Anchor locker?

[James V]

How big of anchor can you get into the anchor locker on the ?

Does storing another anchor on deck create more problems?

[Catigale]

James - there were some threads on this previously, but I went the Bullwaga on the roller route - please see the Mac Mods Page and have been very happy

To quote a better sailor than I "Lockers are for rodes, not anchors"

Pit Bullwaga Anchor $250
25 foot 3/8 chain expensive
150 foot 3/8 expensive

Admiral comfortable enough to sleep on the hook all over Cape Cod

Priceless

[Paul S]

I have fit the FX-11 anchor in our M's locker with 200' of line+Chain with room to spare.

I can't imagine you would need a larger danforth anchor that that for an M

Paul

[Chip Hindes]

I can't imagine you would need a larger danforth anchor that that for an M

With all due respect, unless the M anchor locker is way bigger than that of the X, I can't imagine anyone being content with an anchor which is small enough to fit in the locker.

Practical Sailor tested anchors several years ago. After several unhappy experiences with my original anchor, a "real" Danforth 13 chosen rather stupidly because I didn't know any better and it was the largest which fit in the locker, the results of the PS testing convinced me to go for the Bulwagga 17, #2 on their list.

Also highly rated by PS were the CQR, Spade and Barnacle (1, 3 and 4 on the list), but they were considerably more expensive than the Bulwagga, which itself is not by any means cheap. Obviously, none of these will fit in the locker.

All the "lightweight" (Danforth-type) anchors (Danforth, West Marine, Fortress, Vetus) were similarly rated, and well down the list. West Marine and Danforth were rated slightly higher than the Fortress.

I still carry the orignal Danforth as my secondary anchor, on the pulpit rail. That allows me to carry 15' of chain and 150 feet of rode for each in the locker, with room to spare. When my current rode is ready for replacement, I'll probably add another 50' of rode to each. In answer to the anticipated next question, I've also trailered over 12,000 miles with both anchors on the rail, without apparent ill effects.

[waternwaves]

You can put an anchor in there???

Lets see.......

It wouldnt be the 16 bruce, nor the 400 ft of line and chain...... (well, the 400 ft of 7/16 and chain will fit)

nor the 20 Danforth superhooker with the 150 ft of line and chain.....

Nor the lunch danforth with 150 of floating line and chain...

Just what could I use that locker for.......

hehehehe

But then again......I overdo it..........carried an aft anchor on my transom boarding ladder too...........

Skip the thought of putting an anchor in the locker........you will be much happier......

[Paul S]

Dunno..been using soley a danforth since 91 without a problem. the fx-9 is rated for the M, I wanted the 11 because it fit. It has worked well and has never broken free. Is light, holds well, easy to retrieve, and fits in the locker.

Is there 'better'...Most likely...but for me, the FX-11 has been wonderful in the 2 seasons we have used it. It is a lot better than the no-name one on our old boat

Everyone has their own formula what is best for their needs..and that can vary from location to location as well depending on weather/bottom type/etc.

I have not used anything other than a danforth style..but where it has worked for over a decade for our needs, I can't imagine changing to a different style

Here is a shot of it in the locker:





Paul

[Terry]

I've never checked out the inside of an X anchor locker (but plan to now) but by the sounds of it possibly the M locker is bigger and maybe deeper albeit likey by ony a small amount. I kept two anchors with chain & rode for both in mine. I don't trust that little fortress barbie doll anchor (5lbs if that) that was supplied with eight feet of chain and 150' of rode so I looked for a replacement. My brother in law gave me his big 15lbs danforth (from his 32' tolley) for free but the end was a couple inches too long to fit the lenght of the locker. No problem, took it over to the local machine shop and the guy cut off the 2-3 inches, drilled a new hole and rounded off all the sharp edges, all for ten bucks! I bought 25' of chain at a liquidation sale for half or less the regular cost and bought the 150- 200 feet of rode there too. Now I have an anchor set-up that is almost too difficult to manage but it sure gives my wife and I a peacefull nights rest. No way that thing is going to give, actually it takes some effort to get it back in now. I keep the little barbie doll set up for a stern anchor or dinghy anchor.

[Frank C]

I used the dealer-issued, 8-pound, flat-steel fluke (Danforth clone) with mixed results during my first two seasons. I replaced it with a Guardian (G-11) six-pounder that DOES fit in the locker (and looks identical to Paul's photo). Paul's Fortress FX-11 is anodized, prettier, has some added features, and sells for about double the price of the Guardian ... your choice. The Guardian served me very well in a nearby Lake - my only anchoring needs to that time. I could always find a sheltered cove, with less than 15' depth. If you're fortunate to have mild anchoring, that kind of setup is fine, quick, easy & inexpensive. Go with it!

But, anchoring needs vary greatly depending upon the bottom, sea conditions and depth. I wanted something more substantial for anchoring in the Santa Barbara channel (3 yrs ago). Anchoring off these island cliffs where you can feel a 3-foot swell for the entire night ... it's more challenging for the ground tackle. I bought a Bulwagga-17, the same setup as Catigale & Chip, with 15' chain, 200' rode at 3/8". It has worked very well, even in a heavy ocean swell (for whatever that's worth - every bottom is different, every drop is different).

Once your anchor goes beyond the constraints of the locker, you need a stowage method - a bow roller for me - which is a significant mod. Also, as anchor fields get deeper (25') you really need 200' of rode, so the locker can quickly become full.

