Need anchor advice

[H2OBoy]

I desperately need some help with anchoring. This is my fifth year with my boat and I continue to be "that guy" at the sand bar that cannot stay anchored in one place and periodically have to reposition. I have been using the standard danforth-style anchor that came with the boat but I know I need to add another one. My question is what type? I rarely anchor anywhere other than the sand bar and I just cannot get my current anchor to catch. All help is appreciated.

 

[DieselCamel]

Buy a box anchor from slide anchor and forgot about it

 

[itsdgm]

I agree with @DieselCamel, Box anchor.

 

[scokill]

The biggest issue that I see is people not letting out enough line/rode. 3/1 or 4/1 is minimum really, so in 20' of water that't 60-80' of line. You also have to be intentional about setting the anchor...no half hearted attempts of tugging on the line. I've never used a box anchor but I believe it's 2/1 scope and sets easy.

 

[H2OBoy]

Thanks for the quick replies. I see there are a few different sizes of box anchors. What size would I need?

 

[veedubtek]

Small is more than enough.

 

[robert843]

I agree with all posts small box anchor will be more then enough for your boat. Biggest advantage to the box anchor is it requires no chain and a lot less line. If you stick with your anchor you just have to make sure you have enough chain weight on it and to use that 4/1 rule and it should set fine or even get an anchor buddy and still use the 4/1 rule will help even more.

 

[Britboater]

Do you have a proper Danforth anchor or one of those slip ring fluke anchor? That's what I had with my 190, if so ditch it, those are only good as door stops.
With a Danforth anchor of the right weight for your boat and a good length of chain you shouldn't have many problems as long as you let enough rope out.

I've no experience with the box anchors but I believe they are good and I was about to purchase until I was told the fluke I was using was my problem.

 

[H2OBoy]

Thanks again for all of the responses. I believe part of my issue is that I am not giving enough length of rope out. That said, I am ordering a box anchor today. I will keep both on the boat just in case.

 

[Evil Sports]

I would love to have a Box anchor but they are beastly little items to store and can make a mess of your boat.

 

[ncnmra]

I agree, box anchor seems to get good reviews. With a danforth, or slip ring, make sure you have lots of chain, that makes the biggest difference.

I bought a digger anchor, and it works pretty well. It is fairly heavy in itself, but does fit in the anchor locker unlike the box anchor.
http://www.cabelas.ca/product/66759/digger-freshwater-anchor

 

[bronze_10]

I ordered a box anchor over the winter because I wad that guy as well... I could let out all my rope and anchor chain butnit n would still come undone... I even bought the anchor bungee rope but still nothing... . I bought the box anchor and I bought a medium... way more anchor than I need I know but guess what..... my boats don't move now .

[I am fully aware the reason the old anchor would not hold is something on my part but still..... now.... no more drifting boat]!

 

[ncnmra]

I'd love the box anchor, but the storage is a headache for me. I don't want to have to lift up seats, etc. I like having the anchor locker, but if it doesn't fit there, I'm VERY leery of going that route unfortunately.

 

[bronze_10]

I store my box anchor in the bag it came in and under the seat directly dehind the anchor locker... I would love to put it in the anchor locker but I think it would bunce around a lot and damage something

 

[ncnmra]

I've lined my anchor locker with an old thick rubber car mat, because I can't hang my digger anchor either. I've seen someone that fashioned a hanger for the under the seat compartment for the box anchor.

 

[Zeus2013]

If it is windy I use a box anchor at the bow and at the stern i use a danforth. As this weekend was really windy I used both and stayed in place all day.

On not so windy days I just use the box anchor at the bow and try to point the bow in the direction of the breeze.

 

[scokill]

If it is windy I use a box anchor at the bow and at the stern i use a danforth. As this weekend was really windy I used both and stayed in place all day.

On not so windy days I just use the box anchor at the bow and try to point the bow in the direction of the breeze.

To me, windy days are easier as it keeps tension on the line and sets the anchor even more.

