Association Forum - ANCHORS: name brandor plain label

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

ANCHORS: name brandor plain label

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

dave holtgrave
Captain

Member Avatar

USA
427 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/24/2004 : 09:50:30

getting ready to replace my anchor and am just stumped on which anchor to buy.
i need a traditional anchor for where i sail and here is my question.

is it worth the extra money to buy a danforth deepset II at 13 lbs for $120.
or
is a west marine tradional anchor at 15 lbs for $42 comparable?

i know the charts say the danforth has a working load of 1800lb and the west marine is good for 900 lbs. but, when i sit them side by side in a store i can't see a differance.
is the danforth worth 3 times as much?

should i be safe and but the west marine and go up one size to size in the west marine style to 22lb? is this over kill? and if i go up one size will that big anchor fit in the forward anchor locker?

bottom of my anchorages is mudd and sand.

thanks
dave holtgrave
5722 sk/tr
sailing carlyle lake in southern illinois.
thawing as we speak

Edited by - on

svmoxie
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
331 Posts

Response Posted - 02/24/2004 : 10:37:56

Dave,

The answer depends much on all the variables that only you can answer.
<ul>
<li>How often do you anchor and for how long? (overnight or for lunch) </li>
<li>How likely are you going to get "caught" in a blow? </li>
<li>How much wind / current are you likely to experience? </li>
<li>What is the rode, all nylon? 5 feet of chain? 20 feet of chain? </li>
<li>Where do you plan to stow the anchor? </li>
<li>What are your neighbors using successfully? </li>
<li>Have you had problems dragging with your current anchor? </li>
</ul>

For a primary anchor my choice would be for the 22 lb West Marine brand.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 02/24/2004 : 12:23:30

Dave,

In general, I'd say that not all Danforths and their clones are created equal. In particular, the Danforth High-Tensile is much stronger than its copy cats. However, as I recall, the West Marine light weight anchors got good scores in the long series of anchor tests reported in "Practcal Sailor". Fortress aluminum anchors were also highly recommended. I think a 20# Danforth will just fit in my 1979 C-25 anchor locker. If you want an anchor that won't fit in the locker, there are other ways of carrying them. I hang my Danforth from brackets on the pulpit, and keep a 22# Claw on a bow roller.

Many of the other popular anchor styles have also been cloned. My Claw is a copy of a Bruce.

For anchoring in benign conditions the size shown in the anchor charts with 5' to 10' of chain is probably all you need. Here on the coast, I went up one size and use about a boatlength of chain.

As Clif Thompson said, a lot depends on your specific situation.

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

Designwiz
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
59 Posts

Response Posted - 02/24/2004 : 12:25:37

Had purchased a 22lbs Danfort style anchor (actually two of them) for use on my 25 foot Catalina last summer. Then I found it would not fit in the anchor locker without leaving the door ajar. Went back to my thirteen pound anchor and changed to ten feet of 3/8" chain to help it hold better. Seem to work okay but now am trying to swap off the two 22lbs for a pair of 18's with a guy I work with. It appears to be able to fit one anchor, chain and 150 feet of line in the anchor locker (other setup will be keep in the cockpit locker). Chain adds about 20 pounds to the setup and it really seems to make a big difference. Also added a triangular shapped rubber pad to the floor of the locker and added rubber caps (like on the boarding ladder) on the end bars of the anchor just in case I bumped the hull raising or lowering it..worked well.
Good luck...

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 02/24/2004 : 13:51:10

I have a 22 lb. Danforth (w/ 12 ft of chain) that I use when I'm cruising, or when I sleep on the boat. It won't fit in the anchor locker, but I hang it from the bow pulpit. I use an off-brand 12 lb. Danforth-style anchor with about 10 ft of chain that I use for a lunch hook. I've seen the Danforth 22 with lots of chain used as a lunch hook on a 22,000 lb boat, so I figure it ought to hold my boat.

My old Catalina 22 had inadequate ground tackle, and I had to push it off a beach and re-set it over and over again one night, and finally lashed it to a channel marker buoy.

The next day I bought a new anchor and chain, and didn't care how much it cost.

