Anchoring

[Aaron]

sealady i really recommend them

[SeaLady]

Thanks Aaron. Keith and everyone else.

My new Anchor... Manson Supreme has arrived and Saturday / tomorrow I will be testing her out. And hoping to be able to reduce the amount of chain to make everything lighter.

Wish me luck.

[Phillip]

Diana,

Do not reduce the lenght of your chain. Tonight and over the last 5 days I have been sitting in Pancake Creek with winds up to 30 knots plus 4-5 knot tidal currents.

I have all my 33m of chain out and as a result I have not MOVED. If I had less out I would have been moved all over this creek and I can tell the value of some of the yachts here is large.

In this case it is not the anchor that is doing the work but the chain.

So, try it first before reducing the lenght of your chain. Also remember those that race put extra weight up forward to increase the waterline lenght and hence increase the speed. I took 70kg out of SEAKA but looking at her now she is stern down with all my gear and I have 10cm of antifouling exposed at the bow. I should have left the lead weights in her.

Phillip
Pancake Creek. [Day 6, hope to sail to Gladstone on Saturday].

[SeaLady]

Thanks Phillip,
But part of the excercise was to reduce the weight.

I think I am pretty good at most things, but I do not have the strength of you muscular blokes to haul up a lot of chain. When it comes to strength, women's lib and mother nature has let us girlies down.

Today installed the anchor and reduced the chain to 6 metres.

I know, I know.

But weight and the lack of a willing biological anchor windlass is part of my problem.

I do have 50 metres of anchor line. So can lay out lots of line.

Didn't get a chance to test it today. Was on a very muddy bottom and would rather test on sand. Much less mess.
But will do the tests soon.

If this works, then I will not need a strong bloke on board.
Would like one but not a necessity. They can be hard to come by when they know work is involved.

Have tried advertising for galley slave but no takers.

Have kept the old anchor with a lot of chain still too heavy so it can be used as a second or backup or stern anchor if necessary.

Now with less chain, if still too heavy I should be able to use my sheet winches to help if needed.

[lockie]

Sealady, for the chain part of your rode you could use a chain hook spliced onto about 8 metres of line (enough to reach from the bow to your sheet winch). Then you can winch the chain as well as the nylon part of your rode.

lockie

[Phillip]

Ok Diana,

Given all that you will need an 'Angel Weight'

This is a weight you attached [clip on] to your rope anchor line and using another line you lower it to within cooee of the bottom. For you I reckon it will be less than 10kg in weight as mine is, but thats Ok, its just there to get the angle of your anchor rope as close as possible to being parrallel to the sea floor so as to reduce the angle at which you will pull on your anchor.

With an "Angel Weight" you can rest easy with an overnight anchoring.

Phillip
Gladstone Marina.

[Shaun]

Hi Diana,
Have you had any anchoring experience with your new anchor & anchor set-up to report?
what size Manson Supreme did you get?
Do you store it on the bow, any photos?

My 35lb Manson Plough, is outrageously oversized & its becoming a logistical nightmare to secure it on the bow, I really want an anchor on the bow available for immediate deployment, man-handling a 35lb piece of sharp steel around on deck(if i store it below) is out of the question.

ps, Phil may be interested in your redundant mast steps??

cheers
Shaun

[talisman]

Hi Diana,
Have you tried a different anchor? Your plough and chain set up should be enough to almost never drag, and your method sounds OK. Does the plough have any lead in the pointy bit? Plough/CQR types were designed to have the 'nose' almost filled with lead. When these anchors are re-galvanised the lead melts out, leaving them pretty useless.
(anyone taking a plough type anchor for re-galvanising should melt the lead out first, then re-pour it after the gal is done)
Cheers,
Petrea.

[Shaun]

A 25lb Manson supreme(made in NZ!) in USA retails for circa US$220 (approx AU$200), WW want AU$360, sadly this type of price gouging will result in WW & the like eventually losing their businesses or at least radically changing the way they operate, WW mail order is however very fast, delivered overnight but costly.
Anyone know of a sensible anchor seller I can support?
cheers
shaun

[SeaLady]

I have not yet tried my new anchor.
It is sitting in the anchor locker but the lid does not close.

Am awaiting a fine weekend to do a test run.

Would prefer to have someone with me first time just in case.
So need to wait till willing victim is available.
ha ha