 

[Glen]

Danforth anchors are built for sand and mud. Best hold you can buy-
Larger boats have had issues with bending flukes on wind shifts, because the anchor holds too well.
Next Generation anchors like Rochna and Manson have largely taken over the market due to their near ubiquitous terrain capabilities (mud, coral, sand, weeds,...) and ability to quickly reset, on a wind shift.
Though we did this upgrade on our previous boat (45lbs Danforth to 55lbs Rochna; 10 ton catamaran), don't plan to do this, this time.
-Vast majority of our anchoring in day/lunch hooks (we are with boat, on clear weather days)
-Vast majority is in sand or mud, which danforth's are good at
-Use 3-4:1 scope and conscious to use reverse to set the anchor in (3K+ reverse). (Note that scope ratio is measured from where the rode is secured to boat, not the water depth).
-Storage is premium on our 242X, with so much going to ballast.
-Bought the Danforth S600 anchor kit, which is what Yamaha uses for it's 'Deluxe' anchor. 9lb anchor, 150' line, 4' of 1/4 inch chain. I would prefer 200' line and 6-8' of chain, but the kit is easy.

Anchoring (like docking) is mostly about technique/practice in setting and somewhat about the anchor and the bottom composition.
Too many boaters are too focused on their post anchoring activities (and sometimes the crowd), to anchor well.

Our routine (mostly stern to beach anchoring):
-Nose in to where we want to anchor and get a feel for the depth gradient (how quickly it gets shallow...gives me idea how deep I need to set anchor out at, to be waist deep at stern, with the right scope).
-Back in and drop anchor off bow in 10' of water, when 40+-ish feet from beach (distances dependent on the beach gradient)
-When short of where I want to end up (say 10-15' from beach), secure rode (anchor line) to cleat, and 1st see if it stops us, if so, then reverse on it to 3K, and make sure still holds.
-If holding, then release rode and keep backing towards beach to the depth I want the stern to be at.
-Secure line to stern and walk off to secure line ashore. (mostly tie to trees by me, but considering the Shore Spike; easy storage)

Any feedback from folks on the shore spike?

I don't have anything against the box anchor but simply don't want to give up the space and with some practice, the designed solution is more than capable for our primary use-case.

 

[robert843]

Danforth anchors are built for sand and mud. Best hold you can buy-
Larger boats have had issues with bending flukes on wind shifts, because the anchor holds too well.
Next Generation anchors like Rochna and Manson have largely taken over the market due to their near ubiquitous terrain capabilities (mud, coral, sand, weeds,...) and ability to quickly reset, on a wind shift.
Though we did this upgrade on our previous boat (45lbs Danforth to 55lbs Rochna; 10 ton catamaran), don't plan to do this, this time.
-Vast majority of our anchoring in day/lunch hooks (we are with boat, on clear weather days)
-Vast majority is in sand or mud, which danforth's are good at
-Use 3-4:1 scope and conscious to use reverse to set the anchor in (3K+ reverse). (Note that scope ratio is measured from where the rode is secured to boat, not the water depth).
-Storage is premium on our 242X, with so much going to ballast.
-Bought the Danforth S600 anchor kit, which is what Yamaha uses for it's 'Deluxe' anchor. 9lb anchor, 150' line, 4' of 1/4 inch chain. I would prefer 200' line and 6-8' of chain, but the kit is easy.

Anchoring (like docking) is mostly about technique/practice in setting and somewhat about the anchor and the bottom composition.
Too many boaters are too focused on their post anchoring activities (and sometimes the crowd), to anchor well.

Our routine (mostly stern to beach anchoring):
-Nose in to where we want to anchor and get a feel for the depth gradient (how quickly it gets shallow...gives me idea how deep I need to set anchor out at, to be waist deep at stern, with the right scope).
-Back in and drop anchor off bow in 10' of water, when 40+-ish feet from beach (distances dependent on the beach gradient)
-When short of where I want to end up (say 10-15' from beach), secure rode (anchor line) to cleat, and 1st see if it stops us, if so, then reverse on it to 3K, and make sure still holds.
-If holding, then release rode and keep backing towards beach to the depth I want the stern to be at.
-Secure line to stern and walk off to secure line ashore. (mostly tie to trees by me, but considering the Shore Spike; easy storage)

Any feedback from folks on the shore spike?

I don't have anything against the box anchor but simply don't want to give up the space and with some practice, the designed solution is more than capable for our primary use-case.

The small box anchor in the 24ft boats fits just fine in the anchor locker with 150ft of rope.

 

[DieselCamel]

The reason I prefer the box anchor. It is idiot-proof you throw it overboard and forget about it no setting no nothing because it does it all on its own.