On Thu, 20 May 2004 18:34:50 -0400, "Gene Kearns"
wrote:

On Thu, 20 May 2004 08:20:46 -0400, Peter W. Meek
wrote:

On Wed, 19 May 2004 17:54:46 -0400, "Gene Kearns"
wrote:

pwmeek wrote:
On adding chain to the rode: I like to have chain
equal to the weight of the anchor. Unless you
are anchoring in coral or some other abrasive
bottom, six to ten feet is plenty, so you up the
size of the chain to get the weight up. With a
25# danforth, use ten feet of 1/2" chain (overkill
for strength, but about the right weight).

If you are using this for the original 19' boat.... you certainly
*will* be anchored....

Actually, that IS the rig I use on my 20' center
console. I occasionally wish it were lighter, but
not as often as I am glad I have it when I make
a first-try set on hard clay in a 4 kt current.

I usually find that only an inch or two of the
flukes have penetrated into the clay when I
retrieve. Once another boat, that failed in
making a set, t-boned me (his side/my bow).
On that retrieve, nearly 6" had dug in.
Maybe not typical, but it's MY worst-case
anchoring problem.


A Danforth is absolutely the worst anchor you could be using if your
conditions are clay. Danforth's are beautiful in sand and soft mud,
but nearly useless in hard clay. I'd go for a lighter plow type
anchor like a S-L Delta set-fast. Less back breaking work and more
holding power.

My Bruce works well in clay. Also works in mud and sand and just about
everything. I have a CQR, Danforth and Bruce and just about always use
the Bruce as the primary anchor. It sets and resets fast, holds well
and is easy to break out.

Steve

and is easy to break out.

Steve


the true test of an anchor.

On Thu, 20 May 2004 18:34:50 -0400, "Gene Kearns"
wrote:

I usually find that only an inch or two of the
flukes have penetrated into the clay when I
retrieve. Once another boat, that failed in
making a set, t-boned me (his side/my bow).
On that retrieve, nearly 6" had dug in.
Maybe not typical, but it's MY worst-case
anchoring problem.


A Danforth is absolutely the worst anchor you could be using if your
conditions are clay. Danforth's are beautiful in sand and soft mud,
but nearly useless in hard clay. I'd go for a lighter plow type
anchor like a S-L Delta set-fast. Less back breaking work and more
holding power.

My problem isn't holding power, it's making
the set at all. I could probably use a grappling
hook with a weight on the shank. I get plenty
of holding power from the ***2 or 3 square inches***
of the tips of the flukes that dig in. I'm talking
a glassy surface with slight undulations. I lower
the anchor to the bottom and let out 7 or 8 to one
scope with NO tension. Then I drag the anchor, holding
the rode in my fingertips, feeling for the first catch,
and then pull slightly harder, hoping that the tips
are caught on one of the ripples. As I ease the tips
into the clay I apply more tension until I think it
will hold. At that point I can reduce scope to
about 4 or 5 to 1. Then I cleat it off.

Once a much larger boat (35'?) missed his set and drifted
(at 4 kts) sideways down onto my bow. When he hit,
I thought he would break my set, since I knew that
only an inch or two of the tips were dug in. To
my surprise, it held. When I pulled the anchor (with
MUCH difficulty -- up and down, cleat it off, rock
the boat, power back and forth) there was clay on
only about 5 or 6 inches of the tips of the flukes.
The clay has to be chipped off with a screw driver.
It is much stiffer than cold plasticine (the green,
oily modeling clay). I suspect that if I set a
plow anchor there, I'd have to cut the line and
leave it at the end of the day.

This is at the north end of the channel that runs
behind Belle Isle in the Detroit River. It is the
location of the spectator fleet for the hydroplane
races. Watching people try to anchor there is
almost as much fun as a day at the public boat ramps.
Much cutting of rodes by people who miss their sets
and try to power out of a mess. And the usual gang
of first timers who try to anchor with a mushroom
and enough poly line to reach the 40' bottom. Every
year one of these guys prepares to drop his mushroom
about where someone else's anchor is dug in and has
to be shouted off by the other boats anchored in the
area.

On 21 May 2004 11:39:37 GMT, (JAXAshby) wrote:

and is easy to break out.

Steve


the true test of an anchor.

I wouldn't say the true test. But it's one of the many characteristics
of a good anchor in addition to the ones you snipped, which include:

My Bruce works well in clay. Also works in mud and sand and just about
everything. [...] It sets and resets fast, holds well and is easy to break out.

If an anchor is not easy to break out, I'd only be using it for either
times when I plan to anchor for days or weeks on end and not just an
overnight or two like I usually do or as a second anchor for when the
wind kicks up. It would not be my primary anchor.

Steve

yup, an anchor that is easy to pull loose from the bottom, THAT is the best
choice of anchors.

and is easy to break out.

Steve


the true test of an anchor.

I wouldn't say the true test. But it's one of the many characteristics
of a good anchor in addition to the ones you snipped, which include:

My Bruce works well in clay. Also works in mud and sand and just about
everything. [...] It sets and resets fast, holds well and is easy to break
out.

If an anchor is not easy to break out, I'd only be using it for either
times when I plan to anchor for days or weeks on end and not just an
overnight or two like I usually do or as a second anchor for when the
wind kicks up. It would not be my primary anchor.

Steve

my goodness. what fine, fine sailors.

and is easy to break out.

Steve


the true test of an anchor.

and

easy retrieval is one of my prime
considerations when choosing an anchor.

and

relatively inexpensive.

why?

I've lost a number of
them over the years

never heard of a trip line, eh?

You finally got something right.

"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
yup, an anchor that is easy to pull loose from the bottom, THAT is the
best
choice of anchors.

and is easy to break out.

Steve


the true test of an anchor.

I wouldn't say the true test. But it's one of the many characteristics
of a good anchor in addition to the ones you snipped, which include:

My Bruce works well in clay. Also works in mud and sand and just about
everything. [...] It sets and resets fast, holds well and is easy to
break
out.

If an anchor is not easy to break out, I'd only be using it for either
times when I plan to anchor for days or weeks on end and not just an
overnight or two like I usually do or as a second anchor for when the
wind kicks up. It would not be my primary anchor.

Steve

On 21 May 2004 14:54:04 GMT, (JAXAshby) wrote:

what fine, fine sailors.

Thank you for the compliment.

Steve

On 21 May 2004 14:50:50 GMT, (JAXAshby) wrote:

yup, an anchor that is easy to pull loose from the bottom, THAT is the best
choice of anchors.

In some cases, yes. In your case, you should get one that is impossible
to pull from the bottom since your sailing is limited to your bathtub.

Steve

4# of tin foil is even easier to pull loose from the bottom, unless of course
you hang 400 feet of chain on it. Then it would take nearly a 9 knot wind to
break it free.

for the kristes sake guys. have you no clew on how to break out an anchor
using the engine, or sails if your boat does not have a working engine?

You finally got something right.

"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
yup, an anchor that is easy to pull loose from the bottom, THAT is the
best
choice of anchors.

and is easy to break out.

Steve


the true test of an anchor.

I wouldn't say the true test. But it's one of the many characteristics
of a good anchor in addition to the ones you snipped, which include:

My Bruce works well in clay. Also works in mud and sand and just about
everything. [...] It sets and resets fast, holds well and is easy to
break
out.

If an anchor is not easy to break out, I'd only be using it for either
times when I plan to anchor for days or weeks on end and not just an
overnight or two like I usually do or as a second anchor for when the
wind kicks up. It would not be my primary anchor.

Steve