Anchor type

[eastont]

I have a Bruce anchor at the bow, but I'm looking for an anchor for the stern that will keep me from swinging too much. I have a 27' Carver Santego, and do most of my boating on the St. Lawrence River. The current can be quite strong in some areas but very weak in others. The bottom ranges from rock to sand and everything in between.
Basically what I'd like is something that will be easy to deploy and retrieve, but must have a good hold.

I have looked and looked, but there are so many I don't really know what they will do. To me a mushroom anchor is the same as a river anchor.

Is it just weight that keep the boat in line?

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[rbh]

Re: Anchor type

You would need alot of weight to keep your boat from swinging around, better to have something on the bow and stern that will dig in.

 

[themaniam1]

Re: Anchor type

A Bruce is a good all around anchor for a cruiser which is easy to set but is not a good storm anchor. Since you are getting a second anchor you might as well make it a storm anchor. I use a Bruce on my bow for most anchoring but my second anchor is a Fortress which is my storm / overnight anchor . You could get by with the FX-7 but I would go with the FX-11 which is what I have for my 24' cruiser.

You just will not have a heavy enough anchor to just drop and have it hold you from swaying by shear weight

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: Anchor type

I like the idea of having a "storm anchor" as the regular anchor.

IMO, the stern anchor should be small enough to throw easily since it may be useful for kedging someday. On my 25' boat, I use a 22 lb Delta Plow with 15 feet of chain as my regular anchor and a little 4.4 lb Bruce claw with 4 feet of chain as my stern anchor. It is perfectly adequate at keeping the stern from swinging around. It has an amazing amount of holding power for its size. It's also very easy to store.

 

[slasmith1]

Re: Anchor type

Anchoring from both ends in any strong current or wind is a bad idea. The design of the anchors is to hold the boat against the current in a straight line if the current shifts your boat should swing so it will still be bow into the current. If you anchor from both ends in stong current or wind conditions and those forces shift to where they are hitting you broadside neither anchor will hold properly and you will wind up in a tangled mess.

 

[arks]

Re: Anchor type

Gotta agree with slasmith1- don't anchor both ends in any serious current or wind. If your bow anchor lets go then you'll be sitting there stern anchored, which is DANGEROUS.
Many years ago I had first-hand experience with a stern anchor in current, and it was impossible for me to haul it in. Long story short- I had to start the engine and reverse HARD to get upstream and pull it up. It was a 4500# boat and I was lucky that day.

If you really want to calm down the stern you might consider running a sea anchor (drogue) off the stern, which is basically a small parachute in the water. The current will pull against it and keep the boat aligned with the current. One caveat: with a sea anchor you may need a larger primary anchor!

....but my second anchor is a Fortress which is my storm / overnight anchor . You could get by with the FX-7 but I would go with the FX-11 which is what I have for my 24' cruiser.

That's what I do as well. My FX-16 is rated for boats to 38' so it's a good choice for a backup. It's always better to have a bit too much anchor.
BTW- my primary anchor is a polished stainless steel 33# Delta- some BLING for the bow! .