anchor roller and anchor

[Mark Nooney]

I sail the Chesapeake and have yet to anchor out.
There are two things that concern me.
Do I have the correct anchor for the sailing area and
should I have a anchor roller?

The anchor that came with the boat is a Danforth fluke style
about 15 - 20 lbs. Not much chain and 150' of rode.
There is no anchor roller.
If an anchor roller is called for then this leads to the question what is the best way to to secure the anchor roller to bow?

The boat is a 31' Hunter that weighs 10K lbs.
Thanks for the responses in advance.
Mark

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

It All Depends ........................

................... on the ocean floor and the depth.

You're going to want a minimum scope of 3:1 to stay in one place in moderate weather as well as a chain length roughly equal to your boat length. This always makes for a restful night.

The Danforth is a reasonable all round anchor but personally, I'm biased against anchors with moving parts. Your Danforth at 15-20 lbs is definitely undersized so you may want to upgrade to something heavier/better..

Several years ago, I changed to a claw anchor (from a Danforth) and find it's never failed to set on the first pull. We've also been through some rough nights with 180 degree wind reversals and we've yet to drag anchor yet. Can't say the same for the old Danforth.

 

[Bill Roosa]

the entire bay is mud except for Rock Cr. and Stony Cr. There are occasional sand bars but you rarely anchor on them. you do run aground on them so having an anchor that you can kludge off with is handy (as is a dingy). I've sailed the bay for a few years now and the CQR, and delta have worked very well. those sheet metal types are not reliable in packed mud as they skip over the top unless they are over sized.
I use a 40 lb delta on my 40.5 and have never drug even when lots of boats around where dragging.

 

[Saillife]

150' of rode should be enough for the bay. I'd look at a CQR & 30' + of 5/16 chain. I was in Bacons in Annapolis last month. They have a surplus of used CQR anchors. Probably can get one relatively cheap there. On my 34 I use a 35lb CQR with 50' of chain and 200' of 5/8" 8 strand rope.

 

[Mark Nooney]

Thanks for the input - I am planning a trip to bacons so now I have more of a porpose LOL. What about the anchor roller any thoughts?

 

[Saillife]

Can't really help you with the roller. Lewmar & others make rollers. I would think, you're going to need access to the underside of the deck at the bow to bolt it down & I would definitely want a serious backing plate.
Have you seen this? http://hunter.sailboatowners.com/in...7&cat_id=25&aid=7391&page=article&mn=31_83-87

He talks about it here http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=346444#post346444

 

[jtm]

re: the anchor roller- check out what the H28.5 mod section offers. If your bow/tang area is similar this could be a solution, albeit not cheap to fabricate.

http://hunter.sailboatowners.com/in...d=267&cat_id=21&aid=7253&page=article&mn=28.5

 

[Benny17441]

When you say "not much chain" I would say the bare minimum should be 15' of 5/16" chain for your boat. I would say your current setup is fine for anchoring in protected waters. Just practice during the day anchoring at different depths, a variety of bottoms and wind conditions and get a feel for the holding power. See how the anchor performs at different scope 3:1, 4:1, 5:1 etc. If you want to upgrade get 30' of 3/8" chain and a 25# CQR. The anchor roller is a convenience item but not a necessity. Just slip the anchor under the bow pulpit and don't step on the line. Be aware of the contact point of the rode as it goes overboard as if the area is not protected it could create a groove on the deck surface or if it is to sharp it could chafe and eventually cut the line.

 

[Ed H]

My 1981 Hunter 33 came with the same type of anchor but it is only about 13 pounds. It has about 15 foot of chain and 120 feet of rode (according to the little tags). During the 2 years that we have owned her we anchor out all the time and have not dragged despite some winds over 25 MPH... YMMV.... We are careful to set the anchor well and have a spare in case we have to set 2 anchors.

 

[JST123]

To answer what you can do without a roller, you can use a bridle using your forward to cleats. Make sure the lengt extends past the bow by 1-2 ft. I use this setup on my 33.5. As for your anchor, the danforth is a good anchor. Works well in sand and mud. The amount of scope should be 7 to 1, you can vary but it is the standard. The more chain you have you can get away with less scope. The more scope, the more secure your anchor!