Which anchors should I keep?

[GILow]

Hi Cruisers,

We recently bought a stockless anchor, an anchor that seems a bit out of fashion these days, but this particular model, the Marsh Stockless, is the anchor of choice here in South Australia where it is said to cope with the native sea grass very well. It is also said, by South Australians, that it works very well in the kelp in Tasmania. (I am yet to have this independently verified by a Tasmanian, so I shall have to do the testing myself. )

This anchor weighs 77 pounds, a little heavier than ideal but the next size down was not rated to handle a boat of our size.

This purchase will see us through the next four years before we head off around Australia (and Tasmania) with maybe a bit of the pacific and NZ tossed in if all goes well.

At the bow we have 86 meters (280 feet) of 10mm chain, attached to 65 meters (210 feet) of 18 mm nylon warp. This can now be attached to a choice of the new stockless or:

1. We have an early model Sarca (1990's), weighing only 45 pounds. This anchor is in good condition and served the original owner of our boat very well throughout the Pacific Islands and along the East Coast of Australia. But it does seem very light to me. It does have a noticeable sideways bend (5 degrees) in the shank, but this has not yet given me trouble in setting the anchor, and the shackle still travels along the slot well, so I am inclined to leave it well alone.

2. The boat also came with an 85 pound plough anchor which dismantles into two parts (plough and shank) making it a bit easier to stow. It is also in good condition. I have never used this anchor, it's a bit daunting to get it topsides.

At the stern we have a 45 pound Danforth with 15 meters of 10mm chain and 50 meters of 18 mm nylon warp.

We are pretty heavy, at around 16 tons unladen, and we have a lot of freeboard plus a fair bit of wind drag from the deckhouse, rigging, panels, wind gen etc, so I think we need something at the top end of what would normally be used for a 42 footer. Hence I feel like the Sarca is bit light, but then the plough is horribly heavy.

So which anchors would you keep and which would you toss? I feel like at least one should go, but maybe not?

Matt

[Panope]

Matt, I think that you should focus first on which anchor (singular) you will use as your primary, number 1, fool proof, high holding power, easily handled - all around anchor.

Hard for me to imagine the Marsh Stockless meeting the above spec (surely, it will have low holding power in soft seabeds).

Not sure what your 85 pound "plough" anchor looks like but perhaps it would meet the spec if it fits your bow roller and you can lift it.

The stern of your vessel is probably the best place to keep your Danforth.

That leaves the Sarca. I agree that it may be a size too small for your boat (perhaps you could find another Sarca owner who wants to trade down a size). It is a fine anchor.

After you decide on the best bow anchor, the other specialty anchors you stash in your bilge will be of much less importance.

Steve

[Factor]

Ditch the plough, talk to Rex at Anchor Right about your Sarca, and obviously keep the fine Marsh Stockless for its purpose, which no other anchor will do as well at. Keep the danforth and when it is crappy replace it with a Fortress

[GILow]

Good points thanks, Steve. The stockless is weird but will be on the bow as long as we are in the Gulf St Vincent. Too many people I trust have warned me that even the very good Sarca will cause me grief here.

I suppose once we leave South Australia we could leave the stockless at home and go back to the original configuration. I do like your idea of looking for someone who wants to trade down in anchor weight.

Picture of sarca and plough attached here for reference.


Sent from my iPhone so apologies for weird autocorrect typos.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Factor

Ditch the plough, talk to Rex at Anchor Right about your Sarca, and obviously keep the fine Marsh Stockless for its purpose, which no other anchor will do as well at. Keep the danforth and when it is crappy replace it with a Fortress

Thanks Factor. What are you thinking with Rex? Are you suggesting he may be able to help me trade up?


Sent from my iPhone so apologies for weird autocorrect typos.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by GILow

Thanks Factor. What are you thinking with Rex? Are you suggesting he may be able to help me trade up?


Sent from my iPhone so apologies for weird autocorrect typos.

If you don't ask you will never know.
FWIW I have found Rex to be very helpful.
Cheers

[Panope]

Matt, Any chance you could find a couple hard points ashore (fence posts, brick walls, farm implement, etc) and jamb or chain the Sarca in place so you could straiten out the shank with a loooooong cheater bar?

Steve

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Panope

Matt, Any chance you could find a couple hard points ashore (fence posts, brick walls, farm implement, etc) and jamb or chain the Sarca in place so you could straiten out the shank with a loooooong cheater bar?

Steve

I certainly have a number of means of straightening it. I just get a little nervous about metal fatigue. I am not sure what the metallurgical properties of the anchor are, and how they would respond to being bent back again. I believe (though I have not checked) that certain forging processes such as hardening make it unwise to try to correct bends. But really I should do some reading and see what I can find out.

Matt

[Wotname]

Hmm...FWIW, I suggest keeping the plough somewhere down below as you plan to be away from home waters for a long time and you never know when you MIGHT need it. I can't offer advice about the stockless except to say local knowledge trumps ALL internet advice.

However, once in more "normal" bottoms (sand, mud etc), it seems very hard to beat any of the new generation anchors. I'm using a Sarca Excel and am very very happy with it, way better than the previous plough. However I'm sure others are as good.

You main bower anchor needs to the best you can afford IMO.

