me time and time again that it is much more difficult to get back up than to set. Even at less than 2 to 1 it holds well (which we learned when retrieving it, waiting out a gust) and takes some effort to break free when straight up and down.
Again, just so we are perfectly clear, I am not advocating using a Rocna in the PNW, though it should work just as well there as here, as I haven't been there since the '60s, long before the Rocna was invented. I'm only speaking of my personal experiences with this anchor in the various bottoms of the Caribbean.

Tom J · Feb 4, 2019

capta said:
Even at less than 2 to 1 it holds well (which we learned when retrieving it, waiting out a gust) and takes some effort to break free when straight up and down.

When that happens, I take a turn on a bow cleat and the Admiral shifts into forward at idle. The anchor will break free with no effort on my part. She then shifts into neutral and I retrieve the rest of the rode. We use hand signals to communicate. Very safe and efficient, and no yelling involved.

capta · Feb 5, 2019

Tom J said:
When that happens, I take a turn on a bow cleat and the Admiral shifts into forward at idle. The anchor will break free with no effort on my part. She then shifts into neutral and I retrieve the rest of the rode. We use hand signals to communicate. Very safe and efficient, and no yelling involved.

I'm quite befuddled by those who see the need to communicate (especially with headsets on any vessel under a hundred feet or more) with anything more than a few hand signals when anchoring or weighing anchor. Just what exactly do they talk about? And for docking as well, but that's another conversation. We use hand signals to indicate depth, first from the helm and mimicked on the bow, and a thumb's down for when to drop. My wife knows how much scope to let out and since we never back down on our anchor unless there is absolutely no wind at all, or we are Med mooring, what else could we possibly need to communicate?
As for breaking the anchor out, we find that in most cases, just a minute or two when straight up and down on the chain will do it, but of course, we can always power it out if necessary. I guess we are just lazy.

Kings Gambit · Feb 5, 2019

MikeHoncho said:
My 78 Hunter 30 came with a 14lb Delta Plow (for a 28ft) that is the primary and a approx 10lb Fortress Dansforth (32 ft) as a secondary. I have purchase a USED 35lb CQR as a new primary. I sail in the Puget Sound and plan to anchor routinely in San Juans and around in the Southern Sound.
I would like your input on which anchor to keep as a secondary, the Delta or Fortress. I would like to sell one of them but I guess I could be talked into keeping both with a good argument.

Coming a little late to this discussion. Cruising PNW last summer I recall seeing many Bruce or other claw-type anchors on boats there. But given your question as which to keep as secondary, I’ll assume you’d want it to have the same capabilities as the main bower. As far as I know there is Fortress (aluminum) and then there is Danforth (steel). l’ll assume you mean Fortress, and that is the one I would keep over the Delta. However, when cruising on my boat I keep three sets of ground tackle aboard—a 45# Plowmaster (CQR type w/much wider palms), an FX-16 Fortress, and the 10 kg Genuine Bruce. The Plowmaster is the bower attached to 160 ft of 5/16” chain then 200’ of 9/16” 3-strand nylon. The Fortress attached to 30’ of 5/16” chain then 300’ of rode as above. The Bruce attached to 30’ of 3/8” chain then 250’ of 1/2” 3-strand nylon rode. There have been times when all three have been deployed at anchor. So, you might consider keeping them all.