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I know nothing about anchors
dwolf
Member Posts: 157 ✭✭
I need someone to explain anchors ,what size And type I need for when I go to the Bahamas. My boat which is 8232 Captiva has an anchor locker in the front with one that you just toss overboard it's round ,it is bigger the bottom and it scoops into the mud I've used it one time and like to never got it back on board, it hung up on the bumper strip that goes around the boat . I had a pounding headache at the time then might had something to do with it. Is there any kind of set up I can get for this that would allow it to be dropped and retrieved without banging at the side of my boat I didn't like that at all I'm thinking like putting a winch on it or something but it needs to hang over the front of the boat someway any help would be appreciated
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Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
Here's what you need:
1) Find out the typical type of bottom where you want to anchor. That will help you pick the right anchor.
2) Find out the typical depth where you want to anchor. That will tell you many feet of rode (chain plus anchor) you need on your anchor (using the 7-to-1 rule).
3) Once you get the new anchor and rode, learn how to properly set the anchor. You can't just toss it overboard like with your old mushroom anchor. You need to back the boat down and set the anchor.
There's plenty of material on the web for this stuff.
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To make the boat pull horizontally on the anchor:
(1) You need some chain between the anchor and the rope. The chain adds weight to help keep a better angle on the anchor. The more chain, the better it will hold. Of course, if you have too much chain, it's harder to retrieve the anchor because it's heavier.
(2) The length of the chain plus rope (together called the "rode") has to be long enough that the chain will lay flat along the bottom, even when the boat is pulling on it. The usual rule is 7-to-1 ... the length of the rode is seven times the vertical height from your bow to the anchor. For example, if your bow is 10' above the anchor, you need 70' of rode to get a really strong set. If you put out less than 70', you will still get some holding power, but there's more risk that the anchor will drag. And if you only put out 15 feet, the anchor won't really hold at all.
A Rough Guide -
1lb a foot is a starting point and not too bad a one but only a guide. From there you adjust for the varying factors. So i have a 37ft boat i would want at least a 40Lb anchor.
Increase the size if –
While it is not recommended to go much smaller, some smaller boats can drop a small amount if -
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=TRAC-Deckboat-35-Auto-Deploy-Anchor-Winch&i=848699
But, two major problems. The max rope diameter is only 0.2", which only gives you enough strength for day anchoring in light weather. And it only holds 100 feet of rope, so you can't anchor in water deeper than 15-20 feet.
The round anchor you described sounds like a mushroom type, not much good really. A plow type or fluke style hold better. If your locker on the bow is big enough and if there is room to put a hole in the bottom of it to drop the 100 or so feet of rope you'll need to be drawn through the windlass/winch, it's not hard to install or have a dealer do it. An anchor roller/bracket can be anywhere from $10 to $100, a windlass ranges about $150 to $400. Most people secure the end of their anchor rope to a bolt on inside behind your bow-eye (so anchor doesn't go overboard if your windlass pays out too much line). Feed the rope up through the hole in the locker, mount the windlass, put about 20 feet of chain between the rope and the anchor, run your 12V power to it, etc. The hardest part is making sure everywhere you drill and run bolts through goes into a reinforced area with some structure strong enough to handle the loads.
I assume your boat is the cuddy. I wouldn't bother with a windlass on a bow rider.
You can do a search on this site for "install windlass" and see one a guy did in 2015 on his 276cc.
Here's a typical install picture, as well.
What I mean is, what's a typical day on the water for you? For my boat, a typical day is to drive 15-45 minutes, drop anchor, and spend the day relaxing -- either alone or tied up with other boating friends. The only time I don't use the anchor is when we go to another marina and spend the night.
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