recommendations for dinghy anchor

[Jeanneau 45.2]

Lots of good feedback, thanks. I'll be getting my anchor in the next week before crossing to the Bahamas and will update the group as to what I got and why. Alan

[scottgledhill]

I use my dinghy anchor primarily for when I am ashore. I toss it behind a rock or looped around something on the beach. For the last 40 years I have used a 10# Mushroom that has a rubber cover and 6' of chain attached to 100' of 1/4" three strand line. The chain is attache to the anchor by a large stainless steel shackle. When in a storm or hurricane, I attache the dinghy anchor to the storm anchor rode to serve as a sentinel. It has worked well in all circumstances.

[djsaxton]

this is what I used for a 5 yr circumnavigation with an 10+' inflatable. mostly used it on the beach as a safety where there were no trees or boulders to tie off too.

[thinwater]

If New Generation anchors (like Mantus) are generally accepted as best in a wide variety of conditions, then why all the discussion?

I anchored my 34' catamaran with a Mantus Dinghy in and exposed anchorage in up to 20 knots in testing. Granted, it was a very good sand bottom, but man! The 2# Guardian will actual hold over twice as much, but it is not as forgiving.

As for 10-20# suggestions, I'm pretty sure a 20# dumbell would work.

[Jim Cate]

There's a big difference between using an anchor to hold your dink on the beach where you can personally bury and set the hood and anchoring in 25 feet of water where you want to go diving. If the latter activity is part of your plan, don't rely upon the bloody little grapnel to set, even with a chunk of chain... let alone hold if the wind should come up while you are under water and not looking!

Coming up from a dive on a reef 5 miles off shore and finding no dinghy would be a unpleasant shock!

Jim

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

There's a big difference between using an anchor to hold your dink on the beach where you can personally bury and set the hood and anchoring in 25 feet of water where you want to go diving. If the latter activity is part of your plan, don't rely upon the bloody little grapnel to set, even with a chunk of chain... let alone hold if the wind should come up while you are under water and not looking!

Coming up from a dive on a reef 5 miles off shore and finding no dinghy would be a unpleasant shock!

Jim

Exactly!

[donradcliffe]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

There's a big difference between using an anchor to hold your dink on the beach where you can personally bury and set the hood and anchoring in 25 feet of water where you want to go diving. If the latter activity is part of your plan, don't rely upon the bloody little grapnel to set, even with a chunk of chain... let alone hold if the wind should come up while you are under water and not looking!

Coming up from a dive on a reef 5 miles off shore and finding no dinghy would be a unpleasant shock!

Jim

When we go snorkeling or diving on a reef, the first thing we do is go down and set the dinghy anchor securely in the coral, no matter what design it is.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

When we go snorkeling or diving on a reef, the first thing we do is go down and set the dinghy anchor securely in the coral, no matter what design it is.

Hopefully you mean between or around the coral and not actually hooking the anchor onto a piece of coral.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

There's a big difference between using an anchor to hold your dink on the beach where you can personally bury and set the hood and anchoring in 25 feet of water where you want to go diving. If the latter activity is part of your plan, don't rely upon the bloody little grapnel to set, even with a chunk of chain... let alone hold if the wind should come up while you are under water and not looking!

Coming up from a dive on a reef 5 miles off shore and finding no dinghy would be a unpleasant shock!

Jim

Yes!

Even with a good anchor or tied off to a solid mooring (many reef areas in the US and Caribbean prohibit anchoring around coral reefs and provide moorings for divers) I worry.

Ideally leave at least one person in the boat but when there's only two of you diving that isn't really a good option.

[1950]

I also have good results with the Mantus stainless steel dingy anchor. It breaks down into two pieces and lays flat in a bag on the sole of my 8' wood dingy. I have tested it by rowing hard with long oars. It holds with confidence in sand or gravel. It only takes a few seconds to put it together and deploy. It is pricey compared to the galvanized model but I wanted to ability to break down into two pieces and stow flat.

[toddster8]

Not mentioned elsewhere (?) I have a small (5 lb?) navy-style anchor. Why? Because I found it while diving. $0. No sharp edges. I think it needs a few feet of chain added.

[Jeanneau 45.2]

Hello forum. As promised, I am getting back to report on what I purchased. First, in response to comments noting that anchor choice should reflect anchor use, I am using the anchor for beach mooring (to (i) hold the dingy bow to waves off the beach with a stern line led to beach and (ii) in case of dingy engine trouble while zooming around during an ebb tide). I purchased a Lewmar 2 kg/4.4 lb claw (Bruce knock off). West Marine associate found me an unused ACCO anchor chain square pail and its snap on lid (like the kitty litter suggestion above) which I'll use to store the anchor and rode in the dingy.