Finally, I found it aggravating to haul (and stow) the anchor PLUS 15' of chain. (Chain on gelcoat gives me that "fingernails on a chalkboard" shiver.) So, based upon earlier discussions here I recently bought 5 feet of 3/8" chain from Home Depot. It weighs the same as my 15' of smaller chain, but it will be only one-third the lifting & scraping distance - I'll report results after next season.

[They Theirs]

I like the setup Paul uses. He has up-graded for extra holding, and I like the light weight sailboat anchor and rode especially up high and on the extreme end of the his boat. I can also see the virtue for Waternwaves single-handed & Terry need for something better when exploring in the extremes of the Northwest.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

The anchor my boat came with, a 14 lb Danforth did fit in the locker, but just wasn't able to perform well enough. No anchor that I would trust in the tides, currents, and varied bottoms of the Northwest will fit in an M or X locker. Perhaps if I cruised an area with a soft, predictable sand or mud bottom the Danforth would have sufficed. (I do beleive the M locker is larger).

Look at any true cruising boat (not a stripped racer) and you will find they all carry big anchors that are stored outside on the bow. Their lockers are for chain and rode storage. I've been very happy with my Guardian G16 and my 16.5lb Claw (Bruce Clone). Both are ready to go at a moments notice and neither cost an arm and a leg.

When in doubt about any anchor, add more chain and rode. A heavy 25' chunk of chain can make a marginal anchor good. A long rode that let's you increase the scope can make it great. Even so, no one will ever laugh at your big anchor. The same can't be said for a small one you choose just because it fits in the locker.

My setup. It's served well in night after night on the hook. Sleep well, buy a big anchor, or two.

[James V]

Thanks everybody. I bought the stock 14 pound fluke anchor package from West Marine and it fit into anchor locker. I anchored in a well used anchorage and I could not get it to hold at 2000 RPM's in 5 feet of water w/5' of chain. Another place that was lightly used, the anchor held well, to well. It was hard to get unstuck. I believe that the anchor size really depends on the condition of the bottom. I do plan to get more/bigger anchors. Just need to figure out where to store.

[Don T]

Hello:
Well, my danforth that came with my Mac (BWY accessory) has worked perfect for ten years. That includes two squals with wind up to 40 mph. I had all 150' of rode out w/ 25' of chain in 15'~20' of water. That being said, as soon as I ventured futher north than Sucia (San Juan Is) the bottom got more and more gravelly and the danforth did worse and worse. I ended up with a Bruce clone which has done well. I still keep the danforth w/ rode in the locker. The Bruce clone stays in a plastic storage box (the attached flip lid kind) that I leave low and forward for better ballast. I deploy it through the forward hatch. It has 25' of chain and 250' of rode. I'm thinking of making a change to the deployment but so far have not needed to.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

James, I assume you had enough scope out for the 5' of water when setting?

At a minimum you would want 20' (5' of chain and 15') rode. For a danforth style I find the more you set on the better. I often use nearly all my 150' rode when setting (typically in 10'-20' of water) then pull in for positioning as needed. In 5' of water I would put out 30' to 40' then set. After that I would pull in to around 20'. Don't forget to account for the tide state when doing your calculation. Up here we have to account for 10' to 15' of tide rise and fall. the anchor will only hold when the pull on the chain / anchor is horizontal. As soon as you begin to lift the chain off the bottom you will risk pulling the anchor out. It's best if you don't even count the chain length in your scope if you have a small amount of chain (under 10').

I find having the rode marked makes anchoring much easier. I have those printed plastic strips every 30' They just side into the twist of the three strand.

[James V]

How much scope do you need to set the anchor? From what I have been reading, it was 1/4 of needed length when setting and then let out the rest. Well????? I like what Duane Dunn, Allegro wrote about letting out about 1/4 more than needed and then bringing it back in and disregarding the first 5 - 10 feet of chain. Rode markers are also a good Idea.

[Chip Hindes]

How much scope do you need to set the anchor? From what I have been reading, it was 1/4 of needed length when setting and then let out the rest. Well?????

There is no reason to ever set with less than full scope. Normal practice is to let out scope plus as much as 25-50%, set, then haul in and cleat at final scope.

I recently bought 5 feet of 3/8" chain from Home Depot. It weighs the same as my 15' of smaller chain, but it will be only one-third the lifting & scraping distance - I'll report results after next season.

Even though the weight is the same, because of the geometry the short chain will not function the same as one the same weight but 3X longer. If that were the case you could skip the chain altogether and just put an equivalent weight steel ball on the anchor shank.

The idea is that the weight of the suspended chain causes sag (called catenary, which has nothing to do with cats or canaries The effect of catenary is to increase the horozontal component of pull on the anchor for a given rode load. For the larger, shorter chain, even though the weight is the same, because it is concentrated closer to the anchor, for an equivalent rode load the chain will not have as much catenary, thereby increasing the vertical component and decreasing the horizontal component.

Bottom line, for a given anchoring condition the large short chain won't hold as much load. Or conversely, you'll need more scope for a given holding power.

Unless you're testing back-to-back under controlled conditions there's little chance you'll notice the difference. And of course reduced holding power is only a problem in marginal anchoring situations...as long as the knowledge you've sacrificed safety for convenience doesn't bother you too much...