What Anchor Should I Have?

[sailorboy1]

you know when it comes right down to it if you look around I bet a 35# CQR on a 45' boat is VERY common, ...................................... for the boats in their slips.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Geoduck

As far as anchoring goes, the best place I've found to test one is in Drakes Bay outside of San Fran. They all seem to drag there!

I dragged a Bruce in Drakes Bay years ago, but my current Rocna always seems to hold there. The only difficult thing about Drakes Bay is making sure you're not downwind from anyone hanging on a CQR.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Don L

you know when it comes right down to it if you look around I bet a 35# CQR on a 45' boat is VERY common, ...................................... for the boats in their slips.

Bet you can see a few on boats dragged up on the beach as well.

[Pete the Cat]

I think folks who who lug around giant oversized and grossly overpriced anchors are trying to compensate for a lack of skill and chain. Anchoring is much more a skill and a whole system than it is some magic $800 hook at the end of your rode. I don't like being anywhere near folks with a shiny Rocna short rode.

[markpierce]

Lots of the 40-to-50-foot craft here carry both CQR/Plow and Bruce/Claw.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Pete the Cat

I don't like being anywhere near folks with a shiny Rocna short rode.

Fabulous. Let's hope this attitude catches on. Even though my Rocna doesn't shine and my rode is all chain, I'm hoping that boats will anchor further away in the future, and I'd be willing to polish the Rocna if it gives me more swing room.

[Boracay]

My experience has been that CQRs (and their clones) do quite nicely in moderate to heavy mud on moderate scope. I'd not like to use a small one on a hard bottom or soft sand.

If you look carefully not all CQRs are the same. There are many clones and some have had a fair sized lump of lead melted into the nose.

At night I like to anchor in protected bays where the wind blows away from the shore.

If you're worried drop it for lunch one day and keep and eye on it for a couple of hours.

My general observation is that many powerboat owners would consider a #35 CQR grossly oversized.

[Delfin]

Originally Posted by Pete the Cat

I think folks who who lug around giant oversized and grossly overpriced anchors are trying to compensate for a lack of skill and chain. Anchoring is much more a skill and a whole system than it is some magic $800 hook at the end of your rode. I don't like being anywhere near folks with a shiny Rocna short rode.

Maybe, or perhaps they can just afford good equipment..

Regarding 'oversized anchors', I generally agree with Steve Dashew (who probably has picked up a few skills in one of his circumnavigations) that when people look at your oversized anchor and ask 'are you kidding?' you're starting to get into the ballpark of just the right size.

But I will agree with you that with the exception of the Ultra, which is designed for stainless, all the stainless variants of other anchors are a good way to spend more and get an anchor that is generally too weak to hold up.

And though you might like to convince yourself otherwise, no amount of skill is going to change a CQR into a great anchor, nor make a Bruce type less than 100# or so hold as well as an equivalently sized 3rd generation anchor.

[zeehag]

one bruce--80 pounds or so, 3/8 chain, minimum..heavier if you can find it easily ...cqr, 90 ish pounds, 3/8 chain ...lots of it..these like more chain ...
find original bruce. if not able to find one of those, look for a used rocna or whatever those nearby who actually do use their boats use.....

[sww914]

I have a 60# CQR copy on our ~ 15 ton boat when it's filled up. It's been flawless as long as I give it 5:1 to get buried. I wouldn't want a smaller anchor.

[sww914]

Keep in mind that people talk a lot of smack about older generation anchors. The new anchors are great. Most actual cruisers around here are using CQRs and Bruces and Deltas. I saw 3 boats on the rocks this year. All were from rode failures. A Rocna doesn't fix a rode.

[sww914]

So why did I post on ANOTHER anchor thread? THREE TIMES!!!?

[Group9]

Originally Posted by Tortuga's Lie

What size anchor should I use while traveling to Cuba and should I declare my guns???

I wouldn't use any anchor while I was traveling there. In most places they wouldn't reach the bottom and would just slow you down anyway.

[zeehag]

te cow from sn(oops other forum), 300 meters of rope rode, and place boat 100 ft from shore..cow will keep boat in place and you will have milk and potential hamburgers, should cow be scared so bad she dries up....

[sailorboy1]

I don't really know why we make anchoring seem so complex!

Even though I did watch a group on a Sea Ray the other day who couldn't figure it out (that 1:1 scope just was cutting it, but then I am only assuming they were letting the anchor hit the bottom).