For those sailing in the Chesapeake what type of anchor and rode length and setup are you using for your boat. Please provide boat length also.
Thanks
Thanks
Anchor weight and type
- Thread starter Paul and Judy
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Hunter 41, 55# (25kg) Rocna, 100' of 5/16" hi-test chain spliced to 200' of 5/8" nylon, on a windlass. This is overkill for this boat alone, but we regularly raft up with 3 other sailboats (4 total), I'm usually the anchor boat, and this combo has always worked so far, even in a good blow.
If I wasn't a frequent rafter, I'd go with the 44# Rocna (20kg). My experience is the Rocna is superb for holding in Chesapeake mud.
If I wasn't a frequent rafter, I'd go with the 44# Rocna (20kg). My experience is the Rocna is superb for holding in Chesapeake mud.
I am thinking of going with a Delta Quick Set 45 pounds with 30 feet of 3/8" chain and 170 feet of 8 plaited 5/8" rope. I do not have a windlass. I plan to live aboard for extended periods and do not want to drag. (optomistic thinking). Any thoughts on this arrangement?
Tell us first: What do you have installed at the moment and where do you plan on cruising/live-aboarding?
Currently I have 120 feet of rope (not sure what it is) and about 20 feet of chain. The anchor is a danforth 18 pounder. We plan to spend a lot of time up and down the ICW from Chesapeake Bay to Florida Keys. The boat is a Hunter 33.5
We purchased the boat last summer and find the current anchor arrangement causes us to drag, A LOT!!
We purchased the boat last summer and find the current anchor arrangement causes us to drag, A LOT!!
The problem with the Danforth may not be holding power but failure to reset. We had a similar problem and went to a 35#CQR with 30' of 5/8 chain (sometimes wish we had a windlass) and have not dragged since. Our h320 sails at anchor and will pull the anchor out but the CQR has been quick to reset. Has worked good for the Florida Keys and the Bahamas.
Just as guidance and so you know, the topic of anchors comes up frequently on this site, sometimes with emotion and strong opinion. There is a bunch of useful information to be found in the archives and you should browse there for many past discussions.
That said, my personal opinion on your upgrade: when it comes to anchors, the bigger the better! Your limiting factor though is lack of windlass.
I have had 2 different Deltas on 2 different boats on the Chesapeake and they both dragged in blowy conditions or while setting back down hard. Sometimes drag very slowly but that's not reassuring. I understand though that the Delta and CQR do very well in the Caribbean/Keys, as Benny attests. So the Delta may well be a good answer there.
For Chesapeake soft mud, I recommend the Rocna or Manson Supreme. The scoop design just latches on to the bottom and if it twists out due to a big swing of the boat, just resets itself easily.
Go to www.rocna.com for info and sizing. I suspect you would be looking at the 15kg/33lb model. Anything larger than that is going to be a heavy haul without a windlass. Use 5/16 hi-test G4 chain instead of 3/8 to save on the chain weight you have to haul by hand. One downside to this anchor design on the Chesapeake is that invariably you are going to bring up a chunk of mud from the bottom when you haul it up. In calculating the dead weight of what you will have to haul up, think approximately in terms of: the anchor weight + 1lb per foot of chain from your anchor roller to the bottom (20'?) + an extra 5-10 pounds of wet mud.
No doubt you would sleep even better with a larger anchor, but before you go there, I'd test first to see if could haul it all up by hand (just attach the extra equivalent weight to your current anchor, using gym weights, whatever, and see how easily it comes up).
That said, my personal opinion on your upgrade: when it comes to anchors, the bigger the better! Your limiting factor though is lack of windlass.
I have had 2 different Deltas on 2 different boats on the Chesapeake and they both dragged in blowy conditions or while setting back down hard. Sometimes drag very slowly but that's not reassuring. I understand though that the Delta and CQR do very well in the Caribbean/Keys, as Benny attests. So the Delta may well be a good answer there.
For Chesapeake soft mud, I recommend the Rocna or Manson Supreme. The scoop design just latches on to the bottom and if it twists out due to a big swing of the boat, just resets itself easily.