You certainly have enough scope

[GILow]

I just had a look at the Anchor Right web site. It seems the design has barely changed, at least aesthetically, since ours was produced. From the weight it seems we have a Super Sarca number 6 (or its predecessor) and according to the web site our model is good for up to 11 tons. Not nearly enough. We need at least a No 7. I will give them a call.


Matt

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Hmm...FWIW, I suggest keeping the plough somewhere down below as you plan to be away from home waters for a long time and you never know when you MIGHT need it...

Thanks Wotname. Er.. shouldn't you be in Port Davey?

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by GILow

Thanks Wotname. Er.. shouldn't you be in Port Davey?

Clearly you have been researching anchors and not following the weather

A couple of gale warnings bracketed with strong wind warnings - all from the west of course.

Currently waiting at Recherché Bay for a weather window. Even the calm days here are a challenge for us fair weather sailors.

Back to topic, while I can't offer any experience of anchoring near /in Tassie kelp beds, the mere sight of the size of the kelp (bludi huge to my untrained eyes) makes me stay well clear - maybe I'm a wuss but I sleep better

[Don C L]

Not really a fan of the plow, or plough, after I had one drag when things got windy and a swell moved in. The big heavy plough dragged but the (lighter) Danforth H-35 on the stern ended up holding the 10 tons (Downeast 38) from going anywhere. To be fair the plough may have been fouled on some kelp, hard to know for sure, it was dark and stormy and I wasn't able to investigate. But I have never had an issue with Danforths so, though I like the new generation, I say hang on to the Danforth, especially if it is hi-tensile. And if locals are using the stockless, follow their lead!

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Clearly you have been researching anchors and not following the weather

Sorry, I must have missed it, was there one of those lovely red bits on Passage Weather?

It looks great for the coming week. Maybe not as much wind as I'd like but according to passage weather lots of opportunities to get South.



Edit: Sorry, I forgot, you are heading West, not such good winds. Bummer, for some reason I was thinking you were coming down from the North.

I am heading out this arvo to see how the new anchor holds in a 20knot South Westerly.

Might give myself a little room to move and set Drag Queen before I make dinner.

Matt

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by GILow

Hi Cruisers,

We recently bought a stockless anchor, an anchor that seems a bit out of fashion these days, but this particular model, the Marsh Stockless, is the anchor of choice here in South Australia where it is said to cope with the native sea grass very well. It is also said, by South Australians, that it works very well in the kelp in Tasmania. (I am yet to have this independently verified by a Tasmanian, so I shall have to do the testing myself. )

This anchor weighs 77 pounds, a little heavier than ideal but the next size down was not rated to handle a boat of our size.

This purchase will see us through the next four years before we head off around Australia (and Tasmania) with maybe a bit of the pacific and NZ tossed in if all goes well.

At the bow we have 86 meters (280 feet) of 10mm chain, attached to 65 meters (210 feet) of 18 mm nylon warp. This can now be attached to a choice of the new stockless or:

1. We have an early model Sarca (1990's), weighing only 45 pounds. This anchor is in good condition and served the original owner of our boat very well throughout the Pacific Islands and along the East Coast of Australia. But it does seem very light to me. It does have a noticeable sideways bend (5 degrees) in the shank, but this has not yet given me trouble in setting the anchor, and the shackle still travels along the slot well, so I am inclined to leave it well alone.

2. The boat also came with an 85 pound plough anchor which dismantles into two parts (plough and shank) making it a bit easier to stow. It is also in good condition. I have never used this anchor, it's a bit daunting to get it topsides.

At the stern we have a 45 pound Danforth with 15 meters of 10mm chain and 50 meters of 18 mm nylon warp.

We are pretty heavy, at around 16 tons unladen, and we have a lot of freeboard plus a fair bit of wind drag from the deckhouse, rigging, panels, wind gen etc, so I think we need something at the top end of what would normally be used for a 42 footer. Hence I feel like the Sarca is bit light, but then the plough is horribly heavy.

So which anchors would you keep and which would you toss? I feel like at least one should go, but maybe not?

Matt

Wottie's in Recherche Bay. Probably going to Pt. Davey on Mon or Tues.

Anchors:

The Danforth will be very useful as a kedge and as a stern anchor: it's a keeper.

Keep the Marsh for those grassy situations; it seems to me to be a specialty anchor.

If you can sell the Sarca after straightening the shank, and sell the plow, then get the Sarca up one size more. That will give you a heck of a storm anchor, that you can use in conjunction with the Danforth, if you want to really stabilize the boat. (Imagine a "Y", the "V" parts are the two anchor rodes with their anchors, and the tail of it is Manera. We have never drug when we have done that in strong winds (55-65 kn.), even when one can't get a good grip, the combo seems to. If the old Sarca held the boat through out the south Pacific, maybe only going up to the recommended size for your tonnage and windage would be adequate--I don't know how optimistic their sizing is.

If money is no object with this project, keeping the old plow in the bilge will not hurt, but it is almighty heavy, and with the passage of the years, will be harder to move. On the other hand, if you have the space, it could save somebody's bacon, some time. One of my racing skippers carried 5 anchors, even while racing. We have the 60 lb. Manson Supreme, the 20 lb. Danforth HT, and a 45 lb. plow. We rely on just the new generation anchor, with the Danforth as described above. So far, no worries, mate!

Ann