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3072 Posts

Response Posted - 02/24/2004 : 16:09:27

IMHO follows:

I think the high-priced stuff is more important on larger (read heavier) boats that can generate enough force to potentially break 'off-brand' ground-tackle.

With most of the mid-weight 'knockoff' anchors, a C25 or the rode is gonna break up long before the anchor will.

I'd get the generic anchor... and use the money you save to buy a second anchor of a different design (Bruce, Delta etc.) That will give you better flexibility for anchoring on different bottoms and the security of being able to set two anchors in really bad conditions.

Edited by - on

Raskal
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
162 Posts

Response Posted - 02/24/2004 : 18:22:32

Unless you are one big strapping bear of a guy, or have a windlass bolted to your deck, seriously consider buying the Fortess. If you don't understand what the difference is between Fortress and other Danforth designs go to your local Westmarine/Boater's World/BoatUS store and stand at the display PICKING UP the various types of anchors; now try to imagine hauling in each one when you've got 100' of rode out and things are blowing and the boat is bouncing and all you've got is your own unbalanced strength to break the hold; the superlight alloy Fortess is the only one that will feel doable. If the FX-16 will fit in the locker go for that; otherwise the FX-11 is the recommended size for our boat.

Rich Kokoska

PS--Guardian anchors are the Fortress budget line, but the main shaft (stock?) is an awkward shape and you lose some of the weight advantage. The Fortress is the better choice for not much more money...

Edited by - on

oldsalt
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
578 Posts

Response Posted - 02/24/2004 : 19:26:35

Although you may not see much of a diference when you set them side by side, the Danforth is definitely worth three times the cost of the West Marine generic. Danforth clones do not provide nearly the holding power of authentic Danforths, particulary the Hi Tensile or Deepset models, since they are not as strong, nor will they bury themselves nearly as deeply. Even if neither the rode parts or the anchor breaks, you still don't want your anchor to break out.

Fortress anchors do provide an incredible amount of theoretical holding power for their weight, but being very light for their size, they may skip over the bottom and refuse to set when you need them most. In a current, they tend to sail through the water rather than settle in and bury themselves.

Don't confuse the benefits of the ultimate, theoretical, holding power of a Fortress which is optimally set, with the more reliable, real world holding power you are likely to achieve with a Danforth Hi Tensile or Deepset.

As for going with a heavier, larger, and more difficult to handle clone, why struggle with the extra weight and inconvenience you'll have to face everytime you drop anchor?

You only have to pay once for a safer, more convenient anchor.

Edited by - on

lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 02/25/2004 : 08:27:33

My most frequently used anchor is a 13" Danforth clone with 20' of 1/4" chain on 3/8" rode. This is the anchor that lives in the anchor locker. I find this is about the maximum weight as I can easily lift without a windlass, and it seems to set and hold the boat reliably in most conditions. My "lunch" anchor is an 8# danforth clone with 10' of 1/4" chain. My "emergency" anchors are a pair of 18# danforth clones with 25' of 5/16" chain and 200' of 1/2" rode. I would deploy one of both of these if I had to anchor out and knew there was a storm or high winds coming. I don't use them normally because of weight - I have to winch them up with one of the cockpit winches, which is a hassle.

Edited by - on

svmoxie
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
331 Posts

Response Posted - 02/25/2004 : 10:38:19

So Dave, now that you have received answers supporting both sides, whatcha gonna do?

Keep in mind the option of using a kellet. A kellet is simply a weight that is attached along the rode. Letting the kellet drop all the way to the bottom gives the most increase in tension, but many prefer a half way point, under the theory that it helps absorb shock loads better. Provided that the anchor is set properly it will significantly increase the holding power of any anchor.

I use a small snatch block with a few plastic coated cement weights bolted together with a large eye bolt. It weighs about 15 lbs.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 02/25/2004 : 11:11:06

<b>Kellets</b>

For boats not having full keels with attached rudders, even a small kellet hanging only a foot or two below the boat's draft can greatly reduce the risk of the anchor rode wrapping on the keel, rudder, outboard, etc. in shifting winds or currents. I use an old rusty folding grapnel anchor tied closed and shackled to a large bronze snap hook on 10' of 1/4" line with a loop in the bitter end which I slip over a bow cleat. I works great.

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.