On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:33:35 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

One anchor that never ceases to amaze me is the danforth. We just
spent a week on race committee duty in Key West. The committee head
wanted us on something lighter than our normal 120 lb Spade for
reasons relating to speed of retrieval. Fortunately it is a good
sand bottom out there, and all of our 60,000 lbs held very nicely in
20+ kts of wind, for 6 straight days, on a little 30 pound danforth
that I regard as a lunch hook.

Curious - how much water were you in?

=========

Typically 32 to 35 feet - Hawk Channel, 5 NM SE of Key West.

We were using a full 175 ft of 5/8 nylon rode with 20 ft of 3/8ths
chain. The fellow doing the anchoring job was being very careful to
get it set properly. That is key in my experience.

Wayne.B wrote:
On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:33:35 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

One anchor that never ceases to amaze me is the danforth. We just
spent a week on race committee duty in Key West. The committee head
wanted us on something lighter than our normal 120 lb Spade for
reasons relating to speed of retrieval. Fortunately it is a good
sand bottom out there, and all of our 60,000 lbs held very nicely in
20+ kts of wind, for 6 straight days, on a little 30 pound danforth
that I regard as a lunch hook.
Curious - how much water were you in?

=========

Typically 32 to 35 feet - Hawk Channel, 5 NM SE of Key West.

We were using a full 175 ft of 5/8 nylon rode with 20 ft of 3/8ths
chain. The fellow doing the anchoring job was being very careful to
get it set properly. That is key in my experience.


I have used Danforth in sand for years, and have never had problems. I
have had problems setting a Fortress Anchor, they seem to want to sail
through the current, instead of sitting on the bottom.

On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:19:00 -0500, wrote:

If you snag one of those coral ledges you could hold a battleship ...
until the line parted.

I think we were in clean sand for the most part, no problem with
retrieval fortunately, and the anchor was coming up with no mud on it.

I know guys who have their anchors rigged with a breakaway connection
in the eye and a hard connection behind the flukes so you can puill it
out backward. I have found anchors diving that were obviously cut off
because the skipper couldn't break them free.

That would make an interesting collection. I've seen anchors on the
bow of some boats that were so bent up that you know they must have
become badly caught up in something.

On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:48:03 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

Wow - that's an interesting set on an anchor like that. Do you think
the chain had as much to do with the set as the anchor it 'self?


The chain certainly helps to get it set quickly but probably doesn't
add much to holding power. The nylon rode was stretched bar tight all
day long with hundreds of pounds of constant pressure on it.

Did they set the anchor and attach a buoy to it or did you set it off
the bow yourself everyday?


We reset it every day, usually twice a day.

I assume you didn't stay out in the Channel overnight.

Oh heck no. We had a nice dock back at Key West very central to
everything. There's no way I would go to sleep on the boat anchored
in those conditions with a 30 pounder and 5/8ths rode.