Best anchor and chain

[NCBrew]

I have a Hunter Legend 35.5 and the previous owner has a large heavy anchor with a very heavy chain, The chain is very long. I am wondering if I could use a smaller chain and anchor. I do mostly inter coastal cruising. What size chain, made from what. Galvanized or steel.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Pretty much depends on where you anticipate anchoring and what the bottom conditions are there. Some anchors are good in grass, some in mud, etc... The chain plays as much a part of solid anchoring as does the anchor itself. Better than asking here - check with the locals.

Everybody has a preference for a specific type/brand anchor and will gladly tell you a myriad reasons why.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

has a large heavy anchor with a very heavy chain,

How can you say what "heavy" is until you supply us with the numbers ? Also, what type of anchor ?

 

[shemandr]

PO may have wanted to ride on all chain for some good reasons. If you have a winless it’s fine.

 

[jssailem]

Good to see your posting again Chief.

Your answer depends on how you see yourself using the Anchor and Rode.

If your daysailing and need a hook to let you rest and perhaps grab a bite, then a light rope road and an anchor designed for the type of bottoms your sailing waters provide will suit your needs.

If you plan on heading out to the Bahamas, and seek anchorage during storms among the coral, then a heavy anchor and sufficient chain to keep the boat safe is more the order.

 

[Tom J]

Definitely check with the locals. When I cruised the intracoastal, I had three anchors and three sets of rode on board. A lot depends on the location and conditions at the time as far as what is best for anchoring.

 

[kloudie1]

Check out Practical Sailor.. Our member Thinwater is an outstanding contributor..
The Sarca Excel seems to be a really good answer for anchoring..
Excel Anchor Offers Case Study in Design - Practical Sailor (practical-sailor.com)

 

[ggrizzard]

Kloudie, your link to the Practical Sailor report is only valid to subscribers of their service,,,

 

[heritage]

Too many unknowns. We need to know if you have a windlass and if so, what type of capstan it has. Can the capstan handle both chain and rope?

The Albermarle and Pamlico sound areas have mainly a mud and sand bottom with excellent holding with almost any anchor. Most boats in this area are equipped with galvanized chain about the length of the boat and the rest is nylon line. I would think that 5/16 or 3/8 chain would be about right for your boat. The down side of using a chain/line setup on a windlass is the the line portion doesn't fall into the anchor locker as well as chain.

 

[sail sfbay]

You will get lots of opinions on this forum. Suggest reading this: Selecting an Anchor Rode | West Marine. My Hunter 46 has a heavier than required Manson Supreme galvanized anchor with 50 ft 5/16” ɸ G43 G4 chain and 300 ft 5/8” ɸ rope 8-plait nylon rope with depth markers.

 

[flightlead404]

Pick up a copy of Hine's seminal work on anchoring and mooring. Personally I carry a 55lb Rocna with 200' 5/16" 43+50' 8-plait and a Fortress FC-16 with 25' 5/16" and 200' 8-plait. Cruising so far Hilton Head to Key West.

 

[Terry Cox]

What size chain, made from what. Galvanized or steel.

If you have a windlass, the gypsy will dictate the chain size, that is unless you change the gypsy. The two must match to work properly. Also, untreated, or galvanized steel chain, will have limited life in a corrosive salt water marine environment. Whatever chain size you decide, be sure it is made in the USA and it is hot dipped galvanized. Also, G4 grade chain will last longer and is stronger than say BBB or Proofcoil. G7 grade chain is stronger and more resistant to corrosion than even G4. If want to go with a smaller chain, say 1/4", to reduce weight, G7 would be a good choice, but whatever you do, the chain size must match the gypsy size to work properly.

Our 1991 model came with a 40 pound Danforth, which I really like. In 2015 I installed 50' of 5/16" ACCO brand hot dipped galvanized chain to replace what we had. We've anchored hundreds of times over the years in mostly mud/sand bottoms. The chain looks the same as the day we purchased it. There is also a swivel that connects the anchor to the chain to help minimize twisting.

 

[Hello Below]

For completeness and arguably the best anchor chain is duplex G6 stainless. Because of its strength you can easily downsize and save weight. And your wallet will be a whole lot lighter also.
Cromox G6 - Duplex Chain
There is a YouTube sailing channel Sailing Fair Isle that talks a little about the pros and cons of the various options.
S/V Fair Isle - Anchoring 101

 

[flightlead404]

For completeness and arguably the best anchor chain is duplex G6 stainless. Because of its strength you can easily downsize and save weight. And your wallet will be a whole lot lighter also.
Cromox G6 - Duplex Chain
There is a YouTube sailing channel Sailing Fair Isle that talks a little about the pros and cons of the various options.
S/V Fair Isle - Anchoring 101

Well, first you have to define "best", which has not yet been done here.

Anytime someone asks me "what's the best...." my first response is usually "define best" lol

I like the sailing fairisle guy, and I wish he'd do more technical videos, but he reminds me of a friend of mine whose got like 3 PhDs, who once solved a supposedly unsolvable mathematics problem on a job interview (not one of the biggies), but has very specific opinions that are not always grounded in logic. sometimes I get the feeling both of those guys pick what they like first, then build an argument to support it.

The definition of "best" may or may not include types of water, types of substrate, initial cost, cost amortized over the lifetime of the chain, weight, volume, how the chain/rode pays down into the locker, compatibility with existing windlass gypsy, and simply availability. We don't know because the OP didn't say.

 

[shemandr]

The weak link in most nodes is the anchor shackle pin. You can pick chain from tables. But the shackle pin that fits thru that chain is limited.
But the OP is asking, I think, if he needs that much chain. An answer is no. In that area with that bottom and depth he could certainly use 10' of a bit oversized chain and do fine.

 

[kloudie1]

A link with more info on Sarca Excel.
New Anchor: Sarca Excel No. 4 (37-lbs) – Research and Selection – Have Wind Will Travel