Go to www.rocna.com for info and sizing. I suspect you would be looking at the 15kg/33lb model. Anything larger than that is going to be a heavy haul without a windlass. Use 5/16 hi-test G4 chain instead of 3/8 to save on the chain weight you have to haul by hand. One downside to this anchor design on the Chesapeake is that invariably you are going to bring up a chunk of mud from the bottom when you haul it up. In calculating the dead weight of what you will have to haul up, think approximately in terms of: the anchor weight + 1lb per foot of chain from your anchor roller to the bottom (20'?) + an extra 5-10 pounds of wet mud.
No doubt you would sleep even better with a larger anchor, but before you go there, I'd test first to see if could haul it all up by hand (just attach the extra equivalent weight to your current anchor, using gym weights, whatever, and see how easily it comes up).
Brian
Thanks for the good information. Those Rocnas are not cheap!!. I am going to try the Delta Quickset 44 pound and if there is a blow in the area I will set a second anchor. However if a blow forms unknowingly then I may be trouble. Setting the GPS anchor alarm may help but I will be sleeping with one eye open.
Thanks for the good information. Those Rocnas are not cheap!!. I am going to try the Delta Quickset 44 pound and if there is a blow in the area I will set a second anchor. However if a blow forms unknowingly then I may be trouble. Setting the GPS anchor alarm may help but I will be sleeping with one eye open.
Right, good anchors are not cheap. So, I suggest checking in with Bacons in Annapolis to see what they have in the used anchor inventory. Not much can go wrong with an anchor and Bacons sometimes has some good deals on CQRs and Rocnas. They always have Danforths, but who doesn't?
Warren is right....we have a h356 on the chesapeake that came with a undersized stock 22 delta, 20 ft of chain and windlass. I immediately upgraded to a 35 lb delta. Worked ok but on changing winds in a blow, would drag. I bought a 45 manson supreme with 50 ft of ht chain and have slept wonderfully ever since. Year two I had to install a washdown pump because as someone mentioned, it brings up half of the bay mud each time. I often serve as the anchor boat and we don't move.
Please do yourself a favor and buy a Manson Supreme. Pound for pound they hold a LOT more than a Delta. A 35 pound Manson will hold more than a 45 pound Delta and a 45 pound Manson is a mooring for your boat, not just an anchor.
You can't always fairly compare weight for weight when comparing new technology to old. To be fair you would need to compare a Delta 55 to a Manson 45. If you compare the prices that way the Manson is only $37.70 more than the Delta. A Manson 35 which is more comparable to a Delta 45 is $49.99 more than a 45 pound Delta. $49.00 is a couple cases of beer to upgrade to a better designed anchor that will also perform better.
While the Rocna is a great design, I own one of the originals, the company has moved production to China and has had issues with the quality of the steel used. They have shipped anchors that are outside of the designers own specifications for metalurgy, and have admitted so, and there are photos showing up of Rocna's with bent flukes. As of yet there has not been a recall and instead they have changed the wording on the web site to state that the anchors are built "fit for purpose".
For now I'd steer clear of a Rocna unless you can find a used one that was built in British Columbia or New Zealand. The China built stuff is a crap shoot at this point IMHO.
The Manson Supreme is everything the Rocna is and more because it is actually Lloyds approved for SHHP (Super High Holding Power). You won't find a Delta, CQR or even a genuine Bruce that meets SHHP classification.
In the most recent Sail Magazine tests the Manson Supreme did significantly better than the Delta and twice exceeded the pull limits of the test gear at over 5000 pounds of holding power for a 35 pound anchor.
The Manson Supreme is also less money than the Rocna but slightly more than a Delta Fast Set. You're buying insurance, so why buy an old outdated policy when you can buy the latest in anchoring insurance..
Rough guide is one pound of anchor per foot of boat. That said, the rest of the story relies on the anchor type and set-up. In the Cheasapeake mud, the Danforth's alway fail in a big blow and the Delta is unreliable in changing current and wind. I went with a 35# Manson Supreme with 100' of G4, 5/16" backed with 200' of 5/8 three strand. More rode than I'll ever need in the Bay. However, even on a short scope I've never, ever dragged and I stay put regardless of the weather, wind or tide.
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