Anchors

Rod Holder · 12-16-2002, 03:20 PM

Just curious about what folks have for anchors...have any opinions on which is the best all around anchor?

Miss B Haven · 12-16-2002, 03:26 PM

Depends on the boat and what your trying to anchor in. Delta/CQR or Bruce all hook up real good in almost any kind of bottom. Don't have as much holding power as a big danforth style in soft mud or sand, but dan's can be a real pain to get set. Other side of the coin is that you need a roller set up to store the "plow" type anchors in. A danforth will lay flat on the deck if yu don't have the pulpit/rollers.
I've used both a 22lb Bruce and a 22 Delta and like both about the same. I carry a big fortress as a back up second/storm anchor. I really need a bigger (35lb) delta on Miss B but need to modify the bow pulpit before I can fit it in.
Rule of thumb - go with the next size up from what ever is "recommeded" for your boat. Looks like your running a 22 from your profile. A 22 lb bruce or delta would anchor you real securely. An fortress FX16 would hold real well too once you get it set. :smile:

[ 12-16-2002, 04:31 PM: Message edited by: Miss B Haven ]

Rod Holder · 12-16-2002, 03:50 PM

I have the Fortress FX11 and it's a size up from what they call for, but the jury is still out on it. I may end up using that off the stern and getting a claw or or one of those big ugly river anchors........dunno.........I have a windlass and a bow roller so storage or weight are no problem. Spend most of my time in the lower river or the Sound
thanks

Pilar · 12-17-2002, 07:24 AM

Rod holder, most of the river fishers use the rocking chair you can get from EZ or make the same thing in their shop. In the river, the key is to use a shot of chain about 10' long with a breakaway arrangement. The chain is attached to the bottom of the rocking chair in the middle and wired to the top of the shank.

If you get stuck and break the wire the pull shifts to the bottom and it comes up.

Hey Mel, got any tips on danforths? I have one and as you say it is a royal pain to get set.

skein · 12-17-2002, 07:54 AM

Anybody got any pictures of this setup?

I've heard of guys using plastic ties instead of wire. (maybe I need to do a search in the archives for "anchors") I'm still learning how to anchor - and un-anchor (weigh?) so I'm really interested in what is said.

Quote:

The chain is attached to the bottom of the rocking chair in the middle and wired to the top of the shank.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">Skein

Threemuch · 12-17-2002, 08:05 AM

Chain, chain, chain baby. And Scope. 7X the depth of water you are anchoring in. For Ocean anchoring, if you intend to sleep, I would want a foot of chain for every foot of boat. Probably more.

My friend has a 42' sea chief trawler we have taken out overnight numerous times. I have dove on the anchor to make sure it was secure for the evening. It is a Bruce, and in sand, you could not see the anchor at all. It buried itself completely upon setting.

Anchoring with a danforth is not hard, if you have the requisite amount of chain. With 6 or 10' of chain they won't set easily, because you pull up instead of along the bottom.

I never saw the rocking chair anchor til I came here, but they work well in the river, that's for sure.

Miss B Haven · 12-17-2002, 08:21 AM

Pilar - here's my tip on Danforths. Get a plow type to use for everyday Anchoring (or a rocking chair for the upper river/rocky/snaggy areas). Put the Danforth in a flower bed and plant some Petunias around it. They look great and set real good in bark dust!
Seriousley? They set OK in soft bottom sometimes. If you don't get the chain around a fluke or the crown or the stock. You can't drop a danforth straight down (espec in current) and expect it to set. Any grass, sticks, rocks, gravel, forget it. You have to be moving backwards to keep the anchor and chain all stretched out and pointed in the right direction. A plow type will unravel itself and take a set even if you drop the whole mess straight down on itself or let it run back under the boat in current.
I actually believe chain is a real disadvantage on a danforth because of it's tendancy to wrap up on the anchor (mostly a problem in the river with the current). Of course the holding power is severely degraded without sufficent chain or compensating by a ton of scope on the rope rode.
Miss B had a 25 lb Danforth when I bought her. It was not uncommon to do 3-4 sets prior to hooking up and I was often farther downstream than I was intending once it hooked up. Finally one day it came up upside down (chain was hooked on the crown) and when it hit the pulpit it bent so bad I had to replace it. Man - I was so happy! Got to go buy a delta and got a free yard ornament to boot! It's right by the front steps where it belongs!
I use my Fortress as a stern anchor and run it out in the dinghy. It works real well cause I'm dropping it downstream and the current actually strightens out the anchor and chain. The fortresses are more susceptable to planing in the current because of the light weight. Perfect for a stern anchor.
The only advantage that a danforth has over any other style is holding power in soft bottom. Simply a matter of surface area per lb of anchor. I would rather go up a size on a plow type to increase the area and maintain the fast set ability.
One other thing to think of. I would hate to depend on a Danforth in an emergency situation. If you are dead in the water and drifting towards a hazard you are going to want an anchor you can drop right now and have it hook up in about 3 feet of bottom. No time to have a danforth IMHO. Keep the danforth handy if the bottom is real soft and toss it out as a back up/second anchor after you get the plow hooked up. (Assumes you have the space for more than one anchor of course).
I used a 22lb Bruce on the 24 Bayliner and was very happy with it. The knock off version (Bruces patent ran out) looks identical and is a little cheaper. Bruce had to lower their price after the knockoff came out too. I went with the delta on Miss B cause it fits the pulpit. Just as happy with it as I was the Bruce.
Yours truly - the happy hookupper :grin:

Pilar · 12-17-2002, 09:13 AM

Skein,

The rocking chair I use is pretty much like the EZ marine anchor you can get at GI Joes. I do not like the folding rig so mine is welded solid.

