Anchoring

[OverEasy]

Hi Ixneigh

Fair enough.
They do make several two piece clamp on “tees” and variable angle “tees” you might want to look at to add the cross rail without welding.
Might be easier and more convenient as that would allow you to adjust the position to dail it in to your specific needs.

Best Regards
Over Easy

[Prospect]

I was finally able to get to the boat and check what kind of anchor I have. I don't think it has been ever used because it still has the manufacturers sticker.

Any opinions as to its effectiveness or reputation?

[Ixneigh]

It’s a decent anchor for sand, muddy sand, and…well. Sand.
It works less good in soupy mud, grass, weeds, or rocky bottoms.
The size that fits into the M anchor locker is too small in my opinion for anything except day tripping. And, there are few places to store a larger anchor that’s not in the way on these boats.
I do have a take apart FX 30 under the back bunk which will be the last action I take before calling the insurance co.
Ix

[Be Free]

That's a Danforth style anchor. It works well in sand and mud, no so well in rocks. If it can penetrate grass or weeds to the underlying sand or mud it works well there also. It will hold in grass and weeds but may fool you when it is just caught on the vegetation.

It looks like you have a short chain rode and a longer rope rode. Again, not great for rocks or in areas where the rope may chafe or be cut by sharp objects.

[OverEasy]

Hi Prospect!

Yup! Ixneigh and BeFree nailed it!
A ‘Danforth’ or ‘Fortress’ style anchor.

I believe that would be a 14 lb variety which while it may fit in the Mac’s anchor locker may be a bit too lightweight for anchoring in current or in storm conditions or in high wind conditions. Great “lunch anchor” though for mild to calm conditions but you still have to properly set it to be effective. A longer length of chain as previously mentioned by BeFree is an excellent recommendation. About 30 feet of 1/4-to-3/8 diameter link chain is generally the accepted practice for a 26 ft vessel like a MacGregor. The chain helps keep the anchor shank parallel to the seabed so the flukes can properly dig in and hold. A ‘scope of at least 5:1‘ or more is generally recommended for prper anchoring. (Ref: Scope is the ratio between length vs depth… as in a 10 foot depth would have a length of anchor line of 50 feet for a scope of 5:1. There are lots of excellent writings and videos on this topic already referenced and on YouTube.)

While the existing label remaining may only reference a 24 inch length of chain that (if not a typo) will generally be insufficient to keep the shank parallel to the seabed.
The reference to using 3/8 three strand anchor line is a minimum for manual line handling. A larger diameter makes it much easier to handle.

A Danforth or Fortress anchor is a good general purpose style of anchor particularly for soft bottoms.
Every type of anchor has trouble as the bottom gets harder as they can’t dig in.
Round river stone can also be problematic as it not only resists penetration but the material can also roll out of the way of the anchor flukes as increased load is applied. ( Been there’re / Done that with both a 16 lb Danforth and a 20 lb CQR style anchor. The CQR did slightly better especially with longer scope… just my limited personal experiences)

Best Regards
Over Easy

[NiceAft]

One of many types of fluke style anchors.
https://www.westmarine.com/west-advisor ... nchor.html

[NiceAft]

Choosing the anchor and how to set is one thing; retrieval is another. Sometimes it’s difficult to get an anchor to let go of the bottom. I use one of these whenever I drop the hook as a just in case the problem arises. The metal ring is no longer a circle, it’s now elliptical

[Be Free]

Some anchors depend on their weight (like the fisherman that Ix uses), most expect to dig into the bottom to a greater or lesser extent. The flukes on a Danforth style anchor have to penetrate and dig as deep as possible in a bottom that is firm enough not to just pull out in a big lump or a cloud of silt. If the bottom does not allow it to dig in (like the river stones mentioned above), in coral, or in silty mud then it's not going to hold.

The chain serves two purposes, one is to encourage the anchor to dig in by keeping the shaft parallel to the bottom until the flukes or plow can get a good hold. The other is to prevent chafe from sharp objects underwater. There is actually a third purpose related to the catenary but that does not really apply to a boat as light as a Mac.

My experience with an almost identical anchor is that if the bottom allows it to hold at all it will hold well in any conditions that I'm willing to spend the night in. It has held in open water offshore overnight in 12-18kt winds (measured) and 3-4' waves. I can't say it was pleasant, but it did hold through a 180 degree shift in the wind overnight.

If the wind or waves are much worse that that I'm going home or finding a more sheltered spot to anchor.

[ris]

Here is a picture of our anchor tie loop that is connected to the bow eye. It is the white and red rope that passes through the eye and is tied to the bow pulpit stanchion. We first drop anchor let out proper scope, set anchor at 2200 rpm in reverse, then tie anchor rode to eye loop with a double half hitch. We double the anchor rode in order to tie the rode to the loop. The half hitch is easy to untie each morning. The bow eye loop is long so we can tie it to the rode while standing on the deck. Have never found any evidence of chaff and bow eye is still tight to hull. On a steep boat ramp there is much more stress on the eye when pulling the boat in tight with the winch then when it is floating in the water. We estimate that we have anchored out over 200 nights. So far no problems.

[Hugh]

Prospect As has been mentioned lots of opinions. I’d start looking at what others in your area use for an anchor.
Ask them.
I’m on Lake of the Woods Canadian Shield and boreal. We anchor in mostly mud, some sand, usually in protected anchorages.
I use a 26# Mantus with 30’ of chain and 170’ of rode. We anchor in < 30’ Usually 5:1 scope but always have room for 7:1 if forecast warrants. Our Mantus is larger than most other keel boats anchors in our marina.

[Prospect]

Prospect As has been mentioned lots of opinions. I’d start looking at what others in your area use for an anchor.
Ask them.
I’m on Lake of the Woods Canadian Shield and boreal. We anchor in mostly mud, some sand, usually in protected anchorages.
I use a 26# Mantus with 30’ of chain and 170’ of rode. We anchor in < 30’ Usually 5:1 scope but always have room for 7:1 if forecast warrants. Our Mantus is larger than most other keel boats anchors in our marina.

Thanks for the info. I like your setup and am slightly leaning towards a much larger anchor like yours.

Lake of the Woods is a great area. I spent a few years flying float planes in that area. Great fun and memories.

[Russ]

I sure like those Rocna and Mantus anchors. But dang! They are spendy. I have a few other projects that need money donated first.

[Pjack]

Maybe I am missing this topic in the thread: how can I install a loop to secure the top end of the rode in my 26M?
I don't see a suitable place to install a u-bolt in the anchor locker.

Pjack

[Russ]

Maybe I am missing this topic in the thread: how can I install a loop to secure the top end of the rode in my 26M?
I don't see a suitable place to install a u-bolt in the anchor locker.

Pjack

Do you mean "the bitter end" of your anchor rode?

Mine is not secured to anything. I did attach a small float so if I ever get to that point where I need to toss it (that's another story), I can find my anchor rode.

[kurz]

Here is a picture of our anchor tie loop that is connected to the bow eye. It is the white and red rope that passes through the eye and is tied to the bow pulpit stanchion. We first drop anchor let out proper scope, set anchor at 2200 rpm in reverse, then tie anchor rode to eye loop with a double half hitch. We double the anchor rode in order to tie the rode to the loop. The half hitch is easy to untie each morning. The bow eye loop is long so we can tie it to the rode while standing on the deck. Have never found any evidence of chaff and bow eye is still tight to hull. On a steep boat ramp there is much more stress on the eye when pulling the boat in tight with the winch then when it is floating in the water. We estimate that we have anchored out over 200 nights. So far no problems.

Hi Ris, I like your settig. But what is the reason? To get closer to water line?