Another Anchoring Thread, Yes!

[Kettlewell]

A 35 lb Manson and the Fortress would be my suggestion. I like a couple of FX23 Fortresses for that size boat to use as secondary anchors, kedges, or backups for when the sh*t hits the fan. 90% of the time you would be fine with the 25 lb Manson, but it is nice having that extra size and 10 lbs of the 35. Eric Hiscock used to say that no anchor should weigh less than 35 pounds due to penetration issues. You need the weight to get through weed, very soupy bottoms, and hard bottoms.

[Dulcesuenos]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

A 35 lb Manson and the Fortress would be my suggestion. I like a couple of FX23 Fortresses for that size boat to use as secondary anchors, kedges, or backups for when the sh*t hits the fan. 90% of the time you would be fine with the 25 lb Manson, but it is nice having that extra size and 10 lbs of the 35. Eric Hiscock used to say that no anchor should weigh less than 35 pounds due to penetration issues. You need the weight to get through weed, very soupy bottoms, and hard bottoms.

Pen etration issues,,, story of my life lol..... seriously we use plenty of scope, i do like the delta it digs great most of the time. The MS did save our a$$es once and the rock slot actually worked great to get the anchor out of rocks in 40' of water. Were two years at most from being on the hook for months at a time. Now its just weeks at a time with a few marina stayd in between. Then docked the rest. Ill have to read up on kedging cats. Will be advertising the MS and danforth soon. Ptobably ask 200 on ms and 100 on df. I did google kedging catamarans and did not see anything other than one blog saying you cant kedge a cat....

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

The delta is a good panic anchor if kept rigged and ready. Saved my 47 footer in 70+ knots of wind once. Just literally threw it over the bow and I stopped 50 ft from the beach.... keel bumping occassionally.

Im sorry.... I meant to say FORTRESS!!!

[Kettlewell]

I did google kedging catamarans and did not see anything other than one blog saying you cant kedge a cat

Not sure what this quoted statement means. By "kedging" I mean the act of taking an anchor out in order to pull your boat off of the sand, mud, or just across the harbor. I have done it a ton of times on a 32-foot cat. In fact, I think cats go aground more often because they are fooling around in very shallow water.

[Sailorman Ed]

Im sorry.... I meant to say FORTRESS!!!

Easy Cheechako, easy - don't panic!!

[RabidRabbit]

I have a 55 delta and I dont count on it much. It likes to set real well, or not. And drag in the night, maybe.

[onestepcsy37]

like motion30, i also pull a manson 45 with all 3/8" bbb chain. and i'll bet i'm older and more beat up than him - if he doesn't believe me, he can come over and beat me up some more. but in florida/bahamas you're usually in 15 feet or less, so the max you'll be hand lifting is maybe 85 lbs. use a chain stopper so that, if you run out of steam with the anchor halfway up, you won't lose what you've just pulled.

i'm with the crowd that says get a bigger manson and more chain, keep the fortress folded up in the lazarette with some line and chain, then choose either the danforth or the delta and sell the other. no one should cruise with less than three anchors.

by the way... love my manson!

[Dulcesuenos]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

Not sure what this quoted statement means. By "kedging" I mean the act of taking an anchor out in order to pull your boat off of the sand, mud, or just across the harbor. I have done it a ton of times on a 32-foot cat. In fact, I think cats go aground more often because they are fooling around in very shallow water.

Really not sure what wasnt to understand? Besides I would think if i cant back off under power or call Vessel assist etc im stuck and doubt a manual winch is going to much better. Monos are different in you can heel them over and float them. I was looking for info on kedging a cat and how its best done or done in a way that is more beneficial vs powering off. Our las cat got stuck we had to wait out the tides. With the rudders and keels in the sand it would have never moved. Or caused damage.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Our las cat got stuck we had to wait out the tides. With the rudders and keels in the sand it would have never moved. Or caused damage.

If you run aground an anchor out towards deeper water is a big help.
The Fortress is ideal for this.
If there is wind, or tide pushing into shallower water the anchor is almost essential, especially with any wave action.
As the tide rises, without an anchor there is a risk that as the vessel just lifts it will be pushed into shallower water. This process is repeated until you end up stuck in the same depth of water, but now at high tide.

The other advantage is the anchor can be used to swing the bow towards deeper water. Most boats have much more power in forward.

[Dulcesuenos]

We would never sit overnight stuck without an anchor out to keep usbfrom going shallower. Though i hope people dont think of that as kedging because its not.

[tamicatana]

Got bridle?

[Dulcesuenos]

Originally Posted by tamif27

Got bridle?

We do, found a really nice heavy 8 plait custom job with stainless chain hook, chafe guards etc etc works purrfect and looks good lol.

[Kettlewell]

Hmmm. Well, there are so many different scenarios we can't get into every one here, but cats are certainly kedgeable. In ICW mud, which is frequently very soft, often the best way out is to put out a kedge off the bow and winch the bow around until it is pointing back towards deeper water, and then power forward to get out while also pulling on the kedge. I have dragged a cat through the mud backwards for quite a ways by flipping up the rudders and then running the kedge line from one cockpit winch to another--with two people grinding you get quite a bit of power. It is also kedging if you just put out an anchor on a long rode and move the boat across the harbor--I have had to do that with no engine in a tight harbor so sailing was out of the question. Sometimes you are just bumping up against the shoal and all it takes is to take the kedge out in the dinghy so you can pull the boat back into the deeper water.

[JonJo]

You need to be careful to 'kedge' a multi by ensuring that once you are pointing in the direction you want to go that you kedge from the centreline, so you need a bridle to kedge off (as well as to anchor). If you've gone aground moving forward you might want to kedge of stern first (the way you went in), before swinging round. If you winch off one side only (which is the quickest thing to do) there is the danger of bending your rudder posts as the cat swings. Really you need a very long bridle attached to each stern winch and winch both together., or if short handed, a few turns on one and then a few on the other. Its easeir to kedge off stern first, because normally it will reverse the way you went aground but also because that's where the winches are, turn round once you are off. I'd also be very careful about powering off, saildrive props are not far off the seabed (in a cat with mini keels) and unless you know the bottom is only sand, or mud, you can rip the saildrives out.

But I would agree - cat owners do test the ground more often than monos becuase we fool around in shallower water and becuase if we get it wrong, we simply sit there and do not fall over.

The only comment I'd have about your anchor choice is keep the Fortress assembled (they do not take up much room). If you ever need a second anchor in a hurry they take an inordinate time to assemble and I would not want to do it in the middle of the night (and find I'd mislaid one of the bolts).