What type of anchor should one use for a 500 lbs. day sailor and a muddy sea floor.?
Answers:
Soul Surfer By: Bethany Hamilton?
Actually with a 500 lb. boat and a muddy seabottom a small mushroom anchor will hold you nicely under reasonable conditions. The problem is when you need your anchor the most it will not be in reasonable condtions. In my opinion the least discussed function of an anchor is as a safety device. In the boat you discribe you will not be relying on the anchor to hold you fast while you sleep through the night. But it may save your life some day by keeping you from going over a low head dam or ending up in the surf on a rocky shore. So you are correct to be concerned about what type on anchor to use on even a small boat.My thoughts are these. When the going gets tough you don't want to be relying a a mushroom or similar inferior type anchor. But, also, on a boat this size space is at a premium. A claw anchor or a plow will take up alot of room. What you really what is a danforth type anchor. They fold flat and perform very well for there weight. You certainly dont need a 20-30 LB danforth as the guy above said. That anchor would be capable of holding a 40' boat. A 4 or 5 lb. danforth anchor should be adequate for you boat. The next thing you need is a 4' to 6' lenght of chain to attach to the anchor. What the chain does is cause the "pull" on the anchor to be more horizontal making the flukes dig in and hold. You will want to attach a 100-150' length of three strand nylon rode to that chain and you are set. The more rode you let out the better it will hold. West Marine (westmarine.com)has some helpful advice and a wide selection of anchors with ratings. Even if you dont want to buy from them they have good information.
Fair winds and following seas buddy.
a very good one
a decent one
danforth weighing about 20-30 lbs and remember rhode and chain at a 7 to 1 ratio email if you need to know more
Danforths are good, but if it is just going to be mud, then either a Bruce anchor or a Plow, both have awsome holding power and are great for mud and sand
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