"Daryl Harris" wrote in message
...
Hello all

I own a 17ft half cabin boat which weighs around 800kg. I currently have a
traditional sand anchor (sized correctly for the boat) with around 2
meters
of light chain attached to it.
I anchor the boat on in an area of beach type sand, trying to always let
out
about 5 times as much rope as the water is deep. On all but calm
conditions
the anchor will drag, even after diving down and digging it in by hand. I
am
considering buying a plough anchor in the hope of superior holding power.
I
have been told the sand anchor should be as good as any in sand and
perhaps
a heavier chain would help.
Any thoughts or experiences with different anchor types would be greatly
appreciated.

Daryl

I use a Plough anchor and it's great in sand / mud / clay / broken shell
etc. The only issue with a plough is that it can get stuck really well on a
rocky bottom.

As far as chain goes, 2 metres for a 17' boat is not enough. The New
Zealand Coast Guard (I'm from NZ) recomend at least the length of the boat
in chain. I carry 1.5 times the length and a lot of people even use nothing
but chain. 5 times the depth is the recomended practise from the NZCG as
well. More in a storm.

My spare anchor is a danforth and whenever I've used it I've slipped. I've
sat in 2 metre swells with 40 knot winds on my plough and never moved.

Enjoy!
Dan