H260 . . . Which anchor

Aug 22, 2017
1,609
Hunter 26.5 West Palm Beach
Regardless of what you find in print or what others have experienced in other places, the two most important things to consider when choosing the correct anchor is how much drag your boat produces under given conditions & what type of bottom you are digging into. Even just saying a sand bottom or a mud bottom is not conclusive. Sand & mud both vary. Some is loose, some is hard packed. It makes a big difference.

Take a look at what other boats your size are using in the areas you plan to visit & see how well those anchors are working for them. Be sure to factor that information into your decision making.

If you are looking for a place to dispose of that aluminum thing that you don't seem to have faith in, please feel free to send it my way. They work well in the area where I live. I have become quite fond of them.
 
Nov 10, 2017
258
Hunter Legend 260 Epidavros
Regardless of what you find in print or what others have experienced in other places, the two most important things to consider when choosing the correct anchor is how much drag your boat produces under given conditions & what type of bottom you are digging into. Even just saying a sand bottom or a mud bottom is not conclusive. Sand & mud both vary. Some is loose, some is hard packed. It makes a big difference.
Thanks but this is why I am asking the question, to get a consensus of what other peeps use.
I am a new 260 owner so I have no concept of your shown quote above
I am looking for the impossible of "the jack of all" but will have accept a happy medium.
I do not any experience of the new range of spades, so I hoped to get some information from peeps that used them. If I looked to see what others use in the Med, I would be choosing between, CQR, Delta, Bruce or Fortress all of which I would not choose because of past issues. Of course no bottom is the same and sometimes we don't have the choice of where we anchor and with what.
You also missed weed out of your list, this is something that I have to take into consideration because it's in natural abundance here in the Med.
 
Aug 22, 2017
1,609
Hunter 26.5 West Palm Beach
It is possible that you may be well served to carry more than one type of anchor, especially if you are traveling to a variety of locations. The one that you already have is an excellent choice in many places, but a poor choice in others. If I were in your shoes, I would probably keep that anchor, assuming that it is properly sized for your boat & also carry one of the modern style anchors like Mantus, Rockna, Supreme, etc., but that is just me. If cost was a factor in getting a second anchor or not, I might go with a cheap Delta along with keeping the Fortress.

Another good reason to carry a second anchor is that sometimes you get one hooked into something so well that you just can't get it back & you then need to abandon it.

If your insurance company stipulates the type of anchor that must be used to prevent coverage from being voided, then that may be a consideration as well. One of the reasons that the CQR enjoyed such popularity was because it was approved by Lloyds.

If weeds are a primary concern, you may be able to improve the performance of a particular anchor by filing the tine(s) to a sharper point.
 
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Nov 10, 2017
258
Hunter Legend 260 Epidavros
It is possible that you may be well served to carry more than one type of anchor if you are traveling to a variety of locations. The one that you already have is an excellent choice in many places, but a poor choice in others. If I were in your shoes, I would probably keep that anchor, assuming that it is properly sized for your boat & also carry one of the modern style anchors like Mantus, Rockna, Supreme, etc.
There is always that possibility. At the moment I am planning on a Bugel and see how we go. I also have a Britany/Danforth and a Stockless. Apologies on the Fortress, but I generalise all with that shape/design.
 
Aug 22, 2017
1,609
Hunter 26.5 West Palm Beach
With the boat I got 30' of 5/16"or 3/8" chain plus 150' and at least 3/8" but may be 1/2" 3 strand rode.
If the line is only 3/8" & the boat is a 26, then that is the first thing I would upgrade. a 17 or maybe a 19 foot boat is about the biggest thing I would hang on a piece of 3/8" line unless you are just using it for a lunch hook. Do stay with 3-strand for the anchor line. That is generally accepted to be the correct choice.
 
Aug 22, 2017
1,609
Hunter 26.5 West Palm Beach
There is always that possibility. At the moment I am planning on a Bugel and see how we go. I also have a Britany/Danforth and a Stockless. Apologies on the Fortress, but I generalise all with that shape/design.
That sounds to me like a good selection for a variety of bottoms, but I don't have any direct experience with the Bugel, so my opinion here is of limited value.
 

Mr Fox

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Aug 31, 2017
204
Marshall 22 Portland, ME
Not sure if you've watched this test, probably the most comprehensive and unbiased I've seen thus far, made me upgrade the Bruce that came with my boat.

 
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