Anchor issues.

ric · **Posted:** Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:17 pm

I seem to be having an issue on my 215 with the anchor. It's a danforth style, average size (maybe 2ft wide). 8ft of chain. Bottom is sand. Water is 12ft deep. I usually put out a good 30-40ft of rope.

I've tried everything I can, and it just doesn't hold the night. I always end up drifted a bit when I wake up (one night I drifted halfway across the lake and it caught maybe 50ft from shore). I never had this issue before on any other boat. I do the whole drop it in, idle in reverse until it grabs rock solid, etc.

The anchor itself is steel, but the "swing" of the flukes doesn't seem to have that much travel compared to my other anchors on other boats. I have a second anchor at the house, should I initially try setting a rear anchor just in case the boat is swinging around unsetting itself? I have either a hall or another smaller danforth style I could use.

Suggestions?

EvilZ · **Posted:** Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:25 pm

Personally, I'd throw some more chain on there first and see if that helps....Chain should help keep the anchor set and is relatively inexpensive.
Perhaps a good starting point.

acguy · **Posted:** Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:31 pm

I agree more chain will solve your problem. I would put at least 30' on especially if you are anchored out over night!

ric · **Posted:** Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:38 pm

They say you need as much chain as how long the boat is... so at least 20ft? 30ft sounds excessive but maybe you're right. The boat might be 20'6 but it's a heavy bastard due to how tall it is.

john55c · **Posted:** Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:40 pm

+1 for extra chain. What is the water depth? 7 to 1 is the general rule...7 feet of line for every 1 foot of depth, plus freeboard. And if in salt water, you must add in height of tide.

neutron · **Posted:** Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:48 pm

Thats why I prefer Fortress anchors, you can adjust the flukes to swing more or less, only problem they are very light so a longer, heavier chain is needed. I use a FX11

ric · **Posted:** Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:59 pm

They're onsale sometimes, I wanted one of those.

Jdpber · **Posted:** Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:08 pm

Chain chain more chain. Chain is almost more inportant than the spade size. I have a 1# with 9' chain and it will hold a 20' center consol in the harbor in current on the stern. Now this is not a main but a stern. This said it would not be worth a darn with no chain. My FW have 12' chain on the bow of my boat. Another thing you can try is more rode (scope) more line lesser angle yields a stronger hold.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:32 pm

neutron wrote:

Thats why I prefer Fortress anchors, you can adjust the flukes to swing more or less, only problem they are very light so a longer, heavier chain is needed. I use a FX11

Yes, more chain and the Fortress anchors bite better.

Bliss36 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 29, 2013 10:27 pm

ric wrote:

They're onsale sometimes, I wanted one of those.

Fortress anchors are amazing in sand! I have an FX-11 I use as a back up anchor, but used it for years as my main anchor with zero issues. They have a great warranty too...I hit the dock with it and bent the stock, so they sent me a replacement stock for the cost of shipping!

Decision · **Posted:** Tue Apr 30, 2013 10:11 am

As mentioned above, you did not have an adequate amount of chain/anchor rode deployed, especially for overnighting. One disadvantage of a danforth style anchor is that it may not reset itself should it be pulled free due to wind direction change. A number of other anchor styles can reset themselves.

For my piece of mind when we anchor out overnight, I like to set two anchors off my bow and both those anchors have the ability to reset themselves (one is a bruce style the other a Delta).

You may feel confortable on your lake with more chain/rode and maybe upsizing your danforth.

I don't care to weather out a thunderstorm with high winds in the middle of the night with a rocky shoeline nearby without feeling comfortable that my anchors should keep be where I anchored.

I wish we had more anchorages closer to our marina as I really like being able to anchor out overnight.

Mike.

weather · **Posted:** Tue Apr 30, 2013 11:07 am

Anchor rode length was touched on but not with specifics. More chain - yes. Mainly I believe you do not have nearly enough rode out. With 40' out, you should only be anchoring in 4' of water (if your anchor cleat is 2' above the water). You need at least 5X, but preferably 7X the depth from the anchor cleat to the lake bottom.
All of this is to ensure that the angle of the rode to the lake bottom is small enough to allow the anchor to dig in (parallel to the bottom is perfect!) - the chain sits on the bottom and also helps keep the angle small.

So...for 12' water depth and an assumed 2' distance from the water to the anchor cleat:

(12+2) x 7 = 98' of rode required (and 20-30' of that should be chain).

Hope that helps.

Jdpber · **Posted:** Tue Apr 30, 2013 3:11 pm

^^^ good explanation with numbers.

200' of main bow line is the minimum I ever leave home with.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Tue Apr 30, 2013 4:18 pm

What some boater don't understand too It's not the depth of what the boat is in, its the depth of were the anchor is.

i.e. Is the wind wind blowing you into the shore OR out. Two different depths but the angel to the anchor is the same.

In Rick's case, its just him.

Bliss36 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 30, 2013 4:20 pm

ric wrote:

The anchor itself is steel, but the "swing" of the flukes doesn't seem to have that much travel compared to my other anchors on other boats. I have a second anchor at the house, should I initially try setting a rear anchor just in case the boat is swinging around unsetting itself?

Ric,
I think you answered your own question. If the fluke angle is too shallow the anchor wont dig in. Try the extra one you have in the front, because not allowing your boat to swing by using a rear anchor can cause you to take wind broadside further increasing your odds of dragging with that weak front anchor. Your fluke angle should be between 30-35 degrees.

When I was using my fortress I only had 5 ft of chain and never drug anchor in the sand of Lake Michigan...and that includes some really heavy wind and waves. People with all chain rode drag anchor if the anchor won't get a good bite. Extra chain does make a big difference in setting and holding but it's main purpose is chauffe protection and when the winds kick up and that chain goes bar tight it all comes down to how deep those flukes are buried, and what they are buried into

www.iFourWinns.com

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