The anchor looks like a 'T' with a rocker at the end of each arm of the 'T'. The chain I use is welded to the bottom of the anchor where the 2 arms and the shank come together. A ring is welded to the top of the shank.

To set this up, you need some of that wire that concrete guys use to lace up rebar before pouring concrete. Just stretch the chain along the shank and wire the nearest link to the ring on the end of the shank. 2 loops is plenty strong and will break if you hang up hard.

So if your anchor is fouled on a snag or jammed in a crack the wire will break and the line, chain, anchor puller, etc will then pull on the middle of the crossbar instead of by the shank. This change in direction will usually free the anchor.

Then you just wire the chain back on and go. I used to use wire ties but they break for no reason at all and always get used for something else, so spares in the boat is a problem.

Master Baiter · 12-17-2002, 09:27 AM

Is there any functionality difference between the Fortress and Danforth, they appear to be similar in design? My boat came with a Bruce, the limited experience I have had with it so far has been outstanding.

MB

skein · 12-17-2002, 09:28 AM

Thanks, Pilar. I have one of the rocking chairs I use with my sled, but I'd invariably snap the ties, causing the anchor to lose its purchase. I got really carried away with ties, and had a heck of a time breaking them loose so I could pull my anchor - the wife ran the boat while I ran the anchor, and it got a little hairy. I always like to hear how the more experienced guys do it.

Sounds as if I'm on the right track, I just need more practice.

Skein

fishwhenican · 12-17-2002, 05:25 PM

Pilar When a friend of mine made my river anchor (rocking chair type) he welded a thick flange piece of pipe to the top for a solid shank to slip into. Then drilled it for a bail type locking pin. The anchor now fits in the anchor lockeron the boat, even the folding style wouldn't fit there.

Miss B Haven · 12-17-2002, 06:25 PM

Hey Master B (kinda fits with Miss B huh?) - check your email. I tried to post an expanation of the breakaway river anchor complete with keyboard symbol diagrams. IT thinks I'm using an illegal HTML command and won't let me post. [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img]

Sent it via email instead [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

Popeye · 12-17-2002, 11:01 PM

I too have had problems with Danforths. The old salt that was teaching the Coast Guard class I took many years ago, said that the Bruce Anchor was by far the best "All Around " anchor made to date, and I believe this stands true. I have a 52# Bruce, 100' chain, 200' rode on the Julie Rose, and have never had a problem hooking up or retrieving, even without the "rule of thumb" 7/1. In fact, I have been contemplating going with 300' chain/no rode. Besides, HOW could you go wrong with anything named Bruce

Cheers,
Bruce

Miss B Haven · 12-17-2002, 11:16 PM

MB - The danforth design and the fortress are essentially the same. The big difference is weight. Fortress is a high quality aluminum material (the claim to set better through machins tollerances yadda yadda yadda). Other danforth styles are steel (most galvinized - some stainless). Fortress can be dissassembled in a couple of minutes so you can stow it neatly below decks. They are also way less weight. Big advantage on these two features is you can pack 3 times the size of anchor as a true storm anchor. The size of the flukes is much more important in holding the boat in a storm than the weight of the anchor.
Fortresses can also be adjusted at the crown to provide a higher fluke angle specifically for holding better in soft mud.
One more thing would be that since you can dissasemble a Fortress you can replace/repair parts. THe others are all welded. The danforth I bent was bent at the main shank way down in the crown. It was impossible to straighten out so became a yard ornament.
The only dissadvantages of the fortress IMHO- cost and "floating" in current. They are a great second storm anchor and a great stern anchor as I said above. They make a cheaper version of the fortress but I have no experiance with it.

Master Baiter · 12-17-2002, 11:35 PM

Miss B,

Thanks for the explanation, very detail oriented a usual.

Since we are the anchor subject, I know many have or do use the float pullers. Has anyone had any issues with the rope getting uncomfortable close to the prop since the anchor ends up behind you when retrieving? What is the best type and diameter of rope to minimize anoying twists and tangles?

Does this wiring trick ony aply to the rocking chair type anchors, I am having trouble visualizing how it works?

Thanks,

Thomas

Master Baiter · 12-18-2002, 06:16 AM

Mel,

Thanks for the e-mail! Definitely cleared a few things up for me, picture and all

.

Most places I would anchor round here is soft mud, but this is good to know if venture up the Sac or come over to your Columbia some time.

As far going Tuna fishing so you can show me, sounds like a plan we will have to explore next season! [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img] If end up moving back to Eureka, I will one third closer to ya than I am now!

Thanks for all your help in the past, now, and future!

Thomas

rojo · 12-18-2002, 09:48 AM

I second Mel on the danforth, I use mine sometimes for a stern anchor. Main anchor is a 32# Bruce with 35' of 5/16 chain and 300' 1/2 rode. Keep a 22# claw(bruce Knockoff) as a spare. Also carry 600' of 3/8 truckers rope as a stern tie for up in the islands...Roger