What's the best anchor type for mud bottom lake?

I never did get back to sleep. I ended up shoveling my driveway at 4:30AM. I'll be dragging ass tonight...would a bigger ass drag less or more???...:huh:
 
The point I was making has to do with the original poster's question (Dan/dsteele1) where his anchor broke free and his boat was swinging on the anchor. Some came back and just said "You need a bigger and different anchor" and I tried to put an explanation up on how to actually solve the problem because I've experienced this problem.

Although Chapman's 63rd edition has a detailed section on anchors, as well as ignition protection, it does not discuss or cover well a boat swinging at anchor other than setting two anchors. The boat sailing up wind and going back and forth like a pendulum on the anchor is only discussed briefly (one sentence)
:thumbsup:
Makes sense to me now. I appreciate the answers, I have had the same problem and never done anything other than using two anchors, so the drawing and answers helped. I would still recommend to just use two anchors whenever sleeping on the boat. It does not take long to deploy two, and the second helps stop the swinging and provides another level of security.
 
:thumbsup:
...I have had the same problem and never done anything other than using two anchors,...


I am not looking for any arguments here, just some clarification as to how you are using the two anchors and the conditions. :huh:

Two anchors meaning one deployed on the port side of the bow with proper rode and another deployed on the starboard side with proper rode

or a bow anchor and a stern anchor?

:thumbsup:

Thanks
 
Would you look at that...an anchor with a kick stand! What'll they come up with next. That is a damn nice piece of hardware.

P9010593.jpg
 
I am not looking for any arguments here, just some clarification as to how you are using the two anchors and the conditions. :huh:

Two anchors meaning one deployed on the port side of the bow with proper rode and another deployed on the starboard side with proper rode

or a bow anchor and a stern anchor?

Thanks

Good question.

The way I use two anchors varies based on the conditions. When anchoring in an area that I don't have room to swing with the wind, or an area where the river current may reverse, I use the regular anchor off the bow, set it, let out more line and back down to drop another anchor off the stern. Then I move foreword, set the stern anchor and re tighten the bow anchor. This takes a lot of line on the bow.

If I am just anchoring in an open cove without changing wind or current, I drop the main anchor, back down, set it, motor up about 30 to 45 degrees off center, drop the second anchor, deploy line, back down, and set it. So when sleeping there are two anchors off the bow about the same distance from the boat, spaced between 30 an 45 degrees apart.

Not sure if that is the "best" way, everyone has their own opinions, but that is how I have done it with my boats, and it has always worked well. Like Tail Chaser mentioned, I also have an anchor alarm on the GPS that will sound if I start to drag, but my boat is small enough that I can hear the alarm from the berth. Some of you guys could not do that because you can't hear the alarm from your berth, and a handheld won't get signal through the deck.
 
Using two anchors on a larger boat is difficult unless it was setup to do so. I have a smaller fortress anchor I use on the stern once in awhile but having a second anchor that could hold the boat would be next to impossible to retrieve without a windlass or small capstan of some sort.

The discussions you see on anchoring with dual anchors (like Chapman) assume you have a sailboat or trawler with a dual anchor setup.
 
.....
If I am just anchoring in an open cove without changing wind or current, I drop the main anchor, back down, set it, motor up about 30 to 45 degrees off center, drop the second anchor, deploy line, back down, and set it. So when sleeping there are two anchors off the bow about the same distance from the boat, spaced between 30 an 45 degrees apart.


It sounds like what we used to call Bahamian Anchoring?
 
Not to pick sides or cause any controversy but, I like gary cannot use 2 anchors as the size of the 2nd anchor is too much to handle manually. I am in the process of putting together a bridle for my rode which I have heard is the ticket as long as you have the room.
Jack
 
Named Anchor Mod

Okay, I'm not trying to "get into it" here, but I don't see the problem with painting the rode; it actually seems like a really good idea.
Thanks. It's worked well for me over the years. I'm getting ready to freshen up the paint.

The Chapman Piloting recommends a white band every 20'. I improved on that with a two-digit trinary color code, so each marking is unique.

So, if chain rodes are marked in other than monotone, that should be referred to as the "wingless chain mod".

PaintedChain1024.jpg
 
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Also, use a anchor alarm on a marine handheld GPS or Chart plotter if you have one.

I just bought a Garmin GPSMAP 430 with the anchor drag alarm. This should give me better piece of mind when we do our first over-nighter on Lake Texoma... :grin: Now I can setup up waypoints and routes! Beats using the old car Garmin 260W GPS with the inland lakes software method by a longshot. :thumbsup:
 
Re: Named Anchor Mod

So, if chain rodes are marked in other than monotone, that should be referred to as the "wingless chain mod".

Actually, some of us now refer to certain quality of mods as "wingless mods". It's a great way of describing things so THANKS!
 
BTW< I bought my shiny polished stainless one from Marine Part Depot for $199.00
yhst-17525248830734_2036_6319187.jpg


I also got the anchor swivel there too. It still looks good and held all 4 boat's we had tied to us, including a 381 Meridian, when we discovered his hook was dragging. Glad we had two hooks out.

Todd, man they have some good prices, to me at least. I'm making an order soon!
 
Todd, man they have some good prices, to me at least. I'm making an order soon!

The one I bought is 304 stainless that will show some surface rust spotting, and I just buffed them out. At the time I bought it they didn't have this size in 316 stainless, but for the price I figured I couldn't go wrong. They do have 316 now.
 
Their out of stock and will get them in later this year. I want one!

The hinged ones are really nice, but 304. The fixed Delta style are 316 I believe. I'd wait for the hinged style. It polishes up just fine.

NehalenniaProjectsPre-Trip7-12-08.jpg

NehalenniaProjectsPre-Trip7-12-081.jpg
 
Anchors are designed to dig in and bury themselves deep when there pulled on. The long chain anchor rode helps this by keeping the shank flat to the bottom surface.
The weight of the chain also helps keep the anchor from being pulled upward with the swells releasing the anchors hold.

If you have a fish finder/depth sounder.
Look for a spot where the lake bottom comes up steep.
Dropping your anchor on the low downward slope side of the lake bottom floor.
Then backup too the more shallow water will dig the anchor in very deep. Embedding itself deep into the upward slope.

The down side.
In the ocean anyway.
When the tides go out when your sleeping, Usually between
1AM and 3AM.
The boat swings 180 degrees. Now the boat is trying to drift out to sea.
If you don't have enough scope out.
The anchor could pull loose from the upward slope.
With too short of anchor rope out. The anchor can no longer reach the sea bottom and take set again.

The reason I got away from the fluke anchor is.
You always have to drag it for it to set properly.
The Bruce type anchors set the moment they touch bottom.
Much less chance of dragging anchor downhill when the tides go out.

Pulling or dragging anchors loose happens fairly often at my offshore islands.
I have talked to people that have been woken up by a rocking boat.
Sometimes after drifting as much as 12 miles.
One guy woke up just before he drifted into a Rocky Point.:wow:

I wonder if a really shiny polished anchor would attract more fishys :smt115
 
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