JG wrote:
You know, I just can't remember at this point. It would set briefly, then on
a short watch, it would drag. So, we'd let out more scope and it would set
again briefly. We repeated this until we either ran out of room to let out
more scope or it was obvious that no matter how much we let out, it wouldn't
make any difference.

Adding scope, assuming you had a proper amount to start, hardly ever
helps. Its certainly no help if the bottom is too soft for the
anchor. The one thing it does is give the anchor some time to dig in
by itself.



I've use the Danforth in a weed/sand area with a good amount of success. If
I could actually get it in a patch of sand encircled by weeds/grass, it
would generally hold. Aim was important... there's the sand, NOW! g


That's why I use a fishfinder rather than a depthsounder.


When I first started sailing in situations that required anchoring for lunch
or sleep, I remember being quite nervous about doing it and tended to put
the engine in hard reverse to try and really, really, set the hook, but I
soon figured out that was not helping at all.

Who cares if you're staying one the boat for a lunch break? The
Fortress is nice as a lunch hook because you can set it by hand and
feel when it grabs. This is one of the problems with a lot of chain:
it makes it impossible to feel when the anchor grabs.


In the bay, we drop the hook
and just let the boat drift back on its own. Job done. Occasionally, its
necessary to give a light hand to reverse, but this is typically when
there's no wind to push the boat back.

That's about all I do for overnight setting, though we'll test by
revving up, otherwise I wouldn't be able to sleep. We used to go
crazy trying to back the Nonsuch, which can't back in a straight line.
We learned that plow anchors set themselves best if you give them
some time.


The most difficult place I found was Cooper's Island, BVI, which is mostly
grass. The first time I was there, it took three shots at it before it
stuck. The second time, it stuck the first time, but we dragged a bit later
that night. Since then, I either didn't have any trouble (checking with a
dive on it) or elected to take a mooring.