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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

need anchor advice for very weedy bottom!

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Roland Ludlam
Deckhand

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6 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/30/2005 : 17:59:18

We sail our Cat 25 in Lake Champlain, VT, where the bottom is very overgrown with weeds/grass. In a good wind, our Danforth just doesn't hold despite every effort to set it firmly. Chapman recommends a kedge anchor for weeds. Does anyone have experience with this or recommendations? Thanks!
Roland and Suzanne

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 08/30/2005 : 19:04:43

send first mate in flippers with tent spikes and a hammer

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ronrryan
Admiral

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USA
561 Posts

Response Posted - 08/30/2005 : 20:31:18

It is (was?) not uncommon in Northeastern waters to find cruising boats carrying perhaps four different anchors--Danforth, CQR, Bruce, and so-called "yachtsmen" or kedge anchors--the old fashioned type as seen in the fouled anchor badges or pendants. The last, the kedge, is found in the old Wilcox-Crittendon Herreshoff pattern anchor, which is today found in the very expensive LUKE anchors. These are excellent for penetration of heavy grass. Some people I knew would actually file points on Danforths and on grapnels in pretty large sizes, to get them to penetrate. As usual, the 80/20 rule applies, and you will find that two anchors in your home waters will usually do most of the work. I have never used the newer spade type anchors, they look like a sharp point that would penetrate. Perhaps others can comment on that. Good luck, ron srsk Orion SW FL

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ronrryan
Admiral

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USA
561 Posts

Response Posted - 08/30/2005 : 20:38:53

PS by "spade" I meant Delta et al, as I looked at post it seemed maybe not clear...Ron

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Dave Laux
Captain

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318 Posts

Response Posted - 08/30/2005 : 21:18:20

I have had good sucess with a Delta Fastset this summer in fairly weedy bottoms on Lake Huron. Not perfect but better than the Danforth and readily available. 14 lb Delta, 25 ft 1/4 chain, nylon rode. Dave

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Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 08/30/2005 : 21:33:02

I use the Delta plow (16 lb)anchor in the weedy bottom of the Keys with success, wheras a Danforth isn't very reliable

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 08/31/2005 : 11:23:47

danforths dont work at all in weedy conditions. You need to go with a plough type (CQR, Delta, etc). I'd get one about 16 lbs and add 40 to 50 feet of 1/4" galvinized chain + 100 to 200 feet of 1/2" nylon.

Save your dan for sandy, silt, clay. Your plough for soft stuff, mud, weeds.

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frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 09/01/2005 : 09:40:07

I was digging through my archive files and found this article from Cruising World circa April 96 titled "The Great Anchor Debate". Here are a few renderings about anchors.
1. Fluke-type Danforth and Fortress - "offers an excellant holding- to-weight ratio, but requires maximum scope and is unsuitable
on rock or coral."
2. Delta - "combines the broad, sharp fluke of the plow for good
penetration of weed and grass, but dispenses with the plows
moving joint between fluke and shank."
3. CQR - "long been the traditional choice of cruising sailors
because of its ability to reset in changing currents, but
weaknesses lie in its resistance to digging through weed and its
willingness to slip through soft mud."
4. Bruce (Claw) - "designed to reset itself within two shank
lengths, is steadily gaining popularity among cruising sailors,
but is not ideal in grass or fine sand."

The article also states that although the Bruce is not ideal for grass or fine sand it does still work in those conditions, but reqires monitoring for drag.

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Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 09/03/2005 : 18:59:28

I carry a 20# (or so) Danforth Hi-Tensile for sand & mud, and a 22# Claw (Bruce-type) for grass or unknown bottom. Each has about a boat-length of chain. The only bottom the Claw has dragged on was smooth flat rock.

-- Leon Sisson

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deastburn
Captain

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USA
334 Posts

Response Posted - 09/04/2005 : 00:31:30

I have a 14lb Delta on bow rollers and have found it very reliable. However, in situations where I expect to overnight and don't want to maintain a watch, and the bottom is grassy (Cuttyhunk Harbor in Massachusetts is a good example), I will plan to get there early and pick up a mooring. I have had power boats drag their anchors onto me twice in the past five years, each time when dealing with a grassy bottom (and a Danforth with too little chain, not properly set). Most holding problems can be solved by "setting" the anchor well at the start, and by having an appropriate amount of chain (25 feet for a C25 is good). Some anchors are better than others at re-setting themselves when the wind changes direction (Deltas and Bruces are best), but no anchor is fail safe when the wind swings through 180 degrees in the middle of the night. That is where the newer GPS units with an anchor alarm come in handy, although I find that I always wake up when the breeze changes direction anyway.

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John V.
Admiral

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USA
559 Posts

Response Posted - 09/04/2005 : 21:59:56

ditto the 14 lb Delta plow, with 30' of chain it holds in just about anything. last summer we set our hook and then another C25 rafted up with us. The delta held both boats through some moderate and shifting winds.

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.