Shackle size and recommendation?

[thataway]

The 43# Danforth 2000 is way overkill for the C Dory 25 (I use an original WWII HT 40 lb Danforth for a primary bow anchor on a 46 to 60 foot boat, or as a storm anchor on a 32 foot boat.

The Danforth 12 HT or the West Marine Performance 13 is a much better anchor than the Danforth 2000.

Boris, That perticular episode was in 1964. We had anchored behind the reef on the North Side, but in the 60's there were very few pleasure boats doing to Santa Cruz, and almost none to San Miguel. Another episode in the same anchorage, was when we had been followed by a CG boat for all of previous day, and the day of the incident. We had stopped in the Willows to get some Abs, and then to Coahes Prietos. When we arrived there a Swan 64 was already anchored, and the crew did a number of things to be obnoxious. (We just went down below and ignored them). About 30 minutes later two trailerable sailboats, which we had seen at the Willows came into the anchorage and anchored. The skippers of both of these boats rowed directly to the Swan. A large envelope was passed to the folks aboard the Swan, and the folks on the Swan gave packages about the size of shoe boxes, wrapped in heavy yellow plastic to the folks form the small boats, which then promptly left. Obviously the CG was following the wrong boat! We stayed out of sight below. Shortly there after a heavy fog came in. We didn't sleep well that night, because it was one of the few times we didn't have any fire arms aboard....But we were able to leave early in the AM--and reported the incident from a land line when we got back to the marina.

We had rescued a couple of folks from a ship wreck on the West coast Mexico, and were carrying what gear they had salvaged back to Florida. Amoung the items was a 22 lb Bruce anchor (the one which had drug and allowed the 32 foot sailboat to be caught in the surf and lost). We tried to set it several times--as a spring anchor or stern anchor--mostly in fine coral sand off Honduras and Belize. We never could get it to set, to the point it would pull our 62 foot motor sailer around. One day I needed to set a spring anchor to hold the boat off a dock. The Bruce would not hold after multiple sets. I broke out my trusty 12 lb HT Danforth, and it set on the first try. Granted this was a limited trial, of maybe 10 attempts to get a Bruce to set, and I am sure that others have had far better results than I have. I know that the bruce is not adequate the area where I live currently, and rarely used. In some areas the Bruce is the anchor of choice.

Matt, nice job on the photos. I like to tie the very end of the line, either with zip ties or fine line to be sure that it will not come undone if used in a critical place like extending an anchor rode.

The old way of making non skid was to put wet paint on the deck then sprinkle as much sand as you wanted, after it dried, you swept the loose sand off, and applied another coat or two or paint. On one Transpac, the boat had just had the decks re sanded, and I wore the double thickness seat of my foul weather gear through in about 48 hours. I suspect that your father lost a lot of skin!

Some of my fondest memories are of sailing back from Santa Cruz to Long Beach or Marina Del Ray, with the chute up and the boat on autopilot--sitting on the lazarette hatches playing the guitar...