New tidal anchoring questions. Hmmm

[LX Kid]

Finally got my restoration boat going and now have some questions about anchoring and what I need for my 24' Grady White. I went fishing in Tampa Bay and found the anchor not digging in and holding in the tide. These are the two anchors that came with the boat. How do I use or set them up to get the best use of them or do I need different anchors? I'm also unfamiliar with anchoring terminologies. Thanks

 

[spikeitaudi]

Re: New tidal anchoring questions. Hmmm

Have you taken a safety course? This is explained in detail in the course. If not you should. Those both are Danforth anchors or Fluke Style. You should have at least 7-8 ft of galvanized chain attached to the anchor which I see you have chain but can't tell how much in your pic. The chain will aid in setting the anchor by lowering the angle of the pull as the chain will sink and lie on the bottom also.

Depending on your depth you should be letting out 5 to 10 times the depth of were you are trying to anchor. That being said you still might not be able to get a good hold of the bottom depending on what's down there. So if you are anchoring in 10feet of water you should let out at least 50 ft.

From the pics I can't tell the sizes of those anchors as well.

And NEVER anchor from the stern. This could swamp your boat. Always anchor from the Bow.

 

[dingbat]

Re: New tidal anchoring questions. Hmmm

Hard to tell the size of the anchors in the question, but the one on the left looks about the same size as mine. I have twice that much chain but yours should do alright as it is.

How much rode did you have out? Best practice say 7X the depth but I typically go with 4-5X and have no problems unless I?m in a pretty rocky area.

 

[Pez Vela]

Re: New tidal anchoring questions. Hmmm

As a boat captain, you really need to educate yourself on anchoring gear and techniques. There's plenty of information available. Directly to the point, the chain lengths shown in the photos are too short ... try 25' to 30' feet of chain and scope out your rode sufficiently to get a good bite. The amount of scope will vary with the conditions.

 

[LX Kid]

Re: New tidal anchoring questions. Hmmm

Thanks Spikitaudi. The coated chain is only 4' long. Do you think these are adequate anchors for my 24' boat?

 

[rbh]

Re: New tidal anchoring questions. Hmmm

Getting a danforth style anchor to bite on a flat sand/silt bottom is a pain in the butt.
They tend to IMO best work in a clay/dirt bottom and work great if you can get them set over a drop off point.
A fortress style (Plow) tends to bite better in sand and silt.

 

[spikeitaudi]

Re: New tidal anchoring questions. Hmmm

Thanks Spikitaudi. The coated chain is only 4' long. Do you think these are adequate anchors for my 24' boat?

4 foot is to short. I honestly could not tell you if the anchors themself are good or not. Depends on what type of bottom you are trying to anchor to and what the conditions are in the water. But 4 foot regardless is to short.
You might also consider asking other locals in your area what they use or ask a local marina.

Other may chime in that have more experience.

 

[pine island fred]

Re: New tidal anchoring questions. Hmmm

25 to 30 ft. of chain seem like a bit of an overkill. I have about 8 ft. on the same anchor pictured on the left and have no problem in light to moderate surf. Drop the anchor and then back off from it as you play out the rope. At whatever distance you want, secure the line and continue backing off a bit until the anchor sets. The stern anchor is for setting on the beach to keep the bow into the waves or to keep the boat from swinging around in the wind in a protected anchorage. FRED

 

[LX Kid]

Re: New tidal anchoring questions. Hmmm

As a boat captain, you really need to educate yourself on anchoring gear and techniques. There's plenty of information available.

Wow! I thought that's what I was trying to do. Thanks for the chain advise. I had heard as a rule of thumb the chain should be equal to the length of your boat.