"Doug Dotson" wrote in message
...
"Jeff Morris" wrote in message
...
I have moved to the "lighter is better" approach, partly because I have a
cat
which would suffer if I used a big CQR and all chain, but mainly because
I've
found the most important part of anchoring is getting properly set in the
right
place, which is a lot easier with lighter gear.


I have to dissagree. Lighter anchors tend to float and flutter so that
getting
then to set where you want is harder.

I said lighter, not underweight. Cruisers should always go up at least one
size, especially on the primary, simply because the sizing charts are based on
45 knots of wind. And while many boaters swear by their CQRs, I've heard a lot
of stories about how they drag on their sides for 100 feet before setting (and
experienced it myself); I've even seen videos of this. My somewhat smaller
Delta tends to land "point first" and sets with less hassle.


Heavier anchors drop quickly and
tend to stay put while paying out the rode. I have a Spade anchor that is
rated for a boat that is
far larger than mine. It won't set reliably in sand and grass.

The ability to set in a given situation has absolutely nothing to do with the
size of your boat. What you're saying is that Spade anchors aren't good in
grass. Many anchors have trouble in grass, and more often than not you end up
hooking to the grass which gradually gives way. When I have to anchor in grass
I double anchor.

So lighter
is easier to handle but certainly doesn;t give as reliable set as a heavier
anchor. I understand that the Fortress anchors do perform very well
for their weight, but I will be getting one that is still oversized for my
boat.

You should consider the light weight of a Fortress an oppurtunity to go up one
size. My "lunch hook" is a FX23, which is rated for boats 39 to 45 feet (mine
is a 36 foot cat). But it only weighs 15 pounds. I have a modest amount of
chain on it (20 feet), just enough to ensure it will go straight down.
Frankly, adding more chain doesn't help it hold better in the double anchor
situation, but it does make it more difficult to set, since you can't "feel the
bottom" as well. And it certainly doesn't help if you have to row it out or
haul by hand.

Its true that the smaller Fortresses (10 pounds and under) can "sail" in a
current - when you lower one you should watch the orientation carefully, since
they can end up 10 or 20 feet away from where you intend.

I read that any anchor less than 35 pounds will not set well.
Just not enough weight to allow it to settle in reliably.

I'd have to agree that my Delta 35 seems to set easier than my previous Delta
22, but I went to the 22 (on my previous boat, a Nonsuch 30) because the CQR 35
it came with was a pain to deploy and worse to recover, and was more prone to
drag before setting. I also reduced the chain from 90 feet to 45, and life was
much better.